Eversolo DMP-A8 Gen 2 vs DMP-A8 Master Gen 2 Review
Here’s our review of the new Eversolo DMP-A8 Gen 2 and DMP-A8 Master Gen 2:
Three years after the original DMP-A8 arrived, Eversolo has rebuilt its flagship all-in-one streamer around a new platform. The DMP-A8 Gen 2 brings a larger display, a faster processor, a new USB audio engine, expanded storage and more connectivity, while keeping the same basic idea: one component that can act as streamer, DAC and analogue preamplifier.
There are two versions this time. The standard DMP-A8 Gen 2 is priced at £1,949, while the DMP-A8 Master Gen 2 costs £2,489. Both share the same core streaming platform, DAC architecture and analogue preamplifier, while the Master adds a CD mechanism, an upgraded clock system and external clock support.
Buy Eversolo DMP-A8 Gen 2 at Premium Sound — £1,949
Buy Eversolo DMP-A8 Master Gen 2 at Premium Sound — £2,489
A Much Bigger Gen 2 Upgrade
The most obvious change is the front panel. Eversolo has replaced the original six-inch display with a much larger 8.6-inch touchscreen, giving the interface considerably more room and making the unit easier to operate directly from the listening position.
The underlying hardware has also changed. The previous quad-core processor has been replaced by a 64-bit octa-core platform with 8GB of DDR5 memory. According to Eversolo, the new hardware is capable of scanning and indexing a very large local library significantly faster than the previous generation.
Internal storage support has also doubled. The M.2 SSD slot now accepts drives up to 8TB, making the DMP-A8 Gen 2 far more practical as a self-contained local music server for high-resolution PCM and DSD libraries.
AuralEngine Replaces the Previous USB Platform
Another important change sits behind the USB input.
Eversolo has moved away from the XMOS USB implementation used in the original DMP-A8 and introduced its own in-house audio processor called AuralEngine. It handles high-resolution USB traffic and supports native DSD512 alongside PCM up to 768kHz.
For users who connect a computer, music server or another USB source directly to the DMP-A8, this is one of the more substantial internal changes in the new generation.
Wi-Fi 6 and an SFP Optical Network Port
Wired Gigabit Ethernet remains available, while wireless networking has been updated to Wi-Fi 6.
The more unusual addition is the dedicated SFP optical network port. Fibre carries the network signal as light rather than through an electrical connection, so there is no direct electrical path between the network hardware and the streamer.
That can be useful in systems where network equipment is contributing to grounding or noise problems. It is worth keeping expectations sensible, however. Conventional Ethernet already provides a degree of galvanic isolation, so a quiet and well-behaved network may show little or no audible change. The SFP connection is best viewed as another useful system-building option rather than a guaranteed sound upgrade.
A Streamer That Can Become the Centre of the System
The rear panel is where the DMP-A8 Gen 2 starts to look less like a conventional network player and more like a complete control centre.
Digital inputs include coaxial, optical, USB-B and HDMI eARC, while balanced XLR and RCA analogue inputs allow external analogue sources to use the DMP-A8’s preamplifier stage.
That means a phono stage, CD player or other analogue source can feed directly into the Eversolo, allowing the unit to control volume for an entire mixed-source system.
Outputs include balanced XLR and RCA analogue connections alongside AES/EBU, coaxial, optical and I2S over HDMI for use with an external DAC. The I2S output provides eight selectable pin configurations to improve compatibility with different DAC designs.
A dedicated subwoofer output is also new for this generation, with an adjustable crossover from 40Hz to 500Hz. That makes integrating an active subwoofer considerably easier, particularly with compact standmount loudspeakers.
Streaming Services and Bit-Perfect Playback
The software platform supports services including Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify Connect, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer and internet radio, alongside Roon Ready operation.
Eversolo’s EOS audio engine is designed to bypass Android’s normal sample-rate conversion, allowing supported playback applications to output audio at its original sampling rate rather than forcing everything through a common Android rate.
This remains one of the key reasons Eversolo’s platform works so well as a dedicated hi-fi source rather than simply behaving like a tablet operating system inside an audio chassis.
AKM DAC Architecture and a Fully Analogue Preamplifier
The standard and Master versions use the same DAC architecture.
