D200 Mod 2.0.1

[Vivialet]

maybe for old models ? For me I have dynamic power on or off depending on the selection. The timeout still shows the selected values.

[yabaVR]

... I thought so too that a better IEC for the power cord would have been just a few Euros for Devialet to spend and would provide an overal better performance due to better power flow.

What exactly do you mean by "better power flow"?  How would changing the IEC connector have such an effect?

This is often gotten wrong. If you change e.g. the IEC to a "better" one there's obviously not more power transferred by the new IEC.
First...it's not exactly known how electricity is moving inside or outside (around) a wire...hence it might also be called magneto-electric and not electro-magnetic...imagine that for a minute (chicken-egg problem)?

Most people think of a 2-dimensional pattern or value on a display when thinking of electrical power, amperage, inductance, capacity or resistance. These are only measurements. Nothing in nature is only 2-dimensional. At least it is 3(4) dimensional.
If a sinus wave is displayed on screen it only shows a small 2-dimensional part of the actual power that is measured. It's not a picture of how power looks like. I know many of you're aware of that but we might forget such facts sometimes down the road.

What I want to say here is that it might not only be important that there is a good electrical contact between to electrical parts but also form of design and material might attribute to a good "flow".
Just a thought: Could it be that power has similar features like water (for example) when it is moving looking at it in a 3-dimensional way?
This is only an analogy...nobody knows the way power moves because nobody has ever seen it (only effects of it).

Look at how the connection of the IEC to the motherboard is designed on the PRO Devialets. If you were something like water would it be natural for you to get through that clasp-connection? This design is made by electrical engineers who think 2-dimensional (in terms of power) when designing electrical parts and connections (and they think production time and money).
Now...if you perfectly solder a wire from the IEC to the motherboard of the PRO it might not be THE perfect connection but sure it would be better thinking a 3-dimensional way.

My 2c,
gui

[yabaVR]

Hey  Sébastien,

sorry to answer this late but usually I don't post on this board anymore.

So...hey you did it. Congrats. How does it sound?
I see you already pulled out some parts from inside your D220. Congrats to that.

Have you also shut off some sound critical software settings?
Have a look at everything that "counts" (timers) in the backgroud as: auto timer for power off...etc.
Switch off every input you don't use, switch off SAM even if you thought it would improve the sound of your speaker, believe me It Doesn't - The mod will let you hear that.

Also think of replacing the IEC for the powercord. Get a new (Copper, Silver, Rhodium what sound you like, I prefer silver) and try to solder wires from it onto the motherboard. That'll give you even more thrust and control to the music.

Regards,
gui

Hello Yaba ,
Enjoy to read you ! The mod is great : better transparency , soundstage is more wide . I have already disabled SAM , Balance , Mute , timed power off , ...
I use to SD card : one for my Rega P10 and the other for the ERED-DOCK streamer. Each one have just one input activated .
Have you already remove the motherboard from the frame ? I don't be able to remove the Core Infinity ...
I am interested to replace the capacitors by better one

I don't own a PRO. I sold my modified D200 and changed to a D250 (to be modified).
I've made more modifications to my D200 (still not shown here) and some of other's Devialets and the final performance is so good that I've no demand for a PRO Devialet as I would shut off all it's features for better sound anyway (but it'd be fun to modify a PRO with its improved parts to its limits...maybe sometimes in the future).
So...sorry I can't tell you how to get the Core Infinity Board apart from the case.

I know it's hard to stop modifying once you started but be careful not to overdo the process. But who am I to warn you ;-)))

As far as I'm aware the capacitors are not the primary problem when looking for better sound. Our well modified (classic) Devialets are playing so good I've chills within a second when I start playing the right song. I can't think of a better amp yet build and I'd take any contest to any other amp on fair circumstances (warm up, power supply, base etc. ...e.g. a Devialet needs at least 2h warm up to unlock it's full potential, mine stays on permanently...a Devialet is a real diva when it comes to surroundings).

