Heresy, but here goes: Devialet to Lumin?

[Flashman]

I've been using a Devialet 200 since 2014.  I bought it in France when I was living/working there and also purchased the Atohm GT1s.  Nice system, which I loved for many years.  I also have Roon and love what it provides, especially its tight integration with Devialet, which resuscitated the moribund Devialet AIR. I recently sold the GT1s and purchased a used pair of Vivid Oval 1.5s.  I really like these speakers... but my system may now be too resolving.  Note here that my cable loom is by Franck Tchang, who lives in Paris and produces the ASI LiveLine interconnects.  These cables are ruthlessly revealing, which can be good and bad.  Great music sounds great and poorly recorded music is horrible.  So here's my dilemma: I think my current system is so resolving that it sometimes just sounds too digital -- note here that I exclusively stream music from Tidal and my local library on an NAS. 

I've recently been reading a lot about Lumin products and their terrific streaming capability and analog-like sound, i.e., warm without being flabby.  So, I am thinking about ditching my Devialet 200 and going with with the M1 integrated (thus the heresy quotient in full bloom: moving from 200 watts to something quite less) or perhaps one of their upper-end streamers with appropriate amplification, perhaps also by Lumin.  I know I would also lose SAM capability for my Vivid speakers but I'm not sure how much I would miss that.  A few other advantages for Lumin are native MQA adoption (never will happen with Devialet, methinks) and Roon Ready.

Anyway, I'd appreciate hearing from those on this forum about either the their experience with the Lumin family or whether the Devialet upgrade would provide dividends to my system.  BTW, I guess I could change my cable loom to perhaps tame the system but that might be incremental vs holistic.

[Hifi_swlon]

Or just get normal cables?

(Sorry can’t add anything much more useful than a bit of humour).

[Damon]

@Flashman

I'm not able to talk about Lumin equipment, so I'm off topic pretty quickly. But.... some reviewers have commented that speakers like Vivid, or YG, can in fact be so precise that they do move away from a musical presentation. I'm not agreeing with that sentiment; just using it to support your own sense of the sound. But like Westminster's own man of mirth above, @Hifi_swlon, I agree that a cable change would be a good place to start. From my own limited experience, cables can 'tune' the sound of a system, and so I believe that you could get a bit of softness with different speaker cables, or other parts. I even think that the digital edge you hear would be related to the treble end of the spectrum, and that is (I think) the easier end to attenuate or adjust with cables.

As well, the Bluesound Node 2 is a decent product, a bit better than a stock Sonos Connect by the reports I've read. However, when I got a modded Sonos, the sound improvement was impressive. So, perhaps a different front end/ streaming source?

I think that many shops would lend out cables or bits from Aurilic or Aurender. I would definitely try the small, incremental steps first. And although you are handicapped by having 'only' a D200, you have a system that would certainly reveal any SQ changes that a cable change or streamer change yields.

Finally, I think the Pro upgrade is huge and wonderful, but I also accept that for some, it is not the SQ change they are after. That's a tough one to advise on.

[Pim]

@Flashman , When I went to my dealer to have a listen to some speakers, he also had the 1.5's and told me they'd be too hot in the treble for my taste. I never listened to them. I did however listen to the Giya G3 at the end of a Devialet 240 and listened specifically to some treble hot recordings. The Giya G3's didn't sound hot or digital at all. The source was a MacBook Pro via USB.

With the Giya range being a step up form the oval range I would expect it to be more revealing and more true to the recording.

So knowing what I know and reading what you have to say I come to the conclusion (an educated guess perhaps?) that it's most likely the 1.5's that are the 'problem' (the actual problem being the hot recordings).

I bought my D200 (170 at the time) because it did a number of things; It sounded great. It had the possibility to be used as a DAC/Pre-amp (future plans that never happened) and it had the possibility to use tone controls. It's the tone controls I suggest you have a play with. I use them for recordings that are too hot or lack bass and I can tell you they do help to make certain recordings enjoyable to listen to. They don't sound perfect but then again they're not perfect recordings to start with so you can't expect perfection in the first place.