Digital processing is handled by the AK4191EQ, while the AK4499EX performs the digital-to-analogue conversion. Eversolo separates the digital processing stage from the analogue conversion stage, following the same two-chip AKM approach used in a number of high-end standalone DACs.
The preamplifier is equally important. It is fully balanced and discrete, with a relay-switched R-2R resistor ladder controlling analogue volume.
Because attenuation takes place in the analogue domain, reducing the listening level does not rely on digitally discarding resolution. It also helps maintain accurate channel balance at low volume, which is particularly useful for late-night listening.
evotune PRO Room Correction
Room correction has also been upgraded to evotune PRO.
The system provides 20 bands of user-adjustable parametric EQ together with another 20 bands used by the automatic correction process. Measurements can be taken using a compatible USB microphone or a phone.
The correction system is optional and can be bypassed entirely.
DMP-A8 Master Gen 2: What Does the Extra £540 Buy?
The most important point is that the Master Gen 2 is not a different DAC or a different analogue preamplifier.
The two models share the same core audio architecture. The extra cost of the Master Edition is paying for additional hardware and system flexibility rather than a completely different basic signal path.
A Built-In CD Player and Ripper
The most visible Master Edition upgrade is the top-loading CD mechanism built into the chassis.
For listeners who still own a substantial disc collection, this turns the Master into a single-box streaming and CD source. Discs can be played directly, but the more interesting function is ripping: CDs can be transferred to the internal storage so that physical media and downloaded music can live inside the same local library.
If you no longer use CDs, this feature alone is unlikely to justify choosing the Master. For a large existing disc collection, however, it removes the need for a separate transport or computer-based ripping setup.
OCXO Clocking
The second major difference is the Master Edition’s oven-controlled crystal oscillator, or OCXO.
An OCXO keeps the timing crystal at a controlled operating temperature, reducing the frequency drift that can occur as conventional clock components warm up and cool down.
Eversolo quotes jitter below 50 femtoseconds for this clock implementation. At the time the review script was prepared, that figure had not yet been independently verified on a published test bench, so it should be treated as Eversolo’s own specification.
10MHz External Clock Input
The Master Edition also includes a professional 10MHz external clock input.
This becomes relevant when building a larger reference digital system. Compatible components can be synchronised to a shared external reference clock, allowing the Master streamer to form part of a clock-linked source stack rather than operating entirely independently.
For most systems this will be unnecessary, but it gives the Master Edition an upgrade path the standard DMP-A8 Gen 2 does not have.
A Few Things Worth Knowing
The Gen 2 models also make a few changes that will not suit everyone.
There is no AirPlay support as described in the review script, despite the original DMP-A8 supporting it. Apple users therefore need to rely on the Eversolo app, supported streaming-service integrations or Roon rather than sending everything directly through AirPlay.
Bluetooth support is also more limited than on the previous generation in the supplied script, with SBC and AAC replacing the broader codec selection previously available.
HDMI ARC does not automatically switch the input when the television is powered on, so the HDMI source must be selected manually.
DMP-A8 Gen 2 vs DMP-A8 Master Gen 2
The decision between the two versions is simpler than the price difference might initially suggest.
If your system is built primarily around streaming, local files and conventional analogue or digital sources, the standard DMP-A8 Gen 2 provides the same DAC, the same analogue preamplifier and the same underlying sonic platform for £540 less.
The Master Gen 2 makes more sense when its specific hardware additions matter: you still use CDs, you want the integrated ripping function, you value the OCXO clock architecture or you are planning a reference digital system that will make use of the 10MHz external clock input.
Those features cannot simply be added to the standard model later, so the choice is really about how you expect the system to develop over time.
Eversolo DMP-A8 Gen 2 & Master Gen 2: Our Verdict
The second-generation DMP-A8 is a much broader update than a cosmetic refresh.
The larger touchscreen, faster processor, 8TB storage support, AuralEngine USB platform, Wi-Fi 6, SFP networking, subwoofer management and upgraded room correction all make the standard model substantially more capable than the original while keeping the price close to its predecessor.
The Master Edition then adds a very specific set of features on top rather than changing the basic DAC and preamplifier architecture.
For a streaming-first system, the standard DMP-A8 Gen 2 is likely to provide nearly everything most users need. The Master Gen 2 is aimed at the listener who can make real use of its CD, clocking and reference-system capabilities.
