Best picks

Soundaware A1 Streaming Music Player Review

A streaming music player from Soundaware, listed at $699 in Silver, Red, Blue or Black. The page lists Roon Ready, Airplay, DLNA and Samba support, PCM 384kHz and DSD256, a dual headphone output, SD card and HDD playback, and CD play and rip through a connected USB unit.

4.0Editorial rating: 4.0 out of 5Editorial rating · research-basedUpdated November 11, 2026
$699Price checked November 12, 2026Pre-order only at Linsoul at our last check (November 12, 2026)
Check price at Linsoul

Our verdict

A network streamer and CD ripper for someone who wants Roon Ready, Airplay, DLNA and Samba support, PCM 384kHz and DSD256, and SD card or HDD playback at $699. Look elsewhere if you need a named DAC chip, jack types or a battery figure, since the listing text gives none of them. The main caveat is that the page's wording is hard to follow in places and its quality and power-supply claims are the maker's own.

Best for
Someone who wants a streaming player that also plays and rips CDs and reads SD cards or HDDs.
Skip if
You need a named DAC chip, jack types or a battery figure.

The page presents Soundaware's A1 as a streaming music player, a CD player and ripper, and an SD card or HDD music player, with a dual headphone output. It lists Roon Ready, Airplay, DLNA and Samba support and sampling rates up to PCM 384kHz and DSD256, and it says an FPGA is used for the clock and transport. The listing text does not name a DAC chip. It is listed at $699 in four colors.

Options and pricing

The page offers four colors, Silver, Red, Blue and Black, and all four cost $699, so the choice is about looks and not price. They share one description with no separate specifications per color. The listing text gives no capacity figures for the SD card or HDD support and no list of what comes in the box.

How it compares

The xDuoo DP-10 is $849.15 and the ONIX Waltz XM10 Ltd is $899 with a 4300mAh battery in its spec line, while the Shanling EC3 is $599 and its listing text mentions an ES9219C chip and Bluetooth 5.0. The A1 is $699, names no DAC chip and gives no battery figure.

Shipping

  • Methods and costs. The store's shipping page offers Standard Shipping (4PX, Yanwen or Yun Express), free for most countries, and Express Shipping (DHL Express, FedEx or SF Express) at 15-50 USD depending on the country, free for orders over 270 USD in most countries (checked 2026-11-11).
  • Delivery times. It says an in-stock order ships within 3 working days, Standard takes about 2 weeks after shipping out (up to 1-3 months for some countries, and the store makes no refund for that transit time) and Express takes about 3-7 days. Festive seasons and other circumstances can change the timing.
  • Taxes and fees. The buyer pays any customs, import or processing fees. The page says Standard via YunExpress is tax-inclusive for some countries, that remote areas can carry extra Express charges, and that a parcel refused or left uncollected over taxes is deducted two-way freight and may be destroyed with no refund.
  • Where it ships. The page says the store can generally ship to most countries by Express and many by Standard, and to confirm Standard with the team for your country. It cannot ship to PO boxes or APO/FPO addresses and can only use Express to Hawaii. It does not name the US, Canada, the UK, Australia or New Zealand, so confirm before you pay.
  • Lost parcels. If a parcel has been in transit for at least 3 months, the page offers a one-time reshipment or a full refund for orders under $50 and a 50% refund for orders above $50.

Returns and warranty

  • Returns. The return page allows returning any non-customized product that is still factory sealed within 30 days of receiving it, with the buyer paying the shipping. Email [email protected] within that period; the store asks for the return to be shipped within 5 working days of the RMA instructions and in most cases processes a refund within 5 business days of inspecting it (checked 2026-11-11).
  • Opened items. A product opened within the first 7 days after delivery can be returned for the price minus a restocking fee of 35% of its retail value, including when it still works properly.
  • Refund or credit. The buyer can choose a refund to the original payment method (PayPal or card) or store credit; with no answer within 48 hours of confirmation the default is store credit, which can also be prioritized during promotions, final-sale events and for items 40% or more off retail.
  • Not returnable. Customized products, including faceplate designs, are non-refundable, and the page says the same applies to carry cases, cables, ear tips and other accessories, "due to hygiene purposes". If one item in a package is defective, incorrect or missing, the refund or replacement covers only that item.
  • Warranty. The page gives a 1-year warranty on products, excluding carry cases, ear tips and other accessories, and 3 months on cables and adapters, from the date of purchase. It covers factory defects that affect proper function, not damage from human error, negligence, accidents, dismantling, water, abuse or modification (checked 2026-11-11).
  • Not covered or limited. It does not apply to items bought elsewhere (AliExpress, Amazon, local dealers and the like), prize or giveaway items, normal wear or colour change, commercial use, or items that were stolen or went missing. Coverage is limited for products 40% or more off retail, for review units and for items repaired or modified by anyone Linsoul has not authorized.
  • Claims. Email [email protected] with the order number, the issue and photos and videos of the fault. The store may ask for the unit back for a replacement. It covers shipping for some defects reported within 7 days of delivery if the fault can be shown on video or photo; after 7 days the buyer ships it back. For wrong or missing items an unboxing video of the whole sealed parcel is required.

