Three tracks I trust more than a spec sheet

On paper, the Eversolo A6 Master Edition should dominate the WiiM Ultra. But we do not listen to specifications. We listen to music, so I judged them on three tracks I know inside out.

Here's what I played, streamed from Qobuz on both. For classic rock, Six Blade Knife from the self-titled Dire Straits album. For jazzy female vocals, This Town by Patricia Barber. For jazz, Take Five from the Dave Brubeck Quartet's Time Out.

Familiar tracks are the whole point. I know where every micro and macro element should sit, so I notice when the soundstage widens, when the layering improves, when the background goes darker. On those three songs the Eversolo showed a wider, deeper stage and better separation, and the WiiM came uncomfortably close.

I chose my speakers the same way, the La Scala against the Yvette, side by side, with equipment relevant to mine and a playlist familiar to me. Appearances matter, but sound matters more, at least to me. The ultimate decision-making tool is always your ears.

A spec sheet tells you what a box should do. Three songs you love tell you what it actually does.