It seems like Eversolo came out of nowhere when they burst on the scene with their DACs, the Z6 and Z8. Then they further established themselves with their line of streaming DACs, the DMP-A6 and DMP-A8 which also include built in DACs and preamps. They’ve released several iterations of those devices in recent years, making for a prolific output. But their newest model, the DMP-A10 looks to provide a high end solution for all sorts of streaming and playback needs. With sophisticated design elements, a strong and handsome build, and sound performance specs that compete with other incredible DACs, the DMP-A10, which comes in at $3,680, looks to provide top tier value for audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts. This device can do a lot, so let’s get right into it.
Unboxing the DMP-A10: What’s Inside?
- DMP-A10
- Remote Control
- Power Cable
- Product Manual
Build:
The Eversolo DMP-A10 streaming DAC, preamp, and player can do many things. On top of streaming and local file playback, it houses a top tier DAC and an R2R based pre-amp. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the multi-hyphenate network streamer and player is pretty big. Eversolo puts its dimensions at 430mm x 310mm x 117mm (Width x length x height), and it’s fairly heavy too. It’s precision-engineered with CNC technology and it uses excellent materials for its internals too. For example, it uses silver-plated, single-crystal copper wires for its audio terminals and isolates electrical and USB components to keep your audio free of background noise.
The DMP-A10 features a fully balanced analog volume adjustment system which looks to further reduce noise and distortion and allows for meticulous control of listening levels. Even more exciting is its use of R2R analog volume control. Most notably, the volume control has its own display that indicates the exact volume setting. Of course, you also can’t miss Eversolo’s new 6.5 inch LCD screen, which serves as the command center for your playback experience (though you can also fully control it via the Eversolo Control app or the accompanying remote). Its software performance is quite good. I never found any hiccups or lag, which allowed for more listening and less fussing. You can find these features all on the front, while all of its inputs and outputs live on the back.
Finally, on top of its ability to stream from various music services and its Roon Readiness, it also has two M.2 NVMe SSD slots on the bottom which can store up to 4TB each. So in every facet, this is a network streamer, DAP, DAC, and preamp. It functions as multiple types of devices all in one.
Design Highlights: A Feature-Rich Powerhouse for Audiophiles
The Eversolo DMP-A10 is a feature-rich and highly usable device. The music streamer and player backs that all up with impressive design qualities that really make it a powerhouse. Let’s start off with the basics. As far as device compatibility goes, the DMP-A10 supports music services like Tidal, Qobuz, Amazon Music, and several others. It’s also Roon Ready, works with Tidal Connect, and offers DLNA protocols. Plus it offers UPnP and other sharing protocols allowing you to connect to servers like Plex and Jellyfin, among others. It also uses Bluetooth 5.0 offering codecs as high in quality as LDAC. No matter how you want to play your music, it virtually guarantees a seamless user experience.
Powering the device is a third generation XMOS316 processor which allows USB playback to reach PCM768kHz at 32 bit and DSD512 Native, as well as PCM192kHz at 24 Bit and DOP64 for its optical and coaxial ports. The DAC chip in charge of converting all this audio is the ES9039PRO chip from ESS. Finally, the DMP-A10’s fully balanced preamp circuit features +10dB of analog gain and works seamlessly with that R2R volume control to improve dynamic range and its signal-to-noise ratio.
One feature that Eversolo is proud of is the OCXO clock system which controls temperature, provides jitter levels below 50fs, and more accurate clock signals. And one other nice addition is the inclusion of two subwoofer outputs, offering great flexibility for audiophile and home theater use. Notably, you can independently adjust the subwoofer’s gain, crossover frequency, delay, and other factors as well. One caveat here though is that the subwoofer function is only available for PCM signals at or below 192kHz).
Sound and Performance Overview: Streaming, Playback, and Versatility
Considering all the functions the Eversolo DMP-A10 supports, we’re going to do sound impressions a little differently. For this streamer and player, we’ll also consider its performance capabilities. We’ll also break it into two sections: as a dedicated streamer and as a player/DAC.
As a dedicated streamer:
The DMP-A10 features a ton of playback options, but some users may want to use it as a streaming hub that can pair well with an external DAC for their headphone or stereo system. For that use case, the DMP-A10 is an excellent option. Before sound quality even enters the equation, the sheer amount of pre-conversion options it offers are worth noting. First there are the digital outputs. You can choose between USB audio out, optical, or coaxial to get the raw digital information out.
On top of that though, you can also input digital signals through ARC, USB audio in, two optical ports, or two coaxial ports. Bringing it all together, you can input that digital signal, put it through EQ or other customizations, and then export that digital signal back out to an external DAC. To put it more simply, this device works not just as a network streamer or DAC, but as a DDC which can optimize your digital playback experience to high levels.
As a dedicated streamer, it’s transparent and clear. It doesn’t color sound in any way (unless you opt to add EQ or other effects using its DDC function), and ultimately puts the listener in full control of playback optimization. I think any user who wants these features will be happy to know that the sound quality provided is clean and without any background noise. What Eversolo has done here from a digital audio standpoint is impressive and highly usable.
As a player and DAC/preamp:
Things are more straightforward when using it as a player and streaming desktop DAC. Starting with bass, listening on headphones, everything came out dynamic and clear with plenty of room for bass information to flow. Adding speakers to the equation, the subwoofer outputs allow users to maximize the bass performance of their stereo system. There are no constraints on how bombastic or controlled (depending on how you like it) your bass can be. Again, it comes down to control. As far as sound and performance go, the sky’s the limit.
Mids are spacious and musical but still uncolored. I never got any sense of brittleness on thinner vocals or any feeling of bloat on warmer sounding tracks. It handled everything I threw at it with ease. As it pertains to treble, ESS is known to be on the brighter side of DAC chips, but I found the DAC chip implementation here to be just right. Listening to Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, I was able to hear all the headroom and shimmering waves that bounced off of the musician’s cymbals and hi-hats.
Likewise, the soundstage is expansive and has a great sense of imaging. Localization is accurate with an emphasis on spaciousness. One thing I always look for in a DAC is how it transforms a digital signal into a feeling of being in the room with the musicians. This experience isn’t easy to come by, and the DMP-A10 has it in spades.
Final Thoughts on the DMP-A10:
The Eversolo DMP-A10 music streamer and player is highly versatile, extremely powerful, and it sounds great to boot. It offers the functionality of multiple devices in an all-in-one offering. The audio company continues to raise the bar with each release, and with that in mind, I’m going to give the DMP-A10 MajorHifi Gold. Its performance and flexibility allow it to be used as a desktop DAC/player or a dedicated streamer, presenting great value for the audiophile who is looking for full control of their stereo or home theater system. The Eversolo DMP-A10 allows listeners to take the reins.
The Eversolo DMP-A10 is available at Audio46.
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