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Deviousalet's System
#11
Marginal. I compared Alpha Digital to Z-PC 10 Analog. Don't know if that was because of the difference between Alpha and Z-PC 10 or between Digital and analog. Am very happy with the Z-PC 10 Analog on the Devialet. I use the Alpha Digital on my source component and that does make it sound better too. Very happy with the Shunyata powercords all together.
Aurender N10 - Kharma Enigma Signature AES/EBU - Devialet 400 - MIT SL-Matrix 28s - Audio Physic Virgo 25 Plus - IsoAcoustics Gaia II - AudioQuest Diamond RCA-AES between Master and Companion - Silent Angel Bonn N8 - AudioQuest Diamond Ethernet cable - Keces P3 with Hifi-Tuning Supreme 3 Silver fuse - GigaWatt 16A automatic circuit breaker - Vibex One 6 Cu - Shunyata Research ΞTRON Alpha Digital and ΞTRON Z PC-10 powercords - Qobuz 24 bit Studio

The Netherlands
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#12
Interesting. Thanks.
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#13
Very interesting observations! I'm a fan of Shunyata power cords as well. Use lower spec older models at the moment and i'm thinking of upgrading them.

Did you try the Shunyata Alpha HC by any chance. I know that one doesn't fit the cover but i was wondering if the HC (gauge) made any difference for the Devialet.
Amp / Dac: Devialet 400 = Speakers: Audio Physic Cadeas + VCF V Magnetic Source: Naim NDX - TeddyXps - Naim Unitiserve - Teddy Pardo PSU = Speakercables: Audioquest Redwood = Dig. Interlink: Audioquest Diamond (Bnc - Rca) = Master / Companion link: Audioquest Diamond (RCA - Aes/Ebu) = Ethernet: Audioquest Diamond RJ/E = Powercords: Shunyata Black Mamba VX, Black Mamba VX HC, Shunyata Viper Ztron 

The Netherlands


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#14
Shunyata told me that they intend the digital version of their power cords for devices like the Devialet with switch-mode power supplies (SMPS), and in fact created the Z-PC10 for the Devialet (Shunyata owner Caelin Gabriel owns a Devialet).

I'd love to hear (or hear of) comparisons between the Z-PC10 and other cords powering the Devialet, especially the other Shunyata digital cables (Venom, Alpha, and Sigma).
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#15
I've now listened for a few months to three digital coax RCA cables used as my D400 master-slave/companion link.

After reading how much people liked upgrading from the Crystal Cable supplied with the D400 I tried two others and wound up with an AudioQuest Eagle Eye as my preference.

I also tried the Mad Scientist HDC, which was initially tonic to my dissatisfaction with the Crystal Cable. The HDC has far more bass, far less harshness, and a larger soundstage than the Crystal Cable. The HDC is exceptionally good at reducing what I hear as digital hardness, making my D400 sound more like the best analog systems I've heard. However, in comparison to both the Crystal Cable and Eagle Eye the HDC lacks detail. This is forgivable vs. the Crystal Cable because the Crystal Cable's apparent detail comes from a lack of bass and increased treble emphasis (thus detailed but harsh and thin sounding). The Eagle Eye is more detailed than the Crystal Cable while having much better bass, less harshness (if more than the HDC), and a larger soundstage (if smaller but more focused than the HDC). However the HDC betters the Eagle Eye in sounding lush and relaxed. The HDC is euphonic and emotional while the Eagle Eye is revelatory and technical. For example the Eagle Eye lets me hear finger movement over strings and the mechanics of instruments, while the HDC masks those but by doing so concentrates on the sound of the musical notes instead of how they are produced. I personally love the details and feel that the HDC filters out too much, but my friends who love analog might prefer the HDC for its lack of harshness. Unfortunately the HDC also fails to transfer high-res. music to the slave/companion because it is electrically incompatible with the Devialet and while I don't have much high-res. music I do want to play it out of both speakers, which the HDC fails to do. That ended the comparison easily.

I am amazed how much difference upgrading the master-slave/companion cable makes, and am enjoying the improved sound. I think that the Crystal Cable advertises the Devialet's precision at a very high cost of harsh treble and lack of bass and soundstage, so does a great disservice to the Devialet because it emphasizes what people criticize in Class-D amps while hampering the Devialet's ability to sound precise without being harsh. I highly recommend upgrading from the Crystal Cable.
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#16
I've been remiss in updating this thread and have a few changes to report. I'll update this in a few posts for added clarity.

I wanted to try a XLR-RCA interlink between the master and slave/companion. I got an AudioQuest Raven, which is similar to the Eagle Eye RCA-RCA I was previously using. The XLR-RCA connection sounded a little better, but enough that I gave up the trigger connection's benefits to gain the sound quality. I wish we could use the trigger cable with the XLR-RCA interlink.
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#17
My realization of how much power conditioning can improve the Devialet sound continued.

