Devialet Reviews

[Confused]

I agree that this is quite off-topic but nevertheless an important discussion. I have also not found a suitable thread anywhere on this forum to post this topic, so here we go:

There is of course the matter of taste and preference when it comes to music and how music should sound when reproduced using an amplifier, speakers etc. This is something I think we all can agree upon.

However, the notion that because it is impossible to reproduce a sound and make it sound a 100 % natural it should be left to individual preference only is not entirely correct.

I can for instance record a single violin string being struck once and then through repeated improvements of the technical gear try to reproduce that sound as acuratelly as possible via an amplifier and speakers. The best reference for this would be to strike that same violin string again and compare it to the reproduced sound that is created electrically by the the amplifier and speakers.

The problem is that a lot of audiophiles spend a lot more time comparing reproduced sound than experiencing live music and/or instruments. This tends to lead to us comparing different amplifiers, speakers etc. instead of comparing the electrically reproduced sound with the original sound, i.e. with the musical instrument that originally created the real sound and not how it sounded on different gear.

Taste is subjected to change through experience (just think of coffee for instance and learning to like it) and if our experience of real sound is limited, then it can probably lead to some less qualified choices.

Naturally reproduced sound is what I think should define true high-end audio.

So, in your experiences (not merely taste) does Devialet reproduce sound naturally or not in your view?

In my experience, yes.  Although my experience like that of many others has to be a little subjective, but I do have a lot of experience listening to live bands, and also in my younger days working with bands, organising gigs, setting up kit for gigs, working with PA systems, and so on.  There is a pub I visit form time to time that features live bands.  It is about the right size to have a band where the singer & guitarists are amplified, but the drum kit not, so remains truly 'real' in your terms.  As to say reproducing the sound of a kick-drum at home via a Devialet, I would say that a Devialet D800 can do this with ease, however, the biggest issue will be finding speakers that can do this.  Speakers are far more of a limitation than Devialet amplifiers I think in terms of achieving the 'experience of real sound'.  Having said all that, I reckon the best person to answer this question is not me, but fellow poster F1eng.  Here is a man that uses Deviaet and makes his own recordings.  OK, he can speak for himself, but he has posted previously regarding how transparent Devialet amplifiers are, based on experience of comparing his own recordings to what he has heard for real.  He is also someone who owns and therefore has good experience of Goldmund amps, amongst other things.  For me, I would certainly categorise Goldmund as 'high-end'.  (AKA b###### expensive)