D400 Route or new speakers

[Womaz]

Personally I should spend my money to new (other) speakers, because I think that a good match between Devialet 200 and the right speakers will give you a better sound and so more satisfaction than a 400 setting with less good matching speakers.

The reason why I say this is that I owned PMC Twenty 24 speakers for many months and I found them always to enthusiast, energetic, and clinical/bright sounding in the highs, especially in hard spaces with poor acoustics. If you match them with a more ''laid back'' and darker sounding amp you can expect a reasonable good sound, but if you have a more cleaner and accurate sounding amp like the Devialet 200 is, the sound will be ''too much'' i.m.o.

During the several visits I brought to my dealer (one of the best selling and experienced Premium Devialet dealers here in Netherlands) I have heard so many different combinations of Devialet amps with a wide range of speaker brands and types. Some combinations were sounding very good, some were reasonable, and others were sounding so bad that I almost couldn't recognize the Devialet sound.
Devialet - Magico (S1 and S3) is a very good (but expensive) combination, but besides my personal preference (Devialet - Kharma) I have heard a combination which sounded so good, full bodied and well balanced to me that I was getting the feeling that these speakers were designed to match seamless with Devialet.
The speaker where I'm talking about is the Egglestonworks ''The Isabella''
I don't know if you do like the looks, but their sound will definately impress you and it,s a wonderful match with the Devialet 200.

http://egglestonworks.com/products/the-i...signature/

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/superioraud...nature.htm


Thanks for the post. Your impressions of the PMCs seem to match mine. They are great with some music but at the top end I think I can improve what I hear.
Never heard of the speakers you talk about and I will look into them. The problem i have is that its difficult to get a home audition of speakers up here in Newcastle as not a lot of choice. Its very early days for me and my gut feeling is now speakers before the move to 400 (if I do that at all), but maybe to wait till I have a budget of around 6k as opposed to the 3.5k to 4k i have now.

[Womaz]

Try DIrac ..14 days free trial..amazing what it can do to "fix" the sound.. that and maybe a few first reflection panels done to look like artwork will optimise your sound..$1k or less...

I have just got the Melco as I wanted to take the laptop out of my playback chain so this is not an option i want to explore, although I would imagine that it would be effective

[Womaz]

Womaz,

Like you, I am very restricted in terms of speaker placement in my room, which is very similar to yours in dimensions. It also has asymmetrical walls/ open area and so I am certain that I get erratic reflections depending on the balance of the music. Also like you, I've become more acutely aware of the importance of the room to the quality of the sound reproduction; especially as it affects some of the finer aspects of sonic space, or staging, or tactility of the sound (use any other audio-adjective that suits).

I expect that in your room there is a benefit in a front ported speaker, like your PMC's as I imagine that this makes proximity to the rear wall less critical. However any speaker with a narrow baffle may still have sound that wraps around the speaker, and then bounces off the back wall. (wall behind the speakers, I mean). So would something in a more conventional box, like a Harbeth be a consideration?

I'm also wondering what sort of improvement or change you want. Are you looking for 'more' of the sonic character you have? So, would 'more PMC' be what you want or are you looking for a different personality? Sonus Faber would, to me, definitey be a different sort of character, regardless of niggles like bass or treble performance.

I think that i could live with a variety of speakers, but I don't think I would change the Devialet. To me, it is giving me the source, the material, the way I like it. Different speakers then flavour the music the Devialet provides. My GamuT's give a very easy, natural sound, which is also easy, or gently, on the treble side. The other day I listened to some PMC FACT 3's (stunning price and used for one day only before being returned by the original buyer). They are a completely different character; fast, incisive and more taut, I thought, than the 20 series. So if you wanted 'more PMC' then such a thing might be the path to follow. Or, as was suggested by JeanF, Magico makes some amazing speakers. Just not so easy on the bank balance. Selling the 20 23's will help, certainly.

You can get 'more Devialet' and I doubt that would be a disappointment, but the sonic flavour of your system, in your room, would be very similar, I would guess. So, if you want a change as much as an upgrade, then different speakers would seem to be the way to get that change.

Interesting dilemma.

Yes it is an interesting dilemma, i do like a great deal of what the PMCs offer but I think they are a little too much at the top end. The PMC26s may help with this as they are a three way speaker. Actually I am a real novice as you will probably know and I have no idea why a 3 way may be better than a 2 or 2.5 way. Read something somewhere. My biggest complaint on the PMCs are the awful plinth they have. This is the same on the 26s and I feel for a 6k speaker this is a disappointment.
I may go in a different direction. I am not sure. Sonus Faber maybe and the Venere S or the Olymoica floorstander maybe but yes I would have to hear them. Have heard that they are more suited to Classical music maybe and lack a bit of punch and excitement.
I deally I would like to have the punch, pace and excitement of the 23s without the harshness at the top end.
I guess there is no hurry and the longer I wait the more cash i will have. I know we always feel this , but I fell if I get the speaker right then I will have my ultimate set up. I never dreamt that I would spend this level of cash on my hifi. I can honestly say the 200 has opened my eyes as to how good music can sound. Once I get the speakers sorted I will be done in my eyes. One reason is that for me this is a large amount of cash and I consider it as building my final system. I am 52 and I have only had 4 systems in my lifetime so once I get it sorted and I like it I stick with it.

