Spark is so awful - I hope Airplay is coming

[dmitrek]

Spark is super-expensive to make and it's good that Devialet even providing this, instead of hardware only controls and requirement to buy other equipment to make Phantoms work. Airplay option won't really help: Airplay uses compressed audio and could be playing with the gaps. As for the interface design — it could be made better, sure way. Just give them some time!

[Hifi_swlon]

….

Now here is what I can't understand.  Over in the Roon Labs forum (or maybe it was in this forum) it was stated by someone that Devialet has no interest in integrating the Roon Labs streaming protocol (RATT) directly into the Phantoms or Dialogue so you would not need to buy something like the Sonicorbiter SE.  Correct me if you know otherwise, but I don't think Roon labs charges the hardware manufacturers for this because they want it integrated into as much hardware as possible as they make money via end user subscription (annual or lifetime).  The only reason I can think that Devialet is resistant to integrating Roon directly into the Phantoms or Dialogue is that perhaps they generate some revenue from the streaming services they integrates into Spark and doing this would violate those agreements.

Bottom line is Roon Labs plus Phantoms are a great combination.  It's just unfortunate the Devialet is forcing it's user base to use Spark unless they get creative and spend a bit more on solutions such as Roon or Sonos.

It originated in the Roon forums, where the Roon founders discussed Devialet's position - which to summarise was an initial interest in the Expert range compatibility, but flat refusal for anything Phantom, and more recently turned into Devialet not even taking a meeting to discuss the idea further on either platform. Roon would love to get Devialet onboard. Devialet it appears have little to no interest. As far as I'm aware from discussions on the Roon forum, not only is their SDK free to use and integrate, Roon actively help manufacturers do it, and test it.

Why manufacturers - not just Devialet - want to lock people into their own ecosystem is beyond me in this day and age, but I guess they get something from it. The only thing I can think of in this case is (a) they assume Spark's is amazing and you woukldnt want anything else and/or (b) since it only works with Phantoms you'll have to buy Phantoms for all your other rooms in multi-room setup, whereas with an open system you'd be free to choose. Of course, to my mind this will work on a bunch of customers that just walk into a shop and buy something unsuspecting of these restrictions/limitations, but the other bunch that are more educated will chose something else. I guess theyve done the maths and the 'uneducated' are out there in larger numbers. Or, these brands are just arrogant

[Hifi_swlon]

Spark is super-expensive to make ….

It didn't feel it when I tried it.

[Johnnydev]

As seems to be the general consensus here, the speakers themselves are amazing. But the app is crap.

• The volume control in the Spark app is designed by a mad person. You should be able to move a control its full distance in one smooth movement. This click, drag, release, move, click, drag, release rubbish is insanity.
  
• The English text is poorly translated French which is often difficult to understand. The same applies to their website. Some might find this endearing, I find it amateur.
  
• I can build one playlist, but I can't save it, or make multiple playlists. The playlist disappears between plays.
  
• I can't view more details about a track – I sometimes have many copies of a track, so I can't tell which file type or quality one I'm trying to play.
  
• Many tracks say "data not available", or are unplayable and it's not clear why.
  
• When I search for tracks, they often don't show up even though I know they're there, or the app defaults back to showing everything even though I've entered a search term.
  
• There's no ability to search just by track name, artist name, album name, etc.
  
• There is no mechanism to refresh the track list. Some old tracks seem to persist even when I've deleted them.
  
• I can't choose to have the music stop when I quit the app.
  

The whole thing is an unreliable and buggy embarrassment. Really not what I would expect from a company that can make balls that sound so wonderful, or from a company that charges nearly £5000 for a pair of them. Devialet, please outsource this to someone who understands human interface design instead of assuming you know better. Do they even read these forums?

I know Devialet have said they are working on Apple Music support. I hope that includes Airplay support, and I can ditch the app altogether.

Though I recognise some of the critique you have, I still work with Spark daily and it's working fine for me. The playlist are lacking yes, and playing files from a local source really needs work. But since I use Tidal I'm quite happy. Search works well for me, I find everything that's in Tidal (searching on tracks, albums, artists the like) and "data not available" only appears when the file is not available in FLAC. 

You last point is because Spark is not playing the files directly, the Phantoms are streaming themselves. All different apps can control the Phantoms (I operate from my MacBook pro, iPhone and iPad) so when which one closes should the Phantoms stop playing? And the bad translation, what's wrong with French? Maybe we should accept more languages are okay and it's amateuristic to expect everything to always be in English .

Again, Spark for sure needs (a lot of) work but for me it gets the job done.

