Devialet 400 review by Soundstage Magazine

[mep]

I wonder if we compare a $9500 integrated with built in 24/192 DAC, MM/MC phonostage, speaker correction, gorgeous remote, AirPlay, etc. what we would think?

My point is: price perspective

Is a pair of Soulution 701's/725/746 going to sound better? Probably, but we aren't comparing apples to apples either.




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Are we comparing how many features we can cram in a box at the lowest price possible? If so, my Onkyo TX-NR3010 AVR wins. It has both wireless and either net connections, will play back up to DSD from a network drive, it has DRC built in, bass management, phono input and it does it all for around $2k.

My point is that most of us on this forum aren't shopping from a price perspective more than we are shopping from a quality perspective. That's why my Onkyo is in my HT system and my ARC electronics are in my stereo system.

 

[Mike]

Let's ask it another way: for $9500 minus speakers and speaker cables, what could we buy that sounds better?

I once thought the same way, but hell, I gave up trying to put together a system for less or the same that would sound better. I couldn't come close.


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[mep]

Let's ask it another way: for $9500 minus speakers and speaker cables, what could we buy that sounds better?

I once thought the same way, but hell, I gave up trying to put together a system for less or the same that would sound better. I couldn't come close.


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Does it have to have the same feature set or just sound better? Have you received yours yet?

 

[Mike]

Does it have to have the same feature set or just sound better? Have you received yours yet?

I have to be able to connect my VPI Classic 3 and customize for my cartridge, access my digital files, etc.

I hep to get mine in a week or so. But I've had the D Premier, 200 and 800 in to play with before.

 

[Elberoth]

Let's ask it another way: for $9500 minus speakers and speaker cables, what could we buy that sounds better?

Mike, I think the problem comes from those reviews, that claim the Devialet sounded better than ... everything they have ever heard, including some he-man systems. That is simply radiculous.

I think it is a fine buy at <$10k. I actually almost bought the Devialet 130 to my family room - if it wasn't for the lack of airplay and integrated spotify client, I would have pulled the trigger.

I bought the Naim Unity series all-in-one instead. Couldn't be happier.

 

[Mike]

I don't disagree. Everyone has to do their own listening and keep things in proper $$$ perspective.


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[mep]

Stereophile just reviewed another Class D amp-the Theta Digital Prometheus. $12k for the pair and they have linear power supplies. The reviewer Larry Greenhill loved them plus they gave his system 'room lock' which I guess is better than having lock jaw, but not quite as good as having lip lock. The thing I find interesting about Class D amps are that despite their mostly stellar measurements (and the super low distortion is a byproduct of their super high negative feedback as well as their huge dampening factors), they can't reproduce a clean square wave to save their ass. Look at the square wave measurements on page 69 of the March Stereophile. The 1kHz square wave actually looks like a square wave except it rings like crazy on the top of the pulse from the switching noise. JA inserted a low pass filter and shows a picture of a 10 kHz square wave and while it eliminated the ringing, there is nothing square about the square wave. It looks like somebody got drunk and went looking for the crayons and started drawing. By contrast, take a look at the 10kHz square wave taken from a $1900 integrated amp made by Cambridge on page 101 of the Feb 2015 Stereophile. It's damn near text book perfect.

Normally, people that loves them some SS and digital loves them some measurements. Class D loses their measurement bragging rights when it comes to reproducing a clean square wave.

 

[Dizzie]

Jaxwired,

I have not heard any D equipment so my response is more universal. I think you nailed it. I have been having the same discussion with an audio buddy.

No argument that people may prefer other high end systems to a devialet system. But the idea that a more accurate cleaner audio signal is removing something that should be present like natural harmonics makes little sense. The devialet might well produce a cleaner and truer signal that eliminates something that people are used to hearing in other high end system. It is also true that some people might like the devialet system less because of this. However what is clearly not true is that whatever it is that has been lost from the signal is something that more closely reflects fidelty to the original music performance.

 

[Mike]

Mark....on that theme....

 

[Elberoth]

mep - my understanding was that the square wave shape was almost perfect, but the ultrasonic noise you see on the amp's output, interfered with the AP analyser.

Inserting the AP filter removed the noise, but also distorted the square wave.

 

[mep]

mep - my understanding was that the square wave shape was almost perfect, but the ultrasonic noise you see on the amp's output, interfered with the AP analyser.

Inserting the AP filter removed the noise, but also distorted the square wave.

JA doesn't blame the crappy looking 10kHz square wave on the AP low pass filter.

