Ethernet Switch on Devialet

[jbp]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t all the inputs on the Expert Pro routed through the CI board? The USB interface certainly is.

https://www.devialet.com/en-gb/amplifier...-infinity/

Quote:

“- An improved USB interface tailored to accommodate future audio formats.”

It would be interesting to know if all inputs go through the CI board.
But the improvements I got when going from usb to reclocked AES were big.

I ordered a mercury v2 from pi2design to substitute my low power computer streamer. Hope it arrives until the end of 2022. I will do some experiments with it since is has outputs: optical, aes, usb, etc. I will try it with and without the denafrips gaia.

[CongoFather]

I ordered a mercury v2 from pi2design to substitute my low power computer streamer. Hope it arrives until the end of 2022. I will do some experiments with it since is has outputs: optical, aes, usb, etc. I will try it with and without the denafrips gaia.

A very good, low cost/high performance solution especially for I2S/SPDIF/BNC/AES digital outputs(It is not preferred for USB)
Mercury AES output would be a better/ideal match for Devialet. If you are an advanced user and have some basic scripting experience, go with Gentooplayer by using customized RealTime kernels instead of VolumIO. But if you are not an advanced user, you'll find VolumIO much easier to use. 

Test result of Mercury Streamer(v1)
https://goldensound.audio/2022/06/03/pi2...surements/

Test results of much more expensive DDC solutions;
Denafrips Gaia
https://goldensound.audio/2021/10/04/den...sync-test/
Audio-gd Di20he
https://goldensound.audio/2021/07/22/aud...surements/
Singxer SU6
https://goldensound.audio/2021/08/01/sin...surements/

[disarmamant]

But the improvements I got when going from usb to reclocked AES were big.

Can you quantify what you describe as big improvements?

Big improvements suggests that there is something wrong with the Devialet USB input in its stock form.

[jbp]

But the improvements I got when going from usb to reclocked AES were big.

Can you quantify what you describe as big improvements?

Big improvements suggests that there is something wrong with the Devialet USB input in its stock form.

Hi,
More detailed and relaxed. Also deeper, layered soundstage. More body. Something else hard to describe: more round, full, less "edgy".

The reclocker I am using (denafrips gaia) also brings clean power to the signal path.

I had the same kind of improvements when I added a linear psu to the computer streamer. With the reclocker the improvements are much more noticeable.

I wonder what would be the effect of a usb reclocker like innuos phoenix or similar. Maybe it would have similar effect as a reclocker that outputs aes ...

[zdenes]

I agree with all the above (re. external sources). I was able to borrow a Devialet 250 Pro with a streamer board and compare it to my D 250 expert with external streaming through AES/EBU using SOtM SMS-200 ultra and the Mutec MC3+ USB at the time which is now replaced by the Denafrips Gaia. As a result, I didn't upgrade to the pro but got a second D 250 to make it D800.  It's a shame that when Devialet decided to build to the streaming board, they didn't opt for an OCXO clock.
I use an Etherregen switch (clocked externally) and it improved the sound quality with the SOtM streamer too.

[Vivialet]

the last Expert upgrade to pro CI was a step up in SQ. Initially I only got the pro update without the CI board (it was not ready at that time) and SQ was clearly better.
After adding the CI board SQ was even better due to a better clock on the CI board which also replaces the old system clock of the amp. So the CI board also improves the SQ of all other inputs.
What lacks SQ wise is the software implementation on the CI board I guess. Only if you connect via ethernet/Wifi (AIR or RAAT) you cannot reach the possible SQ of the amp.
USB or SPDIF/AES is much better, using the Zen Stream there is no big difference between USB and SPDIF.
Maybe that also an active CI board is reducing the SQ due to it's own power requirements, who knows. If you use AES or USB the CI board is in a sleeping mode I think.

[zoran_pavlovic]

the last Expert upgrade to pro CI was a step up in SQ. Initially I only got the pro update without the CI board (it was not ready at that time) and SQ was clearly better.
After adding the CI board SQ was even better due to a better clock on the CI board which also replaces the old system clock of the amp. So the CI board also improves the SQ of all other inputs.
What lacks SQ wise is the software implementation on the CI board I guess. Only if you connect via ethernet/Wifi (AIR or RAAT) you cannot reach the possible SQ of the amp.
USB or SPDIF/AES is much better, using the Zen Stream there is no big difference between USB and SPDIF.
Maybe that also an active CI board is reducing the SQ due to it's own power requirements, who knows. If you use AES or USB the CI board is in a sleeping mode I think.

It will be great if someone from @devialetstore   Devialet’s tech support can clarify it.

[Delija]

Hi jbp,
so we went a similar route. After I noticed that the ifi Zen has a much better quality than CI with optimized ethernet I bought an Audio GD DI 20 HE which is connected to the Devialet via AES. There is no big difference between PC->USB -> Audio-GD and PC ->ifi Zen -> USB-> Audio-GD.

When you say "CI" - are you talking about Roon, UPnP/DLNA or both?

The same question is also for the others.

[chrisc]

A linear power supply (15 volts 4 amps) from Ali Express for US$95.00 used with a Lindemann Limetree bridge made a worthwhile difference. The mid-range was noticeably better and less constrained. Some female voices were slightly shrill

Lindemann mention that their plug-in PSU is a "hospital grade" unit. Maybe so, but it is still a switched mode PSU

I had earlier replaced the 19 volt 3 amp PSU with a ASUS gigabit router. Our fibre services was upgraded from 100 mbps to 200 mbps. It made no difference to the sound quality from Tidal but the PSU was quieter. Not much but if you put the original one back, it was perhaps grainier. Likewise I built a 5 volt PSU for the switch using an L7809CV linear voltage regulator since the switch only needs 2 watts