May 21, 2024

Streamer and More

The search ended yesterday: I ordered an Eversolo DMP-A6 Master Edition to be my streamer/DAC in my new audio system. I had researched the entire night before, and sitting in the Grand Jury room in the Bibb County courthouse waiting to begin, I pressed the order button.

It may be slightly overkill, though not as much as the A8 would have been. I really just wanted a box that was a Roon endpoint, like Giles’ recommendation of the Bluesound Node X, but all of the reviews I read and watched lauded the performance of the Eversolo units, so I went for the mid-range one. We can compare it to Giles’ Bluesound. The A6 has a lovely screen—again somewhat superfluous, but will look nice, I guess. I plan on using Roon exclusively, so all the additional connectivity that I paid for will just be unused extra stuff.

That said, I think this will be a great streamer, and I can add an external DAC later, if I want. I likely won’t, but having the option is not a bad thing.

So, I now have speakers and a streamer/DAC. Giles has a Jolida JD-302a that needs service. I ordered a new set of tubes (the upgrade package) for it, and he agreed to take care of the service. The Jolida should be a great little amp for this setup. Now, I need some interconnects, speaker cables, and a power conditioner.

Finally, I sent a drawing of an addition to the house to Robert. I have yet to hear back, but I’m itching to get started. I have a feeling this is going to be a long process, however.

This morning, I’m listening to the “Cool” playlist in Roon. “West-Coast Jazz” developed out of bop and includes artists like Lester Young, Miles Davis, Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz, Shorty Rogers, and Howard Rumsey. The Sonos Playbar and sub sound pretty good, though totally lacking in soundstage. At least I have some music.