“Shocking truth!” Omg can we finally get rid of the exaggerations like “shocking truth“. That said, excellent video. Blind A/B tests are the most valid determinants when comparing anything.
I went for the master edition because of the reviews I've read and watched claiming that it had the bigger and smoother sound stage and greater separation over the standard edition I will use mine with a pure class A pre amplifier and a class D power amplifier I've just received it today so over next few days I will be putting the master edition through its paces 😊
Good morning and thank you for your comment. Give it at least 100 hours of continued use to get some 'burn in' under its belt. You'll notice quite a difference after that :)
I bought the ME , def it hits the ball out of the park. I connected it to my network via LAN and upgraded my mains switch to 63 amps. It is more revealing , great bass details , voice , micro details etc. The spkr positioning becomes more sensitive. Very happy with the purchase.
Good morning and thank you for the feedback. Blind testing is the only way to remove the 'placebo' of knowing which is which from the start. The next video on the Volumio Primo v The Standard Edition is fascinating! :)
I’m sorry but per my other comment in this thread, it’s not blind testing. We’ve no idea if they chatted about results and music. It’s ridiculously unscientific , their is no control sample, and the results are ridiculously convenient pointing towards people chatting at best and fixed results at worst. You should try doing this with a wife or spouse or friend and yourself and see how varied the results will be.
Hi Mark, I’m from Holland and i like your presentations. I have the Eversolo master edition with the Hegel h390 with the speakers Focal Vestia 4 and i’ m supprised about the sound. Even my wife who never listen too music is amazing about the music, Thanks for you anthosiasme , rinus from Amsterdam
Good morning and thank you for your feedback, it is really appreciated. Its a great device and just picked up our Best Streamer Up To £1500 award, so a great choice :) Cheers and thank you again. Mark
Great review series, thank you. I bought the Master Edition this weekend based on multiple accounts of a somewhat smoother high frequency response (not less detailed). My Monitor Audio Silver 200 speakers already have a very detailed and slightly bright profile, so it was important to not exaggerate that. Still, the combo is not for metal heads but very enjoyable to listen to for my main choice of music. Using Audiolab 7000A amp.
Good afternoon and thank you for your comment. You have made a great choice with the Master Edition and our listening tests suggest that it is definitely worth the additional costs. Cheers, Mark :)
I play a lot of rock and metal. Then eversolo not a good choice? Now i have the bluesound node 130 with mf m5si amp and tannoy xt8f speakers. Like a full bodied and warmer sound with my music.
@robertv.d.woning5352 depends on your entire system, but the Eversolo itself, especially if you don't go with the Master edition, leans towards the bright and analytical side in my opinion. Listening fatigue is a risk, particularly with rock/metal if you ask me. Electronica sounds great though. Pair it wisely.
I can only assume that the upgrades in the Master Edition effect the DAC section only? (no reviewer today it has bothered to mention this). It would be interesting to have a blind shoot out of both of them going into the same external DAC.
Good morning and thank you for your comment. The Femto upgrades on the Master, still give it the advantage of the Standard when using digital output only into an external DAC. The perfromance differential is still there, albeit at a reduced margin. :)
Thanks for asking this question. I'm going back and forth on this as well. I will be using my Hegel DAC instead of the internal doc on the Eversolo. I will probably buy the master edition just to be sure. :)
Thank you very much for an excellent video. I'm a very happy user of the standard version, purchased even before I knew there was a gold edition. I wanted an all in one streamer/dac, that was also capable of playing my music library from a SSD (whether internal or external, it did not matter). I also wanted a player that could be used wirelessly since it would mainly be used in a holiday system, and as far as I'm concerned it does everything I need and sounds excellent. Whether it would have been better to spend £400 more would be debatable for me since I'm only using a cheaper amp and speakers.
Hi David, thanks for the message and I agree. There is no right or wrong here and I could happily live with the standard edition too. Both are great and the most important aspect is to enjoy your music! Thank you again fir watching our video. Mark :)
Good afternoon and apologies for the late reply. We have tested both as a transport only, and the Master edges it with the better spec Master Clock. Cheers, Mark
Great Video Mark, answering the question that everyone wanted answered!! For me, i'm looking forward to the bigger, wider test results....please carry on what you're doing buddy!!
Hi Matt, thanks for that, appreciate it. Its a very interesting process and some really interesting outcomes. The blind testing is the key! Hope to see you sometime soon :) Cheers!
Is there any difference in the streamer sections as many people already have a good DAC and would consider the Eversolos purely as a digital transport.
Good morning Andrew and thats a great question. The answer is yes, the better clock makes a difference here too to give the Master the edge. The 1612 OA have no effect when used as a transport only. If I were buying for transport only, I'd still go with the master. There is another interesting comparison yet to come - we put the Master Edition up against the transport only Volumio Rivo - look out for that video in the coming weeks :)
@@EliteAudioUK 👍👍👍.Thanks for the great reviews and excellent works. FYI, Hans in The Hans Beekhuyzen Channel dated july 21 commented that the Rivo sounded much better with the AES/EBU output, on par with his reference streamer transport, and he preferred this connection over the others for the Rivo. In addition he also tested with a few brands of external linear PS. All the linear PS gave improvements on sound quality but he mentioned the most noticeable improvements was from Farrad linear PS (within reasonable price point). I hope that in the coming streamer transport only battle, you will not forgo the AES/EBU in the comparison on sound quality. Since my DAC has AES/EBU hence I would like to optimise the potential. I am not taking sides on RIVO but I hope that your test has covered every possible aspects for potential buyers, like me, in helping in the final decision. Thank you.
