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D400 VS D-Premier Mono
#1
Was wondering what people think regarding the difference in SQ between the D-400 vs. the D-Premier in mono?  The ADH is supposed to be the same.  I've currently using a D-400 with Dynaudio Focus 360's with SAM enabled.  The SAM definitely helps the Dynaudio  speakers with the bass registers.  I thought about getting a single D220 to replace the D400, but most of the advice seemed to be in favor of the increased power provided by the D-400.

I have another system in the family room which consists of a single D-Premier driving a pair of T+A Criterion TB160 speakers.  The T+A speakers are a bit vintage, but they sound SOOO good, have not felt the need to replace them.  The D-Premier sounds outstanding with them.  Since the Criterion speakers are not supported by SAM, the D-Premier seemed like a logical choice for them.   I also have to say that my impressions to date is that the D-Premier sounds better than the D200.  

I recently tried using the D400's with the T+A speakers, and they responded very well to the extra power.  This motivated me to look for a second D-Premier so as to run them in mono.  I was able to find one for a very good price.  (It's on the way).

So, my base question is:  Who has auditioned both the D-400 and the D-Premier in mono, and what were your impressions?  What differences in SQ were noticed?  

A second question is:  Did the 10.1.0 SW update increase the power in mono for the D-Premier?   Devialet website does not say one way or the other, but it seems to me that it may be possible.   

Both my D-Premiers have over four years left on the warranty, so may upgrade at least one of them in the future.
1, ATC SCM 40 V2 speakers,  SVS PC4000 subwoofer,  Devialet Expert Pro 1000, ,  Ultrasone Edition 15, Ultrasone Edition 15 Veritas,  ,Chord Hugo TT, Magnetar UBR-800, GeerFab DBoB, OTL Headphone amp

2. Dynaudio Focus 360 , Devialet Expert Pro 220, Reavon UBR X-110, GeerFab DBoB
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#2
The D400 is a newer platform than the D-Premier, the updated D-Premier was the 250. I guess the difference will not be big.
I have compared a D400 with a 250pro (still without CI board) and the 250pro was a clear step up in SQ. So I think that also a 220Pro will be better than a D400 if you have not very demanding speakers. I would not spend the money for going from a 400 to a D-Premier Mono. Try to get a 220/250 pro instead.
Also keep in mind that most D-Premiers are out of guarantee while all pro models still have some years.
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#3
I have two systems.  One system has a pair of Dynaudio Focus 360 speakers driven by a D400.  I had thought about changing the 400 to a 220, but the advice received was that while a 440 would be a step up, going from a 400 to a single 220 with the Dynaudio speakers would not provide the desired level of improvement.  

I'm using the D-Premier with the T+A speakers.  I'm getting a second D-Premier to run them in mono to drive the T+A speakers.  

While the D-Premier was the initial product released, was under the impression that it's basically the same base hardware design as the Expert series.  Firmware 10.1.0 supports all Expert models, including the D-Premier.  I have compared a single D-Premier to a single D200, and the D-Premier sounds better.  

Both my D-Premiers were just serviced by Devialet, and have 4 1/2 years left on the warranty.  At some point, would like to upgrade at least one of the D-Premiers.  Since a single D-Premier sounds better than a single 200, was wondering who has heard both a D400 and D-Premier setup in mono, and if the D-Premier in mon also sounds better than the D400.
1, ATC SCM 40 V2 speakers,  SVS PC4000 subwoofer,  Devialet Expert Pro 1000, ,  Ultrasone Edition 15, Ultrasone Edition 15 Veritas,  ,Chord Hugo TT, Magnetar UBR-800, GeerFab DBoB, OTL Headphone amp

2. Dynaudio Focus 360 , Devialet Expert Pro 220, Reavon UBR X-110, GeerFab DBoB
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#4
D-Premiers in mono with 10.1.0 should be D800 or very close. I've read that a single 250 is better than a D440 (according to some) so I believe you'll be very happy with the D-P mono-blocks.The basic D-Premier sound will be there, only better because of the balanced operation.
Disclaimer: I have no experience with mono amps as I've always used a single amp setup, but I am very satisfied with my 250 Pro CI.
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250 Pro CI, MicroRendu(1.4), Mutec MC-3+USB
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#5
Got a response from the Devialet Customer Support team regarding power of the D-Premier in mono. They informed me that running mono D-Premier units with FW 10.1.0 increases the power output to 500 watts.

