The Eversolo T8 Streaming Transport Review
By Steve Huff
This time the video review will have more info than this written review with tons of video footage of the T8 in action! Give it a watch!
It’s true that a lot of the cost in high end audio goes to the casing, the design and the materials and parts used inside. Eversolo does great in these areas but they are not as exotic in the casework and build/looks as some of the higher end brands, yet the performance is scary close and the products still look and feel great as they are.
Yes, the Eversolo has the features of the more pricey streamers such as isolated USB outputs, fiber ethernet and built in clocks. The T8 also has an isolated COAX out and XLR out as well. This all comes with one of the easiest to use apps in the streaming world. A remote is included and it’s not of the cheap plastic variety but rather is made of metal and plastic.The Linear Power Supply is also quite nice, with info below…
You can add in your own SSD drives as well to the T8! Plop in with ease, takes under a minute to do and you can add up to 16 TB to serve your own tunes direct from the Eversolo Control app. This streamer is also compatible with ROON and just about every streaming service you can imagine. Tidal and Qobuz connect ready as well. Yea, it also works with Spotify connect as well and Apple Music or Amazon music. In fact, this one does so well with Apple Music (lossless) I switched from Spotify to Apple recently. I also still use Tidal and Qobuz.
The T8 is also loaded with DDR memory so you have a lag free performance, much like the $5800 HiFi Rose RS130 but I will say the Rose is even smoother when scrubbing or skipping. The Eversolo is excellent but there can be a tiny lag when skipping songs compared to the higher end boxes. There’s even a room correction option as well with the T8 though I did not test this in my room. Yea, this streamer is loaded with all the features that you may want and even some you may not want. This also has an I2S output so if you use that connection, the T8 has you covered.
It’s crazy that all of this is here with the T8 and yet there is even more, like audiophile grade capacitors and a very great price of $1,380 USD. Yea, it’s thousands less than something like the Rose RS130 and Lumin U2 but the big question is…how does it sound and is it easy to use?
Soon Eversolo will release their all new DAC to go with the streamer. This DAC looks like it will be taking on the latest HiFi Rose dedicated DAC.
GRUNGE
The Biggest enemy of streaming digital music is NOISE. Today most mid to high end streamers are built to reject EMI and other nasties and the T8 is no exception. When we eliminate all noise from the signal path the music will sound better, 100%. The sound will be richer and easier to hear the details that sometimes get lost in the mix. We also gain fluidity and a smoothness without any sign of digital hash. Noise is the enemy of our audio systems and the T8 seems to have been built to eliminate all noise and I believe it after using it for the last few weeks.
The Eversolo T8 is easy to set up and use and works with just about every streaming service out there like Roon, Apple, Amazon, Spotify, Tidal and Qobuz. There are more but these are the ones that popped into my head as I sit here writing (while listening to the T8). This one covers it all and does so while having a very nice HD quality 6″ screen that is sharp, bright and colorful, in usual Everoslo fashion. did I mention how cool and nice the remote is? Most companies these days send the worst remotes. There are exceptions but more than not send junk remotes lately or none at all.
WHY CHOOSE A TRANSPORT over a STREAMING DAC?
Well, honestly it comes down to personal preference and taste. Do you want one box with a streamer and a built in DAC or a streamer where you can add any DAC you choose to it and get maximum fidelity from said DAC? Yes, you can also use something like an Eversolo A6 as a streamer into an external DAC but I will argue that the T8 will do it better, faster and with a sound quality increase as well.
The T8 has a refinement I did not hear in the A6 (when used as a streamer) and when I change DACs using the T8, I can easily hear the changes in the sound. The T8 allows the DAC to shine through with its sound signature, and yes, most all DACs sound a bit different. I have heard DACs that are magical and some that were just awful. One I threw in the trash as it was the worst thing I ever heard although it was a $50 special ; ) So no, not all DACs sound the same and some sound drastically different from one another. Some are lean, some are fat. Some are warm, some are cool. Some are neutral and some add color and depth.