Hi Alex, thanks for the message - I wonder if they have a Diamond version planned too? :) The standard version is very very good and I would be more than happy to have that as my streaming source. Its all about enjoying the music. Cheers, Mark :)
Good morning and thank you for the feedback. Blind tests are the ONLY way to remove placebo and there have been some very surprised expressions when people find out what they voted for! :) Thanks again for watching.
I’d love to get the master edition. It’s currently out of stock at bay bloor radio here in Toronto. It’s 2000 bucks so it’ll be a while before I can get one. I currently use the bluesound node 2021 which is pretty good but no match for the eversolo.
I don’t think this is the best way for hifi dealers to gain consumers trust. It’s a very rudimentary test. A proper blind test - which this is not - means you randomly (by coin tosses written down in advance) play a track from a then b or the other way around, to person a. A is the standard eversolo and b is the master edition. You then randomly play a or b as the third test called x. Then person a has to decide if x is the first one they heard or the second. Repeat for the remaining tracks to get a bigger number of repetitions and for the 7 people who took part. You’d then have to do a control with all eversolo standard editions and not tell the audience that’s it’s either a control or the test proper. You don’t let the audience influence others by milling around or seeing their results, which may be the case from the video with people standing around. If you do that and run results through a t-test with even an 80% confidence or significance level, you likely won’t show any differences. This is not to deride the two models but this is best done in sighted tests by consumers in their own environment where acoustically they hear the differences. The reason why it’s harder to do this in a shop is factors like 1) the gear is not familiar to those listening to hear a component change 2) lack of familiarity with acoustic environment and how components cope in that environment 3) the differences are already small between the components on test. 4) we don’t know the hearing acuity of the people taking part. 5) the music played might not be what they are familiar with.
What I liked best about the video is your passion for your work. Love it. And I did subscribe to your channel. Much respect to you from Larry from the states.
This is outstanding. Exactly what I've been needing in determining a personal choice of upgrade. Especially taking into consideration using an aftermarket lps on the Rivo, not to mention comparing the software applications. Thank you so much for putting in the time to make these comparisons possible.
Good afternoon and thank you very much indeed for the feedback, its really appreciated. Next week we have the Volumio Rivo v's the Eversolo Master Edition. This will be a transport only comparison! Cheers, Mark :)
The DMP-A6 is on my list for sure. It seems to check a lot of my boxes. Saying that, I would likely prefer the Master edition for no other reason than 'just because'. The difference between femto-second clocks and high precision oscillators is unknown without a spectrum analysis as was done for the Master edition. I would expect the non-Master edition to be slightly worse but still beyond human capacity to hear. Either way, the small amounts of jitter in modern devices is typically below any audible noise floor. A better DAC might be good. The problem being too much stuff is subjective.
I didn't have a chance to audition both, I bought the standard edition. That extra 400 quid can go towards a subwoofer which will have more and effect on the music. (My thoughts currently).
Thank you for the message and as we said in the video, both are great. Its important to build a system that works best for you and a sub can make a huge difference :)
@@EliteAudioUK Yes I agree! It does sound very good and it's as much as I'd like to spend on a streamer. My Amp is a Denon pma a110. It is on the warmer basser side of neutral (still plenty of detail). The slightly brighter nature of the standard works very well for me, plus it's used as a transport. The Sub is the final component in my set up now ☺️
Do you have a description of your test protocols? For example, how did you precisely level-match each player? Were the test results reliably repeatable? Etc.
I waited months to make a choice regarding a streaming DAC & ultimately chose the DMP A6 Master Edition. I tossed in a 2TB Samsung 990 SSD and purchased a Pioneer branded external USB disc drive for CD ripping. ....and I absolutely love my new streaming setup but have 1 major complaint. Why is this device so "finnicky" about ripping CDs? It simply will not load the info for about 1 out of every 4 discs....and at times I will run into 4 or 5 straight CDs that simply will not load. There's no reason for it that I can figure out. The discs are in like new condition & everything else in the equation IS new. So, I'm at a loss as to why so many of my CDs won't load via the Eversolo's software but it's happening...and it's a pain in my butt.
@@EliteAudioUK It's a Pioneer branded usb Blu Ray/DVD/CD drive that I found on Amazon. Nothing "special", but also not a cheap POS. I think it's a software related issue w/ the Eversolo. Hopefully they'll work it out...
Here in Canada the master edition is $800 more expensive. My friend took that money added $200 dollars to it and bought a nice external dac. When that was integrated into the chain with the standard edition it sounded better to everyone present. There are ways to adjust the sound of the standard edition that makes it superior to the master edition for relatively the same amount of money. Albeit as stand alone units the sound it better on the master edition but I don't think it is worth 50% more money.
