17-Jun-2015, 09:04
Hi Phil - you threw me a bit with that question and I couldn't answer straight away! I'm not very familiar with Naim I have to admit but when I've borrowed/listened to Naim I tend to find myself playing music with screaming guitar solos as it seems to enhances those frequencies.
On the other hand with my Devialet I find it can err towards 'bright' and a edgy. I think that early impression is disappearing. possibly firmware updates are taming it a bit. I personally find (and no-one ever seems to have agreed with me!
) that the top end drops off as the temperature increases and I find it starts to sound muffled when temps are getting >45C or so. Again recent firmware updates have given better thermal stability and I wonder partly whether Devialet have tackled that in order to stabilise sound quaility. With DPM on especially it's very stable (though some don't like the idea that power supply could be being reduced or processed somehow). Another factor is my speakers which are quite soft in the treble, plus room interactions where it's a bit bass-heavy for me (small room, speakers too close to the wall).
So with that verbal diarrhoea I think I'm trying to say that *my* Devialet & speakers can err towards the soft muffled-in-the-treble sound and I tend to be impressed with changes that boost the treble a little. This can also reveal quite a bit more detail so the pay-off is often very satisfying.
But when it comes to Devialet / Melco / Totaldac - the Melco just seems to bring an increase in quality. Smoothness is a part of that but mainly more detail, lower noise floor, calm. The Totaldac so far is a little different and seems to be bringing an improvement in following melodies. Frequency-wise (apart from out-of-the-box where it was a little muffled) it's about the same. Both seem to being qualitative improvements but don't really seem to alter the sonic characteristics (frequencies/EQ I mainly mean).
It doesn't sound like Naim. It's more towards the Linn spectrum but then I found mine was before I got Melco/Totaldac anyway and I supposed I aimed for that a little with my choice of speakers. It's more definitely refined now with the Melco & Totaldac. I have heard too much Linn that sounded a bit polite and background dinner party-like though and it's definitely not towards that end of the spectrum! Linn speakers have contributed to that impression though the recent ones I've heard have been better and more forward.
On the other hand with my Devialet I find it can err towards 'bright' and a edgy. I think that early impression is disappearing. possibly firmware updates are taming it a bit. I personally find (and no-one ever seems to have agreed with me!
) that the top end drops off as the temperature increases and I find it starts to sound muffled when temps are getting >45C or so. Again recent firmware updates have given better thermal stability and I wonder partly whether Devialet have tackled that in order to stabilise sound quaility. With DPM on especially it's very stable (though some don't like the idea that power supply could be being reduced or processed somehow). Another factor is my speakers which are quite soft in the treble, plus room interactions where it's a bit bass-heavy for me (small room, speakers too close to the wall).So with that verbal diarrhoea I think I'm trying to say that *my* Devialet & speakers can err towards the soft muffled-in-the-treble sound and I tend to be impressed with changes that boost the treble a little. This can also reveal quite a bit more detail so the pay-off is often very satisfying.
But when it comes to Devialet / Melco / Totaldac - the Melco just seems to bring an increase in quality. Smoothness is a part of that but mainly more detail, lower noise floor, calm. The Totaldac so far is a little different and seems to be bringing an improvement in following melodies. Frequency-wise (apart from out-of-the-box where it was a little muffled) it's about the same. Both seem to being qualitative improvements but don't really seem to alter the sonic characteristics (frequencies/EQ I mainly mean).
It doesn't sound like Naim. It's more towards the Linn spectrum but then I found mine was before I got Melco/Totaldac anyway and I supposed I aimed for that a little with my choice of speakers. It's more definitely refined now with the Melco & Totaldac. I have heard too much Linn that sounded a bit polite and background dinner party-like though and it's definitely not towards that end of the spectrum! Linn speakers have contributed to that impression though the recent ones I've heard have been better and more forward.
