Firmware 8.0

[Sylvain27]

Hello, Saint0. Jeff Fritz, Editor of Soundstage.com, once evaluated the expert line (of course not V8.0.0) and said it was dead silent even in his sound-treated listening room. So what comes the problem of the low frequency heart-beat-like rumble and the sudden outburst of very loud noise we heard? Electrical interference from our home electricity network? The later firmware? Or any other factors? Saint0 did you plug the Expert line direct to wall socket or use a power conditioner?

I'm pretty sure power is clean. D250 is connected to PS Audio P5 with Shunyata Z-PC10 power cord, and the P5 goes to MIT 20A in-wall conditioner/surge protector. I'm surprised to hear the low frequency rumble & beating noise, as well as the glitches with SAM 2.0; both happened after the V8.0 update. Unit was clean and dead silent running V7 prior to the update.

I've contacted Devialet, they're supposedly looking into it. This is the first time I had problems with their F/W update.

I'd like to add that V8.0 is running OK under "nominal conditions" playing music at -33dB to -20dB. The operating temperature is 4 to 5'C lower than V7.1.1.

However, SAM has minimal effect on my Focal Scala V1. Sound stage opens up a bit with SAM, but not much changes in the bass. SAM 2.0 is even more subtle than 1.0, not sure if it's worth the trouble. I don't noticed much difference changing the SAM % either. I'm wondering if other Scala V1 users have the same experience?

Hello, I have older Focal Utopia speakers, a pair of Diva. Devialet borrowed my own pair to be SAMed, so I hope the correction is the right one!    I have a similar experience, SAM does not change completely the bass, and I think it's because we have speakers with already a good bass response without SAM. However if you look at the boomers while playing double bass for instance, SAM correction can be seen immediately at times, movements of the speakers' membrane have a much larger amplitude with SAM.
  Best regards,
Sylvain 

Thanks for the feedback Sylvian.

I've seen video's of other SAM'd speakers, like the B&W 802D, on YouTube. It looks like some kind of subsonic vibrations with SAM. Deviate's site claims 10mm excursion for the Scala V1 with SAM, (I thought it used to be 17mm with SAM 1.0 ??). I was hoping to see some visible evidence of SAM in action, but my Scala's woofers don't seem to move in & out with SAM like the others. I've tried it with Subsonic Filter On & Off, but I've not noticed any major visible difference in the woofer's behavior with or without SAM. I usually set the volume at -33dB to -20dB max, may be I'm not playing them loud enough?

  Well, I am quite surprised. On the video, the tune played is track 4 of this album http://www.qobuz.com/fr-fr/album/jacques...qref=dac_7 (Gavotte in D major). I just tried at -20 dB the beginning of the track, SAM ON/OFF is obvious, the woofers move much more with SAM ON (100%) and if I reduce SAM %, movements of the woofer are smaller (subsonic filter OFF, I did no try with ON). I know that there is a big woofer on the Scala and 2 smaller woofers on the Diva, but B&W 802D has a big woofer too. I remember that someone who have a pair of Focal Diablo (one of the first speaker SAMed by Devialet) noticed these big movements too. What source are you using?

[Vivialet]

if the lowest bass frequency is moved down it is to expect that you get larger bass excursions. With test tones I can also hear the limiter on my Giya G2, but with music it is normally not noticable. And with SAM on it sounds better in my system. I have turned DPM off as I like the sound more. Maybe those who complain about 8 have it enabled which is the default.
I think with DPM off it is about the same SQ as with 7.1.3 beta.

[hk6230]

wouldnt adjusting the max wattage simply mean your speakers cant go as loud?

instead of 100 points of volume control between 0 and 200 watts you would now have 100 points of volume control between 0 and 60 watts which is why it sounds softer and you need to raise the volume higher.

With electrical principals there is no reason why current would go higher with a decreased max wattage. i think the dealer just doesnt know any basic formulas.

The control of max wattage would basically be so if you have a speaker with an RMS of 280 watts on a Devialet 400 you cant turn up the volume higher than the speaker can handle and blow it up.

Yeah, you're probably right. I'm not very good with electrical principals, too. In fact, very poor in physics.