 

[Elberoth]

He didn't have to. It is obvious. Just compare the square wave of any NOS DAC to a filtered one. Filtering always distorts the shape of a square wave.

 

[mep]

He didn't have to. It is obvious. Just compare the square wave of any NOS DAC to a filtered one. Filtering always distorts the shape of a square wave.

It would have been nice if he showed a picture of the 10kHz square wave with and without the filter, but he didn't. He showed a 1kHz square wave without the filter and the 10kHz square wave with the filter.

 

[mauidan]

Let's ask it another way: for $9500 minus speakers and speaker cables, what could we buy that sounds better?

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If you don't need a lot of power, this might be the ticket:

Red Wine Audio ? battery powered purist hi-fi

You vinyl guys should love this feature:

Remote Cartridge Loading (RCL) - Vinnie Rossi Audio

 

[still-one]

Let's ask it another way: for $9500 minus speakers and speaker cables, what could we buy that sounds better?

I once thought the same way, but hell, I gave up trying to put together a system for less or the same that would sound better. I couldn't come close.


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Mike
The unit I listened to was quoted at around $30k not $9500 so that puts it up there in price with some pretty nice gear. I wasn't even thinking about whether or not this was not a "normal" A/B amp, that is a non-issue for me. As a SS amp it either delivers or it doesn't. It just didn't have the body of the Soulution integrated it wasn't compared to on that day. I was even considering comparing it to my gear. As I noted earlier if they have a product at around $10k that sounds close to the 800 then for me that would be a viable option for a second system in my home office.

 

[Mike]

Mike
The unit I listened to was quoted at around $30k not $9500 so that puts it up there in price with some pretty nice gear. I wasn't even thinking about whether or not this was not a "normal" A/B amp, that is a non-issue for me. As a SS amp it either delivers or it doesn't. It just didn't have the body of the Soulution integrated it was compared to on that day. I was even considering comparing it to my gear. As I noted earlier if they have a product at around $10k that sounds close to the 800 then for me that would be a viable option for a second system in my home office.

It's called the Devialet 200 - $9495 (or Devialet 400 - $17,495 if you want to splurge for the monos). If you want something a little less powerful, the Devialet 120 is $6495.

The Soulution integrated costs $55,000 +++ - that's a delta of $25,000+. It also has no DAC and is as big as a freaking house. It also has a lot less power - 125W/ch compared to 800 w/ch.

When the Devialet fights in its own weight class, its very very good and tough to beat.

 

[wisnon]

Lemme take a Stab.

Job Monobloc 250 =$3.5K a pair
Auralic Aries = $1.6K
Job Pre2 +1.7K
Chord 2Qute/ Lampi Amber/BMC Pure Dac/Auralic vega=$1.8K to $3.2K

Total = $8.6K to $10K

I dunno, Devialet wins on style/design points, but raw SQ, I think this equipment stack wins and with more grunt delivery too.

 

[Mike]

Lemme take a Stab.

Job Monobloc 250 =$3.5K a pair
Auralic Aries = $1.6K
Job Pre2 +1.7K
Chord 2Qute/ Lampi Amber/BMC Pure Dac/Auralic vega=$1.8K to $3.2K

Total = $8.6K to $10K

I dunno, Devialet wins on style/design points, but raw SQ, I think this equipment stack wins and with more grunt delivery too.

Where's the fully adjustable MC/MM Phonostage, with any load (not just a choice of 5) and adjustable RIAA curves? And from my tests, it's easily a $5-10k Phonostage sonically.

And don't forget all the cabling for your system above.

Trust me Norman, I've tried hard to do it.

 

[wisnon]

iPhono for $400 (punches well above it weight and purely in the analog domain) and lets just use Sweetcords/Triode wire and Signal/ Blue Jeans cabling...remember in my base system, I still have $1400 to play with. So I say that $1000 is more than enough for acceptable looming.

How am I doin'?

PS, these Goldmund knockoff cables look interesting and reasonably priced:

http://www.nagysaudio.com/products.html

 

[Mike]

iPhono for $400 (punches well above it weight and purely in the analog domain) and lets just use Sweetcords/Triode wire and Signal/ Blue Jeans cabling...remember in my base system, I still have $1400 to play with. So I say that $1000 is more than enough for acceptable looming.

How am I doin'?

PS, these Goldmund knockoff cables look interesting and reasonably priced:

http://www.nagysaudio.com/products.html

I think you're close, but over.

Devialet 200 is $9495.