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220 vs 440
#1
Apologies if this has been discussed before, I searched the forum but could not find anything on the topic.

I'm pondering adding a second 220PRO CI to my existing 220PRO CI to upgrade to a 440PRO. Is this a profound upgrade in terms of additional control over the speakers as well as sound quality? It will be appreciated if forumites who have gone this route could share some thoughts. 

By the way, I've recently upgraded my Vivid Audio B1's to the B1 Decades.

Devialet 440PRO CI/ Mola Mola Tambaqui + Kalugas / Vivid Audio Giya G2
Cape Town, South Africa
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#2
(14-Jul-2018, 09:51)Drifter Wrote: Apologies if this has been discussed before, I searched the forum but could not find anything on the topic.

I'm pondering adding a second 220PRO CI to my existing 220PRO CI to upgrade to a 440PRO. Is this a profound upgrade in terms of additional control over the speakers as well as sound quality? It will be appreciated if forumites who have gone this route could share some thoughts. 

By the way, I've recently upgraded my Vivid Audio B1's to the B1 Decades.

I added a companion, back in the days of the Expert 200, making mine a 400. I noticed subtle improvements in bass and treble definition, improvements in soundstaging width and depth and an overall feeling of a more powerful sound (not surprisingly). I don’t think you’d regret the move to dual mono.
Edit: plus you’ve also got more inputs/outputs should you need them.
Project Eperience X Pack with Ortofon Rondo Red MC, Oppo BDP 105D, 2 x Sonos Connect, QNAP HS251+ NAS with 2 X 6TB Western Digital Red, Mac 5K 32GB running Lifetime Roon, iPad Pro 12.9" for remote control.  Etalon Ethernet Isolator, Devialet 440 Pro CI, Sonus faber Olympica ll with Isoacoustics Gaia ll feet, Auralic Taurus Mkll headphone amp.Denon AH-D5000, Sennheiser HD600 and HD800 with Cardas cable,  Van Den Hul The First Ultimate and Crystal interconnects, Furutech power cables, GSP Audio Spatia speaker cable.
South Coast England
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#3
(14-Jul-2018, 11:32)Axel Wrote:
(14-Jul-2018, 09:51)Drifter Wrote: Apologies if this has been discussed before, I searched the forum but could not find anything on the topic.

I'm pondering adding a second 220PRO CI to my existing 220PRO CI to upgrade to a 440PRO. Is this a profound upgrade in terms of additional control over the speakers as well as sound quality? It will be appreciated if forumites who have gone this route could share some thoughts. 

By the way, I've recently upgraded my Vivid Audio B1's to the B1 Decades.

I added a companion, back in the days of the Expert 200, making mine a 400. I noticed subtle improvements in bass and treble definition, improvements in soundstaging width and depth and an overall feeling of a more powerful sound (not surprisingly). I don’t think you’d regret the move to dual mono.

Axel  has put it quite scincingly.  Thats exactly what I experienced moving from 220 - dual 220's.

Thank you Axel.  Well put.

Jim
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roon for life, VPI Aries 3D le/Dynavector XV-1s, 1000 Pro, KEF Blade Two
Okanagan, British Columbia
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#4
There are several posts from a while back talking about upgrading from the 200 to 400, which are probably worth taking a look at.  These include:

http://devialetchat.com/showthread.php?tid=3342
http://devialetchat.com/showthread.php?tid=2198
http://devialetchat.com/showthread.php?tid=2122
http://devialetchat.com/showthread.php?tid=1192

Happy reading Smile
Roon (Mac Mini), Wilson Benesch Full Circle, Expert 1000 Pro CI, Kaiser Chiara
Warwickshire, UK
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#5
I'm wondering if it would be possible to convert a single 220 to a mono 440? Meaning that one makes a normal 440 config for dual mono, but then just uses one amp?

This could be a way for 220 owners to test with mono recordings (and one speaker) if there's any difference compared to one channel of a stereo 220, and if the upgrade is worth it.
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#6
(15-Jul-2018, 06:50)ekal Wrote: I'm wondering if it would be possible to convert a single 220 to a mono 440? Meaning that one makes a normal 440 config for dual mono, but then just uses one amp?

This could be a way for 220 owners to test with mono recordings (and one speaker) if there's any difference compared to one channel of a stereo 220, and if the upgrade is worth it.

There are plenty of threads around here about missing right side channels on dual mono setups so I am sure a single mono amp will work. It’s a very different thing to listen to one speaker instead of two though. It will take your brain some time to adjust.
                                                    Lifetime Roon, Mac mini, int. SSD, ext. HDD, tv as monitor, key board and track pad on bean bag as remote,Devialet 200, Od'A #097, Blue jeans speaker cable,                                     
                                                                                                                                                                            Dynaudio C1 MkII.
                                                                                                                                                                              Jim Smith's GBS.
                                                                                                                                                                        Northern NSW Australia.
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#7
(15-Jul-2018, 07:10)Pim Wrote:
(15-Jul-2018, 06:50)ekal Wrote: I'm wondering if it would be possible to convert a single 220 to a mono 440? Meaning that one makes a normal 440 config for dual mono, but then just uses one amp?

This could be a way for 220 owners to test with mono recordings (and one speaker) if there's any difference compared to one channel of a stereo 220, and if the upgrade is worth it.

There are plenty of threads around here about missing right side channels on dual mono setups so I am sure a single mono amp will work. It’s a very different thing to listen to one speaker instead of two though. It will take your brain some time to adjust.

Indeed mono recordings sound quite different with one speaker vs. two. But maybe it would be a way to extrapolate so that if the difference is readily apparent on just one speaker, then it probably would be that also on a proper dual mono 440 setup. Might experiment with it myself Smile
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#8
So I managed to source another 220 PRO CI at a decent price and spend the afternoon setting it up.
All I can say is WOW.
I thought that the improvements would be subtle, but they are far more than that.
The soundstage has doubled in size both wide and deep. Bass is better controlled and snappier and extra detail shine through at lower volume.
The sound is also just that little bit sweeter to my ears.

Worth it? ...., indeed.

Devialet 440PRO CI/ Mola Mola Tambaqui + Kalugas / Vivid Audio Giya G2
Cape Town, South Africa
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#9
(09-Aug-2018, 18:46)Drifter Wrote: Bass is better controlled and snappier and extra detail shine through at lower volume.

That's the extra power doing its thing.
                                                    Lifetime Roon, Mac mini, int. SSD, ext. HDD, tv as monitor, key board and track pad on bean bag as remote,Devialet 200, Od'A #097, Blue jeans speaker cable,                                     
                                                                                                                                                                            Dynaudio C1 MkII.
                                                                                                                                                                              Jim Smith's GBS.
                                                                                                                                                                        Northern NSW Australia.
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#10
(14-Jul-2018, 09:51)Drifter Wrote: Apologies if this has been discussed before, I searched the forum but could not find anything on the topic.

I'm pondering adding a second 220PRO CI to my existing 220PRO CI to upgrade to a 440PRO. Is this a profound upgrade in terms of additional control over the speakers as well as sound quality? It will be appreciated if forumites who have gone this route could share some thoughts. 

By the way, I've recently upgraded my Vivid Audio B1's to the B1 Decades.

Have you tried to experiment again back to back 220 vs 440? Maybe with other speakers? I’m thinking about your route but, my speakers 87 sensitivity and have active woofers with own 400watt amps, so I’m conserned that your positive experience would be not as positive for me.
Vandersteen 5A, d220 pro CI , Dyrholm Audio x series cables all the way, qnap 451+,Mac mini Audirvana, dedicated circuits. Moscow Russia
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