If you are one who likes to experiment with external DACs then a streamer such as this is a perfect place to start unless you want to spend $6k and up for an even better streamer, as that is what it will take to get better than this one. I am testing this Everoslo mainly with a Fezz Equinox DAC which I reviewed HERE. Holy wow I love this DAC and it reminds me most of the $48k Nagra Tube DAC in sound quality, honestly. Maybe just more treble sparkle but never ever bright. The soundstage is stunning as is the holographic way the music is painted. That tube in the Equinox truly does something special as its sounds like no other DAC I have heard (that doesn’t cost a fortune).
The T8 is small in size and lighter than some of the mega buck streamers but I cannot argue with the performance and for the price it’s stunning. I just recently received a $5k streamer in for review, just after the T8 video review was posted. It was not very good, worked for an hour and then kept freezing up. When it was playing, using it’s internal DAC, the sound was flat/lifeless and a bit hard/bright. This was a $5k setup. The next day I couldn’t get it to connect to the Fezz, so it is going back without review.
The Everoslo at this price point is making a statement in high quality streaming.
There are so many features of the T8 it can get exhausting talking about all of them. The T8 is packed with so many features I cannot think of any that were missed. It has the outputs most want, the app stability many crave and the performance of streamers that cost more. While the A6, A8 and A10 are all superb for their respective price points, for me the T8 is the one I would choose to stick with as I love using and testing external DACs and I want the best from them. Then again, I wouldn’t trade a flagship Eversolo A10 for the T8 as the streamer in the A10 is awesome as well as the DAC, display and features.
While I can do this with an A6 of any generation, again, when you use a dedicated transport you will get slightly better performance from streaming as these are made for one purpose and that is to deliver a fantastic streaming experience. There are no chips here to interfere or add noise. Rather this one was made to reject all sonic robbing noise.
Can you get a better sound from a more expensive streamer?
Yes I feel you can, but how much improvement does an extra $4k buy you? Maybe about 5-15% or more if you spend a fortune for some flagship streamers (that reach into the $20k price). For example the HiFi Rose RS130 ($5800) sounds even better to these ears and has a richness, warmth and a punch that most streamers lack, but it’s not a huge difference as the biggest differences will come from the DAC when it comes to digital streaming. I also much prefer the Eversolo app vs the Rose so that balances the two out. But yes, I do hear a more refined and bigger sound with the Rose RS130.
Even so, streamers do matter and that RS130, Nagra Streamer and even the Lumin U2 I have reviewed will give an even more refined sound but these boxes are all $5-$6k and in the case of the Nagra, more limited (Nagra has only two outputs, COAX and NLINK). While these $5-6K streamers offer up a bit more “juice” or refinement the difference with them and the T8 are not huge when it comes to SQ. The gains will mostly come from the luxury of the boxes themselves like the RS130’s gorgeous casing and screen. It also has video capabilities. The Lumen is just made to an awesome quality standard and looks like a million bucks in the flesh. All perform and sound spectacular.
This T8 is a solid little box but again, not built to the $6k level. Sure and yes, it 100% competes with any streamer in the $3k range for looks and build and it competes with more pricey boxes for sound and features.
I have enjoyed so many streaming DACs and streamers that I could choose any of them to live happily ever after but the T8 from Everoslo just costs less while bringing a ton of that higher end streaming performance. If you have a budget of $1400 I can think of no better streamer to purchase if you use an external DAC.
No lags, even with high res Tidal connect or Qobuz. It just works and delivers music with a neutral flow that is neither warm or tipped up. It’s about where most audiophiles would want it, true to source and this does allow your DAC to perform with its full sound signature as well.
While some would appreciate a fancier enclosure and heftier weight or larger display (or none at all) I will say it again...if you have $1400 for a streamer look no further. This is it. This one is set to ship October 2025.
SEE MORE INFO AT THE EVERSOLO WEBSITE! Lots to see on the T8!
