Expert 140 What’s Hifi

[Stino]

A final note to @Pim - Get it sent off!!!  The 1000Pro is epic.

I finally received a UPS label today (I think it's been a month or so ago that I sent the first email asking for them) So I'll go ahead then. Still got to find out why I only got 1 label for two boxes...

You also have the option to have them send you an empty box for shipment. I guess it is sufficiently large to hold both of your units. For the 440 it was the case at least.

[K4680]

Hi, I have long stopped believing what they are writing! Listen for yourself, and form your own opinion!

https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/deviale...rt-140-pro

[Pim]

A final note to @Pim - Get it sent off!!!  The 1000Pro is epic.

I finally received a UPS label today (I think it's been a month or so ago that I sent the first email asking for them) So I'll go ahead then. Still got to find out why I only got 1 label for two boxes...

You also have the option to have them send you an empty box for shipment. I guess it is sufficiently large to hold both of your units. For the 440 it was the case at least.

I've had the boxes here since last year. I just didn't feel like 'upgrading' to something that doesn't work. Now the CI board seems to work ok, I'm taking the plunge.

[moreno1973]

Quote:

"Yet, we’re left wanting more. We’re convinced that older generations of this design sounded better, while acknowledging the differences in price."

Since my Od'A is still sitting here waiting to be upgraded; any thoughts?

Stay clalm and be happy with Od'A. :-)

Invest in best power cables and best audio isolators.

http://www.analogueseduction.net/stillpo...-of-4.html

[ogs]

I am starting to wonder if WhatHifi is on to something. Lately I've noticed that I listen less to my system than I used to. I sat down to do some serious listening on Saturday and I had a feeling things sounded lean, not thin or bright, but somewhat lean... for the first time I used the parametric EQ in Roon to pull down the upper midrange a little as it felt too prominent. -0,3 dB at 3000 Hz with a Q of 0,5. This has not been necessary earlier, but I skipped the 8.x versions of the Expert firmware because these also sounded a bit lean to me. v10.1.0 has a very nice tonal balance, but I can no longer use the 'old' versions as I have the CI. Has anyone else noticed this with 13.0.0/2.2.2?

[disarmamant]

Has anyone else noticed this with 13.0.0/2.2.2?

No, sounds just as good as it did before the WHF review.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[tacobellbiker]

I am starting to wonder if WhatHifi is on to something. Lately I've noticed that I listen less to my system than I used to. I sat down to do some serious listening on Saturday and I had a feeling things sounded lean, not thin or bright, but somewhat lean... for the first time I used the parametric EQ in Roon to pull down the upper midrange a little as it felt too prominent. -0,3 dB at 3000 Hz with a Q of 0,5. This has not been necessary earlier, but I skipped the 8.x versions of the Expert firmware because these also sounded a bit lean to me. v10.1.0 has a very nice tonal balance, but I can no longer use the 'old' versions as I have the CI. Has anyone else noticed this with 13.0.0/2.2.2?

Has your background noise level changed?

And two quick thoughts, ignore if not applicable:

From Jim Smith's Get Better Sound book: He recommends trying a very small boost in the region between 190hz - 380hz, centered around 256hz, perhaps of 0.2 or 0.3db or so, for when you get that "lean" feeling.

From that same book, move your speakers 1 or 2 cm closer together to add "meat" to the sound.

[ogs]

The only change is that Roon has upgraded itself a few times during the last months. Also RAAT on my microRendu was upgraded recently. Otherwise everything else has been unchanged for a long time. The last major event was the CI install in February this year. It may be the last Roon changes...

[Pidgy]

That’s odd that people are recommending such small amounts of EQ like 0.2dB. Just moving your head slightly will change the balance more than that amount.

It could be, for example, that you’d been in a car just before listening. That tends to reduce sensitivity to lower frequencies or that there’d been a change in room decor. Or your mood on that day. Almost anything like this would make more than 0.3dB difference, which is an extremely small amount in itself.

[RebelMan]

Not a good review for Devialet I would say. (maybe they have not been placing enough adverts recently?)  I would describe it as damning with faint praise.  It is a slightly curious review also, they seam to be comparing it to the memory of the old D-premier, rather than the 110 that they reviewed a while ago.  Plus, the review of the 110 was far more favorable, it is worth a read I think for comparison:

https://www.whathifi.com/devialet/110/review

So is the 140Pro a clear step back from the D110?  This is what the What Hi Fi reviews seam to be saying, assuming they are being consistent.  I have never done a comparison of the D110 to the 140Pro, so cannot comment from experience.  Has anyone done this as a direct comparison?

Picking up on @Drifter 's point, personally I think the ATC SCM50's are actually quite a lean sounding speaker, so maybe not the best synergy with a neutral sounding Devialet, although the mid range performance of the ATC's is exceptional I think, so that should shine through with a Pro.  It is a shame that WHF's "reference" speaker is not on the SAM list, they might have got a better result with the SCM40's?

But is has to be said, not a good review for Devialet.  I am sure that there are some folk out there that take WHF reviews seriously that would be put off by this review.

A final note to @Pim - Get it sent off!!!  The 1000Pro is epic.

I concur, it isn't a very flattering review of the Pro series.  Unfortunately, I am one of those "What HiFi" readers that takes some stock in what they have to say only because my personal experience has aligned with some of their reports.  When the Expert series was called out for "losing some magic at low volumes" I noticed this with the 200 I was evaluating at the time.  Mind you I came across that report after my audition.  As I tend to listen at lower volumes I had valid concerns about this.  

SAM was not out at the time so I took a leap of faith that it would help in this area when I purchased the 120.  I was willing to place bets on the 120 before sampling SAM only because it ticked all the other boxes for me.  I was not disappointed although the B&W Diamonds I was driving with it I believe exacerbated the problem a bit.  I suspect as @Confused noted that the speakers used in this review maybe partially to blame.  However, a growing consensus among publishers in support of the conclusions made in this review have me wondering.