Eversolo Play review: the all-in-one connected amplifier that does it all (and does it well)

As the first all-in-one amplifier from the Asian manufacturer, the Eversolo Play builds on the strengths that have made the brand’s streamers so successful: a large touchscreen, a particularly comprehensive network interface and compatibility with the majority of streaming services, as well as with locally shared files up to 32-bit / 768kHz and DSD512. Added to these features is integrated amplification capable of delivering 60 watts per channel into 8 ohms, and up to 110 watts into 4 ohms. The comprehensive connectivity features analog and digital inputs, including an HDMI ARC port for use with a TV. The whole system can be controlled from a mobile app offering numerous settings and acoustic calibration via microphone. Priced at €690 for the standard version and €790 for the CD version with an integrated player, does the Eversolo Play have what it takes to become the new benchmark for all-in-one amplifiers in this price bracket?

Presentation

Design

A young player in the hi-fi sphere, Eversolo has enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence. In just three years, the brand has established itself as a benchmark in Hi-Res streaming with its DMP players, acclaimed for their modern touchscreen interface, musicality and rich feature set. Building on this success, Eversolo quickly extended its expertise to amplification, first with the Eversolo AMP power amplifiers, then with the Play, which aims to condense the brand’s entire universe into a single device.

Just 23cm wide and 7.5cm high, the Eversolo Play fits neatly into a bookcase, a TV cabinet or directly onto a desk. Despite its compactness, it exudes robustness, with an all-aluminum chassis. Its kinship with the brand’s streamers is embodied by a large 5.5″ touchscreen on the front panel. Although 1.2cm smaller than that of the DMP-A6, it remains as bright as ever, ensuring exemplary legibility even in broad daylight. Responsiveness is maintained, with smooth navigation on a par with the latest-generation smartphones. Navigating the various apps is intuitive and natural. Tracks load in the blink of an eye, as do apps.

Touchscreen and app

As with the brand’s network players, the Eversolo Play’s screen is a real asset. Large, bright and customizable, it makes it easy to navigate the Android interface, adjust settings and choose sources. During playback, it becomes a central element of the experience, displaying the album cover, track title and resolution, as well as a needle VU meter for fans of retro design. A variety of backgrounds are available: vintage look with yellow or blue backlighting, futuristic circular style, or multicolored animated spectrometers for dynamic music visualization. This attention to aesthetic detail is matched by excellent ergonomics, enhanced by a multifunction rotary knob. Fluid and precise, it enables fine volume adjustment, while a long press activates or deactivates the device’s standby mode.

It is a shame that the amp doesn’t come with a remote control, which is only available as an option (Eversolo BTR-12 for €25). As standard, the Eversolo Play amplifier relies entirely on its touchscreen and the Eversolo mobile app for iOS and Android. Fortunately, the app is very well designed, with an interface and ergonomics that are among the best on the market. It contains all the essential functions: source management, music file navigation, settings and access to the many streaming services. The app provides complete control of the amp. Very responsive, it guarantees fast, smooth navigation between the various options.

HD streaming

Like the brand’s network players, the Eversolo Play amp is based on an optimized version of Android, specially designed for music playback. With no Google Play Store, it offers instead a carefully selected store of alternative apps, facilitating direct installation of the main streaming services: Qobuz, Tidal, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and Deezer, as well as content platforms such as Emby, Plex or Jellyfin. The device also provides access to a vast selection of web radios and podcasts via TuneIn and Vtuner, quickly accessible from the touchscreen or mobile app. Local wireless streaming from a smartphone or tablet is also possible, thanks to Bluetooth connectivity. However, certain high-definition audio codecs such as aptX HD and LDAC are not supported. We also regret the absence of AirPlay 2 and Chromecast technologies for higher-quality Wi-Fi streaming. Finally, automatic wake-up from standby is only possible when the amplifier is connected to the network via Ethernet (Wake-on-LAN). With Wi-Fi, you need to switch on the amp manually before starting playback.

The Eversolo Play amp is also designed to effortlessly handle all your digital music. Whether hosted on a DLNA and Roon-compatible NAS server, or on a storage device connected via the USB-A port, it ensures smooth, optimal playback. Individual files can be listed and sorted in a music library, with cover art displayed when available. Better still, the Eversolo Play CD Edition features its own CD player, so you can play your discs and rip them to an external hard drive in WAV or FLAC format. An internal algorithm improves playback of scratched or worn discs. Extraction and playback are performed with the same precision and musicality as streaming, despite the fragile disc insertion mechanism. This CD model costs around a hundred euros more than the standard version, which is still reasonable considering its functionality.

