AMP Reviews: Eversolo’s New F2 Stereo Amp Review
Every day, it seems like a new amp hits the market, and many are class D, with prices starting below a hundred bucks, with claims of power that used to cost customers thousands of dollars, if not tens of thousands.
We’ve looked at more than a few of these ultra-affordable amplifiers and realized that it’s one thing for an amp to test well on a bench, but it’s a lot harder for them to live up to the manufacturer’s claims in the real world. That doesn’t mean there is hope on finding a more affordable class D stereo amplifier that can live up to its marketing hype.
In this article today we are going look at AMP reviews with the Eversolo’s new F2 stereo in mind. We will also compare the Eversolo’s new F2 stereo with other amplifiers such as Emotiva Basx A2 Amp, Crown Amp 1002 XLS Drivecore 2 and Primare A35.2.
Table of Contents
EverSolo F2 Amp Reviews
EverSolo, a brand widely known for its DAC and streaming components, has entered the class D amp race with their Amp F2 stereo amplifier, done in collaboration with audio manufacturer Stark Sound.
The F2 utilizes Stark’s NS600 amplifier module, producing a reported 145 watts per channel into 8 ohms, and 250 watts into 4. The F2 can be switched into a bridge mode, turning it into a mono or single-channel amplifier, which increases the power to 280 watts into 4 ohms, and a rather impressive 450 watts into 2.
The F2 is very well built, encased in an all-aluminum chassis with a design language that’s more reminiscent of Stark Sound than, say, EverSolo. Look closely, and you’ll notice the F2 looks a lot like a half-width Fiera IV from Stark.
However, EverSolo missed a golden opportunity to include one of their color displays, which would have given the F2 the ability to showcase real-time amplifier data, or better yet, meters. Round back, you’re going to find a pair of high-quality beryllium binding posts, as well as RCA and XLR style inputs, which you select using a small toggle switch.
The F2 has a detachable power cord and a few trigger ports, but that’s about it. Everything is very neatly laid out and very clearly labeled, making the setup really easy.
Testing The EverSolo F2: Speakers And Associated Equipment
Now, because this is strictly a review of the amplifier, limiting the variables in the setup was a priority. The speakers were positioned to produce the most linear response possible, which is confirmed through in-room measurements. No equalization, room correction, tone controls, or even balance were used during the F2’s evaluation, which kept the potential for outside interference to an absolute mx, pinimum.c.
Performance/Eversolo Sound + Best Use Cases
Now, EverSolo or Stark would have you believe that tonally, this is a warm-sounding amplifier. The F2 is neutral in a very classy sort of way. There is not a great deal of character or coloration in its overall tone. If you’re looking for a small footprint, classy amp, and were excited by the reports of the F2’s warmer, more analog-like sound, or you’ve drank all the Kool-Aid and you’re expecting to hear Class D masquerading as a tube amp or even Class AB, you might want to pump the brakes. That is not a bad thing.
After all, an amplifier’s sole job is to simply amplify the incoming signal to your loudspeaker, so it should be colorless. Any perceivable character is likely the result of distortion. At volumes between 50 to 75 dB, the F2 sounds good. It may even be indistinguishable from amps costing up to several hundred dollars more, like Emotiva’s XPA series. So if you’re in a smaller room or maybe you’re looking for a desktop solution, this is an amp to consider.
Now, as you turn up the volume, the conversation begins to change. If you own speakers with more excitable tweeters. At higher volumes, you may notice the F2 begin to skew more towards the treble. This skew towards the treble was not an issue on our Concept 50s, even when listening at higher volumes.
As volume increases, there is an injection of treble energy, and you can find it in the loudspeaker’s near-field response. The increase in treble energy is not overwhelming, but if you’re sensitive to high frequencies like other budget-friendly Class D amps, the F2 has not solved the treble issue.
Now, as a near-field or desktop solution, you would pair the Eversolo with speakers with known roll-off in the highs or, even better, with speakers that use soft-dome tweeter materials. You don’t have to worry much about speaker sensitivity, The F2 has enough real-world grunt to drive even difficult speakers comfortably. But the F2 is not completely silent, so if you’re thinking about pairing this amp with a highly sensitive speaker, think, you know, Klipsch, and you listen in the near-field, you may notice some noise in the form of tweeter hiss.
Beyond 3 feet, the hiss is not audible, so just know your listening location before making any final decisions. Aside from knowing your listening habits and speaker considerations in advance, the F2, again, is a neutral-leaning amp.
The amp did not alter the response or sound of test speakers, aside from the aforementioned treble, when listening at everyday volumes. Now, compared to other amplifiers like Emotivo’s Basics A2, Crown’s 1002XLS Drivecore II, and the much costlier Primair, you did feel you needed to increase the volume a little bit more on the Eversolo, but this is really easily explained by the F2’s slightly lower gain.
Nothing to get too worked up over. It wouldn’t be a problem for the majority of listeners. The F2’s mid-range clarity, intelligibility, bass texture, definition, and control are all very solid. The amp maintains good separation and delineation between the speakers and even beyond. Dispersion was not affected by the F2.
