Moving on to class A/B and separate streamer

[Delija]

Exactly. Compare it with 250 Pro or 440 Pro.

And also - it is speaker dependent which amp will sound better.

[Flashman]

Exactly. Compare it with 250 Pro or 440 Pro.

And also - it is speaker dependent which amp will sound better.

Excellent point about speaker compatibility with certain amps.  Whether another amplifier subjectively sounds better than a Devialet amp is dependent on multiple aspects.  

My past preference for Devialet included its wonderfully elegant one-box sleight-of-hand, SAM profiles (when I had a speaker that had a SAM profile), Roon Ready capability and hybrid power amplification (ADH), among other things.  But those factors also had to mesh well with my audio ecosystem and there are other amps that might bring equal or more satisfaction to my proverbial table.  Plus, while it may not matter to some, I am eager to try full MQA decoding and the Leedh processing in Lumin streamers.

Anyway, I have been really pleased with my Devialet experience but am eager to try some other scenarios.

[paul.oorbeek]

I was on PM with someone from another forum a while ago. He told me that he had Gryphon dual mono pure class A amps (I forget which specific model), and being pure class A they have substantially better sound quality that an ADH Devialet. He might be right, or maybe not, further investigation revealed he had never listened to a Devialet and he said wouldn't want to anyway.

Oh well.

Anyway, I have always wanted to listen to a Gryphon but never had the chance, maybe one day.

@ICUDoc - Keep us updated, I would be very interested to hear your observations with the Gryphon Sig and the Evo. (assuming it ever turns up)

I had an Gryphon Tabu so an older entry level amp and changed it to any Expert 140 Pro which gave me an better SQ. Gryphon is next to Devialet my favorite brand due to there design philosophy. I think due to the all in one design you have to pay at least double the amount of money for an step up in SQ.

Sent from my VOG-L29 using Tapatalk

[Flashman]

A few days ago, I received the Kinki EX-M7 power amp. I connected it to my Lumin T2 streamer (purchased as a demo from an authorized dealer) via Grimm XLRs and proceeded to run through some of my favorite test tracks.

Right out of the box, the combination sounded terrific. Better than the Devialet? Yes, with some qualifications as you'll see below.

On a song I know quite well, there is a dual vocal with one being slightly recessed. On the new combo, the sound could be pinpointed in space and was more apparent than on the 220. Perhaps the combo has better detail retrieval? Bass control was perhaps not as good as the Devialet but this might change after amp burn-in, estimated to be in the 300-hour range. Mid-range was definitely better with a more liquid sound on vocals. The sound-stage was wider and higher but not in an unnatural way.

The difficulty in comparing the new combo with the 220 is that I don't know how much to ascribe to the Lumin T2 vs. the Kinki amp. I didn't try the Lumin into the Devialet, for instance, since I knew the Devialet would apply its DAC after the Lumin DAC. I didn't think that would be a valid effort.

Negatives? The Kinki amp is a beast and not as svelte as the Devialet. It was nice to be able to turn the Devialet on and off using the Roon app. With the new combo, I can turn on the Lumin in the Roon app but I need to physically turn on (and off) the Kinki amp. Not a big deal but points to Devialet. Also, the Devialet didn't need much warm-up IMHO while the Kinki needs about 20 minutes. Interestingly, when the Devialet was on and I was not playing a song, I could never hear anything when I put my ear to the speakers. Just silence. With the Kinki, there is a slight hiss. You'd never hear it from a distance nor when playing a song but it's there. There is an AC filter switch on the Kinki and I will check with the manufacturer to see whether engaging that switch might make a difference. Again, not a big deal. Finally, the Devialet has other attributes, such as a phono stage and SAM profiles, so it is a more complete device.

In sum, I'm glad I made the change. I suspect I will listen to more music. Hard to believe that the Kinki amp will get better by 300 hours but we shall see.

If anyone wishes to purchase my 220 and lives in the United States, send me a PM.