Expert’s note: Roon is a high-end audiophile solution offering a rich interface, intelligent management of local libraries and streaming services, and perfectly synchronized multi-room. The Roon Ready-certified Eversolo Play can be directly recognized as a bit-perfect network player. Furthermore, DLNA/UPnP enables simple, universal local playback from a NAS or home server, without a subscription or complex configuration. Less sophisticated than Roon but entirely free of charge, it remains an effective option for easy access to your Hi-Res files.

Audio design

Inside its compact chassis, the Eversolo Play connected amplifier conceals an internal architecture that’s rigorously designed to guarantee faithful reproduction. It all starts with a high-performance, low-noise power supply, specially designed to keep electrical disturbances to a minimum. It incorporates an active power factor correction system that reduces energy wastage and minimizes thermal loss, while ensuring a more linear and efficient power supply to the various stages of the device. NTC thermistors (with negative temperature coefficient) are also integrated to monitor temperature in real time and provide effective protection against overheating, even during prolonged high-volume use.

This assembly feeds a class D amplifier stage with feedback and error correction to refine signal linearity and reduce distortion. The latest PurePath Ultra HD technology developed by Texas Instruments is used to extend the bandwidth and guarantee a faithful response right down to the very highest frequencies. The result: a comfortable 2 × 60 watts RMS into 8 ohms, and up to 2 × 110 watts into 4 ohms. Despite this, it should be used with a pair of bookshelf speakers or floorstanding speakers with good sensitivity. With low-sensitivity speakers or speakers with multiple large woofers, the volume of the amplifier will have to be pushed almost to the maximum.

As for digital/analog conversion, the Eversolo Play features an AK4493SEQ chip equipped with AKM’s latest VELVET SOUND technology. It supports PCM streams up to 768kHz, as well as native DSD up to DSD512. The decoding quality is impeccable, with a very high signal-to-noise ratio and minimal jitter.

Expert’s note: Developed by Japanese manufacturer Asahi Kasei Microdevices (AKM), VELVET SOUND technology equips the brand’s top-of-the-range DAC chips. It features a hybrid approach combining very low distortion (THD+N), a high signal-to-noise ratio and very natural timbre reproduction.

Acoustic calibration and settings

Eversolo has equipped the Play with advanced digital processing tools to adapt playback to suit the acoustics of each room. The device features an acoustic calibration system, accessible via an external microphone (not included) connected via USB, or from the built-in microphone of a smartphone running the Eversolo app. By analyzing the frequency response of the room and speakers, the Play automatically adjusts the necessary corrections to obtain a perfectly balanced reproduction, better integrated into the listening environment.

For even greater customization, a 15-band graphic equalizer and a 10-band parametric equalizer can be configured via the mobile app or on the screen. These tools make it possible to fine-tune the tonality according to the characteristics of your installation or your personal preferences. In addition, over 23 EQ presets are available for instant adaptation to different musical genres, from jazz and classical to electro, rock and blues. Last but not least, the amp features precise cutoff frequency and gain control for its subwoofer output.

A wide range of connectors

In addition to streaming, the Eversolo Play amplifier boasts q comprehensive set of connectors for easy connection of a wide range of wired sources. There are two analog RCA inputs, one of which is dedicated to turntables with MM cartridges, thanks to an integrated phono preamp. Two digital inputs (optical and coaxial) are also present, as well as an HDMI ARC port for TVs. A USB input allows connection of a hard drive or USB stick, while the USB and coaxial outputs let you connect an external DAC. This means you can take advantage of its countless network features on a second hi-fi system, for example. Finally, a trigger input allows you to synchronize the amp’s start-up with other components in your hi-fi system.

Our only regret is the absence of a headphone output for late-night listening sessions, especially as the Bluetooth module doesn’t allow you to stream to wireless headphones. The quality of the Eversolo Play’s speaker terminals could have been better. Although they accept banana plugs, their shallow depth does not allow you to fully insert them, which limits the mechanical strength of the connection. As a result, the plugs are not sufficiently secure and can easily be dislodged if the device is moved. To guarantee a more reliable and secure connection, we recommend the use of bare cables (up to 4mm² gauge) or spade connectors.

Installing the Eversolo Play amplifier

Getting started with Eversolo Play is particularly quick and easy, in keeping with the device’s all-in-one philosophy. As soon as you first switch it on, the interface guides the user through the essential steps: choosing the language, setting the time zone, connecting to the Wi-Fi network by entering the password if necessary, then adding the desired streaming services. In just a few minutes, the amp is ready to use.

