Hey OP- Keep in mind that many streamers and DACs are not full-sized components, so separates often don't take up that much room. Also, I never look at the screen on my streamer, and if it didn't have one, I wouldn't mind. Everything is done from the phone or tablet.
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When I was auditioning DAC/Streamers, I listened to quite a number at different prices. The real standout for me at even vaguely that price point was the Teac UD-701N - it uses the same main board as the big Esoteric DAC and sounds absolutely superb. It also offers both 1-bit & multibit deciding, works natively with HQPlayer, is Roon Ready and its built in preamp is very good indeed. The only reason I didn’t buy it was that I auditioned the Tambaqui (albeit at 3x the price)
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I have the Wiim Pro and also Cambridge Audio CXN streamers. The CA have recently updated their DAC from the old DAC Magic to an ESS chip. I actually don’t use the DACs in either streamer routinely but I have used them for brief intervals when I had a problem with my main DAC. The CA is definitely and upgrade from the Wiim but it should be at 20x the price
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I have nor heard the Teac UD-701N - but am a big fan of Esoteric. Looking at their specs and reviews it appears that they share engineering with Esoteric. You might find one used <$3K that you could audition.
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From watching several reviews from trustworthy reviewers, I am fairly confident about the following two points:
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Within the everSolo ecosystem, the T8 sounds better than the A6 Gen 1 & 2, A6 Master, and A8. If you already have a good external DAC, choosing the T8 and using its digital output to feed your DAC is definitely the way to go—again, strictly within the Eversolo ecosystem.
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The T8 is generally comparable to the Rivo Plus (with LPS) in both sound quality and cost. However, reviewers seem divided on which one has the edge.
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iiwi thinks the T8 has a slight advantage through its USB output (Hans disagrees).
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Tarun rates the Rivo as outstanding and the T8 as highly recommended.
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Passion for Sound considers them interchangeable.
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Hans places the T8 at the lower end of his 1B setup tier, even though its price suggests it should be higher; he rates the Rivo higher, in the mid-1B tier.
As a Rivo Plus owner, I think the Eversolo T8 is still a solid choice.
Just like the A6 when it first launched—where hype from reviewers and users was followed by a noticeable amount of negative feedback—I also had a disappointing experience with the A6 after extensive at-home auditioning. That experience made me suspect there might have been quality-control issues. Today, although I do believe the T8 is a strong contender and a well-designed product, I’m still not fully certain whether those QC issues have been resolved, based on the negative feedback I’ve seen on this forum.
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