Good morning and thank you for your comment. It is interesting to know the price difference in Canada is $800, which equates to around £470 here in the UK. To be honest, based on the comparison, the additional £70 is still worth the extra in my opinion - assuming it still fits into a budget, because the Standard A6 is very very good on its own. :)
Hi and thank you for the question - the simple answer is yes. It has the better clock (lower jitter and distortion) that gives it an advantage over the standard, even when using it as a transport only :)
Hi Stephen, thank you for your comment and feedback, it is really appreciated. We used the internal DACs of both devices to make the comparison as fair as possible. Cheers, Mark :)
I must be one strange person as I find it hard to tell the difference using a DAC or using just the amplifiers. I have used decent Chord DAC’s and I’m now trying an Audiolab M-DAC and still I struggle. I went through the various modes on the M-DAC but nothing stands out that is blatantly obvious.
Hi Stuart, thanks for the message. Thats interesting and we are all different. My own experiences with not really hearing any difference from one device to another usually means that something else is limiting the overall performance if that makes sense. Not sure where you are based, but if you drop me an email: info@eliteaudiouk.com, I'd be happy to try and help you. Cheers, Mark :)
Eversolo already has the brand new DMP-A8 out much too many people's chagrin... and I agree that's way too soon a product cycle. But this A8 is supposed to blow the doors off both of the previous models as its armed with that new AKM velvet chip--with a price tag to match. See if you can get that beast in for a comparison review :)
Hi Scott, thanks for the message and we are eagerly awaiting them to arrive (any day now). We will be posting our results when we have them. Cheers, Mark :)
Thank you very much for this nice comparison. Another question that is very curious: Does using a Z8 dac with an A6 give a better sound? Greetings from Türkiye.
The Z8 has the single ES9038Pro 8 channel DAC, while the A6 has the twin ES9038Q2M 'Reference' Stereo DAC. In the real world you would most likely hear no difference. Thank you very much for the feedback, it is very much appreciated. :)
Good afternoon and thanks for the question - not tested on HDMI, but when used as a transport only, the Master still sounds better due to the improved Femto clock :)
I am about to buy the master edision, and a topping a90d with all cables balanced. What do you thingk about that combo. I have a pair of Hifiman arya stealth edision. Best reguards Peter from Sweden.
Hi Peter and thank you for the message. Apologies for the late reply. I have no reason to think that won't work well. I've not personally heard that combination, but I have heard the Topping and it is very good. Let me know how it goes for you :) Cheers, Mark
Which would be better if used as the main device for drying music from a hard drive? a6 and a6me? there is a big difference in sound, is there any reason to overpay for 6me?
Hi, great review!! Wondering if you guys tested these 2 units with and external dac and if there still is a sound difference w the master over the standard using both as transports. Thanks!!
Good afternoon, thank you for the feedback and message. The master still sounds better, even as a transport due to the superior master clock. Cheers, Mark :)
This is good the see/hear! After much research, I ended up with the Eversolo DMP-A6 Master Edition to replace a dead Pioneer Elite N-50 that I've had for some 10 years. I personally really like the sound of it. The clarity and detail is really good. I will admit if maybe the extra $400 or so I spend was actually worth it in the end, but I personally think so to these ears and it is nice to see it verified with tests like this. This is not the only video that I've seen were a side-by-side comparison was made between the Standard Edition and the Master Edition were made and the Master Edition became the preferred device, despite the cost upgrade. Anyway, with that being said, I am willing to bet the standard edition is going to be a very good solution to the vast majority of people. At least for those that do want that little bit extra, the master edition is available.
Good afternoon and thank you for the message. I think you have made a very good choice there as it was the definite favourite with our team. Enjoy your purchase and thanks again for watching our video :)
Your opinion is important to me! I'm in the same situation as you, with the difference that my Pioneer N50 works well, I don't know if using the new eversolo would give me better sound... Do you see (or did you really feel a big difference for the better?? Greetings from Paris!
@@Olivier_Debats I really did like my Pioneer Elite N50 and to be honest, if it had not died, I'd most likely still be using it. However, with that being said, the Eversolo DMP-A6 does have a lot of really nice and advanced features that the N50 just simply could not and would not be able to do. This is especially considering that Pioneer does not even support the N50 anymore (I tried contacting their support and see if I can get my unit repaired, but they said they no longer support them). For one, I love that I could put an SSD in the DMA-A6, get a cheap external CD drive and rip CDs directly to the unit. Second, that screen on the DMP-A6 really is an order of magnitude better than that postage-stamp sized screen on the N50. In the end, especially with the latest software upgrades for the DMP-A6, I really think it is a superior unit than the N50. As far as sound quality goes,though, the N50 really did sound excellent, but I think the DMP-A6 sounds just that slightly better. In the end, overall I think the Eversolo is a worth-while upgrade.
Have you compared these two as transports spdif vs spdif? I hear that the coax and toslink outs aof the a6 aren't that good and was wondering if it carries over to the master edition as well.
@@EliteAudioUK ok so the better clock also applies to the spdif outs. I was under the impression that it only applied to the usb output. Thanks for clarifying.
