Will Devialet ever release new Expert features?

[mdconnelly]

DevialetChat has been my home for nearly 2 years now. It is a great resource in so many respects and kudos to those that keep it running and contributing to it. Imagine how frustrating Devialet would seem without DevialetChat!

Speaking for myself, I will continue to return here routinely in the hopes of hearing news about what's going on at Devialet. The new OS/streaming board, firmware updates, Roon integration, etc.... So yes, I have expectations of Devialet - primarily because they set those expectations.

Like @Confused, I find myself thoroughly enjoying my system while resigned to Devialet's lack of communication. But I thoroughly believe there is more ahead for Devialet Expert owners. Just no clue as to what or when.

[Finn]

Before the Pro models we get update almost every 6 months ,i Think that we expect to much , if they Don,t give US update minium 2 times every year, we blame Them for that, But there is for every compagny a limit, give Them time, we Will get ney update,s but it Will take some times , if you bye other hifi ,you Don,t get updates like devialet, so give time and enjoy your devialet and wait you Will se things come our way

[Music or sound]

I am all for speaker correction but room correction is a misnomer as one alters the speaker output and does not correct the room. The room has to be corrected by acoustical means so I hope Devialet continues to not implement room correction.

I hope that it's ok if I disagree on this part In my opinion it would be great to have both, digital room and speaker correction so that one could enable/disable and tweak those features freely.

I have found digital room correction working extremely well for me. It requires a lot of tweaking to find a preferred target curve but it's all worth it - the results are so great. I could not even think about listening without digital room correction now. I have many acoustic panels and bass traps in my listening room but I only got minor improvements with those. I have a small room with many acoustic problems (like several -10 and -15db dips and then a massive +24db mode at 40hz). I got much better results by using digital room correction.

Therefore, I would hope Devialet to support both of these DSP features in the future.

Most acoustic panels are not effective below 400Hz and bass traps below 100 Hz (see data sheets). Newer products based on Helmholz resonators or  diaphragmatic sound absorbers are quite effective at low frequencies. Small rooms are more problematic and digital correction is a more feasible or cheaper but I have not heard any digital room correction that made the low frequencies sound correct as overtones are correlated to base frequencies and all are corrected differently. Also low frequencies are not uniform in the room so the correction is very limited in space (even if a spacial array of measurements is used).

[Hifi_swlon]

Most acoustic panels are not effective below 400Hz and bass traps below 100 Hz (see data sheets). Newer products based on Helmholz resonators or  diaphragmatic sound absorbers are quite effective at low frequencies. Small rooms are more problematic and digital correction is a more feasible or cheaper but I have not heard any digital room correction that made the low frequencies sound correct as overtones are correlated to base frequencies and all are corrected differently. Also low frequencies are not uniform in the room so the correction is very limited in space (even if a spacial array of measurements is used).

I'm with Petrik here - Room Correction is fantastic and far more useful than speaker correction for me personally. Yes, in an ideal world we'd listen in studio level 'perfect' rooms, but the reality for many of us is this simply isn't possible/desirable. In those circumstances and in tricky rooms the gains are huge, eclipsing SAM type speaker corrections which would be completely lost in my room.

But anyway the DSP debate is for elsewhere. Point is, some of use would use it.

I use very few of the features - vinyl oriented ones, advanced crossovers, cinema features - none of which are of interest to me right now but I'm glad they're there for others who want them, or if I need them later on.

I was thinking about an earlier comment that Devialet made a rod for their own back with EVO. Possibly. But they also probably gained a lot of sales - few people like buying bleeding edge kit thinking it will be out if date immediately - so they allayed that fear with the EVO promise.

I was also thinking "what is impatient"? Is it expecting there might be around one new feature a year, or two a year? Or maybe one every two years? I don't think we've even had the latter.

The biggest shame is it's one of very few combined DAC/amplifiers that's so cutting edge it could actually have loads of cool features.

I hope they surprise me with something new I wasn't expecting (maybe wasn't even aware of) but can use. But something would be better than nothing - at least then I'd think theyre still putting resources into keeping the Experts cutting edge.

[bernardl]

I wonder sometimes if this is about listening to music or something else.

