John Darko
Eversolo has announced a new streaming amplifier called play. Yes, the leading p is lowercase. And yes, the 5.5″ screen on the front panel is a touchscreen — it’s one way to get hands-on with the play’s customised Android operating system that, I’m told, functions similarly to the DMP-A6, -A8 and -A10 streaming DACs. Hello, bit-perfect handling of Apple Music’s hi-res streams. Hello, software-based FIR room correction. Hello, UPnP, Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect and Roon Ready.
However, the Chinese company has recently rolled out changes to its devices’ UI. From the press release: “Eversolo upgraded its UI based on the original interface design and user feedback, simplifying device controls into six dimensions: “Music Services, Functions, Apps, Connect, Cloud, and Settings”, delivering a revolutionary music interaction experience.”
The accompanying play app is designed to mirror the touchscreen and build on it with a global search feature that can pull from (multiple) online sources configured by the end user.
play’s chassis “utilizes CNC unibody construction with high-strength aluminum alloy”, and the entire base has been designed as a heatsink. Under the hood, we get a DAC circuit built around an AKM AK4493 chip that, according to Eversolo, “achieves an SNR ≥109dB (A-wt) and ultra-low THD of 0.0037%”. play’s Class D loudspeaker output promises 60wpc into 8 Ohms or 110wpc into 4 Ohms.
For hard-wired sources, the back panel accommodates: coaxial and TOSLINK inputs; HDMI ARC, MM/MC phono; a subwoofer output (with bass management); a USB-A socket for USB storage devices and a USB-A output for connecting to an outboard DAC.
The play comes in two editions, shipping this month: a Standard Edition (€699); and a CD Edition (€799) that houses a Hitachi/LG CD-ROM drive that presumably rips the CD into a data buffer before playing it.
Further information: Eversolo