If I had some spare Devialets on stock I would take one completely apart, cut all the pin connectors between the boards and hardwire all connections. That would be the first to do for me and...man I can only imagine how good that'd sound.

Regards,
gui

[yabaVR]

Hey  Sébastien,

I forgot to say that the original binding post are of very, very poor quality. They belong to the cheapest China-Brass-Shiny-Gold-Plated Binding Posts on the market.
It makes a huge difference in sound quality if you exchange them for e.g. WBT Next Gen Binding Posts (see Duomike's post).

Alternatively...you can build yourself some "binding" posts as I did. I used a piece of solid carbon and drilled holes for some very thin pure copper silver plated banana-sleeves inside it.
You have to insulate the banana-sleeves (w/ shrinking tube) and then glue them inside the drilled holes. This is by far the best sounding mass-less-electrical-speaker-cable-connection I've come around with minimal eddy currents and it really sounds awesome.
I did the exact same modification to a WA Sophia 3 binding post terminal and the effect on the sound was like opening a dam. Everything got so much more control and thrust, bass and spatial stage got so much more detail to it...the difference was amazing.

Pictures for explanation:

1. Sophia 3 mod: Banana sleeve (inside of carbon panel)
2. Sophia 3 mod: outside
3. Original Sophia 3 binding posts (not sounding good)
4. Sophia 3 mod: crossover/installed LS-terminal and speaker cable modification to high/mid/low speaker
5. Carbon block w/ Banana sleeves (unfortunately can not be seen in picture   but technically the same as with the Sophia 3)

[Seb31300]

Thanks for this !! Great idea to make your own binding post !
I have a 3D Printer : I can create the same part in PLA .
I am already very surprised by the result with the chinese binding :-)
I will try to find Cooper silver platted banana sleeves .
Perhaps, after this, I will do the same to the 803D3 ;-)

[yabaVR]

Thanks for this !!  Great idea to make your own binding post !
I have a 3D Printer : I can create the same part in PLA .
I am already very surprised by the result with the chinese binding :-)
I will try to find Cooper silver platted banana sleeves .
Perhaps, after this, I will do the same to the 803D3 ;-)

Try to find these. Standard is gold plated with a small fin to solder but I'm sure you find the silver plated w/o the fin. You can use them both as sleeve and as a plug. Also use them on your speaker cables if they are not too heavy and sturdy.

Problem with PLA will be when soldering the cable to the Banana sleeve you must be quick or the heat is going to let the sleeve "wander" in the PLA.
Perhaps give the banana sleeve a drop of silver solder on its inner top end first then glue it into the PLA and with another drop of solder yet on the cable you just have to give very little heat to both parts to solder them together.

Regards,
gui

[yabaVR]

...
Perhaps, after this, I will do the same to the 803D3 ;-)

Yes I would support that.

   

Looking at the binding posts of a 803D3 I see your jaw drop when you've exchanged them for banana sleeves and listen to the result. These binding post look massiv - these are of no good.
In case you don't use a bi-wire speaker cable blend the two cables together inside your 803D3 to get only one port for "+" and one port for "-" , because braces between bi-wire binding posts are even worse for sound.
You can do an experiment (if you already use Banana Plugs on your speaker cable) and turn off these big shiny outer Chrome Clamps. Then plug in your bananas and listen again. You will hear the lower amount of eddy currents that are produced by the mass of the outer Chrome Clamps.

Regards,
gui

[Seb31300]

I have found the banana :
https://www.audiophonics.fr/fr/fiches-ba...-7725.html
I will try to create a PLA support which allow me to solder the banana and the cable out of the support to
avoid any problem of excessive heating .
I will try to have some time next week .
Thanks again for sharing your experiments !

[Seb31300]

I created the part to receive the banana for the D :

I will print them today.
For the BW , I have dismounted the banana support : as I prefer not to cut the wires , I must make a new cable from the filters to the
banana . I already have the silver wire , I have just to find the electrical pods to plug the new ones into the filter board .

[Seb31300]

Running - in !!