I put a CD in Atoll’s CD200, $2950, and hit play.

Atoll is a family owned company in France. The Atoll products are built under their own roof with a three year warranty.

If you read the hi-fi mags you’ll mostly see vinyl and streaming fans.

Vinyl is disqualifying for me due to the noise, hum/rumble and irregular speed. It just doesn’t work for the classical piano music that I crave.

*Some listeners can ignore clicks, pops and rumble. I can’t.

*Some listeners can ignore cantilever wobble or irregular speed on a grand piano. I can’t.

*Some people are fine with the excruciating time/process of cleaning records thoroughly. I’m not.

Playing CDs is easy. The Atoll sounds great. The American importer is Emilios Mandalios of

Audio Excellent in Chicago. You have excellent support in the USA.

Streaming DACs are fine for some listening. But I’m a deep dive piano fan and the CDs sound better.

With CD, you have the digital file in hand and play it in a closed local system. With streaming, that digital file is housed on a public server by Tidal, Qobuz or whomever. It travels zillions of miles through wire, switches, transformers, amplifiers, buffers and who knows what all else- to get to your door. And only then… we start to consider components.

A recent writer to Stereophile recommends his method for listening. It’s common so let’s compare.

He saved his music to a Roon Nucleus, built in China (ROC). He runs that into an Eversolo A8 streamer/DAC, built in China (PRP). One year warranty. That combo runs about $5k.

Eversolo is made by Zidoo of China, who also makes Luxsin. All three brands are PILES OF CHIPS to do various video and audio functions.

Atoll is a family owned, pure hi-fi company. Yes, it matters.

For openers, I’m not a fan of servers. Why waste HOURS of time saving CDs to a drive? The drive is going to puke some day anyway and flush your work. Further, all servers introduce their own sonic signature. They have CD drives with Chinese transports. How tough is it to get up and play a CD? That’s too much work? Really? Don’t waste your money on a gym membership I guess. Please don’t tell me she won’t let you put your CDs anywhere. Sheeze!

I understand the convenience of streaming. It’s fun and easy. For Schumann’s Fantasy, I gotta have the CD, by Mark Andre Hamelin on Hyperion- while we’re at it.

The sound of the Atoll hinges around two large toroidal transformers and 10 linear power supplies. Atoll has a third transformer for operations. The Eversolo uses a small toroid for analog, but uses a switching power supply for digital. No thanks to SMPS supplies.

The Atoll uses Burr Brown DACs that are voiced with a discrete line stage, featuring through hole parts, that runs in Class A. The Eversolo uses a couple AKM chips- which feed chip laden Texas Instrument op amps. Chips ahoy!

Atoll uses more than double the filter capacitance of Eversolo- which helps warm up the sound.

Atoll uses a great Teac transport (Japan) for outstanding tracking and sound. What transport is used your server? I’m gonna bet it’s a Sanyo or Philips from China. It won’t track as well, sound as good or last as long as the Teac. I’ll ask the same question of your existing CD player. It’s likely a Sanyo or Philips as well.

The Eversolo, like its family brands, Luxsin and Zidoo, is a CHIP BOX. It’s loaded with more features than you can shake a stick at. Streaming, E-ARC, Bluetooth, USB, slots for drives and a partridge in a pear tree. Why is it so cheap at $2k?

That’s because…it’s a pile of chips made in China! By the way, I have looked at the rear panel, photo online. Nowhere, does it say Built In China. You know why… that would be telling. Atoll proudly says Made In France by the power connection.

Atoll is a wonderful audio product. Its differential audio is delivered through Burr Brown DACs and discrete component line stages running in Class A. The Eversolo is a boatload of chips. I’m not saying it’s no good. But the Atoll will sound better and last longer than the Eversolo. Oh, and if you get the Eversolo, there are set up tricks. There are menus, boxes to click, or not. So much fun.

Why not spend about $3k to get BETTER sound, make life easy and support a family owned company?

If you want to stream cheap, buy whatever and run digital out into the CD200.

Or, better yet, treat streaming with the same care you would for CD or vinyl playback. Buy an Atoll MS-120 streamer.