Devialet Chat

Last weekend's tweak thread drew a red flag report against me. No explanation or comment as to why, just "report & run." You don't like what someone's saying/doing just red flag report the post. Knocks their reputation down a point on the spot just cuz someone didn't like it!?! Do it again, another point and so on. Well, rather than play a childish game of "gotcha last" or red flag quid pro quo with this guy's posts I'm going to pursue this project instead... head-long and all out! If I reach my limit of red flag reports doing it and get booted you'll understand why. But I'm doing the project, audience or not!!

Tomorrow near 5am I'm starting complete disassembly of the Devialet with the goal of doing it in as absolutely few component pieces as possible in an effort to significantly increase SQ, enhance passive cooling efforts and reduce internal temperatures as much as possible with different, wiser, more organic and efficient methods. No rocket science involved! Just simple principles steeped in common sense and a zero 'bling' approach. Making notes along the way of all fastener sizes etc for replacement with non-magnetic stainless on reassembly. Still believe the GUI glass window is gonna be difficult as I believe its glued. But it could also fall right out in my hand. Camera will roll and updates here posted continuously until its done, back together, running cooler than before and playing music with appreciably better SQ than ever! Or I hit an unscalable wall or get invited not to have any fun with you guys any more in which case I'll continue privately. But it's going to be done! Anything/everything magnetic goes away save for the RCA jacks which I don't use so therefore it's limited to a proximal magnetic field issue outside the box and small indeed! If I see a smarter/better more organic way related to ANYTHING while inside at any time, I'll take it! And if this rubs some the wrong way, not my problem and I make no apologies for it. Its mine to do with as I see fit and thank you to all of you who support the effort, agree and/or feel similarly!

Backup sound system is set up and sounds wonderful so the Devialet isn't needed and I'm prepared to live with it that way as long as necessary. This could go on for an hour, a day, a week or a month... maybe longer but its time to put this baby to bed once and for all. I've harped on these issues long enough... time for me to put up or shut up!

Procedure starts tomorrow morning right after my first cuppa joe!

Salute to your efforts!

Go go, I will follow with big interest!

/Mike

Carry on! Don't break anything!

manoet we all enjoy you being the guinea pig to SQ enhancements when it comes to pulling apart our systems!

keep on truckin

Sounds real interesting, looks like I'm going to have a lot to read over the weekend.

Brian

Let the adventure begin. Please, update us with photos or a live stream !!

Will def follow this one

Small update; all primary PCB case mounting screws have been removed as well as the PCB stand-offs that are used in lieu of screws in some locations. Other plastic stand-offs have been loosened and all "2nd story" PCB's are removed but their stand-offs can't be removed themselves due to (I'm assuming) a small thin washer on their threads below the primary PCB to prevent them falling out when loosened. Its exceedingly slow-going first time as its like working with a puzzle trying to determine which fasteners are actually mounting the PCB to the underside of the top half. Tricks like using an ohm meter for that. Pim's barbie 'catch pan', that's actually an EMI shield for the digital PCB mounted to the underside of the bottom cover is also out. Amazingly easy when you're determined its coming out! I have a tweak for its mounting going back in that should net a couple F degrees cooler over OEM. However that pesky full-size primary PCB is still clinging to the underside of the top inexplicably. I've been working on my feet all morning as that keeps me sharper and more focused than when sitting. Which means I'm going to walk away, take a break for an hour or so minimum, make lunch, water my flowers, get reorganized etc. That break could easily extend until the evening or even tomorrow as I also still have pics to download, import and edit for posting. But as I mentioned previously this isn't a race for me and I have all the time in the world to get 'er done. And if I keep going later you guys likely won't get pics today and I know how important that is. So maybe I'll just go ahead and call it a day and get pics posted later then get back to disassembly tomorrow.

[attachment=552]The tear-down is done and only one BIG surprise! First I'll tell you I've machined a L-O-T of aluminum in my day. I mean tons! From 6061 T6 to 7075 (poor man's Titanium) 2024 and at one time or another many, many others. It wasn't my career but rather my hobby. Soon as I got the primary PCB out of the cover I knew immediately this cover is NOT aluminum! I'm 98+% sure I'm going to find its brass. Its FAR too heavy to be aluminum... I could feel it immediately! I'll machine an inconspicuous place on the underside tomorrow to confirm. Its the hand I've been dealt so I'll deal with it. Will definitely alter any plans of anodzing and probably end up being powder coated instead. But I'm getting ahead of myself... more on that down the road.

After a 2 hour break this afternoon I just couldn't concede defeat and not jump back in. I was so close but just could not understand why the primary PCB was stuck so tenaciously to the underside of the top cover... I mean stuck like glue! Well in reality that's a pretty close analogy. Its loaded up on the backside of the top case cover with a butt-ton of double-sided sticky foam tape. The same mystery 'gunk' found previously under the catch pan (EMI shield) that covers the digital amp board on underside of bottom cover and leeches an oily residue. Stuff is stupid-sticky and totally unnecessary. When this goes back together I'll use a similar product but with adhesive only on one side so future R&R's won't require Herculean strength and the damping quality its used for remains intact. Just loosen all fasteners, lift out and set aside. S'how it should be!

BTW, my biggest fear of the GUI cover glass being epoxied or welded in never materialized. Once its 4 screws were removed it fell out in my hand. I had been so worried about that that I dreamed about it last night. It came right out in the dream too. But in the dream after I got EVERYTHING back together and powered it up the very first time GUI was rotated about 1.5 degree counter-clockwise Grrrrrrrr!! Now that I can see how everything works and goes back together in there that can't happen, WHEW!

There will be 3 more pics tonight following this one then I'm throwing in the towel for today.