[completeluxury]

wouldnt adjusting the max wattage simply mean your speakers cant go as loud?

instead of 100 points of volume control between 0 and 200 watts you would now have 100 points of volume control between 0 and 60 watts which is why it sounds softer and you need to raise the volume higher.

With electrical principals there is no reason why current would go higher with a decreased max wattage. i think the dealer just doesnt know any basic formulas.

The control of max wattage would basically be so if you have a speaker with an RMS of 280 watts on a Devialet 400 you cant turn up the volume higher than the speaker can handle and blow it up.

Yeah, you're probably right. I'm not very good with electrical principals, too. In fact, very poor in physics.

trust me im right there with you when it comes to general physics.

but my basic electrical principles.. well if i didnt know the Power triangle id be a very bad electrician

[Hifi_swlon]

if the lowest bass frequency is moved down it is to expect that you get larger bass excursions. With test tones I can also hear the limiter on my Giya G2, but with music it is normally not noticable. And with SAM on it sounds better in my system. I have turned DPM off as I like the sound more. Maybe those who complain about 8 have it enabled which is the default.
I think with DPM off it is about the same SQ as with 7.1.3 beta.

Interesting. I left DPM on - mainly because I didn't know it existed - but turned subsonic off. I might try again at the weekend with it turned off.

[Deviant]

Hi, Just rolled back to 7.1.1 via 7.1.3 - an instant improvement!! 8.0 to me sounds like an old CD player from the 80's Bright / Harsh / Digital! 7.1.1 Smooth / Warm / Class A. The new features don't justify the degradation in sound. Just my 2d worth.

[Hifi_swlon]

Hi, Just rolled back to 7.1.1 via 7.1.3 - an instant improvement!! 8.0 to me sounds like an old CD player from the 80's Bright / Harsh / Digital! 7.1.1 Smooth / Warm / Class A. The new features don't justify the degradation in sound. Just my 2d worth.

Deviant, did you try v8 with DPM ON (default) or OFF? If ON then we both have very preference in firmware, yet totally different kit (except the D200).
Is your room in any way bright or on the brighter side? I only ask as mine is, and I wonder how much this plays a part. Of course, it could be purely the firmware but I was just curious.

Hopefully you have some saved configs for v 7.1.1…. I'm going to email Devialet support and ask about the backwards compatibility as it really worries me, it kind of reduces my amps configurability to zero at this point.

[GuillaumeB]

More critical listening... I am now sure I prefer DPM off.

8.0 is very similar to 7.1.3, overall it's a big improvement on 7.1.1 in my setup.

I still think I prefer 7.1.3 but I can easily live with 8.0

Once again I'm finding DSD sounds especially good but I need to get my hands on a bit more material, shame it's so expensive... go figure!

Given that MAT converts DSD to 40bit/384kHZ PCM, surely DXD can't be too far away? 

Guillaume

[Vivialet]

Hey Guillaume,
at least we both share the same opinion about 8.0 and DPM. I can also live with it if DPM is off. I bought one DSD from highresaudio (David Munyon) and it really sound good. Bad thing is that I always have to reconfigure jRiver as I normally use AIR and for DSD I need to switch to USB...
Need to check if AIR is still better than USB with 8.0.

[Deviant]

Hifi_swlon, yes tried with and without DPM. Room is not bright carpeted / large sofas / curtains thows etc. The wilson Benesch speakers are very fast and revealing - if a source is bright and harsh they will reveal it! - one of the reasons I've been looking at changing them for some time, - the devialet was their saviour.

Hi, Just rolled back to 7.1.1 via 7.1.3 - an instant improvement!! 8.0 to me sounds like an old CD player from the 80's Bright / Harsh / Digital! 7.1.1 Smooth / Warm / Class A. The new features don't justify the degradation in sound. Just my 2d worth.

Deviant, did you try v8 with DPM ON (default) or OFF?  If ON then we both have very preference in firmware, yet totally different kit (except the D200).
Is your room in any way bright or on the brighter side?  I only ask as mine is, and I wonder how much this plays a part.  Of course, it could be purely the firmware but I was just curious.

Hopefully you have some saved configs for v 7.1.1….  I'm going to email Devialet support and ask about the backwards compatibility as it really worries me, it kind of reduces my amps configurability to zero at this point.