Devialet Reviews

[Zappydev]

The link to the 'mono and stereo' article has appeared on this forum before.  Last time, I think I dismissed it without much thought, a case of the article being fairly meaningless and surrounded by very many banner adverts for rival amplifier products.  But here it is again!  So I thought I would write some more considered words.

The writer makes this comment regarding the hifi press that writes good things about Devialet: 'Yet, taking the nerve to call it the replacement for the complete high-end audio system is kind of… very wrong for me to sign under. '  Interesting words I thought, as the writer does sign under his own article.

More words 'Perhaps the reason for positioning the Devialet on the right plane is disagreeing of the avid borderline between hi-fi and high-end.'  The funny thing here is that I consider one of my passions in life to be music, and in terms of the reproduction I tend to use the term 'hi-fi'.  Indeed, it is high fidelity that I am after!  I never use the term 'high end' when referring to my system, and very rarely use the term at all.  Indeed, I would argue that Devialet is not 'high end', because if you take the complete spectrum of audio equipment available to buy, Devialet pricing sits above the cheapest kit, but is a vary long way down from the most expensive.  So I think it is a stupid term to use, Pim's post above is spot on when he refers to snobbery.  But is Devialet 'hi-fi', in terms of accurate reproduction of music, too right it is!  Since hearing Devialet for the first time about three and a half years ago, I have spent quite a bit of effort trying to find kit that sounds better.  OK, I have found kit that maybe sounds a little different, and kit that gets very close to the sound that Devialet achieves, but have I found anything that is truly superior to Devialet?  No I haven't.

OK, lets forget the semantics of high end and take the one single comment in the article that actually mentions sound quality; 'Despite the ADC hybrid technology and all the whistles and high praises, Devialet still sounds like a derivate of Class D. More ironed, refined, but still. It brings out the feeling of virtual linearity, that is being explained as ultimate natural transparency, judging by the descriptions all over the medias.'  So does Devialet sound 'Class D'.  This is perhaps a strange thing to say these days as there are one or two class D amps in the market that are getting a very good reputation, so this is perhaps a bit of a lazy term, but let's go with it.  Myself I have tried many amps with the Blades, including class A amps that once you add pre-amp, DAC, phono stage would cost very much more than a Devialet, and when you get everything right, the end result does in fact sound very similar to a Devialet.  I could give many experiences over the years, but lets take one from yesterday.  I was at the National Audio show listening to the Vivid Giya G2's powered by the Devialet 1000 Pro.  I was chatting to the Vivid guy and asked him why they had chosen Devialet amps for the show.  He came out with the same line that I have heard KEF using, that is that their speakers will work well with many amplifiers, so they like to use different amps at different shows.  Specifically regarding the Devialet, he said that their view is that the speaker is where customers should spend the bulk of their money, and he considered the 1000 Pro to be about the right price ratio for the G2's, he then went on to say that the great thing about the Devialet was that it sounded like a Class A amplifier but with real power.  OK, one man's view, but this is a guy with much experience of demoing speakers with different amps, and a man with a vested interest in making sure the end result sounds good.  If he thought the Devialet sounded like a 'derivative of Class D' I'm sure he would not have let Devialet anywhere near his precious Giya's.  Then another example from yesterday, Oxford Audio happens to be on-route for my trip home from the National Audio show.  I was aware that OAC still had the full dCS rig with D'Agostino M400 Momentum mono blocks in their demo room, this was there from the dCS event on Thursday and due to be picked up next week.  A chance not to me missed!  So I spent a happy hour there listening to some favourite tunes, and yes, very good it sounded too!  (Many thanks yet again to OAC for allowing this opportunity, and even getting the teas and coffee in!)  I believe the full dCS rig is about £65k,and apparently the D'Agostino M400's are about £27k each.  OK, we used the streamer not the CD player, so this knocks a few £'s of the total, but there was also quite a few thousand pounds worth of cables and racks in evidence.  This was a rig well into the 6 figure price range even before you add speakers.   Was it any good?  Yes it was!  In fact it is I think the absolute best I have ever heard the Sasha II's sounding.  I have to say I would have loved to have listened to the Blades on this rig, but it was a 100% Absolute Sounds set-up and it is not as if I was auditioning with a serious intent to purchase.  The thing is though, after listening to the 1000 Pro with the Blades and then with the Giya G2's, was it a case that the £100k+ dCS/Agostino rig was in another league entirely to the mealy hi-fi Devialet?  Absolutely not!  Far more similar that there were different.  To sum up, the mono and stereo article is little more than waffle and nonsense.  I shall sum up where I started with another quote; 'What I cannot understand is the constant industry pushing and high praising of Devialet from the fellow high-end media representatives. Is the marketing coin really so sweet?'  At the exact time I read these words, the advert next to the paragraph was for this outfit:

http://www.fmacoustics.com/products/audi...-products/

I rest my case!

Excellent and informative commentary - much more useful than the original article.

Thanks for posting. 

Squish.