I had a WIIM ultra briefly and was disapointed. I returned it and bought a Cambridge Audio MNX10 and am very pleased. For $120 more, I found the CA to sound more open and have a more intuitive user interface. It can be used as a preamp, but only in the digital realm.
DAC/Preamp quandry
I used to have a great group of friends, most with very nice equipment, much better than mine. They were mostly older than I, but also had more money to put into their systems. But now, all who were in this circle have either moved away or passed away. And since I have no dealers within about 200 miles of me, I've found myself leaning much on the opinions in this group and of course the normal AS and SP reviewers.
Here's the background. In the mid 90's I upgraded my system to Vandersteen 2CIi, McCormack 0.5, which has been upgraded with new a power supply and boards. I also have a Marantz CD player. I am a retired electrical engineer and built my own preamp. It was a temporary endeavor but turned out to last longer than I planned. I've been pretty absent from the audio scene for the above reasons - however, since streaming has entered the scene, I've decided to move in that direction and upgrade a few things. I'd like to continue to use the McCormack amp and the speakers while stepping into the new to me streaming/preamp world.
I was just about to order the Wiim Ultra, and then a preamp. I am considering the Schiit Kara F or possibly the Freya+ F
However, while waiting a few weeks on a supposedly WIIM Amazon prime sale, I'm reconsidering (I do this a lot). I've been reading about the Eversolo A6 and A8 and I'm wondering if I'm compromising myself. I would have about the same dollar amount in the A6 Masters Edition as the Ultra and one of the Schiits. The A8 is about $800-$1200 more than I was planning on spending, but I might be convinced to go that direction if the full streamer/DAC/Preamp combo satisfied my needs, likely for a long time.
I'd love to be able to compare these combos for at least a few days, but that can't happen. So, if you have some experience with these products and what might make sense for my current and possibly future needs, please feel free to comment.
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I stopped reading that AI comparison as soon as it called the ESS Sabre 9038Q2M "entry-level" because it is in the WiiM and the AKM 4499/4919 pair the "flagship", as if there was some meaningful difference between them. Both are found in entry-level and premium products. There is more to the design of a DAC than the choice of the DAC chip. |
The Wiim is an amazing value product. If you are unsure about streaming and want to dip the toe in the water it’s a great way to go. If you are reasonably certain that streaming will be a frequent source going forward I would look higher up the food chain. Eversolo is a no go for me due to Customer Service issues |
While I respect and usually agree with @mahler123 I have not had issues with Eversolo, there was an initial issue with the T8 UI that I reported and it was fixed with two weeks and I had an operational issue regarding ripping and received the information that I needed to fix my problem. The DMP A8 is an excellent unit and is in my 2nd system, feeding an Elekit 8600 and Harbeth P3ESRs.
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This can go in a lot of directions. But having a clean front end still goes a long way. I’ve a Volumio Rivo (standard, not the plus) and it really shines now that I’ve included a switch before it. As well as a good galvanic filter just ahead of it. This one works so incredibly well! I used to think it didn’t matter a great deal until I’d added those steps. Don’t know if the plus version is better about isolating electrical noise? But the Eversolo T8 does have an optical solution as well. Not to mention amazing interface software and I/O. But yeah, unless you really don’t care about the difference, cabling is still sounding better than WiFi until you get into some really pricey streamers. Having a good transport before a separate dac is still VERY effective and affordable compared to a high quality all in one solution. With dacs gettting insanely good for the money these days, even a FIIO k13 or Schiit Mimir after something like a T8 or Rivo + might be outstanding. The Schiit pre offerings also seem a great choice for the money. But also look into great used pre’s. I’m still smitten with the SPL Elector I got for around half retail about 5 yrs ago (the one I have only does balanced out unfortunately). In any case, I’d suggest getting a mid to higher tier transport, quality pre, affordable (but really good) dac, and then wait for these constant dac wars to turn out something so amazing that eventually a $500-1k dac will outperform a 5k dac. I know that sounds like an exaggeration, but that is almost the case as of late. My final disclaimer, all I’m saying here might just be overtaken in about 6 months to a year when the companies that produce all-in-ones get more and more ridiculous with their offerings? Who really knows! |
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