Mono & Stereo

[Damon]

NO there is not any...in new products range...

I knew there was something about you I liked....

I just hope I'm not going to get any serious debate about pasta; along with audio, I'm pretty particular about pasta, too. Oops... do I need to start a food thread here? Or, will a D120 produce enough heat to serve as a warming tray?

[Pim]

Hi guys,

You might want to read this article in the context it was written in. It's the 'I have a website that posts lots of pictures of extremely overpriced audio equipment that's specifically designed for 'new money Asians who like to show off how rich they are' and I needed to do something against Devialet because my advertisers are rapidly loosing clients to them', context.

I have a quick look at his site quite often and he has NEVER written an article on ANYTHING affordable. He lives in an 'if it's not high priced, it's not high end' world and he's angry because he now has to share his world with people who don't have 7 figure incomes. It's like the Volkswagon Phaeton; How dare an ordinary brand build a high quality car? The snobs won't touch it because of the badge. But when they put a Bentley badge on it then it's ok. Even though it's built on the same platform.

I spent a day going from high end dealer to high end dealer in Bangkok a few years ago. The stuff they have on display is anywhere between expensive and unaffordable. The sound? Not one system could play the song I had chosen without the harsh 's' in it. Not because the systems are no good. It's because they don't know how to set the systems up properly. That's because it isn't about quality sound but all about showing off. I now have my modest system and the harsh 's'? Gone. And it's NOT MUFFLED. It just sound damn good.

[DelaneyB]

This says it all to me:
'And that is the sound of so called excellence in transparency and resolution. '

i.e you should like the highly coloured muffled sound that hi fi traditionally sounds like, so at least you can see what all your ££ boxes are doing to the music...

[Confused]

The article actually reminds me of an old boss I had many years ago. He spoke English, and I understood each and every individual word he said, however, in terms of full sentences, I never had the faintest idea what he was talking about.

[GuillaumeB]

I'm getting close to a D120 purchase, so for me, if there is a better product, or a worthy competitor at that price point. I'm all ears. 

Hi Damon,

You might want to consider a Gato DIA-250 or DIA-400... I doubt it's a better product but it could certainly be fun to compare. The DIA-400 boasts 400W so depending on your choice of speakers this might be an advantage. Both models are cheaper than the D120, the DIA-250 considerably so. There have been some positive reviews of the Gato in various magazines and I know James at Hifi Wigwam really rated the DIA-250:

http://www.hifiwigwam.com/gato-audio-dia...-with-dac/

Guillaume

[f1eng]

Hi guys,

You might want to read this article in the context it was written in. It's the 'I have a website that posts lots of pictures of extremely overpriced audio equipment that's specifically designed for 'new money Asians who like to show off how rich they are' and I needed to do something against Devialet because my advertisers are rapidly loosing clients to them', context.

I have a quick look at his site quite often and he has NEVER written an article on ANYTHING affordable. He lives in an 'if it's not high priced, it's not high end' world and he's angry because he now has to share his world with people who don't have 7 figure incomes. It's like the Volkswagon Phaeton; How dare an ordinary brand build a high quality car? The snobs won't touch it because of the badge. But when they put a Bentley badge on it then it's ok. Even though it's built on the same platform.

I spent a day going from high end dealer to high end dealer in Bangkok a few years ago. The stuff they have on display is anywhere between expensive and unaffordable. The sound? Not one system could play the song I had chosen without the harsh 's' in it. Not because the systems are no good. It's because they don't know how to set the systems up properly. That's because it isn't about quality sound but all about showing off. I now have my modest system and the harsh 's'? Gone. And it's NOT MUFFLED. It just sound damn good.

Nail on the head.
My Devialet D-Premiers matched a Dac/pre/mono system which cost around 10 times as much.
People making this sort of stuff want their press to damn the Devialet with faint praise.
Plenty of enthusiasts oblige too, since they do not really suit the equipment obsessed and box swappers.

[pete86]

Hi guys,

You might want to read this article in the context it was written in. It's the 'I have a website that posts lots of pictures of extremely overpriced audio equipment that's specifically designed for 'new money Asians who like to show off how rich they are' and I needed to do something against Devialet because my advertisers are rapidly loosing clients to them', context.

I have a quick look at his site quite often and he has NEVER written an article on ANYTHING affordable. He lives in an 'if it's not high priced, it's not high end' world and he's angry because he now has to share his world with people who don't have 7 figure incomes. It's like the Volkswagon Phaeton; How dare an ordinary brand build a high quality car? The snobs won't touch it because of the badge. But when they put a Bentley badge on it then it's ok. Even though it's built on the same platform.

I spent a day going from high end dealer to high end dealer in Bangkok a few years ago. The stuff they have on display is anywhere between expensive and unaffordable. The sound? Not one system could play the song I had chosen without the harsh 's' in it. Not because the systems are no good. It's because they don't know how to set the systems up properly. That's because it isn't about quality sound but all about showing off. I now have my modest system and the harsh 's'? Gone. And it's NOT MUFFLED. It just sound damn good.

Why are you calling out "new money Asians"?  Do you think Asians are the only group of people who can fit this description? Do you think that Europeans or Americans don't share these characteristics? You making such a blanket statement about an entire group of people based on one day visiting hi-fi dealers in one country reveals that you're not immune to snobbery either.

[gray]

I am reminded of the debate concerning the man-made contribution to climate change, where well over 90% (97% ?) of scientists are convinced that it is real.

Yet there is a small group (3% ?), usually affiliated with oil, coal or other "dirty" industries, who argue otherwise.

[Pim]

Hi guys,

You might want to read this article in the context it was written in. It's the 'I have a website that posts lots of pictures of extremely overpriced audio equipment that's specifically designed for 'new money Asians who like to show off how rich they are' and I needed to do something against Devialet because my advertisers are rapidly loosing clients to them', context.

I have a quick look at his site quite often and he has NEVER written an article on ANYTHING affordable. He lives in an 'if it's not high priced, it's not high end' world and he's angry because he now has to share his world with people who don't have 7 figure incomes. It's like the Volkswagon Phaeton; How dare an ordinary brand build a high quality car? The snobs won't touch it because of the badge. But when they put a Bentley badge on it then it's ok. Even though it's built on the same platform.

I spent a day going from high end dealer to high end dealer in Bangkok a few years ago. The stuff they have on display is anywhere between expensive and unaffordable. The sound? Not one system could play the song I had chosen without the harsh 's' in it. Not because the systems are no good. It's because they don't know how to set the systems up properly. That's because it isn't about quality sound but all about showing off. I now have my modest system and the harsh 's'? Gone. And it's NOT MUFFLED. It just sound damn good.

Why are you calling out "new money Asians"?  Do you think Asians are the only group of people who can fit this description?  Do you think that Europeans or Americans don't share these characteristics?  You making such a blanket statement about an entire group of people based on one day visiting hi-fi dealers in one country reveals that you're not immune to snobbery either.

Hi Pete,

The only reason I used that term was because Mono and Stereo seems to be aimed at Asia and because Asia is booming there is a lot of new money around. There's nothing more behind it. If I offended anyone I'm sorry.

[IanG-UK]

"A favorite thought:

Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.
- Oscar Wilde"

... but now that is around 140 years old, and if Emily Thornberry were rewriting it , she might say, "Be yourself in private, but not necessarily in public, because questionable (and often innocent) comments that used to last a lunchtime now last a lifetime"