I got a Shunyata Alpha Model-2 power conditioner, which sounded much better than the basic power strips I had tried before. Yes I've tried my D400 plugged directly into the wall with stock power cords and Shunyata Z-PC10, but I turn my Devialet off when not using them so directly plugging into the wall is highly inconvenient. The Alpha Model-2 let me unplug one cord in an accessible place to turn off the Devialet, and only sounded slightly worse than plugging into the wall. I also tried a Furman IT Reference 20I but didn't like it at all compared to either the Shunyata Alpha Model-2 or a decent basic power strip. I got a Shunyata Venom HC to power the Alpha Model-2.

Next I upgraded to a dedicated circuit using 10' of 3x12AWG solid THHN cable in a Liquidtite (metal with thermoplastic jacket) conduit directly from my breaker panel to a Leviton 8300-HW hospital-grade outlet dedicated to my Devialet (my other components plugged into another circuit). This made a huge improvement to the sound quality. It wasn't quite the difference between stock power cords and Shunyata Z-PC10, but very easily noticeable and more so than the difference between plugging directly into the wall or into the Alpha Model-2 power conditioner.

Then after having so much success with Shunyata and reading such good things I sprang for a Shunyata Denali 6000/S power conditioner. Now I've plugged all my AV system into that (the D400 into the 20A outlets and the Mac Mini, UpTone Regen, AVR, & Blu-Ray player into the 15A outlets. The Denali 6000/S immediately sounded much better than the Alpha Model-2 and sounds even better than plugging the D400 directly into the wall. Plus it has a power switch that actually turns it off, unlike a Devialet. The Denali further reduced the digital glare or harshness in records prone to that. It gave an even quieter background. I can't say that it improved transients but it didn't detract from them the way the Furman did. So the sound got better and I got the added convenience of a power switch. The only downside was a distracting blue light on the front of the Denali, which I fixed with a piece of electrical tape covering it. I got a Cerious Technologies Graphene Extreme High Current Optimized power cord with the Denali and liked it better than the Shunyata Venom HC so am using it, but it was a close call not a dramatic difference. Now I'm wondering about upgrading the stock Denali feet with Stillpoints or Darkz and upgrading power cables now that Shunyata has improved models. A bonus was that the Denali had no break in period of sounding anything but as wonderful as it does weeks later.

I think the hierarchy of power improvements so far in my system is:
1) replacing the stock power cables with better ones (Shunyata Z-PC10 in my case)
2) installing a dedicated circuit
3) the additional power filtering of the Shunyata Denali
4) better power cables for the power conditioner
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#18
I changed from B&W N802 to 804d3 speakers.
I loved my 802 but speakers have improved a lot since '99 and I wanted the added clarity the improvement have made possible.
I listened to many, many options (B&W, Focal, KEF, Magico, Monitor Audio, Paradigm, Revel, Wilson, etc.). I even brought home some Magico S5 (great speakers but not for my room). While I would really love the B&W 802d3 (okay, really I'd love the Magico Q7MkII) the 802d3 have grown very tall in stature and price since my N802. The height is a problem for my projection purposes as well as room aesthetics. The 803d3 were a compromised middle ground. The 804d3 sounded by far the best of the speakers not much taller than my N802, so I got those. The 804d3 are far more precise, clear, detailed, and accurate than my N802, but I do miss the scale of sound, and the enveloping presence of the 802 sound.
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#19
While diagnosing a network problem with my 440, Devialet loaned me a 1000, and I was very impressed with how much better it sounded. My speakers are relatively small and efficient so I wasn't expecting much difference, but the 1000 really got a lot more out of my speakers, with across-the-board improvements but especially to soundstage and detail. I found a deal on a cosmetically distressed but internally upgraded pair of D-Premier so now have my very own Expert Pro 1000 Core Infinity, and am loving it.
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#20
I find this all rather bewildering. In the UK we have ring mains. My audio system is on the same ring main as the kitchen. I have standard 15A mains cable. I did put in an unswitched socket. I have a PS Audio P3 regenerator that feeds my 250 Pro CI with the Audioquest cable that came in the Devialet box and an Innuos Zen Mk3 server that connects directly to the Devialet via an Audioquest Cinnamon CAT45 cable. The internet comes from an Asus router into the Innuos. The Asus has an external LPS ($250) and is connected to the modem by a 30m CAT5 cable put in by the satellite company for free. Sounds wonderful.
250 Pro CI; Innuos Zen Mk3; Claro dual turntable (Expert Stylus Denon + OL Aladdin Mk2); RCM Sensor2; Wilson Sabrina; OePhi speaker cables; Puritan PM156 conditioner and Ultimate cables.
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