Beware of system and software bugs. Many of them. Product is still too new. Wait for another year if you can wait. Bought this A6 and experienced frustration using it. They're using consumers as their free testers 😡. Their customer service is ridiculously bad and said that having bug is normal😱.
DMP-A6 outputs : Analog vs Digital. I assume that this A/B Test was purely using the Analog outputs, which proved to be improved upon with the Master Edition. How about using the Digital outputs? Will one still hear a worthwhile improvement? Or heck, any improvement whatsoever? Ps. Liked & Subscribed !!!
The Master Edition has the better Femto clock and this will 100% impact on its performance as a transport only (i.e. digital into a separate DAC). We have compared both this way and the Master was still better. We do have a digital output only comparison in a future video where we put it up against the digital only Volumio Rivo. :)
eversolo says the better oscilater are for better audio decoding...which is the case if you use the internal dac...i dont think thats the case if you use it as a streamer obly...but i am not shure. wanna see the test of these two streamers... and also it would be nice to know...a6 + lhy lps or a6 ME only....same price but whitch one is better@@EliteAudioUK
Good morning and thanks for the message and feedback, really appreciated. In theory is should be possible to do this as the Eversolo devices allow output from XLR and RCA at the same time. I would check with the sub manufacturer, but I can see no technical reason why not :)
@@kevinblackburn3198 Actually I bought the Master edition, but only because the normal edition is massively back ordered in Thailand. I could get the Master with only a 2 week wait.
I am surprise that in nearly every reviews that done by so call expert, none has mentioned about the pointlessness or uselessness of the internal dac on music streamers when an individual has already have an external dac or intend to use external dac.
Well, you tried squaring the circle without any knowledge of trigonometric functions. The term “blind test” or even “double blind test” requires not only a technically perfect laboratory setup, but also randomly selected test subjects according to predetermined parameters, a statistically significant population and corresponding valid statistical evaluations. Nice try, but ultimately I like your rumbling Scottish accent 😊
once you pay $400 more for master edition you can pay $250 more and get Gustard A26 with a Roon end point and a much better sonic of course without the screen
@@wegardfjeld3789 I had an Eversolo Z8 for a year later I got a gustard R26 but at the same time my friend got a gustard A26 so I now both gustards and EverSolo Z8 since Z8 is slightly better than dmp a6 the master edition might be similar I assume since they have similar sound signature
If it helps I had both the A26 and Master Edition and preffered the sound of the ME much more..the A26 in comparison sounded thin and lightweight with a smaller soundstage
“Shocking truth!” Omg can we finally get rid of the exaggerations like “shocking truth“. That said, excellent video. Blind A/B tests are the most valid determinants when comparing anything.
I went for the master edition because of the reviews I've read and watched claiming that it had the bigger and smoother sound stage and greater separation over the standard edition I will use mine with a pure class A pre amplifier and a class D power amplifier I've just received it today so over next few days I will be putting the master edition through its paces 😊
Good morning and thank you for your comment. Give it at least 100 hours of continued use to get some 'burn in' under its belt. You'll notice quite a difference after that :)
Dear Eversolo: now that you rolled out the A8, can we get the A6 Master's Edition for the price of the regular A6? Pretty please.
I bought the ME , def it hits the ball out of the park. I connected it to my network via LAN and upgraded my mains switch to 63 amps. It is more revealing , great bass details , voice , micro details etc. The spkr positioning becomes more sensitive. Very happy with the purchase.
This blind a/b testing is exactly what youtube's hifi scene needs more!! Hype videos with nice adjectives are simply inferior
Good morning and thank you for the feedback. Blind testing is the only way to remove the 'placebo' of knowing which is which from the start. The next video on the Volumio Primo v The Standard Edition is fascinating! :)
I’m sorry but per my other comment in this thread, it’s not blind testing. We’ve no idea if they chatted about results and music. It’s ridiculously unscientific , their is no control sample, and the results are ridiculously convenient pointing towards people chatting at best and fixed results at worst. You should try doing this with a wife or spouse or friend and yourself and see how varied the results will be.
Hi Mark,
I’m from Holland and i like your presentations.
I have the Eversolo master edition with the Hegel h390 with the speakers Focal Vestia 4 and i’ m supprised about the sound.
Even my wife who never listen too music is amazing about the music,
Thanks for you anthosiasme , rinus from Amsterdam
Good morning and thank you for your feedback, it is really appreciated. Its a great device and just picked up our Best Streamer Up To £1500 award, so a great choice :) Cheers and thank you again. Mark
Great review series, thank you. I bought the Master Edition this weekend based on multiple accounts of a somewhat smoother high frequency response (not less detailed). My Monitor Audio Silver 200 speakers already have a very detailed and slightly bright profile, so it was important to not exaggerate that. Still, the combo is not for metal heads but very enjoyable to listen to for my main choice of music. Using Audiolab 7000A amp.
Good afternoon and thank you for your comment. You have made a great choice with the Master Edition and our listening tests suggest that it is definitely worth the additional costs. Cheers, Mark :)
I play a lot of rock and metal. Then eversolo not a good choice? Now i have the bluesound node 130 with mf m5si amp and tannoy xt8f speakers. Like a full bodied and warmer sound with my music.