[ogs]

There is a BNC digital (SPDIF) out on the T2. Easy to try it with the 220Pro if you wish to - just to learn what the T2 brings to digital streaming. The T2 might even work on USB to the Devialet.

[BrianT]

I moved on from a Devialet 440Pro to a Vinnie Rossi L2i-SE
only 100 wpc, and I do not regret the change.

I believe more openness and better sound stage, with little less bass.
Male and female vocals are gorgeous.

https://www.vinnierossi.com/l2-se-integrated-amplifier/

Brian
Ottawa, Canada.

[Pim]

A few days ago, I received the Kinki EX-M7 power amp.  I connected it to my Lumin T2 streamer (purchased as a demo from an authorized dealer) via Grimm XLRs and proceeded to run through some of my favorite test tracks.

Right out of the box, the combination sounded terrific.  Better than the Devialet?  Yes, with some qualifications as you'll see below.

On a song I know quite well, there is a dual vocal with one being slightly recessed.  On the new combo, the sound could be pinpointed in space and was more apparent than on the 220.  Perhaps the combo has better detail retrieval?  Bass control was perhaps not as good as the Devialet but this might change after amp burn-in, estimated to be in the 300-hour range.  Mid-range was definitely better with a more liquid sound on vocals.  The sound-stage was wider and higher but not in an unnatural way.

The difficulty in comparing the new combo with the 220 is that I don't know how much to ascribe to the Lumin T2 vs. the Kinki amp.  I didn't try the Lumin into the Devialet, for instance, since I knew the Devialet would apply its DAC after the Lumin DAC.  I didn't think that would be a valid effort.

Negatives?  The Kinki amp is a beast and not as svelte as the Devialet.  It was nice to be able to turn the Devialet on and off using the Roon app.  With the new combo, I can turn on the Lumin in the Roon app but I need to physically turn on (and off) the Kinki amp.  Not a big deal but points to Devialet.  Also, the Devialet didn't need much warm-up IMHO while the Kinki needs about 20 minutes.  Interestingly, when the Devialet was on and I was not playing a song, I could never hear anything when I put my ear to the speakers.  Just silence.  With the Kinki, there is a slight hiss.  You'd never hear it from a distance nor when playing a song but it's there.  There is an AC filter switch on the Kinki and I will check with the manufacturer to see whether engaging that switch might make a difference.  Again, not a big deal.  Finally, the Devialet has other attributes, such as a phono stage and SAM profiles, so it is a more complete device.

In sum, I'm glad I made the change.  I suspect I will listen to more music.  Hard to believe that the Kinki amp will get better by 300 hours but we shall see.

If anyone wishes to purchase my 220 and lives in the United States, send me a PM.

I wonder whether the extra detail you get is a product of the lesser bass. When you load the room or drive your speakers with less bass, it's not uncommon to hear more detail in the mids and highs because they now stand out more.

If I were you, especially given you can hear a hiss, which to me indicates noise or an up tipped treble, I would try to emulate the sound you get from the Kinky's by changing the settings on the Expert and then do another comparison on the detail retrieval. You wouldn't be the first person to fall in love with detail only to find out later that the overall picture isn't as musical as you would like.

Nothing to lose.

Cheers,

Pim

[Flashman]

Pim, I checked and it's apparently normal for a small amount of hiss to come from the tweeter. Not a big deal as one has to have one's ear about an inch or two from the tweeter to hear it. As for the bass response, my understanding is that with amp break-in, this should improve. At this point, it isn't what I would call a profound difference. I am quite happy with the changes I have made to my system and believe they will only get better.

As for the Devialet Expert 220 Pro, it's packed up and ready for sale to another person!

[Delija]

Devialet also generates some small amount of hiss, but you need to use analog inputs to hear it and volume has to go above 0 dB. On digital inputs Devialet cuts the output if there is no active signal - so the hiss cannot be heard.

[Flashman]

Devialet also generates some small amount of hiss, but you need to use analog inputs to hear it and volume has to go above 0 dB. On digital inputs Devialet cuts the output if there is no active signal - so the hiss cannot be heard.

I did not know this, thanks.