REVIEW

knob lighting and much more. The DMP-A6 also has a slot for an M.2 SSD for loading your own music onto, along with USB ports for attaching external storage, allowing it to become a central playback unit.

The DMP-A6 features 2 x ESS 9038Q2M DAC chips inside, one for each channel, allowing for better separation, better signal-to-noise ratio, and increased dynamic range. The internal streamed signal goes through these, as do the digital inputs – of which you will find optical, coaxial and USB inputs alongside Bluetooth too. The built-in DAC allows for a fully balanced signal to be outputted to the XLR outputs on the rear but there are also RCA outputs for those with single-ended equipment. Both analogue outputs can be configured to be fixed level (line-out) or variable (pre-out).

If you do not wish to take advantage of the excellent internal DAC, the DMP-A6 will output digital coaxial, optical, USB and HDMI audio. There are, unfortunately, no analogue inputs on the DMP-A6, which means those running turntables or tape decks will still need another pre-amp in their system.

This unit runs off a standard IEC cable, but the internal switch-mode power supply has a few tweaks to keep any mains noise at bay. This includes a choke filter alongside audio-grade components and it’s nice to see they didn’t forget the smaller details.

Build quality is superb! The chassis is very well-finished and the device is of a good size to fit into most systems. The front screen is clear and bright and easy to use, it’s also responsive which is great for navigating through the menus. The inputs and outputs on the back are all extremely good quality and the front knob also feels great to use.

Functionality

The DMP-A6 is compatible with most streaming services and you can get these playing with ease. Switching to the digital inputs is also easy from the internal menu system or the app. There is a new Bluetooth remote that has also been released, allowing for easier control when sat further away from the unit.

The native app also supports local playback from files stored on either an M.2 SSD (that you can fit into the bottom of the streamer) or an external drive plugged into the USB port. It has been noted that the DMP-A6 is not the speediest of streamers when using locally stored files, and sometimes the album artwork takes a while to load.

Setting it up with Roon was a doddle and I was up and running quite quickly without any hiccups, but I know not everyone wants to use Roon so it’s handy it works with other services easily.

All-in-all the DMP-A6 is a very feature-packed, yet intuitive-to-use streamer that most people should find easy to get their heads around. But there’s no point in having all this functionality if the device doesn’t sound very good, so let’s dive into that now.

SOUND OF THE DMP-A6

I’ve been getting my ears around a few streamers recently and it’s really interesting to hear the differences between them. There are people who believe “DACs all sound the same” but I can assure you they do not. From the chip used, to implementation, to the analogue stage and power supply all these parts can and certainly do make a difference.

Luckily, Eversolo has stuck to a tried-and-true formula with the DMP-A6. Their implementation of the ESS 9038Q2M chips is one that doesn’t come off overly analytical or clinical, yet still doesn’t stray into the warm and laid-back category either. When you play music through the DMP-A6 it gives you a presentation that is believable, detailed, and clean. It has a tight grip on the music, never sounding slow or sluggish, yet it avoids being harsh and also avoids the so-called “ESS glare” that really is a thing of the past.

It is a streamer that doesn’t try to colour the sound too much, and it really isn’t overly noticeable in the system in terms of what might colour the sound, but it does have a typically linear presentation. It sacrifices a little warmth in exchange for a more tonally neutral sound that works well with most carefully put-together systems. It’s not the last note in organic sound, however, I never found it to come across as harsh or hard-edged either - it just kind of does its thing of presenting the music in an unconstrained and open way.