[goflyshirley]

Womaz,

Like you, I am very restricted in terms of speaker placement in my room, which is very similar to yours in dimensions. It also has asymmetrical walls/ open area and so I am certain that I get erratic reflections depending on the balance of the music. Also like you, I've become more acutely aware of the importance of the room to the quality of the sound reproduction; especially as it affects some of the finer aspects of sonic space, or staging, or tactility of the sound (use any other audio-adjective that suits).

I expect that in your room there is a benefit in a front ported speaker, like your PMC's as I imagine that this makes proximity to the rear wall less critical. However any speaker with a narrow baffle may still have sound that wraps around the speaker, and then bounces off the back wall. (wall behind the speakers, I mean). So would something in a more conventional box, like a Harbeth be a consideration?

I'm also wondering what sort of improvement or change you want. Are you looking for 'more' of the sonic character you have? So, would 'more PMC' be what you want or are you looking for a different personality? Sonus Faber would, to me, definitey be a different sort of character, regardless of niggles like bass or treble performance.

I think that i could live with a variety of speakers, but I don't think I would change the Devialet. To me, it is giving me the source, the material, the way I like it. Different speakers then flavour the music the Devialet provides. My GamuT's give a very easy, natural sound, which is also easy, or gently, on the treble side. The other day I listened to some PMC FACT 3's (stunning price and used for one day only before being returned by the original buyer). They are a completely different character; fast, incisive and more taut, I thought, than the 20 series. So if you wanted 'more PMC' then such a thing might be the path to follow. Or, as was suggested by JeanF, Magico makes some amazing speakers. Just not so easy on the bank balance. Selling the 20 23's will help, certainly.

You can get 'more Devialet' and I doubt that would be a disappointment, but the sonic flavour of your system, in your room, would be very similar, I would guess. So, if you want a change as much as an upgrade, then different speakers would seem to be the way to get that change.

Interesting dilemma.

Yes it is an interesting dilemma, i do like a great deal of what the PMCs offer but I think they are a little too much at the top end. The PMC26s may help with this as they are a three way speaker. Actually I am a real novice as you will probably know and I have no idea why a 3 way may be better than a 2 or 2.5 way. Read something somewhere. My biggest complaint on the PMCs are the awful plinth they have. This is the same on the 26s and I feel for a 6k speaker this is a disappointment.
I may go in a different direction. I am not sure. Sonus Faber maybe and the Venere S or the Olymoica floorstander maybe but yes I would have to hear them. Have heard that they are more suited to Classical music maybe and lack a bit of punch and excitement.
I deally I would like to have the punch, pace and excitement of the 23s without the harshness at the top end.
I guess there is no hurry and the longer I wait the more cash i will have. I know we always feel this , but I fell if I get the speaker right then I will have my ultimate set up. I never dreamt that I would spend this level of cash on my hifi. I can honestly say the 200 has opened my eyes as to how good music can sound. Once I get the speakers sorted I will be done in my eyes. One reason is that for me this is a large amount of cash and I consider it as building my final system. I am 52 and I have only had 4 systems in my lifetime so once I get it sorted and I like it I stick with it.

IMO, going to a 400 will definitely not help your dilemma of a slightly bright speaker... sure, there would be benefits to a 400... just probably not what you're looking for. I was a PMC owner for a week once! ;-)

Go audition some new speakers... take your 200 with you and you will find a great match, that will serve you for years to come!

[Jim_Anderson]

I've not had the pleasure of listening to PMC's but having just completed a 3 year journey of system changes pre/amps of (Marantz, ParaSound, Wyred4Sound, Pass Labs), speakers of (Mirage M1's, 2 different sets of Tannoy's, 2 different sets Anthony Gallo's, a pair of Wilson Audio, Dynaco's C1's) I have ended with the 200 and Harbeth 40.1's. This is in a room that is 15' by 12'.

I have the speakers 1ft out from the long wall facing the couch (about 9 ft apart and 11ft from the listening position). I've had this configuration for about a month now and quite honestly can't see anything ever replacing it. The equipment listed above were all listened/experienced in the same location. I've also heard the 200 with many other speakers (due to its portability) and again, I've not heard another configuration anywhere more personally satisfying.

I do have room to keep the audiophile hobby active playing with different music sources, cable selections and bass traps, diffusers etc. but for me the hardware and speaker journey is/has completed.

As goflyshirley has apply put it. Take your 200 and your favourite music and go experience all the wonderful offerings out there. I did, complementary of my brother and his 200 (which was an upgrade from a 120 and now he has the 250). We had a lot of fun playing music we were very acquainted with over his D200 and listening to a myriad of speakers at many locations in Vancouver, BC. It was a lot of fun and a true eye opener to what is available. Keeping two main constants (familiar music and amplifier) simplified the exercise. Every place we went to was very accommodating (we always called ahead and made appointments) and they were just as intrigued to hear the Devialet with their speakers.

All great fun, that has paid off for this hobbyist.