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Devialet vs or with Chord Hugo...
#1
Hi there,

I'm currently a Naim SuperUniti owner and thinking of jumping ship to Devialet. The system looks incredible, it appeals to the geek in me, love the upgrades through software etc etc... however, and annoyingly so, I had a chance to borrow a Chord Hugo a few weekends back through both my SuperUniti and a Naim SuperNait and was blown away with the sound quality. Transparency, separation, sound-stage etc etc... all the things that Devialet owners seem to bang on about (and rightly so, I've also auditioned a Devialet 120 and 200). One thing that scares me a touch about the Devialet is that it's based on quite an old DAC chip and this, I believe, won't be upgradable.

So I'm currently in two minds:

1. Go for a Devialet (will be via USB from MacMini running JRiver MC)
2. Go for a SuperNait 2 or other Integrated amp with Chord Hugo via USB (MacMini running JRiver MC)

Thus looking for (probably rather biased perhaps) opinions of anyone who's heard similar / the same setups.

Another option (albeit a little more expensive) is have the best of both worlds and go for a Devialet 120 (which is the one I can afford!) AND a Chord Hugo and run it in through it's phono input... does anyone here run a separate DAC into their Devialet? how does this compare with the Devialet's internal DAC?


Thanks

Stuart.
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#2
I have tried another DAC, with a particular sound into the Devialet and its characteristic colour comes through fine.
It was only out of interest since IME modern ADC/DAC pairings are transparent and in the Devialet all analogue inputs have to be digitised for the amp can work as designed.
I wanted to know if the characteristic sound of my old DAC would be audible via the Devialet ADC/DAC and to my ears it was.
I am going to try a NOS valve DAC in due course and see if it sounds the same through the ADC/DAC in the Devialet. I expect it will but will post on the forum if it doesn't.
Devialet Original d'Atelier 44 Core, Job Pre/225, Goldmund PH2, Goldmund Reference/T3f /Ortofon A90, Goldmund Mimesis 36+ & Chord Blu, iMac/Air, Lynx Theta, Tune Audio Anima, Goldmund Epilog 1&2, REL Studio. Dialog, Silver Phantoms, Branch stands, copper cables (mainly).
Oxfordshire

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#3
Yes, as Frank says, any analogue signal (line or phono) going into a Devialet will be digitized; it's the first thing that happens to the signal. So using an outboard DAC (a) won't save you from any supposed deficiencies of the Devialet's own DAC (and like Frank, I don't think it has any) and (b) can only add something to the sound if, like a NOS DAC, it has a peculiar (i.e. non-transparent) character. In other words, if the Hugo is more transparent than the Devialet's DAC, using the Hugo with the Devialet won't give you that added transparency.

Common sense suggests you have a choice: Devialet or Hugo.

I think the really interesting thing about the Devialet isn't the DAC; it's the amplification.

Good luck!

Matt

Sonos Connect (W4S) > DSpeaker Antimode 2.0 > Sanders Magtech > Martin Logan Montis
Sonos Connect (W4S) > Devialet 200 > Vivid V1.5
Silver Phantoms (just the two)
London
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#4
(04-Jul-2014, 16:31)Jwg1749 Wrote: Common sense suggests you have a choice: Devialet or Hugo.

I think the really interesting thing about the Devialet isn't the DAC; it's the amplification.

Good luck!

Matt

Hugo v Devialet was the choice I had to make. Whether to add a Hugo to my Naim system increasing it to 7! boxes + interconnects + speakers + Fraim etc or whether to go for a single box Devialet which in many ways IMHO sounded better. Obviously with a Devialet one is relying on the manufacturer to continue providing upgrades -but they have a pretty good record for doing that so far.
IMac macOS 10.15.3 (no link to Devialet Sad ) / MacBook Pro Retina OS X 10.14.4 / Linn LP12 / Devialet 200 Wilson Benesch Discovery. 
Qobuz Desktop Latest Version / Audirvana 3.2.18 / Audirvana Remote / iTunes 12.9 / AIR 3.0.4 / Wi-Fi / FW 8.1.0 / SAM 50%
Cambridge, UK (Updated 27th February, 2020)
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#5
Sounds like an incredibly easy choice, just go for the Devialet.
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#6
I think I would like to add to the previous posts regarding the Devialet DAC. Prior to buying the Devialet, I listed to many other options regarding streamers, DACS etc. It is subjective I know, but I preferred the Devialet to Naim, Bryston, DACS and many others. I did very much like the DAC in the Chord "CodeX" streamer, which I believe is an update of the Cordette DAC, but I couldn't say it was in anyway superior to the Devialet offering. One other point regarding the Devialet DAC is that it does a very good job irrespective of the source material, i.e. feed it 24bit, it sounds superb, but even with 320kbps files it still sounds excellent, making the most of whatever it is asked to play. Most of what I listen to is not 24bit, so this is an important point.
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#7
(04-Jul-2014, 21:47)PhilP Wrote:
(04-Jul-2014, 16:31)Jwg1749 Wrote: Common sense suggests you have a choice: Devialet or Hugo.

