08-Aug-2016, 17:40
Thought long and hard about buying the new Pros, or even the D800, but ultimately decided the price/performance ratio of the D400 was the most compelling. Got a very good price for a brand new pair with full warranty. It would cost more than 2x to get the new 440 Pro, not to mention the 1000 Pro (which would be 3x more). The law of diminishing returns kicks in. Yes, the new units are possibly better, but they are cut from the same cloth, and are likely to share a very similar sound.
I think this might be a rare opportunity when Devialet units are actually affordable because of dealer discounts due to the model change. As far as I can see, Devialet prices are only going up, and once the current models are sold out, one would have to wait a while for the next model change over to get similar deals (if you want to buy new from a dealer with full warranty).
Now, why the D400, not the D800? Here's an interesting comparison. Right now I have in my listening room a pair of original Quad ESL 57s, driven by a small pair of Quad II mono blocks (which produce 15 watts/channel in class A mode). It's remarkable how powerful 15 (tube) watts can sound. I play all kinds of music, from highly demanding symphonic music (Mahler and Bruckner), rock and roll (Jethro Tull) and choral/chamber music. In a recent session, I measured peak loudness at my listening chair at 90 dB for an orchestral piece (the speakers are 12 feet away, so SPL at the speaker was probably hitting 100 dB). All that with just 15 watts! As Peter Walker (the "Quad" father) once said, he didn't see why anyone would need more power than 15-20 watts.
So, based on my listening session with Dusty's D400, I saw it had plenty of oomph to drive my B&W 800Ds in my basement home theater. I think the extra power of the 800s would largely be wasted, and not worth paying the extra 2x for. That's my rationale, in a nutshell.
Will let you know once I receive my new toys! Have to wait till next week for them to get shipped to me...
I think this might be a rare opportunity when Devialet units are actually affordable because of dealer discounts due to the model change. As far as I can see, Devialet prices are only going up, and once the current models are sold out, one would have to wait a while for the next model change over to get similar deals (if you want to buy new from a dealer with full warranty).
Now, why the D400, not the D800? Here's an interesting comparison. Right now I have in my listening room a pair of original Quad ESL 57s, driven by a small pair of Quad II mono blocks (which produce 15 watts/channel in class A mode). It's remarkable how powerful 15 (tube) watts can sound. I play all kinds of music, from highly demanding symphonic music (Mahler and Bruckner), rock and roll (Jethro Tull) and choral/chamber music. In a recent session, I measured peak loudness at my listening chair at 90 dB for an orchestral piece (the speakers are 12 feet away, so SPL at the speaker was probably hitting 100 dB). All that with just 15 watts! As Peter Walker (the "Quad" father) once said, he didn't see why anyone would need more power than 15-20 watts.
So, based on my listening session with Dusty's D400, I saw it had plenty of oomph to drive my B&W 800Ds in my basement home theater. I think the extra power of the 800s would largely be wasted, and not worth paying the extra 2x for. That's my rationale, in a nutshell.
Will let you know once I receive my new toys! Have to wait till next week for them to get shipped to me...