@robertv.d.woning5352 depends on your entire system, but the Eversolo itself, especially if you don't go with the Master edition, leans towards the bright and analytical side in my opinion. Listening fatigue is a risk, particularly with rock/metal if you ask me. Electronica sounds great though. Pair it wisely.
I can only assume that the upgrades in the Master Edition effect the DAC section only? (no reviewer today it has bothered to mention this). It would be interesting to have a blind shoot out of both of them going into the same external DAC.
Which was my point about an external dac
Good morning and thank you for your comment. The Femto upgrades on the Master, still give it the advantage of the Standard when using digital output only into an external DAC. The perfromance differential is still there, albeit at a reduced margin. :)
Thanks for asking this question. I'm going back and forth on this as well. I will be using my Hegel DAC instead of the internal doc on the Eversolo. I will probably buy the master edition just to be sure. :)
Thank you very much for an excellent video. I'm a very happy user of the standard version, purchased even before I knew there was a gold edition. I wanted an all in one streamer/dac, that was also capable of playing my music library from a SSD (whether internal or external, it did not matter). I also wanted a player that could be used wirelessly since it would mainly be used in a holiday system, and as far as I'm concerned it does everything I need and sounds excellent. Whether it would have been better to spend £400 more would be debatable for me since I'm only using a cheaper amp and speakers.
Hi David, thanks for the message and I agree. There is no right or wrong here and I could happily live with the standard edition too. Both are great and the most important aspect is to enjoy your music! Thank you again fir watching our video. Mark :)
Therre should be a comparison on their streaming section only so we know if the difference in SQ is caused by the quality of DAC or both.
Good afternoon - look out for next weeks video, the Volumio Primo (transport only) v the Eversolo Master as a Transport only :) Cheers, Mark
PLZ repeat the test with both ES but purely a Sourcecode with an external DAC. I doubt there will be any difference at all
Good afternoon and apologies for the late reply. We have tested both as a transport only, and the Master edges it with the better spec Master Clock. Cheers, Mark
Great Video Mark, answering the question that everyone wanted answered!! For me, i'm looking forward to the bigger, wider test results....please carry on what you're doing buddy!!
Hi Matt, thanks for that, appreciate it. Its a very interesting process and some really interesting outcomes. The blind testing is the key! Hope to see you sometime soon :) Cheers!
@@EliteAudioUK I'm pretty sure you will at some point mate!!
@@EliteAudioUK How did you test this? Did you A/B a unit with 100h playtime vs a brand new unit?
Both units have had similar run time :) We have been running them in over the last few weeks and each would have had 400+ hours on them.
Is there any difference in the streamer sections as many people already have a good DAC and would consider the Eversolos purely as a digital transport.
Good morning Andrew and thats a great question. The answer is yes, the better clock makes a difference here too to give the Master the edge. The 1612 OA have no effect when used as a transport only. If I were buying for transport only, I'd still go with the master. There is another interesting comparison yet to come - we put the Master Edition up against the transport only Volumio Rivo - look out for that video in the coming weeks :)
@@EliteAudioUK Thanks for the reply, seems it's worth to spend the extra.
@@EliteAudioUK 👍👍👍.Thanks for the great reviews and excellent works. FYI, Hans in The Hans Beekhuyzen Channel dated july 21 commented that the Rivo sounded much better with the AES/EBU output, on par with his reference streamer transport, and he preferred this connection over the others for the Rivo. In addition he also tested with a few brands of external linear PS. All the linear PS gave improvements on sound quality but he mentioned the most noticeable improvements was from Farrad linear PS (within reasonable price point). I hope that in the coming streamer transport only battle, you will not forgo the AES/EBU in the comparison on sound quality. Since my DAC has AES/EBU hence I would like to optimise the potential. I am not taking sides on RIVO but I hope that your test has covered every possible aspects for potential buyers, like me, in helping in the final decision. Thank you.
Good afternoon Johan, we will be testing the Rivo on AES/EBU when we compare in a few weeks time. :)
I'm still waiting for the platinum version. until then, the silver version will do the same - for my Setup
Hi Alex, thanks for the message - I wonder if they have a Diamond version planned too? :) The standard version is very very good and I would be more than happy to have that as my streaming source. Its all about enjoying the music. Cheers, Mark :)
Tests are this one are great and should be conducted more often by all TH-camrs and KOLs
Good morning and thank you for the feedback. Blind tests are the ONLY way to remove placebo and there have been some very surprised expressions when people find out what they voted for! :) Thanks again for watching.
I’d love to get the master edition. It’s currently out of stock at bay bloor radio here in Toronto. It’s 2000 bucks so it’ll be a while before I can get one. I currently use the bluesound node 2021 which is pretty good but no match for the eversolo.
Good afternoon and thanks for the message. It will be worth the wait! :)
@@EliteAudioUK ya for sure! I’m stoked! I just subscribed too your channel.
