Messages to Devialet

[Gerronwithit]

My message to Mr. Pierre-Emmanuel Calmel (Co-founder & CTO of Devialet) :

You know that the CI board can do so much more. Why don't develop further as initially intended (right)? It would be a joke if just using the board mainly for simple streaming. Devialet can raise the SQ to next level or 2/3 levels up and uses the technology to all Devialet's products including Phantoms and Reactors. You know, Toyota makes cars for ordinary people whilst stilling spent (burned) so much money in the race cars industry to push further the company's development.

I always think that Devialet can beat, in SQ term, all other highend brands if it really focuses to do it. 

Why not?

Hear! Hear!

[K4680]

There are some great ideas in here as always, but you’re wasting vital energy and life you could be enjoying elsewhere.

Devialet is what it is - the glory days are over and they aren’t coming back.

Honestly, you really all need to make peace with that or you’ll go insane.

Yes, right enough! Having spent thousands of pounds on a piece of equipment, join this discussion site and resign yourself to being chided for buying a flagship product and having the temerity of expecting it to evolve.

My last car was a BMW 3 series which I owned for ten years with little or no complaint. Guess what car I bought to replace it? I did look around and yet came to the conclusion that I wanted another touring as it covers all my needs. I also wanted 4 wheel drive as rear wheel drive is pretty useless in icy conditions and decided I wanted a little more horse power and stuck with diesel as the discount this gave me on the list price would take decades of heavy driving to punish me for that decision. All my desires satisfied by the evolutionary development of my original 3 series. Ten more years of satisfactory motoring, I hope.

Well, after I replace my current very indulgent Porsche with its evolutionary successor and maybe turn my attention to HiFi once again, I will definitely be looking at a supplier who shows long term development commitment as well as excellent sound.

+1
Hello, that's why we recently got an MCIntosh MA9000!  You never know ...

[Bwaze]

Thanks for taking the initiative, @Confused.  Here's my first message to Devialet:

Devialet, please would you make it possible to configure the Expert series amplifiers without depending on a connection to your web site?  Some alternatives I can think of are:

• provide the existing configurator back-end software (e.g. as open source) so that it can be run on a non-Devialet web server
  
• develop and provide an off-line configuration tool (e.g. for PC, Mac, iOS and/or Android) that can generate a configuration file without needing an Internet connection
  
• document the complete format of the configuration file -- including all options, limitations, and the integrity check mechanism -- so that a third-party can develop an independent configuration tool
  

Thanks.

This is a nice example of a real threat we face if online configurator remains the only option to configure our Devialet Experts, and something happens to the company (closes down or just grows tired of supporting old products):

Spectrum Kills Home Security Business, Refuses Refunds for Owners of Now-Worthless Equipment

[michaelrp2]

I haven't posted for a long long time and remain a very satisfied customer of Devialet. I went on the journey from D-Premier, to 240/250 to 250 Pro to 250 Pro CI. What other high end audio product has been supported through upgrades over a period of 10 years. Not many I would wager. I continue to use my Devialet on a daily basis and it still gives me many hours of satisfaction, especially with my new Magico speakers! Roon support was a step change and made a lot of logical sense. We just need Bluetooth, a new remote app with the option to configure without using the SD card and the option to configure input options, plus any residual bug remediation and I would say that we are more or less there. So in reality a little top and tailing is all that is needed. Beyond this change for change sake doesn't make much business sense imho. Notwithstanding I continue to be an strong advocate of this brand. That's my three pennies worth.

[Confused]

Devialet, this is how your rivals do it. Not so hard, I would have thought?

https://news.naimaudio.com/t/ViewEmail/r...9ED5AF8B9E

[K4680]

Another example: ROON

[mdconnelly]

Every company has a management philosophy and culture.  In this day and age of social media and online interaction, many companies have learned that the key to a customer's heart (and wallet) is to communicate with them, make them feel engaged and part of the process, give them a voice.  Many companies have learned to do this well, Roon being one of the best.  They encourage their customers to interact, they listen, and they engage.    Of course, they must have great products and services, but online engagement has proven to be a highly successful and informative marketing technique. 

In truth, DevialetChat served much of this purpose for us.  It was a huge benefit to me in learning how best to use my Expert and later, Expert Pro, and discovering how others used theirs.  If/when challenges arose, other members quickly responded, engaged and shared their experiences.  It has always been a vibrant and responsive community of customers supporting each other the best we could.  I can't thank those that manage DevialetChat enough for the platform and support they have provided.  It is hard to say how much Devialet paid attention to the DC chatter nor how much they appreciated the resource it provided to their customers.  But what was always missing was their voice, whether here on DC, or via channels such as NAIM's or any number of other paths not chosen.

[PeppaPig]

I don’t think any other high end Audio company keeps updating every single line of their product. The Expert Pro is relatively mature now and excellent performance. And Devialet did release a new model, the entry level dual mono model, it is a product line update.

In fact, unless there is a real performance/functional improvement, otherwise I would much prefer Devialet stop do any updates to it. Update causes money and de-appreciation to existing product.

In terms of software, Expert Pro is very capable in comparing any other high end amps in the market. Of course It will be good if they keep fixing minor bugs on it, update the iOS remote app for it.

High end market is small, Devialet need to survive first, and apparently Phantom is the product can do better job in creating cash flow.

Wish Devialet all the best in 2020.

[ssfas]

Devialet Expert has been around for 10 years and nothing touches it for design. My 250 Pro CI does everything that I want and more. Roon Ready 12 months ago was the cherry on top the cake.

Depending how Qobuz and Tidal go, eventually it should have Amazon HD onboard.

[markush]

Haha you could own a CD player too and say it‘s great and you don’t need nothing more
For those involved - they know very much what Devialet has been promising over the years and still didn’t deliver at all. It‘s a shame when every cheap vendor is delivering their hardware with a software that is way ahead to Devialet. Remote app, Bluetooth and much more - lost in space )