Devialet 400 review by Soundstage Magazine

The Devialet is everything us audiophiles don't want and everything a true music lover and his wife wants.

It is a game changing, great sounding and super high value product whether we like it or not!
 
Well said Mark. The Devialet is the product some audiophiles seem to love to hate and I don't understand why. Yes, yes, all the "it's the greatest" by Jeff Fritz ignites the ire of many audiophiles, but when you stop and look at the Devialet for what it is, what it costs, what it does and most importantly, how it sounds, it is a real breakthrough. It's a product that not only sounds unique because of it's patented ADH technology, but there is nothing like it on the market for anywhere near the price.

Yes, I've said before, it's meant to be the system and not just a part of a system because the analog inputs are not as good as the digital inputs - with the exception of the incredible phonostage, to which this reviewer had this to say:

"No need for a Phono Stage. Over the past 20 years I have tried or owned so many Phono Stages and was never 100% happy with ANY of them. I have tested $100 units and $6000 units. All were lacking in some way. The Devialet has a very special Phono Stage built in that takes your analog signal and converts it to digital but the results is the best I have heard Vinyl sound in my home in 20 years. My search for a superb Phono Stage is over. I sold my existing one for $1400. It works with ANY type of cartridge. ANY."
 
Mike said:
I think you're close, but over. :)

Devialet 200 is $9495.
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Yeah, but I am 250wpc for $500 more. LoL

My alternative setup is badass, but of course pales in comparison wrt interior design.

Devialet is "tres design"!
 
wisnon said:
Yeah, but I am 250wpc for $500 more. LoL

My alternative setup is badass, but of course pales in compoarison wrt interior design.

Devialet is "tres design"!
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And when you talk a out all those components, you also need to take into account the hassle of dealing with multiple manufacturers for potential warranty issues.

And most importantly, none of those other products are upgradable. The Devialet just keeps adding power, features and functionality and it's all free to the users.

But you did well....;)
 
still-one said:
My local dealer called me in to hear their 800's after they came back in from an audition at one of their customers. They did not use SAM with the Magico's that day during my audition but we did try the unit(s) with both the digital connected directly to the unit and from the analog out of their MSB Dac. They sound was pretty good especially when you consider what you save on power cords and interconnects let alone the pricing of a separate DAC and pre-amp. That said based on MY audition the 800 is not yet capable of competing with many of the better separate set-ups available today. On that day the comparison was the Soulution integrated. If I was to consider a second 2-channel set-up Devialet would be considered.
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So Jim did you like the soulution integrated are the Devialet better or was it a wash. My local dealer just picked up their line. Unfortunately, Devialet doesn't have the TAD Reference one's on their SAM's list.
 
johnthomas said:
So Jim did you like the soulution integrated are the Devialet better or was it a wash. My local dealer just picked up their line. Unfortunately, Devialet doesn't have the TAD Reference one's on their SAM's list.
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I preferred the sound of the Soulution integrated to the Devialet 800. There was more meat and musicality to it. It must be remembered that SAM was not used that day. i'm not sure what the impact might it would have had paired withe with the Magico's.

As Mike and others have noted Devialet offers several different versions all the way from ~$7k up to the ~$30k version I auditioned. With the built in DAC and phono stage the savings continue.

Some reviews I have read put the Devialet right up there with the best product they have heard at any price. Although it is a fine piece it wouldn't find a place in my main rig, too many other (more costly) options.
 
Thanks Jim

My dealer will be dropping a D200 this week for me to play with. He thinks it awesome.
 
still-one said:
I preferred the sound of the Soulution integrated to the Devialet 800. There was more meat and musicality to it. It must be remembered that SAM was not used that day. i'm not sure what the impact might it would have had paired withe with the Magico's.

As Mike and others have noted Devialet offers several different versions all the way from ~$7k up to the ~$30k version I auditioned. With the built in DAC and phono stage the savings continue.

Some reviews I have read put the Devialet right up there with the best product they have heard at any price. Although it is a fine piece it wouldn't find a place in my main rig, too many other (more costly) options.
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magico S1
magico S3
magico S5
magico Q1
magico Q3
 
Those graphs are certainly intriguing. The S1 looks both more accurate and extended than the S3 for example.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
jaxwired said:
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.
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Well, considering amps that use lots of negative feedback show a plethora of higher harmonic distortion, despite low THD- Meps point makes sense to me.
 
Mike said:
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.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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For SS, I'd buy the Ayre AX-5. I'm sure I can find a good, cheap used DAC to go with it. As for analog, I wouldn't want to change analog signals to digital anyways.
 
nile49 said:
Those graphs are certainly intriguing. The S1 looks both more accurate and extended than the S3 for example.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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The SAM can be adjusted from 0 to 100%, and the Devialets also have fully adjustable tone controls.
 
KeithR said:
For SS, I'd buy the Ayre AX-5. I'm sure I can find a good, cheap used DAC to go with it. As for analog, I wouldn't want to change analog signals to digital anyways.
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Have you heard any of the Devialets in your system?
 
KeithR said:
For SS, I'd buy the Ayre AX-5. I'm sure I can find a good, cheap used DAC to go with it. As for analog, I wouldn't want to change analog signals to digital anyways.
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In principal, I agree. In reality, the Devialet Phonostage is outstanding. IMHO, sonically as good as many $10k standalone phonostages and more configurable than most.

As for the ax-5, again, you need a good DAC, cables, phonostage, etc. and none of that can do the things the Devialet can.
 
Mike said:
In principal, I agree. In reality, the Devialet Phonostage is outstanding. IMHO, sonically as good as many $10k standalone phonostages and more configurable than most.

As for the ax-5, again, you need a good DAC, cables, phonostage, etc. and none of that can do the things the Devialet can.
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Mike,
I'm looking forward to your comments on the D400 in your system.

I respect everyone opinion, but I really dislike people who feel the need to comment on something they've never heard in their system.

Can anyone direct me to any measurements done on the Zu Definition MKIV?

The measurements I’ve seen of some their other speakers look pretty nasty.
 
mauidan said:
Mike,
I'm looking forward to your comments on the D400 in your system.

I respect everyone opinion, but I really dislike people who feel the need to comment on something they've never heard in their system.

Can anyone direct me to any measurements done on the Zu Definition MKIV?

The measurements I’ve seen of some their other speakers look pretty nasty.
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That seems to be the dominion of another website. I'm on your page. I don't care if you disagree; but at least have heard what is being discussed. No wanna, coulda, shoulda.
 
I've heard the Devialet driving a pair of Giya G2. It was nice, but I wasn't captivated to stick around. Maybe it was the speakers and SAM wasn't do its fixing thing. Maybe I'm a HiFi bigot and I was racially discriminating because tubes rule. Maybe it was the room and the Ruby Rhod company I was with, prancing a fashionably gay pitch to prospective apartment dwellers looking for form.

Would I consider this for an office system? Probably some later generation is the future and I think HiFi will gravitate this way and be driven by lifestyle demand.

Would I want to have a digital phono stage with a choice of AD sampling and RIAA de-emphasis in the digital domain and DAC (reconstitution)? Naaaahhh, but if it created a digital DSD file for me to archive into my digitial collection then I would buy one tomorrow!
 
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