EXCLUSIVE: Eversolo Play Streaming Amplifier First Look

Are you ready to play? If so, then the new Eversolo Play all-in-one streamer, DAC and integrated amplifier should have you rocking out to your favourite music in a jiffy. Brought to you by the company responsible for a slew of successful one-box do-it-all products, can it meet the high bar already set?

Following the square-box format that has recently gained popularity, the Play’s chassis has unibody construction and is made out of aluminium alloy. It measures just 230x230x83mm and weighs 3kg. The base acts as a heatsink to provide a stable thermal environment for the electronics within. Turning the unit upside down reveals metal fins and ventilation holes for cooling purposes; it gets only moderately warm even after extended listening sessions.

A 5.5-inch colour touchscreen at the front controls the unit (or via the App if you prefer), while the illuminated knob functions as a power button cum volume control. Eversolo has redesigned its user interface to simplify operation, with icons grouped into six groups, namely Music Services, Functions, Apps, Connect, Cloud, and Settings. Navigation is appreciably easier compared to the UI used in previous models. The unit supports most major streaming services and is also ROON Ready. Besides UPnP library compatibility, support is provided (albeit only in Beta form) for other library software like Emby, Plex and Jellyfin.

Packed inside the compact chassis is the streaming module, DAC and amplifier. I received the ‘CD edition’, which adds a Hitachi-LG CD ROM drive to play Compact Discs – which it seems are making a comeback in some circles. All you need to get music playing is to connect the unit to your home network (either through wired LAN or Wi-Fi) and add speakers.

Decoding for music files up to 32-bit/768kHz PCM and DSD512 is done via the highly regarded AK4493 DAC from Asahi Kasei, known for its rich and musical tonal balance. The Class D amplifier section is rated at 60W into 8 ohms and 110W into 4 ohms, sufficiently powerful for most speakers out there.

The Play has most of the goodies found in Eversolo’s other models, including room correction and EQ adjustment (both graphic and parametric). Two notable omissions are SSD internal storage for music files and preamp outputs, but the Play has a phono input – which is a first for the company. This handles both MM and MC signals but lacks adjustable gain or loading settings. Connectivity is great with Bluetooth, HDMI ARC, optical, coaxial and a pair of line inputs. Outputs consist of a USB audio output, coaxial digital and a mono subwoofer out.

FIRST LISTEN

Partnered with Elac Unifi Reference UBR62 speakers, the Play sounds like other Eversolo products – in other words, it is slightly on the warm side tonally and enjoyably musical. It’s not the most forensically resolving performer out there, but the sound quality is still impressive for the price.

For example, the drums and great guitar riffs in the opening section of Dire Straits’ Money for Nothing had impact and presence, with the slow build-up being especially convincing. The performance bounced along rhythmically, aided by the Play’s full and well-controlled bass. Female vocals were smooth and rich with Emilie-Claire Barlow’s voice sounding seductive and sultry in These Boots Were Made for Walking. There was good separation of instruments in the spacious soundstage – although, to nitpick, the accompanying instruments lacked edge and attack. While Christian McBride's finger plucks and bowing in Night Train were crisp and positive, there was some smoothing over of fine detail. The Eversolo plays it polite, seeking to soothe and seduce instead of being an analytical tool for unpicking a recording.

Some will buy the new Play just for the CD spinner. Insert a disc, and the unit will retrieve album art and metadata and even rip the files in either WAV or FLAC format. Disc playback sounded great, with an energetic performance and sound quality on par with streamed files. Moving from shiny to black discs, the phono stage was equally impressive. It did a decent job handling the output from my Denon DL-103R moving coil cartridge, producing a clear sound, firm and pacy dynamics and open soundstaging. The sound was engaging, matching the liveliness heard from other sources.

THE VERDICT

Overall then, Eversolo’s new Play one-box streaming amplifier is likely to be another big success for the company. It packs a seriously generous feature count in a small and stylish package, and delivers decent sound regardless of source. Unveiled at the Munich High End Show 2025, do give this an audition when it hits the hi-fi shops – if you’re looking for compact yet capable mini music maker.

For more information visit Eversolo