Another few things to contemplate; set your speakers up a little closer to each other and put some absorbing material on the first reflection point on the side walls.

Good luck!

Pim

[Flashman]

Or just get normal cables?

(Sorry can’t add anything much more useful than a bit of humour).

@Hifi_swlon Ha!  I knew that someone would suggest a change of the cable loom!  That probably would be a better first step than changing the amplification...

[Flashman]

@Flashman

I'm not able to talk about Lumin equipment, so I'm off topic pretty quickly. But.... some reviewers have commented that speakers like Vivid, or YG, can in fact be so precise that they do move away from a musical presentation. I'm not agreeing with that sentiment; just using it to support your own sense of the sound. But like Westminster's own man of mirth above, @Hifi_swlon, I agree that a cable change would be a good place to start. From my own limited experience, cables can 'tune' the sound of a system, and so I believe that you could get a bit of softness with different speaker cables, or other parts. I even think that the digital edge you hear would be related to the treble end of the spectrum, and that is (I think) the easier end to attenuate or adjust with cables.

As well, the Bluesound Node 2 is a decent product, a bit better than a stock Sonos Connect by the reports I've read. However, when I got a modded Sonos, the sound improvement was impressive. So, perhaps a different front end/ streaming source?

I think that many shops would lend out cables or bits from Aurilic or Aurender. I would definitely try the small, incremental steps first. And although you are handicapped by having 'only' a D200, you have a system that would certainly reveal any SQ changes that a cable change or streamer change yields.

Finally, I think the Pro upgrade is huge and wonderful, but I also accept that for some, it is not the SQ change they are after. That's a tough one to advise on.

@Damon Actually, I have a Bluesound Node 2 and use it as a front end through the Devialet for MQA files on Roon.  It actually sounds pretty good.  On the other hand, I've been using Roon/Devialet for non-MQA material and that's where some (not all) files can sound too digital.  I see, too, that you suggest a cable change.  I'll be thinking about that...

[Flashman]

@Flashman , When I went to my dealer to have a listen to some speakers, he also had the 1.5's and told me they'd be too hot in the treble for my taste. I never listened to them. I did however listen to the Giya G3 at the end of a Devialet 240 and listened specifically to some treble hot recordings. The Giya G3's didn't sound hot or digital at all. The source was a MacBook Pro via USB.

With the Giya range being a step up form the oval range I would expect it to be more revealing and more true to the recording.

So knowing what I know and reading what you have to say I come to the conclusion (an educated guess perhaps?) that it's most likely the 1.5's that are the 'problem' (the actual problem being the hot recordings).

I bought my D200 (170 at the time) because it did a number of things; It sounded great. It had the possibility to be used as a DAC/Pre-amp (future plans that never happened) and it had the possibility to use tone controls. It's the tone controls I suggest you have a play with. I use them for recordings that are too hot or lack bass and I can tell you they do help to make certain recordings enjoyable to listen to. They don't sound perfect but then again they're not perfect recordings to start with so you can't expect perfection in the first place.

Another few things to contemplate; set your speakers up a little closer to each other and put some absorbing material on the first reflection point on the side walls.

Good luck!

Pim

@Pim Huh, adjust the tone controls on some recordings.  Hadn't thought of that.  Will try!

[Confused]

I would add to Pim's words above. I note that you sometimes use Roon. Roon has a parametric equalizer that can be used to "fine tune" the sound of your system slightly. It is actually very powerful, as you can select specific frequencies, the range of boost/cut and Q values. As an example, you state that some recording sound "too digital". I think this might relate to prominence in the presence range (4kHz to 6kHz), rather than treble. OK, just an informed guess from myself, but it is very easy to experiment yourself, just try a -2dB or so cut in this range with one of your "digital" sounding recordings, and see if it makes a difference. It would cost nothing to try, you already have Roon, and if nothing else it would help give you some information as what is upsetting the balance of you system. So you could try a cut to the treble as Pim suggests, then maybe a cut in the presence range, and see (hear) what sounds best. I have played with this in the past, running Roon you can have the equalizer on an iPad, and fine tune the settings from the listening position in real time.