Have a great day and thanks for your videos 🍻
I don’t think this is the best way for hifi dealers to gain consumers trust. It’s a very rudimentary test. A proper blind test - which this is not - means you randomly (by coin tosses written down in advance) play a track from a then b or the other way around, to person a. A is the standard eversolo and b is the master edition. You then randomly play a or b as the third test called x. Then person a has to decide if x is the first one they heard or the second. Repeat for the remaining tracks to get a bigger number of repetitions and for the 7 people who took part. You’d then have to do a control with all eversolo standard editions and not tell the audience that’s it’s either a control or the test proper. You don’t let the audience influence others by milling around or seeing their results, which may be the case from the video with people standing around. If you do that and run results through a t-test with even an 80% confidence or significance level, you likely won’t show any differences.
This is not to deride the two models but this is best done in sighted tests by consumers in their own environment where acoustically they hear the differences. The reason why it’s harder to do this in a shop is factors like
1) the gear is not familiar to those listening to hear a component change
2) lack of familiarity with acoustic environment and how components cope in that environment
3) the differences are already small between the components on test.
4) we don’t know the hearing acuity of the people taking part.
5) the music played might not be what they are familiar with.
What I liked best about the video is your passion for your work. Love it. And I did subscribe to your channel. Much respect to you from Larry from the states.
Hi Larry, thank you very much for the feedback and the subscription, really appreciated and great to hear you enjoyed watching :) Mark
This is outstanding. Exactly what I've been needing in determining a personal choice of upgrade. Especially taking into consideration using an aftermarket lps on the Rivo, not to mention comparing the software applications. Thank you so much for putting in the time to make these comparisons possible.
Good afternoon and thank you very much indeed for the feedback, its really appreciated. Next week we have the Volumio Rivo v's the Eversolo Master Edition. This will be a transport only comparison! Cheers, Mark :)
The DMP-A6 is on my list for sure. It seems to check a lot of my boxes. Saying that, I would likely prefer the Master edition for no other reason than 'just because'. The difference between femto-second clocks and high precision oscillators is unknown without a spectrum analysis as was done for the Master edition. I would expect the non-Master edition to be slightly worse but still beyond human capacity to hear. Either way, the small amounts of jitter in modern devices is typically below any audible noise floor. A better DAC might be good. The problem being too much stuff is subjective.
I didn't have a chance to audition both, I bought the standard edition. That extra 400 quid can go towards a subwoofer which will have more and effect on the music. (My thoughts currently).
Thank you for the message and as we said in the video, both are great. Its important to build a system that works best for you and a sub can make a huge difference :)
@@EliteAudioUK Yes I agree! It does sound very good and it's as much as I'd like to spend on a streamer. My Amp is a Denon pma a110. It is on the warmer basser side of neutral (still plenty of detail). The slightly brighter nature of the standard works very well for me, plus it's used as a transport. The Sub is the final component in my set up now ☺️
Promotion train begins today! Yay
Do you have a description of your test protocols? For example, how did you precisely level-match each player? Were the test results reliably repeatable? Etc.
Very, Very good.Thanks!
Thanks for the feedback and glad you enjoyed it :)
I waited months to make a choice regarding a streaming DAC & ultimately chose the DMP A6 Master Edition. I tossed in a 2TB Samsung 990 SSD and purchased a Pioneer branded external USB disc drive for CD ripping.
....and I absolutely love my new streaming setup but have 1 major complaint.
Why is this device so "finnicky" about ripping CDs? It simply will not load the info for about 1 out of every 4 discs....and at times I will run into 4 or 5 straight CDs that simply will not load.
There's no reason for it that I can figure out. The discs are in like new condition & everything else in the equation IS new.
So, I'm at a loss as to why so many of my CDs won't load via the Eversolo's software but it's happening...and it's a pain in my butt.
Good afternoon and thank you for your comment. What CD ripper are you using? Cheers, Mark :)
@@EliteAudioUK It's a Pioneer branded usb Blu Ray/DVD/CD drive that I found on Amazon. Nothing "special", but also not a cheap POS.
I think it's a software related issue w/ the Eversolo. Hopefully they'll work it out...
Interesting video, thank you. Can you confirm how you are volume matching?
Hi, thanks for the message. We used an SPL meter in the main listening position to make sure they were the same :)
Excelente content. Great information. Thanks!
Good morning. Glad you enjoyed it and appreciate the feedback :)
Here in Canada the master edition is $800 more expensive. My friend took that money added $200 dollars to it and bought a nice external dac. When that was integrated into the chain with the standard edition it sounded better to everyone present. There are ways to adjust the sound of the standard edition that makes it superior to the master edition for relatively the same amount of money. Albeit as stand alone units the sound it better on the master edition but I don't think it is worth 50% more money.
Yep, not worth 800$
Good morning and thank you for your comment. It is interesting to know the price difference in Canada is $800, which equates to around £470 here in the UK. To be honest, based on the comparison, the additional £70 is still worth the extra in my opinion - assuming it still fits into a budget, because the Standard A6 is very very good on its own. :)
In Canada I paid $1200 for the standard edition at Bay Bloor Radio in Toronto. The Master edition was $1999
Hi. Just a question. If you use the A6 Standard as a digital transport only using the USB output, I imagine there are no differences vs ME. Isn’t it?
Is there any advantage of the master edition if you use the device as a pure streamer and use an external DAC?