I am super happy about my 250 Pro, don't think it could really get significantly better than this, even the streamer board won't change significantly my listening pleasure.

I would advise to listen instead to the new Camille called "Oui" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WJddbYktC4

Cheers,
Bernard

[no32]

The main aspect that has to be improved and updated is connectivity to digital data. So one can hope that the "upcoming" streamer board will be a major improvement and make the experts competitive with others recent high end DACs/amps. 

Speaking of which I tested a Linn KDS/3 this am.

It took me minutes to connect to Qobuz WITHOUT a computer in sight. It also found my library on my SonicTransporter (which is where Roon server resides) in seconds. Nice iPhone interface too.

No need for a standalone streamer, just an ethernet connection to the network.

If I'd wanted to I could have used the room correction that Linn offer too.

Guillaume

Btw how did it sound

[ogs]

I am all for speaker correction but room correction is a misnomer as one alters the speaker output and does not correct the room. The room has to be corrected by acoustical means so I hope Devialet continues to not implement room correction.

I do not at all agree with you on  room correction. I've just had my speakers SAM'ed. I have used SAM with good results for many years, but with the 'wrong' profile. SAM helps a lot and especially when using a profile made for your speakers, but it is digital room correction that really changes quality of speaker/room interaction. Of course it does not change the room. That is the whole point! I do not want the room changed, nor does my wife. I have nothing against acoustic room treatment, but it is not very practical in a living room. Further, I do not want Devialet to implement room correction (make it themselves). I want them to support convolution in the DSP with filters made in Audiolense or Acourate. I started using DRC many years ago and can not live without it. If you'd heard proper DRC in action I am sure you'd change opinion.

[Rodney Gold]

Devialet have no experience in room correction .. I would rather leave it for offboard implementation.. like DIRAC or Acourate or Brute fir ..guys who know their oats .
Roon and other playback schemes also have facilities for room correction or include dsp engines and convolution engines

[GuillaumeB]

The main aspect that has to be improved and updated is connectivity to digital data. So one can hope that the "upcoming" streamer board will be a major improvement and make the experts competitive with others recent high end DACs/amps. 

Speaking of which I tested a Linn KDS/3 this am.

It took me minutes to connect to Qobuz WITHOUT a computer in sight. It also found my library on my SonicTransporter (which is where Roon server resides) in seconds. Nice iPhone interface too.

No need for a standalone streamer, just an ethernet connection to the network.

If I'd wanted to I could have used the room correction that Linn offer too.

Guillaume

Btw how did it sound

It sounded quite a bit better than I remember the previous KDS models, I did own a KDS for 3 or 4 years. Still has that ever so slightly laid back presentation but the detail and musicality is way better now. It's definitely up there with some of the best DACs I have heard. What struck me most was the sense of timing, on a few tracks I just wanted to get up and dance! 

At nearly £16k it has very stiff competition though.   And the lack of DSD would be a problem for me.

The reason I brought it up in this thread was more to make the point of how features can be really nice too. It was literally a case of turning on the unit and in seconds starting up the Kazoo app which instantly gave me access to my Qobuz account and files stored locally. 

I detected very little difference between music streamed from the internet and locally so the built-in streamer element seemed pretty good to me. 

OK the interface isn't as nice as Roon and it doesn't do the Tidal thing (that Roon does) but overall I was just really impressed by the way everything was fuss free. I could easily live with this in other words.

But anyway I am digressing as this is really a conversation about the missing OS board. 

Guillaume

[Hifi_swlon]

Devialet have no experience in room correction .. I would rather leave it for offboard implementation.. like DIRAC or Acourate or Brute fir ..guys who know their oats .
Roon and other playback schemes also have facilities for room correction or include dsp engines and convolution engines

Trouble with that is, it restricts it to either single source/input, or you need to add a hardware box which generally comes with its own limitations.

All they need to do is add convolution. And a way to select which filter you want - maybe headroom and a clipping indicator. PEQ would be nice but could live without. Then the rest is done by the likes of Acourate etc as you suggest. Roon aren't Room Correction experts, but their solution/implementation is fantastic IMO. This is the sort of thinking I hope Devialet start doing.

Not just in Room Correction, but adding useful well thought out AND NEW(!) features in general.