Audio Pro Link 1 Review

[Lynne Pruskowski]

Ineed to be able to answer my phone when I'm out and about, at present I have to arrange a time for me to call someone by email or WhatsApp. I then set up the dai red cable and call. However I am taking on a voluntary role with a veterans charity and people wil be phoning me without prior arrangement.

AudioStream is receiving very good reviews so far. You will hear a 50/50 mix of phone audio and your mic audio. But you need to hold the phone near your mouth so others hear you. Check phone compatibility on the Med-El website.

In the US when we order connectivity devices through Med-El , we are not able to return them for a refund. Only for a replacement under warranty. So AudioStream and AudioLink end up being permanent purchases. People can order the Artone through Med-El and then that would be permanent as well. However the Artone can be easily purchased online through other vendors (some that have easy return/refund policies).

That really is awful, how can they expect sales if people are nervous of parting with a lot of money for something that they find useless. Thankfully in the UK we do have a fourteen day returns oppotunity if we find the purchase not to our liking. I quote from a personal correspondence "I am sorry, but I cannot send you a device to try. In terms of returns, you have a legal right to cancel/return your order within 14 days of purchase. The full terms and conditions are available on the MyMED-EL Shop website: "

Earlier in 2023 I reviewed the ever so popular Eversolo DMP-A6 streamer and DAC. My video review has racked up over half a million views of that little box. With all of the other reviewers at YouTube making videos for the A6, this streamer did VERY well for Eversolo, I would guess that it was their most popular seller ever and for good reason. It offered up so much for under $900 and is still a top seller on Amazon.

Here in November of 2023 Eversolo has released yet another new streamer, the DMP-A8. The A8 is larger in size and more powerful under the hood. The new A8 also upgrades the internal DAC to a flagship DAC from AKM that uses Velvet Sound technology and let me tell you that this new DAC sounds rather nice with a warmer and richer presentation.

When the Eversolo A8 came in I had just purchased, with my own cold hard cash, the HiFi Rose RS130 Streamer. The RS130 is a $5200 box that only does one thing, streams and serves music. It does not have a DAC nor a preamp and even though it is limited in what it does, the one thing it does do it does so well that I have not heard better within my lifetime. Not yet anyway.

While not as large or well made as the Rose I can tell that Eversolo is on a mission to deliver quality products for less cash outlay and that is the thing most of us are looking for these days. Less cash outlay. Who wants to spend $5-$15k on a music streamer when one such as the A6 and A8 can do this for so much less?

There are many music streamers one can buy for much less than any offering from HiFi Rose. We can buy streamers for under $100, Just do not expect quality in build, design or sound. I have tried many streamers that ranged in price from $99 to $15k and the ones in the $99-$300 range were OK for those who just want to jam some party tunes. For critical listening they fall seriously flat as that is how most of these budget boxes sound in comparison to the more costly cousins. But how much better is the A8?

Before I get into the sound of the Eversolo DMP A8 (and yes the internal DAC is vastly improved here vs the A6) let us take a look at the features that it brings so we can get a grip on what this will do within your system.

The Everoslo DMPA8 is a fully featured PRE AMP. This means you can attach it to any power amp and use it to control your sources and volume of sources. The A8 has many digital inputs as well as one analog (image showing connections below), meaning you can even attach an analog source such as your turntable (though you will still need a phono preamp as the A8 does not include this). You can add a CD player or even hook up your TV (HDMI ARC) to this all in one wonder box.

I tested the A8 as a preamp into a Pass Labs X250.8 amp and it sounded great. There is a loud clicking that occurs as you turn the volume up and down but this is part of the design. The volume control here is top notch and the remote allows you to control everything from your listening seat. So yes, this functions as a preamp and does so very well.

The one con I found with the Eversolo when used as a streamer is that when I use Spotify connect there is a serous lag in the song switching. If I skip a song it can take 10 seconds to actually switch, but only sometimes. Sometimes it just freezes up (the Spotify app) and I have to restart the app. Sometimes it works as it should. This is with the Eversolo connected to my 1GB ethernet so it is not a bandwidth issue.