Hi and thank you for the question - the simple answer is yes. It has the better clock (lower jitter and distortion) that gives it an advantage over the standard, even when using it as a transport only :)
Not via USB ?? That is because the clocking is done by the external dac with usb…
I enjoyed the content and subscribed.
Good morning! Thank you for the feedback and subscription, very much appreciated :)
Did you use an external DAC with these tests ? Great informative video 🎉
Hi Stephen, thank you for your comment and feedback, it is really appreciated. We used the internal DACs of both devices to make the comparison as fair as possible. Cheers, Mark :)
I must be one strange person as I find it hard to tell the difference using a DAC or using just the amplifiers. I have used decent Chord DAC’s and I’m now trying an Audiolab M-DAC and still I struggle. I went through the various modes on the M-DAC but nothing stands out that is blatantly obvious.
Hi Stuart, thanks for the message. Thats interesting and we are all different. My own experiences with not really hearing any difference from one device to another usually means that something else is limiting the overall performance if that makes sense. Not sure where you are based, but if you drop me an email: info@eliteaudiouk.com, I'd be happy to try and help you. Cheers, Mark :)
Eversolo already has the brand new DMP-A8 out much too many people's chagrin... and I agree that's way too soon a product cycle. But this A8 is supposed to blow the doors off both of the previous models as its armed with that new AKM velvet chip--with a price tag to match.
See if you can get that beast in for a comparison review :)
Hi Scott, thanks for the message and we are eagerly awaiting them to arrive (any day now). We will be posting our results when we have them. Cheers, Mark :)
The big difference with the DMP-A8 is the inclusion of a DSP. If you don't want one of those then it might not be worth paying so much extra.
i want to use the A6 via usb to my external DAC ( Hegel h590 ). In this use case is there a difference between A6 and the Master?
Good afternoon, thanks for the message. The Master Edition sounds better due to the improved clocking. Hope that helps. Cheers, Mark :)
Thank you very much for this nice comparison.
Another question that is very curious: Does using a Z8 dac with an A6 give a better sound?
Greetings from Türkiye.
The Z8 has the single ES9038Pro 8 channel DAC, while the A6 has the twin ES9038Q2M 'Reference' Stereo DAC. In the real world you would most likely hear no difference. Thank you very much for the feedback, it is very much appreciated. :)
Any difference between the two when used as a transport only and via hdmi only?
Good afternoon and thanks for the question - not tested on HDMI, but when used as a transport only, the Master still sounds better due to the improved Femto clock :)
So where is this multi shootout? You mentioned it several times but I can't find it in your playlist.
Hi Patrick, apologies for the late reply. Its the most current video. Cheers, Mark :)
I would like to know if the master edition sounds better than the a6 in digital out mode? Did you test this also?
Good morning and thank you for your message. The Master Edition does outperform the Standard A6 de to its improved Femto Clocks :) Cheers, Mark
I am about to buy the master edision, and a topping a90d with all cables balanced. What do you thingk about that combo. I have a pair of Hifiman arya stealth edision. Best reguards Peter from Sweden.
Hi Peter and thank you for the message. Apologies for the late reply. I have no reason to think that won't work well. I've not personally heard that combination, but I have heard the Topping and it is very good. Let me know how it goes for you :) Cheers, Mark
Which would be better if used as the main device for drying music from a hard drive? a6 and a6me? there is a big difference in sound, is there any reason to overpay for 6me?
Hi, great review!! Wondering if you guys tested these 2 units with and external dac and if there still is a sound difference w the master over the standard using both as transports. Thanks!!
Good afternoon, thank you for the feedback and message. The master still sounds better, even as a transport due to the superior master clock. Cheers, Mark :)
Would you be able to test the Eversolo Z8 dac if it’s an improvement over the master edition internal dac?
This is good the see/hear! After much research, I ended up with the Eversolo DMP-A6 Master Edition to replace a dead Pioneer Elite N-50 that I've had for some 10 years. I personally really like the sound of it. The clarity and detail is really good. I will admit if maybe the extra $400 or so I spend was actually worth it in the end, but I personally think so to these ears and it is nice to see it verified with tests like this. This is not the only video that I've seen were a side-by-side comparison was made between the Standard Edition and the Master Edition were made and the Master Edition became the preferred device, despite the cost upgrade. Anyway, with that being said, I am willing to bet the standard edition is going to be a very good solution to the vast majority of people. At least for those that do want that little bit extra, the master edition is available.
Good afternoon and thank you for the message. I think you have made a very good choice there as it was the definite favourite with our team. Enjoy your purchase and thanks again for watching our video :)
Your opinion is important to me! I'm in the same situation as you, with the difference that my Pioneer N50 works well, I don't know if using the new eversolo would give me better sound... Do you see (or did you really feel a big difference for the better?? Greetings from Paris!