[Will]

@Flashman

I'm not able to talk about Lumin equipment, so I'm off topic pretty quickly. But.... some reviewers have commented that speakers like Vivid, or YG, can in fact be so precise that they do move away from a musical presentation. I'm not agreeing with that sentiment; just using it to support your own sense of the sound. But like Westminster's own man of mirth above, @Hifi_swlon, I agree that a cable change would be a good place to start. From my own limited experience, cables can 'tune' the sound of a system, and so I believe that you could get a bit of softness with different speaker cables, or other parts. I even think that the digital edge you hear would be related to the treble end of the spectrum, and that is (I think) the easier end to attenuate or adjust with cables.

As well, the Bluesound Node 2 is a decent product, a bit better than a stock Sonos Connect by the reports I've read. However, when I got a modded Sonos, the sound improvement was impressive. So, perhaps a different front end/ streaming source?

I think that many shops would lend out cables or bits from Aurilic or Aurender. I would definitely try the small, incremental steps first. And although you are handicapped by having 'only' a D200, you have a system that would certainly reveal any SQ changes that a cable change or streamer change yields.

Finally, I think the Pro upgrade is huge and wonderful, but I also accept that for some, it is not the SQ change they are after. That's a tough one to advise on.

@Damon Actually, I have a Bluesound Node 2 and use it as a front end through the Devialet for MQA files on Roon.  It actually sounds pretty good.  On the other hand, I've been using Roon/Devialet for non-MQA material and that's where some (not all) files can sound too digital.  I see, too, that you suggest a cable change.  I'll be thinking about that...

I suppose it comes down to individual listening preferences.  I used to use Bluesound Node as Devialet Air was so unreliable.  While I think that the SQ of Bluesound s good, I prefer that of Roon Air.  

As well as being a listener to recorded music (in digital format), I frequently attend classical music concerts (the ultimate analogue music!).  In my opinion, Roon Air is closer to the “real” experience - a more realistic soundstage - and yes, a bit more analytical in that you can hear the detail.

[Flashman]

@Flashman

I'm not able to talk about Lumin equipment, so I'm off topic pretty quickly. But.... some reviewers have commented that speakers like Vivid, or YG, can in fact be so precise that they do move away from a musical presentation. I'm not agreeing with that sentiment; just using it to support your own sense of the sound. But like Westminster's own man of mirth above, @Hifi_swlon, I agree that a cable change would be a good place to start. From my own limited experience, cables can 'tune' the sound of a system, and so I believe that you could get a bit of softness with different speaker cables, or other parts. I even think that the digital edge you hear would be related to the treble end of the spectrum, and that is (I think) the easier end to attenuate or adjust with cables.

As well, the Bluesound Node 2 is a decent product, a bit better than a stock Sonos Connect by the reports I've read. However, when I got a modded Sonos, the sound improvement was impressive. So, perhaps a different front end/ streaming source?

I think that many shops would lend out cables or bits from Aurilic or Aurender. I would definitely try the small, incremental steps first. And although you are handicapped by having 'only' a D200, you have a system that would certainly reveal any SQ changes that a cable change or streamer change yields.

Finally, I think the Pro upgrade is huge and wonderful, but I also accept that for some, it is not the SQ change they are after. That's a tough one to advise on.

@Damon Actually, I have a Bluesound Node 2 and use it as a front end through the Devialet for MQA files on Roon.  It actually sounds pretty good.  On the other hand, I've been using Roon/Devialet for non-MQA material and that's where some (not all) files can sound too digital.  I see, too, that you suggest a cable change.  I'll be thinking about that...

I suppose it comes down to individual listening preferences.  I used to use Bluesound Node as Devialet Air was so unreliable.  While I think that the SQ of Bluesound s good, I prefer that of Roon Air.  

As well as being a listener to recorded music (in digital format), I frequently attend classical music concerts (the ultimate analogue music!).  In my opinion, Roon Air is closer to the “real” experience - a more realistic soundstage - and yes, a bit more analytical in that you can hear the detail.

@Will Thanks for your feedback!