Where I see the most sound quality gains with the A8 is when I use it with the built in DAC. This is how most who buy this will use it and this is why many will be thrilled with the A8 vs the A6. The DAC is IMO leagues better than the one in the A6 as the music sounds more human, more tangible and it has some magic dust sprinkled on as well. Not all systems can raise the goosebumps on me but I did experience this once with the A8 in play when using the internal DAC. That told me right there that this DAC is fantastic for what this box costs.

BTW I had this hooked up to my Daniel Hertz Amber system during most of the evaluation. I also pulled out the CHoco Sound EMEI and Alexandria Audio Speakers. Also tried it with amazing results with the Bichardt Audio Anniversary 10 speakers and Platin Hub.

As for build quality it is about the same as the DMP A6 which is superb. Eversolo uses hand picked parts here and the build inside is clean as a whistle, looking like many higher end pieces inside (see below).

It seems to me that Eversolo is taking on HiFi Rose and trying to bring similar qualities for less. I see similarities but that is about as far as it goes. I do not see the Eversolo as a copy of Rose, as it is its own thing. The Rose pieces are more refined in design, use larger screens and more luxurious materials in build, which raises the price. Eversolo is looking to offer a similar experience for thousands less in some cases.

This one serves as a preamp (if you choose to use it as one), a Streamer and with an excellent included DAC. This serves as a digital control center, an audio hub so to speak. It is where you will control your music going into your system, even if that system includes a turntable.

If you just want a DAC, buy a DAC only as you can get a very nice one for less than $2k in something like a Denafrips Pontus II. If you want just a streamer and are not super picky about quality, a WIIM pro + can get you there. The Eversolo DMP-A8 does pre, DAC and steam duties very well though you can get better sound if you spend quite a bit more.

At the current price of $1,980 I am not sure you can get better for the money if you are looking for all of what the A8 does. It also uses a very solid and glitch free app, which is a rarity it seems. It bests any streamers app I have used before it and I even prefer it to the Bluseound top rated app. It easily bests the apps by Lumin, Rose and others so this is something to take note of. The experience of the A8 is frustration free and the sound is fantastic.

One area where this Eversolo really surprised me was when I used it with the Buchardt Anniversary 10 powered speakers. These are some of the finest bookshelf speakers I have ever experienced and I still have a set here many months after my review. These are special and while I have been streaming to them from the included Platin hub they shipped with, they sound leagues better with the Eversolo DMP-A8 streaming into the Platin hubs digital in. OMG!

So here we can see the value of the Eversolo DMP-A8. No, it will not look as fancy as the $2600+ Rose RS250 but will it sound better? Maybe, that is up to your own tastes. If you value richness, warmth and a big soundstage the Eversolo wins. If you prefer analytical detail and shine, an open top end above all else the Rose may work better for you at $700 more.

One thing that helps this box sound so good is the dual power supply and dual clocks installed. The power supply of a digital source is critical and not all get it right. We want our source components to be noise free first and foremost. Noise robs us of fidelity and when we eliminate as much noise as possible within a piece of source gear it brings great rewards in the form of a more refined sound quality. The power supply is responsible for providing the right voltage as well as reducing ripple and magnetic leakage and providing more purity to the sound.

The A8 also uses dual clocks with keep everything in time. This eliminates the sound quality robbing jitter from the signal and helps to keep the sound solidified and detailed as well as bringing higher dynamic range. Clocks are very important to the digital signal and there are two here in the A8.

You can use either. If your Luxman has a digital input just go from the COAX out of the A8 to the Coax in of the Luxman. This will let you hear the Luxman DAC. If you want to use the DAC in the A8, use the RCA analog outs to your amp and do not connect to the Luxman.

You can use the A6 or A8 with the Qutest. In this scenario you may not hear much difference but maybe a touch more bass with the A8. You may enjoy the DAC inside of the A8 better than the Qutest though!

Hi Steve. Would you be so kind to answer my question above about your preference? Would you go for the A8 solo as streamer dac or the A6 with the Chord Qutest when it comes to listening to a Hifiman HE1000v2 Stealth Headphone. Amp is a Hifiman EF600.

Thanks for a great review. At this moment I have a Eversolo A6 as digital transport to a Chord Qutest DAC. That one goes into a Hifiman EF600 amp. Do you think the A8 will beat my combo with the use of his own dac? Keep writing great reviews. Cheers Fonz.

3a8082e126