EvoAria Evo Era

Everything with a kitchen sink and… a CD!

PROs: Triple Source (CD/USB/Bluetooth), Double DAC architecture (R2R OS/NOS or ES9069Q x2), Triple Timbre selection (Transistor or 2xNuTube in Velvet/Lumina hybrid modes), P/P+/Turbo/DC-In power modes, Class A/AB amp modes, CD ripping to USB, hardware playback control buttons, 2.2” TFT playback display with access to additional settings, decent battery life, solid, premium build, many input and output options, high power output, and a very impressive flagship-level sound performance, all under the control of so many sound-shaping options.

CONs: CD availability, not as portable as a traditional DAP or compact DAC/amp.

The product was on loan for a week for review purposes in exchange for my honest opinion.

The manufacturer’s website: EvoAria. It can be purchased from authorized retailers, such as Musicteck.

Intro.

10 years ago, when I started my review website, I never imagined writing a review of a… CD player. I still find it a bit puzzling that some manufacturers have lately been trying to bring back CD players. A disc player by itself still doesn’t make much sense to me. But after experiencing EvoAria Evo One DAPs, even for a very short period of time, I realized that if Thomas is going to bring back the CD player, there’s gotta be more to it. I couldn’t even imagine how much more you could pack inside it until I started reading its specs, got a crazy idea to check it out, and ended up spending a week with it.

For those who may not be aware, while it may have felt like the EvoAria brand came out of nowhere with the debut of the Evo One Ti and Cu DAPs, as more information became available about the company’s roots, many realized it was the evolution of something they were already familiar with. This became clear because Thomas, a founder of the company, was also behind many popular Cayin releases, including N8ii, N30LE, and C9ii, making it natural for EvoAria to draw inspiration from his previous work. But what inspired him to follow his successful Evo One DAP with the Evo Era CD player? Let’s find out more about this latest EvoAria release.

Unboxing and Accessories.

I can’t discuss the unboxing experience or the included accessories because I received only the Era unit, wrapped in bubble wrap, with nothing else.

Design and Under the Hood.

To start, I wouldn’t exactly call the Era a portable device like a DAP. At 182x182x29 mm and 1,025g, it is borderline portable. While it is a portable (transportable) CD player and could easily be used on the go, I think it would be even more convenient as a Wireless BT DAC/amp when carried in a bag or backpack. To me, a CD player belongs on a level surface :). However, I also tried shaking it during disc playback and had a hard time making the CD skip, which speaks highly of the device’s stability and solid mechanical construction. Its 6063-aluminum chassis with a micro-sandblasted surface is built like a tank. Every button and switch is solid; nothing rattles. The power button has a spring-loaded operation in one direction to turn the power on/off (holding it longer) or to turn the display on/off (holding it briefly), or a sliding switch in the other direction to activate Hold, which disables all buttons and switches. The volume control uses a larger ALPS potentiometer, offering a solid tactile feel and the resistance you expect from an analog volume knob. Even the CD door lid requires a bit of force to lift and feels very solid. At the bottom of the Era, you have 4 low-profile triangular rubber feet to ensure stable, secure operation even on slippery glass surfaces. All around, the Era looks and feels like a high-end premium device that could be a centerpiece of any desktop setup.

While it is a CD player, it offers 3 sources, selectable via a rotary switch, including a CD transport, USB input, and a Bluetooth receiver. I’m not an expert on the CD mechanism, but according to the spec, it uses a custom mechanism and a servo system with full transport control. The USB input is handled by the XMOS XU316 module, with the option to select UAC 1.0 or 2.0 compatibility. It supports PCM up to 768kHz and DSD up to DSD512. The BT wireless connection is handled by a flagship Qualcomm QCC5181 chip with Snapdragon Sound and support for the latest wireless protocols, including aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, aptX HD, aptX, LDAC, AAC, and SBC.

The DAC side of the audio decoding was a surprise, with a dual implementation using R2R and Delta-Sigma decoders. The spec mentioned a String R2R architecture using 170 high-precision, low-temperature-coefficient resistors, arranged in a dual-channel decoder with fully independent power supplies. A high-capacity 100K-LUT FPGA is implemented, with one of its functions being to handle precision calibration of the R2R circuit. Also, R2R is offered in two modes: OS (oversampling) and NOS (no oversampling). The Delta-Sigma side is covered by ESS DAC, using two ES9069Q DAC chips, running in MONO mode for full differential decoding and proper channel separation. The choice of TR, R2R OS, and R2R NOS is selectable with a toggle switch.

The amplifier and timbre sections in the design looked more familiar, with the choice of a solid-state transistor (TR) output or a pair of NuTube 6P1 tubes in two hybrid modes, Velvet and Lumina, just like in the Evo One DAP design. Those were selectable with a toggle switch. Other familiar settings included Class A and Class AB amp operation (selectable from the menu, not a switch), typical gain settings of L/M/H (selectable with a toggle switch), and power mode selection of P/P+/Turbo (selectable with a toggle switch). The 4th power option is DC-In, allowing you to use an external PD supply, as in Evo One, and it is selectable from the menu, not a switch. 8 OpAmp chips handle the amplifier section.

Other things worth mentioning: a digital volume control (NJW1195A) paired with an ALPS pot, giving you an analog feel with a digital value readout so you are not guessing. Btw, I hardly noticed any volume imbalance at low loudness levels. CD ripping to USB (in WAV) was implemented as well. There is also an internal 3.87V, 10,000 mAh battery for portable use. I didn’t have a chance to run a battery test, but it hardly made a dent in the 4-seg battery display indicator after hours of playback. Fast charging using a PD supply (9V/2A) is supported. According to EvoAria, with CD playback alone, you can get up to 14 hours in TR mode, though the duration scales down depending on the output setting.

Also, there are 2 separate USB-C ports for charging and digital input, with the latter likely used for digital output when ripping CDs to USB. You also get COAX and Optical outputs, as well as 3.5mm and 4.4mm Line Out outputs. Headphone outputs are 3.5mm (0.5 ohm OI) and 4.4mm (1.0 ohm OI) as well. Output power, for example, for a balanced output at 32 ohms, scales up from P with 700mW to P+ with 880mW to Turbo with 1050mW to DC-In with 1500mW.

Last, but not least, you also get a 2.2” TFT display that provides a clear bird’s-eye view of the playback source, mode, status, various settings, volume level, battery level, and CD track info, including the playback time. The main settings menu is accessible by pressing and holding the Play/Pause button for about 4-5 seconds, then using the skip forward/back buttons to step through the menu options, and pressing the Play/Pause button again to select each option.

It’s a comprehensive menu that lets you select a power source (Battery or DC-In), Amplifier mode (Class A or AB), CD Playback modes, USB Audio Class (UAC 1.0 or 2.0), Idle Shutdown timer, Screen Brightness level, CD RIP (no pun intended) start option, Wi-Fi setup (not quite sure about this one, maybe for future fw updates?), Volume Calibration (didn’t try this one), Firmware Update (can be done via the USB port), Factory reset, and information on the current Firmware Version.