(18-May-2021, 08:17)graemeharrison Wrote: Hi there
I'm new to the forum and I have a ton of questions (the answers to most of which I'm sure that I'll find by searching). My central one however is about sound quality. I currently have a Naim Uniti running into PMC Fact 8's and I'm demoing a used Expert 120. I've long being fascinated by Devialet but I'm having a hard time making my mind up. At the moment when comparing the 120 to the Uniti I hear the following:
PRO's:
Amazing bottom end (especially with SAM)
Good spaciousness and air
CON's
Not as musical
Top end can be harsh
Mid is not as fluid
.... but I've been using Naim for 30 years now so maybe I'm just really used to that sound. I'd really appreciate input from people who are used to both, and especially people who have switched from Naim to Devialet. Thanks, Graeme.
Hi and welcome!
I own an Expert 120 (purchased used in December) and honestly I cannot find the harshness you are referring to.
I am a kind of fan of the Naim sound but I don’t have any experience with the original Uniti.
Anecdote:
I upgraded my system in parallel to a good friend. He has Focal 948, I have the 936. He got a Uniti Nova, I got the Devialet. He’s just upgraded his record player from Rega RP1 with basic MM cart and phono to a P8 with Apheta 3 and Musical Surroundings phono stage; I kept (for now) my old Project RPM1.3 with Sumiko Pearl MM. He told me how the upgrade of his deck made a day and night difference in vinyl playback: when he listened to my vinyl rig, he just said “well, you might hear a modest upgrade if you changed your turntable...”
The point is: the 120 is by no means a bottleneck in terms of clarity, refinement and punch.
My only gripe is that you have to push the volume a tad more than what you’d expect (at least in my setup) to make it sing properly.
I also think that a modern Naim Uniti series device could make anyone happy, but the benefit of the Devialet is for sure in the price (on the second hand market obviously)