Before you buy

Linsoul says it was founded in 2016 by the Crazy HiFi team to bring Chinese HiFi makers closer to listeners worldwide, and that it now sells other makers' products alongside four brands of its own, THIEAUDIO, Kiwi Ears, ZiiGaat and Tripowin (checked 2026-11-11).

We have not read any independent review of this product or of the store. Ratings and owner reviews shown on the store's own pages are the store's and were not verified.

What we liked

  • The page lists Roon Ready, Airplay, DLNA and Samba support
  • Sampling rates are stated: up to PCM 384kHz and DSD256
  • The page lists CD play and rip, plus SD card and HDD music playback
  • A dual headphone output is listed, with a Bluetooth link that the page says is processed by an FPGA clock
  • All four colors cost the same $699

Worth noting

  • The listing text names no DAC chip and gives no battery, weight or dimensions
  • The page gives no capacity figures for the SD card or HDD support
  • Parts of the page are hard to follow, such as the Android and Windows paragraph, so some claims cannot be pinned down
  • The quality and sound claims are the maker's words and cannot be checked here

Questions before you buy

What streaming support does the A1 list?

The page lists Roon Ready, Airplay, DLNA and Samba support with sampling rates up to PCM 384kHz and DSD256, and describes a LAN/WAN player with a dual headphone output.

Can it play and rip CDs?

Yes, per the page: connected to a USB unit, the A1 can play and rip CD in high precision mode. The page also lists SD card and HDD music playback.

Which colors does it come in?

Four colors, Silver, Red, Blue and Black, all listed at $699.

Can I return it if I change my mind?

The return page allows returning a non-customized product that is still factory sealed within 30 days of receiving it, with the buyer paying shipping. An opened product returned within 7 days carries a 35% restocking fee. Refunds go to the original payment method or to store credit, which is the default if you do not choose.

How long does shipping take?

The shipping page says in-stock orders ship within 3 working days. Standard Shipping takes about 2 weeks after shipping out, up to 1-3 months for some countries, and Express takes about 3-7 days. Standard is free for most countries; Express costs 15-50 USD and is free over 270 USD (over $499.99 for large items such as headphones and desktop DAC/AMPs).

Does Linsoul ship to the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand?

The page says Linsoul can generally ship to most countries by Express and many by Standard, and to ask the team about Standard for your country. It names no restriction for the US, Canada, the UK, Australia or New Zealand, but it does not list them either, and it can only use Express to Hawaii.

What warranty does it have?

The page gives a 1-year warranty on products from the purchase date for factory defects, not for human error, accidents or modification. Coverage is limited for items 40% or more off retail and for review units, and it does not apply to items bought from other sellers.

Sources & verification

What this review is based on and the day we last read it. Specs and claims from the maker are the maker’s own; the verdict and the rating are ours.

From the store

  • Soundaware A1 product page: specs, options and price (the buy buttons go there)Specs, options and the listed priceRead November 11, 2026
  • Linsoul shipping pageStandard and Express shipping, costs and times, import taxes, lost parcels, couriers, trackingRead November 11, 2026
  • Linsoul return policy and warranty page30-day returns of sealed items, 35% restocking fee on opened ones, 1-year and 3-month warranties, exclusions, how to claimRead November 11, 2026
  • Linsoul support FAQThe same shipping, return and warranty rules in question form, plus order changes and cancellationsRead November 11, 2026
  • About LinsoulFounded in 2016 by the Crazy HiFi team; names its own brands; the awards listed there are the store's own accountRead November 11, 2026

What we couldn’t verify

  • The page's wording on sound quality, clear sound and a Hi-End structure is the maker's claim and was not checked here.
  • Per the page, MR1 V2 lowers the power supply's internal resistance from 200 milliohm to 10 milliohm and raises discharge ability by 20 times; these are the maker's figures and were not checked here.
  • The listing text gives no DAC chip, battery, weight, dimensions or output power, and the page's Android and Windows paragraph is too garbled to read as a spec.
  • We have not read an independent review of this product or the store, and the store's own ratings were not verified. We read the store's catalog description only: a specification table or image shown just on the live page was not read.
  • The shipping page names no US, Canada, UK, Australia or New Zealand times or fees: its figures are general and we could not confirm them for these countries.

Spotted an error or something out of date? Tell us and we’ll fix it and update the date.

Share this review