@@Olivier_Debats I really did like my Pioneer Elite N50 and to be honest, if it had not died, I'd most likely still be using it. However, with that being said, the Eversolo DMP-A6 does have a lot of really nice and advanced features that the N50 just simply could not and would not be able to do. This is especially considering that Pioneer does not even support the N50 anymore (I tried contacting their support and see if I can get my unit repaired, but they said they no longer support them). For one, I love that I could put an SSD in the DMA-A6, get a cheap external CD drive and rip CDs directly to the unit. Second, that screen on the DMP-A6 really is an order of magnitude better than that postage-stamp sized screen on the N50. In the end, especially with the latest software upgrades for the DMP-A6, I really think it is a superior unit than the N50. As far as sound quality goes,though, the N50 really did sound excellent, but I think the DMP-A6 sounds just that slightly better. In the end, overall I think the Eversolo is a worth-while upgrade.
Many thanks for your answer !@@SkiBumMSP
@@Olivier_Debats You might just want to wait just a little bit. Seems Eversolo is just about to release the DMP-A8. That thing looks REALLY nice!
Have you compared these two as transports spdif vs spdif? I hear that the coax and toslink outs aof the a6 aren't that good and was wondering if it carries over to the master edition as well.
Yes, we have made the comparison and the Master still wins through with the better master clock. :) Cheers, Mark
@@EliteAudioUK ok so the better clock also applies to the spdif outs. I was under the impression that it only applied to the usb output. Thanks for clarifying.
If I intend to use an external Dac, do the difference diminishes ?
HI Alfred and thank you very much for your question. The difference is stil there as the Master Edition has a better Master Clock. Cheers, Mark :)
Beware of system and software bugs. Many of them. Product is still too new. Wait for another year if you can wait. Bought this A6 and experienced frustration using it. They're using consumers as their free testers 😡. Their customer service is ridiculously bad and said that having bug is normal😱.
Good morning and thanks for the message. What issues have you had? We have been running these for some time and not experienced any issues. :)
主版同軸輸出不起作用，我無法將聲音發送到單獨的DAC或前級擴大機。 這個eversolo是2023年9月買的。這是一個非常嚴重的bug。 我一點也不喜歡這個。
Thx for this!
Can You comp dmp6 Classic with linear supply VS master edition ?
DMP-A6 outputs : Analog vs Digital. I assume that this A/B Test was purely using the Analog outputs, which proved to be improved upon with the Master Edition. How about using the Digital outputs? Will one still hear a worthwhile improvement? Or heck, any improvement whatsoever? Ps. Liked & Subscribed !!!
The Master Edition has the better Femto clock and this will 100% impact on its performance as a transport only (i.e. digital into a separate DAC). We have compared both this way and the Master was still better. We do have a digital output only comparison in a future video where we put it up against the digital only Volumio Rivo. :)
eversolo says the better oscilater are for better audio decoding...which is the case if you use the internal dac...i dont think thats the case if you use it as a streamer obly...but i am not shure. wanna see the test of these two streamers...
and also it would be nice to know...a6 + lhy lps or a6 ME only....same price but whitch one is better@@EliteAudioUK
Uncle Mark
Hey OB :)
Thank you for your great vid. My question is. Is possible to connect sub using rca outs, and xlrs to amp in same time?
Good morning and thanks for the message and feedback, really appreciated. In theory is should be possible to do this as the Eversolo devices allow output from XLR and RCA at the same time. I would check with the sub manufacturer, but I can see no technical reason why not :)
@@EliteAudioUK Thank you for your answer, and i think about order eversolo dmp a6, so i do it today😊
There is no need to do these tests. The gold badges mean the Master is better. 😂
Lol that’s funny
@@kevinblackburn3198 Actually I bought the Master edition, but only because the normal edition is massively back ordered in Thailand. I could get the Master with only a 2 week wait.
You are indeed correct. Everyone in the industry knows the sonic benefit a gold badge brings ;) Cheers, Mark
Shocking
I am surprise that in nearly every reviews that done by so call expert, none has mentioned about the pointlessness or uselessness of the internal dac on music streamers when an individual has already have an external dac or intend to use external dac.
Good test but why do they all love their voice......and sit still for god's sake.....
Well, you tried squaring the circle without any knowledge of trigonometric functions. The term “blind test” or even “double blind test” requires not only a technically perfect laboratory setup, but also randomly selected test subjects according to predetermined parameters, a statistically significant population and corresponding valid statistical evaluations.
Nice try, but ultimately I like your rumbling Scottish accent 😊
once you pay $400 more for master edition you can pay $250 more and get Gustard A26 with a Roon end point and a much better sonic of course without the screen
Good morning and thanks for the comment. We have no heard to Gustard, so unable to make that direct comparison. It would be good to do though! :)
Have you heard the master edition and the gustard a26 together since you say this?
@@wegardfjeld3789 I had an Eversolo Z8 for a year later I got a gustard R26 but at the same time my friend got a gustard A26 so I now both gustards and EverSolo Z8 since Z8 is slightly better than dmp a6 the master edition might be similar I assume since they have similar sound signature
If it helps I had both the A26 and Master Edition and preffered the sound of the ME much more..the A26 in comparison sounded thin and lightweight with a smaller soundstage
@@georgescookie this kind of falls into the description others have given. Differences being master edition vs normal. Anyhow thanks for the reply
shocking, funny how all audiophooles are old blokes with worn out ears, thats why they clutch ont a sheet of plastic, lets call it vinyl
!