I think the really interesting thing about the Devialet isn't the DAC; it's the amplification.

Good luck!

Matt

Hugo v Devialet was the choice I had to make. Whether to add a Hugo to my Naim system increasing it to 7! boxes + interconnects + speakers + Fraim etc or whether to go for a single box Devialet which in many ways IMHO sounded better. Obviously with a Devialet one is relying on the manufacturer to continue providing upgrades -but they have a pretty good record for doing that so far.

Actually, the least interesting thing about Devialet owning are the "upgrades" IMHO...
The D-Premier actually had everything I needed built in, since my speakers may well never have the SAM treatment.
There is absolutely nothing I personally need that is not already in V6 firmware.
This is obviously a personal thing but as a reasonably long term Devialet owner who was pretty well totally content when a mature (i.e. working consistently) version of Air became available Smile
Devialet Original d'Atelier 44 Core, Job Pre/225, Goldmund PH2, Goldmund Reference/T3f /Ortofon A90, Goldmund Mimesis 36+ & Chord Blu, iMac/Air, Lynx Theta, Tune Audio Anima, Goldmund Epilog 1&2, REL Studio. Dialog, Silver Phantoms, Branch stands, copper cables (mainly).
Oxfordshire

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#8
Well, thanks for your advice guys.

Did a home demo the other week (including another demo of the Chord Hugo) and finally swapped my SuperUniti for a second-hand (1 month old) Devialet 120 (thanks to Oxford Audio Consultants).

Couldn't be happier with the setup other than the UPnP / iRadio functionality I used to love about the SuperUniti. Now just run a MacMini with Windows 7 / JRiver / JRemote in the other room over WiFi and Air. Works well enough, not quite as elegant though.

Looking forward to seeing if my PMC Twenty.23's get SAM'd!! The dealer said PMC are looking to send Devialet their whole range sometime soon.

Now just waiting for a decent power-cord that replaces my Naim PowerLine (stoopid massive connector!) and some Tellurium Q Ultra Blue speaker cable (I've been reliably informed it's better than Black and cheaper!!)

Stuart.

   
   
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#9
(17-Jul-2014, 11:18)stuartwoodrandom Wrote: Couldn't be happier with the setup other than the UPnP / iRadio functionality I used to love about the SuperUniti.
Actually, that is the only thing that I feel Devialet is missing. Just add UPnP and it'd be perfect.
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#10
(17-Jul-2014, 12:18)jjo Wrote:
(17-Jul-2014, 11:18)stuartwoodrandom Wrote: Couldn't be happier with the setup other than the UPnP / iRadio functionality I used to love about the SuperUniti.
Actually, that is the only thing that I feel Devialet is missing. Just add UPnP and it'd be perfect.

I agree that it would be great to have the option of UPnP though the availability of DAC-less streamers (renderers) like the Moon, Auralic and NAD M50 mean that this is not really a major technical issue. Though, of course, you do have to pay for them and they take up shelf space Wink
IMac macOS 10.15.3 (no link to Devialet Sad ) / MacBook Pro Retina OS X 10.14.4 / Linn LP12 / Devialet 200 Wilson Benesch Discovery. 
Qobuz Desktop Latest Version / Audirvana 3.2.18 / Audirvana Remote / iTunes 12.9 / AIR 3.0.4 / Wi-Fi / FW 8.1.0 / SAM 50%
Cambridge, UK (Updated 27th February, 2020)
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