Hi frenkb: I totally agree with you. i using spark on the same way as you do only then with quboz and it's working for me also fine, especially when using the devialet remote. That thing is great for me and the whole family!   

And yes devialet has to do a several updates etc., but i have confidence that if we give devialet the time it certainly will be fine.   

I operate also with macbookpro and ipad's en several i phono's and it's just good that when one of these devices/apps closes that the music is not stop playing. At this way you can take over the music from every device without stopping the music. If you want to stop the music, just do it in the spark app on one of the devices.

Also the language i totally agree with you, we do our best to give it in the best englisch we have  
However unfortunate that there are people like sekriT on this site who find it necesarry to have to give up critism here in a rude way  

I think devialet delivers a great job, especialy if you use the system as intended.

[Hifi_swlon]

Also the language i totally agree with you, we do our best to give it in the best englisch we have  

Johnnydev, do I take it you work for Devialet?

[Johnnydev]

Also the language i totally agree with you, we do our best to give it in the best englisch we have  

Johnnydev, do I take it you work for Devialet?

no, I think they also have the same problems with the language and I 'm not a Frenchman , just a happy customer

[Jamington2004]

Great thread . A little story from a newbie to the modern world below
  
I have always been a vinyl nut and bought the Phantoms with no intention of that changing - but now I realise the benefits of streaming from my phone with so little difference in SQ - I am seriously thinking of packing my records and TT away for the time being!

Anyway - not being a streamer at heart I have been happily putting up with Spark Tidal on my phone and all its shortfalls - being blinded by the magic of it all!

Then came Spotify connect - and I noticed just how much better the software is. 

Then I realised I could actually stream the main TIDAL App to my Apple TV or Airport and into the dialogue. Again the main Tidal App makes mincemeat of the Spark app - looks wise and functionality.

I have now worked out if I put dialogue optical onto "auto detect" and into my optical switch with TT / Apple TV / Sky Box plugged in ...... I think I need never open Spark at all?

Spotify goes straight to Phantom
Tidal goes to Apple TV (which doesn't even need switching on as it auto detects the stream) then is auto detected by dialogue

It's a shame they don't just add Phantoms as a source in the Tidal App like in Spotify, then I wouldn't need my Apple TV or Optical in the chain. 

I could then get rid of my Optical switch (as I have done with my Bluetooth receiver now Sporify connect is there) and just plug my skybox into dialogue - and swap for my TT on the odd occasion. 

So either AirPlay (if SQ isn't compromised) or Tidal to Phantom direct would make it all Perfect for me

And to add to the list of Spark Tidal issues - after the last update I don't see the track name on the "now playing" bar at the bottom - only artist

And only one play queue / no playlists / no favourites 

So I am one happy Devialet customer - but am beginning to understand all the fuss about Spark now I am starting to use the other apps!

On a final positive note - since the last couple of updates I and toggle between optical and Tidal seamlessly without crashing the system. Before I had to careful to pause one source before starting the other...and even then....

[sekriT]

frenkb and Johnnydev,

We realize that you are the happy couple on this forum. We couldn't care less if you agree with each other. If Spark is working well for you, it's because your expectations are set too low. Not the case for the remaining 97% of this forum.  You don't have to give us psychotherapy by saying that everything is going to be alright.  There were times that we were patient and waiting. Watching the pace of progress in Spark, it will take them at least 3 years to make Spark an OK interface. If you guys are young and can wait that long, that's fine. We think it is time for Devialet to deliver what they promised to their customers.

[booshtukka]

You last point is because Spark is not playing the files directly, the Phantoms are streaming themselves. All different apps can control the Phantoms (I operate from my MacBook pro, iPhone and iPad) so when which one closes should the Phantoms stop playing?

Well, you could have an option in the settings saying "Stop playing when app is closed? Yes/No". That seems an easy solution.

And the bad translation, what's wrong with French? Maybe we should accept more languages are okay and it's amateuristic to expect everything to always be in English .

Nothing is wrong with French. My mother is French. But if everything was badly translated in the other direction, from English to French, I would also think that unacceptable from a luxury brand.

[Johnnydev]

frenkb and Johnnydev,

We realize that you are the happy couple on this forum. We couldn't care less if you agree with each other.  If Spark is working well for you, it's because your expectations are set too low. Not the case for the remaining 97% of this forum.  You don't have to give us psychotherapy by saying that everything is going to be alright.  There were times that we were patient and waiting. Watching the pace of progress in Spark, it will take them at least 3 years to make Spark an OK interface. If you guys are young and can wait that long, that's fine. We think it is time for Devialet to deliver what they promised to their customers.

97% of this forum ?????