They also indicated that coax to coax connection should be just as good as coax to XLR to SQ. They also stated that if the coax to XLR is used, the cable should be 110 ohms.
1, ATC SCM 40 V2 speakers,  SVS PC4000 subwoofer,  Devialet Expert Pro 1000, ,  Ultrasone Edition 15, Ultrasone Edition 15 Veritas,  ,Chord Hugo TT, Magnetar UBR-800, GeerFab DBoB, OTL Headphone amp

2. Dynaudio Focus 360 , Devialet Expert Pro 220, Reavon UBR X-110, GeerFab DBoB
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#6
(14-Jun-2019, 16:41)Redwingnine Wrote: Got a response from the Devialet Customer Support team regarding power of the D-Premier in mono.  They informed me that running mono D-Premier units with FW 10.1.0 increases the power output to 500 watts.  

They also indicated that coax to coax connection should be just as good as coax to XLR to SQ.  They also stated that if the coax to XLR is used, the cable should be 110 ohms.

If you decide to go coax to XLR, DH Labs D-110 is a good cable that I know a lot of members use, including myself. 
If you’re in the UK, it is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=dh+labs+d-1...nb_sb_noss

Or here for USA: https://silversonic.com/products/digital-cables/d-110/
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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#7
The second D-Premier showed up today. The unit loaded the 10.1.0 firmware just fine. Re-configured the two D-Premiers to mono, and sat down for a listen. The differences kind of sneak up on you, but when you listen to music you are familiar with, the differences show up quite nicely. The music sounds like it is coming from a darker, quieter background. The soundstage gets wider, deeper, with increased dynamics. What really was surprising is the frequency extremes were enhanced across the board. The low frequency registers have more authority, with better clarity and dynamics. The treble is cleaner also, which can make it seem as if it is slightly less emphasized. The treble sounds more like live instruments and less like a hi-fi.

What this tells me is that the extra power is likely more important to getting better sound from the Devialet units than the other improvements with the upgrade cycles.
1, ATC SCM 40 V2 speakers,  SVS PC4000 subwoofer,  Devialet Expert Pro 1000, ,  Ultrasone Edition 15, Ultrasone Edition 15 Veritas,  ,Chord Hugo TT, Magnetar UBR-800, GeerFab DBoB, OTL Headphone amp

2. Dynaudio Focus 360 , Devialet Expert Pro 220, Reavon UBR X-110, GeerFab DBoB
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#8
As part of the D-Premier mono setup, connected the units via the XLR for the companion. It does indeed sound better.

I'm very pleased with the D-Premier mono setup. I also find that FW 10.1.0 sounds better than 7.1.3 (at least with both sets of speakers I have on hand). For the D-Premier, 10.1.0 provides 500 watts per channel, which seems to be plenty of power for my speaker sets.

I also found a review on the D-250 where the writer claimed that Devialet stopped promoting the D-250, as the feeling at Devialet was that the D-400 actually sounded better. They instead were pushing the D-800. Not sure how accurate that is.

For me, the takeaway is: If your speakers are not supported by SAM, go for the most power you can, and don't be as concerned with getting the latest revisions.
1, ATC SCM 40 V2 speakers,  SVS PC4000 subwoofer,  Devialet Expert Pro 1000, ,  Ultrasone Edition 15, Ultrasone Edition 15 Veritas,  ,Chord Hugo TT, Magnetar UBR-800, GeerFab DBoB, OTL Headphone amp

2. Dynaudio Focus 360 , Devialet Expert Pro 220, Reavon UBR X-110, GeerFab DBoB
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