Now, soundstage depth will always be room and setup dependent, but the F2 doesn’t appear to flatten the stage like other, less expensive Class D amps have in the past. Overall, the sound started in relative alignment with the speaker’s front baffles and extended backward and never really projected forward unless you were listening at volumes greater than 100 dB.
Driver control and dynamics proved impressive once volumes reached 50 to 55 dB.Below that, the F2 wasn’t really able to flex all that hard, but to be fair, not many amps are going to wow you at lower volumes. Again, between 50 dB and 75 dB, the F2’s at its best.
Comparing The Eversolo F2 To Other Amplifiers
We tried to keep our comparisons in line with the F2’s power and general asking price, focusing on amps like Emotiva’s Bass XA2, the Crown XLS-1002 Drivecore II, both of which actually cost less than the EverSolo’s $799 asking price.
For a more upmarket benchmark, you’d relied on the Primair A35.2. But first, compared to TI-based chip amps, the F2 is the better amp. The F2 did not struggle to drive any of our loudspeakers in room at louder levels, nor did it have issues with complex source material whether you are listening to music or watching movies.
The EverSolo is more versatile and more sonically reliable than the amps like WIM, Fosse, SMSL, or Relic, you get the idea, at least so far. If you put the F2 through the same tests, on the same speakers, in the same room, at the same volumes, and it never faltered.
Eversolo Amp Vs Emotiva Basx A2 Amp
Moving on to the equally powerful Emotiva Bass XA2, if you’re listening at volumes between 50 and 75 dB in room, you’ll not be able to tell the Emotiva and the EverSolo apart aside from maybe the impression that the Bass X has a little bit more weight in the mid-bass in bass. But understand, this difference is likely psychoacoustic.
Both amps, when playing back sweeps at 75 dB in room, produce the exact same response up into about 10 kilohertz. At 10 kilohertz, the F2 ramps up a little bit more. However, the Emotiva has better dynamics and control sooner.
In other words, it’s better at low volumes thanks to its higher gain. If you really turn things up, the Emotiva’s sound doesn’t skew towards the treble on either test speaker as it did with the F2. The F2’s build quality and feature set are better and more flexible than the Emotiva.
The Bass X is the safer buy. It’s not that these two amps sound like radically different, but the Emotiva is more predictable across all volumes, and it just gives you the confidence in its performance long-term.
Eversolo Vs Crown Amp 1002 XLS Drivecore 2
There little or no amplifier with a better overall value in all of hi-fi than the Crown XLS Drivecore series. Minus its, dance club style looks and a noticeable noise floor, you are not going to find a more ready-to-please powerhouse of an amp at such a low price than what Crown delivers.
When it comes to sound quality, there isn’t much difference between the F2 and the Crown when played back at everyday volumes. The Crown sounds a little softer and not quite as etched detail-wise, but that’s you digging real deep to try and describe what are really minuscule differences.
Turn the volume way up and the Crown is more composed top to bottom, but its noise floor is also more audible. Crown is considered to be ever so low’s equal. One thing is for certain, the Crown is definitely the better value.
Eversolo Vs Primare A35.2
The F2 is not outright embarrassed by an amp like the Primair, but it’s important to keep things rooted in reality before we start jumping to headlines Like the Emotiva, the A35.2 has higher gain, making it better at low, low volumes.
When listening at moderate volumes, roughly 55dB in room, the Primair isn’t crazy different from the F2, but feed it a beefier speaker, turn things up, and the delta gets wider than Moses parting the Red Sea.
When playing back well-recorded music at levels of 75dB and higher, the F2 is completely outclassed. The Primair is better composed, more controlled, and more linear in its response compared to any of the amps we’ve discussed.
Conclusion
Going back to knowing your listening space and habits, if you’re not going to tax an amp, meaning you’re going to sit closer to your speakers, for example, you’re at a desk or in a small room, using speakers that will never be asked to play back full-range, complex music at reference level.
You can definitely get by with an amp like the Eversolo. The F2 has a better advantage over TI amps. If this type of listening represents the totality of your hi-fi experience, it’s not going to be difficult for many products to appear more or less impressive. But if you’re further along in your hi-fi journey, or you’re seeing how fast you can damage your hearing like Carl does, and especially if you put the hammer down in a space like ours, the difference between cheap and higher-end gear become very apparent.
The adage you get what you pay for, that didn’t stop being true in 2024. If you want reliable results at all volumes, in all spaces, and with all types of speakers, you’re gonna need to budget for that kind of performance. The F2 from Eversolo is a very good amplifier, superior to many of its lower-cost class D peers, and even comparable to several class A-B amps that skew more towards the budget side of the spectrum.
But is it the newest end-all-be-all giant killer ready to lead the battle against traditional hi-fi that some of you may be hoping for? It’s not. But that doesn’t mean it’s not impressive, or that the new kids aren’t getting really close. In the right situation, the Eversolo will be a great solution.