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Eversolo DMP-A8 vs iPhone plugged directly to integrated amp - why no difference?

I just got the Eversolo DMP-A8. Setup was very easy. Plugged it in and started playing some tracks and was not blown away. Admittedly, my system is nice to me but not high-end by any means. Primaluna Prologue integrated amp and Audio Note AZ3 speakers. Was previously streaming through a sonos port and using the Cambridge DacMagic. Always sounded fine to me as an amateur but had been curious to step things up a notch in my digital music.

Since I wasn't entirely sure if the Eversolo was doing all that it should (and the sonos and Cambridge are in storage so couldn't compare - been away for a while) I went ahead and plugged my iPhone into the amp through RCA adapter and there is literally no difference. I tried so many songs, with the A8 reading highest quality stream on Tidal, and I switched back and forth between the two with practically no difference in same songs. Even if the A8 doesn't have the greatest DAC on earth, shouldn't it still be night and day between that and an iPhone plugged directly into the amp with no DAC at all? Now I'm really curious to get the Sonos and DacMagic out of storage and see if that sounds any different at all.

I may not have the most trained ears on earth but surely there must be something I'm doing wrong in setup or connection, no? For what it's worth I added some IsoAcoustics GAIA III speaker feet and the difference in sound after that is immediately apparent. I know it's comparing apples to strawberries but my ears are hearing that difference and yet zero with an almost $2000 streamer/DAC compared to an iPhone plugged direct??

Is it possible the Primaluna and Audio Notes aren't good enough to feature the difference??? I'm open to any possibility. 

Can just as easily go back to the cheaper set up and get back my $2k? But would like to make sure I'm hearing this thing as it's meant to be heard if it's a user error.

Appreciate any thoughts anyone has.

juanitro

Showing 2 responses by helomech

helomech
1,769 posts
 

Low-res tube amp mated to low-res Audio Note speakers could be why you don’t hear a difference.

The DMP-A8 has state of the art transparency as recently confirmed by Stereophile’s measurements. Any situation in which such components are bottlenecked downstream, as is the case when any (Yes, ANY!) tube amp is mated to non-linear speakers, you won’t hear the source at its full potential.

I understand why many will doubt this assertion because audiophilia is chock full of hullabaloo, but you don’t have to take my word for it. Try a pair of high res monitors with high quality, low distortion drivers, and amplification with transparency similar to Benchmark’s and you’ll become a believer. The funny thing is it cost relatively little to compile such a system these days. Technology has marched on thankfully.

helomech
1,769 posts
 

@lanx0003 

The most recent Stereophile issue is what I was referencing. To get access to those measurements you must subscribe to either the digital or print versions of their magazine. In fact, I purchased six months of their digital subscription for the sole purpose of accessing some of their most recent reviews, including the DMP-A8. Both the digital and analog preamp functions of the A8 nearly equal the best objective performance of all components previously measured by both Stereophile and Audio Science Review. Having owned other products with SOTA quantitative performance (such as Benchmark LA4 and Topping E70V), I can confirm that the DMP-A8 is their equal in subjective performance. I am now considering selling my Benchmark LA4, the only advantage it has over the DMP-A8 is L/R channel balance control. 
 

The DMP-A8 is butter smooth but without sacrificing any detail—one of the best bargains I’ve encountered in all my years in this “hobby.” 

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