You can then run an acoustic calibration to adapt the sound reproduction to the listening room, and adjust the settings according to your preferences or system. For this test, we mainly used Qobuz to play high-resolution tracks, while accessing a library of DSD files stored on a NAS server. We also connected an Argon turntable via the phono input to assess the quality of the analog section.

We listened to music on various models of bookshelf and floorstanding speakers available in our auditoriums at Son-Vidéo.com’s Paris Est store. The Eversolo Play showed its best performance when used with models with a sensitivity of at least 89 dB. In these configurations, the amp offers good control, a full sound and sufficient dynamics. On the other hand, speakers with more demanding power requirements quickly push the device to its limits, with volume set at near maximum to achieve a realistic listening level. Dynamics are also affected.

Listening impressions

From the very first notes, the Eversolo Play impressed us with a very jovial reproduction, combining naturalness, soft timbres and transparency. On well-produced recordings such as Norah Jones’s Come Away With Me, the Play reproduced the singer’s voice with remarkable accuracy, slightly pronounced but without excess, as if suspended in the center of the stage. It retained its delicate texture, its hushed sensuality, with that veil of softness that makes all the magic of the performance. The sound message was ample and spacious, with a well-spaced stage and instruments.

The bass descended with authority and assurance, without ever being overpowering or sluggish. They displayed weight and density, but above all excellent control, even at sustained volume. The bass was well maintained, enabling it to remain legible, even during complex tracks. On Hans Zimmer’s Time, a track that’s iconic for its rising tension and orchestral infra-bass, the Eversolo Play demonstrated its rigor. The progressive thrust of the lower register was palpable, the sensation of acoustic pressure real, but never invasive. Balance was maintained, and the soundstage remained wide and legible. Admittedly, the amp doesn’t go as deep as more powerful models or those with greater current capacity, and the impact in the very first octaves remains measured. But within its power range, the Play delivers dense, textured bass with a good foundation.

The midrange was undoubtedly one of the Eversolo Play’s finest achievements. For a class D amplifier, they were slightly soft, without the coldness sometimes associated with this type of topology. The sound reproduction was lively and nuanced, with beautifully rich texture and well-controlled tonal balance. No annoying hollows or flattering excess, just the right amount of substance and density to bring out vocals, strings and brass with natural expressiveness. Vocal timbres retained their grain and relief, without sounding artificially projected. The vocal inflections, the performers’ breathing and the woody resonance of the cello were clearly perceptible.

The high frequencies had a more reserved profile. Compared with the DMP-A6 and DMP-A6 Master Edition network players, renowned for their precision and clarity at the top end of the spectrum, the Eversolo Play was a little more subdued in the extreme treble. Cymbal contours were slightly softened, reverberations a little more diffuse, and certain microdetails seemed to recede during very analytical listening sessions. This approach favors a calmer, less fatiguing listening experience over time, without detracting from the transparency of the tracks.

Eversolo Play vs WiiM Amp Ultra: two visions of connected all-in-ones

Available for €100 less, the WiiM Amp Ultra also features a touchscreen, but in a more compact and, above all, less interactive format. It displays album art, a VU meter or playback information, and providesaccess to system settings. However, it doesn’t let you install or launch streaming apps directly: playback relies entirely on the WiiM Home mobile app, which remains one of the best on the market alongside Eversolo’s.

In terms of sound reproduction, the Eversolo Play offers a warm, smooth and comfortable listening experience, with a highly polished midrange and a slightly softened treble that enhances listening pleasure over time. The WiiM Amp Ultra, on the other hand, delivers a more neutral, analytical sound, with greater precision in the highs and more pronounced dynamics. Its more robust 2 x 100W amplification means it can easily drive more demanding speakers and floorstanding speakers, even those with large drivers. The WiiM also stands out for its Dolby Digital compatibility, with the possibility of creating a wireless 5.1-channel home theater system by adding the brand’s future surround speakers and subwoofers. When it comes to multi-room, the WiiM Amp Ultra also has the advantage of being able to work with any LinkPlay or Chromecast-compatible system, whereas the Play can integrate a group made up of other Eversolo devices.

Who is this amplifier for?

The Eversolo Play is aimed above all at those looking for a modern, compact and easy-to-use all-in-one solution, without compromising on sound quality. It can replace a traditional hi-fi system with multiple components, and offers an excellent alternative to Eversolo streamers for those who don’t yet have amplification, or who want to simplify their installation. At a lower price than the DMP-A6, the Eversolo Play offers the same functionality, with the added bonus of an integrated amplifier stage, without any major compromise on musicality. To realize its full potential, it should be used with speakers that have a sensitivity of at least 89 dB in a room of no more than 25 to 30m².