Should I ?

[Nomad]

hi all. New to high  end equipment. Dont know much tell you truth. Anyway I come across devialet 12 months ago in a review and thought this sounds perfect. All in one system. I’v just picked up a pair of focal sopra n1. Speakers first I thought. I’m using my account amp which is a marantz 6013. Decent amp by all means. Rubbish cables too. Now the tweeters sound amazing. I’v only got amazon music playing Bluetooth. I was expecting a bit more punch from the bass and mid. So my question is should I go all cards in and buy a devialet?? Will this bring the sopra’s to life. Thx

[ogs]

The N1 has a SAM profile https://www.devialet.com/en-us/expert-pr.../sopra-n1/ so there is a good chance a Devialet would give your Sopras the extra punch. Any chance you could try say a 140 or 220Pro CI at home? It is always better to try a combination your self.

[David A]

I have a 140 Pro with Focal Sopra 2s and it's a really great combination in my view. Should you buy a Devialet? It's not an easy question to answer.

I find my 140 Pro very neutral and transparent and that means that it will show up brightness elsewhere in the system. I don't find the Sopra tweeter bright but it is extended and with a bright source and/or a bright sounding room you may find the Devialet/Sopra combination a bit bright sounding overall. I don't know how close to the walls you have your Sopras but getting them out into the room and well away from walls can help. You may lose a bit of bass reinforcement but SAM can help there and distance from the walls helps deliver a more open and sweet top end in my experience. You can always dial the top end back a bit with the treble tone control as well.

You say your Sopras are lacking much in the bass and mids. I'm unfamiliar with the Marantz 6013 but I just checked its specs and it's rated at 150 w/ch into 6 Ohms, 2 channels driven. That's basically the same as my 140 Pro (150 W delivers an unnoticeable amount of additional power relative to 140 W) but the Devialet's class AD Hybrid amp and low damping factor should deliver better bass and mids than the Marantz. My 140 Pro replaced a NAD M3 integrated with higher output than the 140 Pro but the 140 Pro delivered better bass than the M3 and I would expect you would get a similar result but the only way to find out is to actually try it. Is there anywhere you can audition a Devialet with your Sopras or can you arrange a home audition of a Devialet?

And what Devialet are you considering? Even the 140 Pro, the lowest price current Devialet model, is around 4 times the price of a Marantz 6013 here in Australia. Depending on the kind of music you like, the level you like listening at, and the size of your room you may find yourself needing more power than the 140 Pro can deliver. A Devialet is going to be an expensive upgrade but your Sopra 1s aren't going to be delivering their best with a receiver like the 6013.

Finally, if you want to use Bluetooth then you need to be aware that currently the Devialet's do not do Bluetooth. It was promised for the current model Expert Pros as part of the list of features to come with Devialet's Core Infinity processor board but it has currently not been delivered. There is apparently a new firmware update for the Expert Pros in testing prior to release but we don't know what new features will be included. Bluetooth capability is long overdue and it would be disappointing, given that, if it isn't included in the next update but there's no real word of when we may expect the new update and it's now nearly 13 months since the last update and over 2 years since the Core Infinity board was introduced. If Bluetooth capability isn't in the next update you could find yourself waiting a long time for Bluetooth so I would not rush to upgrade to a Devialet if Bluetooth is essential to you. If you're looking at older, used Devialet's rather than a new one then check whether it will handle Bluetooth before buying. My feeling is that earlier models than the current range can not do Bluetooth so you will need to consider a current model.

In addition, if you're going to only be streaming from Amazon over Bluetooth I'd be looking at improving my streaming method first before upgrading to a Devialet. You should be able to improve your connection to the 6013 for a very modest outlay and get better results than you're currently getting. Whatever you do on that front will also deliver better results with a Devialet if you do decide to buy one and if you don't do anything about your source connection the Devialet will probably make the weaknesses of that connection more obvious. I'd be looking at how you stream to your amp as the first step and leaving a Devialet to later if it were me. High end gear can deliver better sound and a Devialet will sound better than a 6013, but Bluetooth is not a high quality source and it's always going to be a limiting factor when it comes to the results you get. Given the modest cost of improving your streaming connection compared to the cost of a Devialet I'd definitely be starting with my streaming connection if I were you.

[David A]

Not a "no", more a "not the first thing I'd do and there are a couple of things to consider, especially if you want to use Bluetooth which the Devialet currently does not do but which is something we were promised".

[Antoine]

Bluetooth capabilities were introduced with the CI Pro models, earlier models will not support it. And as David says Bluetooth has not been enabled yet in the most recent firmware.

Bluetooth is indeed not the best way to stream music to any device BTW. The stream is compressed. Apple Airplay will be better and Devialet AIR or Roon RAAT will better that.

Any Devialet will outperform the Marantz but if it will fix any thinness in the mids or weakness in the bass no one can tell. It could, but speaker setup (placement in the room taking in account also the seating position) will be much more important. Home auditions are indeed very wise. Perhaps you can find a dealer who can also help you going on speaker setup.

[Nomad]

Thanks for the input. The Bluetooth was just the way I was listening to music. I say was because never again will I be doing it at home . So 2day I hooked my marantz up to the worldwide web. Got amazon music and tuneit radio pumping direct. What a difference. The speakers come alive. The speeds on them where saying 256 on Amazon and from 100 and odd up to 320 kbpm on tuneit thing so next question if I may. I can get hold of a ex demo expert pro 220 with 5y warranty for under £4000 but I probably have be quickish about it. Used are going for more. I won’t be able to demo it at home.
So how much better will the expert 220 be. Thx again

[markush]

Even with the 140 Pro that will be just a huge leap forward compared to the 6013!! Like day & night.

[Pim]

Even with the 140 Pro that will be just a huge leap forward compared to the 6013!! Like day & night.

...with hail coming down on your roof during that night. Really, Devialet is playing in a different league to Marantz. I say go for it. You might have to work out a way to play via WIFI or Internet but the effort will definitely worth it.