Devialet OdA / D1000 pro battle – V5 vs V6

[Mka]

  Devialet V5 vs V6 v.01.pdf (Size: 222.04 KB / Downloads: 170,628) -> some first Updates final Version till Friday

Devialet OdA / D1000 pro battle – V5 vs V6
 
What was originally planned as a casual listening session had become a major event on Saturday and so we started at 8. AM with a tradional Bavarian Weisswurst breakfast to discuss our playlist for the day.
The group finally consisted of 4 +1 participants.
Dieter                 – Head sound recording engineer for the Bavarian broadcasting station
Andreas             – Studied classical musician and composer for film music
Hans                  – Owner of a D250 an some marvelous Magico S5 Mark II
Markus (myself) – liking all sorts of audio equipment and contributing with red wine and vinyl to this test.
Jennifer              – sound recording student, intern – Doing the switching behind the curtain and collecting the notes.

We ended up with defining 60 test tracks from gregorianic chants, via all sorts of Jazz to contemporary classical music.
 
Test setup:
Jriver 22.034 as source (Linear Power Source, SSD based, all playlist files on local SSD)
Both OdA + D 1000 pro connected via USB
Interconnect and power cables – using the supplied ones from devialet.
Sonus Faber Amati Futura (morning)
Magico V2 (afternoon)
Power leveling done with a bayer dynamic measurement microphone.
Initial finding 1– V6 platform is less sensitive to power source
 
Although I have a separate line from the fuse box to my listening I am used to disconnect my roof top solar panels if I want to do some serious listening during the day. It really had some negative effect on my OdA as well on any equipment I I tried over the last years. By accident I forgot to disconnect them (don´t tell my wife that I do this anyway) during the pre setup session on Friday and while I could clearly hear this on the OdA it had no audible effect on the D1000pro.
Initial finding 2 – level differences
 
Both on the Sonus Faber as well as on the Magico speakers we measured that the V6 platform is clearly produces a loader output with the same volume setting. Important to measure these and correct this upfront for our A/B blind tests.
Conclusion
 
Don´t worry I will go into more details on individual listening expiriences including the methodology later this week as soon as my day job will permit. Here s sneak previe on the results (10 is best):
 
Sound definition:             OdA               D1000pro


High frequency                   7.5                      8,2
Mids                                    7                         7.1
Bass                                    8.2                      9



 
Both setup were almost similar convincing wtith the V6 platform being more convincing with extremely complex music (Large classical choir performances). We agreed that V6 is slightly more balanced.
 
Live Character / Emotions                    OdA                   D1000pro


Classical                                                    6                           7,5
Jazz                                                           8                           7.8
Other                                                         7                            8,5



 
Slight advantage for V6 especially for large stages, many instruments or involving complex recording setups, however V5 on par or better with “Jazz club” atmosphere like settings and low female voices.
(more details later, we will have a webex on Wednesday to discuss these, a lot of notes need to be consolidated)
 
Interestingly enough V6 seems to be better on low volumes with enhanced microdynamics. Especially in the late evening when we heard vinyl just for fun in a background music like setting, the V6 was producing more emotions and music. The phono input sounded a bit more natural (but this was not on A/B test verified just casual listening)
 
Was the upgrade worthwhile for me ?
 
Even though we could not directly compare to the D800, It´s even from the OdA not a subtile but clearly audible positive evolution. As the OdA is already a phantastic amplifier sounding marvelous it is not rendering the old platform obsolete but it am positively surprised about the development.