25-Mar-2017, 16:26
I did lots of comparisons on a D-Premier before buying one 6 years ago or so.
I tried several analogue sources, including my Goldmund PH2 phono stage, which was pretty much state of the art when produced, my tuner and Revox reel-to-reel recorder.
The sound signature of each analogue source came through un-dimmed.
I concluded that the ADC-DAC in the Devialet was probably audibly transparent. It is not possible to be 100% sure, but my Metric Halo digital recorder certainly is transparent (the microphone feed is indistinguishable from the recorder output by ear) so I see no reason to doubt it, and other people have done null tests on modern digital gear proving transparency is possible so I think that the assumption is fair for a sophisticated bit of engineering like the Devialet.
I still have the Goldmund phono stage but use the Devialet phono input with a low output Ortofon cartridge and SUT. It is quiet, clear without harshness and even - probably a more accurate RIAA stage than is possible in the analogue domain.
As a matter of interest others have used digital recorders with RIAA plugins as RIAA stages and been delighted, but the Devialet version has loads of loading flexibility built in.
Incidentally I have gone D-Premier > pair of D-Premiers > 800 > Original d'Atelier and always been pleased with the phono performance, I have 4 turntables.
I tried several analogue sources, including my Goldmund PH2 phono stage, which was pretty much state of the art when produced, my tuner and Revox reel-to-reel recorder.
The sound signature of each analogue source came through un-dimmed.
I concluded that the ADC-DAC in the Devialet was probably audibly transparent. It is not possible to be 100% sure, but my Metric Halo digital recorder certainly is transparent (the microphone feed is indistinguishable from the recorder output by ear) so I see no reason to doubt it, and other people have done null tests on modern digital gear proving transparency is possible so I think that the assumption is fair for a sophisticated bit of engineering like the Devialet.
I still have the Goldmund phono stage but use the Devialet phono input with a low output Ortofon cartridge and SUT. It is quiet, clear without harshness and even - probably a more accurate RIAA stage than is possible in the analogue domain.
As a matter of interest others have used digital recorders with RIAA plugins as RIAA stages and been delighted, but the Devialet version has loads of loading flexibility built in.
Incidentally I have gone D-Premier > pair of D-Premiers > 800 > Original d'Atelier and always been pleased with the phono performance, I have 4 turntables.
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
