Eve Play in the test: The streaming gadget for every stereo system

Smart speakers killed the good old hi-fi system – okay, that sounds very wooden. But ask yourself: When was the last time you changed the input channel from CD to DVD on an old amplifier or receiver? When was the last time your fingers wandered over the countless buttons on the often huge infrared remote controls? It’s been a long time, right?

That’s actually a shame. Because as much as we appreciate the uncomplicated smart speakers, when it comes to sound there was simply more tinsel in the past. And not so long ago, many people invested in high-quality speaker towers, which have been collecting dust in the basement since the arrival of HomePod and the like. This was also the case with the author, who freed his Yamaha receiver and the 1.20 meter high stereo speakers from Canton from the attic for this test.

Who is Eve Play suitable for and what is the price?

The Eve Play presented at IFA is a small black box that makes amplifiers, receivers, soundbars and speakers AirPlay 2-capable. Important: Passive speakers only work in conjunction with an amplifier. So you need either active speakers or passive speakers connected to an amplifier.

We met EVE Play for the first time at the IFA in Berlin.

Installation should be very easy and can be done within minutes. Eve Play can then be controlled via the Eve app or integrated into Apple Home, where it appears as a normal player. The whole thing also works in multiroom audio mode. All of this is available for around 150 euros.

Unpacking and installation – is the manufacturer’s promise true?

Eve Play comes into your home in a small package and is actually installed in no time. The scope of delivery includes a power supply and a RCA cable. Using the latter, we connect the small streaming box to the Yamaha receiver.

Eve Play in everyday life

A connection via an optical cable would also have been possible, but a Toslink cable is not included in the scope of delivery. Content reaches the box wirelessly via WLAN (2.4 and 5 gigahertz) or wired via Ethernet via the amplifier to the speakers and our ears.

Once the cabling is in place, the free Eve app must be installed. Eve Play requires an iOS device. Android systems are not supported. Once the app is on the iPhone, all you need to do is scan a QR code on the back of Eve Play. And that was basically it. You can now assign the system to a room and control it via Apple Home.

Delays in multiroom operation

The sound of the small streaming box impressed us, also due to the very high-quality D/A converter from Texas Instruments with a signal-to-noise ratio of 112 dB. During breaks in the game, we could initially hear very slight, non-reproducible cracking noises. As soon as music is playing, however, they disappear. As the test continued, in which we also carried out a firmware update, the cracking noises no longer appeared.

We tested Eve Play with a stereo pair of Apple’s second-generation HomePods, which were placed in the same room but around eight meters away from the Canton speakers.

In this setup, no delays were audible between the smart speakers and the Canton speakers controlled via Eve Play. If there are any lags, the audio sync feature in the Eve app can help. An attempt is then made to establish synchronicity using a test signal and a built-in microphone.

Conclusion

Eve Play is worthwhile for anyone who doesn’t want to write off their old stereo system and instead integrate it into their smart home. Installation couldn’t be easier, the sound is impressive. Buying tip!

We liked that

• Easy installation and operation
• Breathes new life into old stereo systems
• Works in smart home
• Good sound quality

At 149 euros*

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We didn’t like that much

• Compatible with Apple devices only
• Initially slight cracking noises can be heard

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