Shunyata Research

[deviousalet]

I too love the way the Shunyata Denali and Devialet Expert sound but would happily give up the fancy casework for reduced cost unless the case contributes to sound quality.

We know from our forum members' experiments that the Devialet case degrades sound quality vs. a better ventilated, non-magnetic, and nickel-free case. However we also know that the casework is the limiting factor differentiating the lower and upper models, with the better Expert models having higher power output simply because the better case can dissipate the increased heat.

I think that Shunyata has thought about how their casework affects the sound quality. They've experimented with dampening materials, fastener torque settings, and types of isolation feet (among other things). What I don't know is whether they tested cheap-looking casework or assumed that we audiophiles wouldn't buy a collection of SOTA parts inside a cheap-looking case.

So while I object to paying for fancy cases I do recognize that the casework can affect the sound and I'm willing to pay for good-sounding casework.