(28-Dec-2016, 15:02)Confused Wrote: [ -> ]It's that time again! First to say that the 2016 thread was interesting, but generally lacking in accurate predictions. I am optimistic that someone will do better in 2017!
Also, I thought this year it would be better to try to focus peoples thoughts a little and make the predictions more formalised.
So here is the challenge for 2017, lets have your top three Devialet predictions for the year. Maybe you can think of more? OK, fair enough, but list the three most significant predictions that you think will happen, you can then list anything else you desire as a foot note, but we need your top three first. I shall start:
1. The new Pro streamer board will prove to be a little disappointing with respect to sound quality, with a debate as to if it sounds better than AIR or not.
2. The new Pro streamer board will not be 'Roon Ready'.
3. A Renault road car with a Devialet ADH powered 'in car entertainment system' will be announced.
I was going to predict that British F1 superstar Jolyon Palmer will not win the world championship in his Devialet sponsored F1 car, but that would be silly and arguably cheating, to be honest I do not even know if the F1 Renault will even have Devialet sponsorship in 2017. (I'll look pretty silly if he does win!)
1. Phantom and Expert PRO worlds will be united under a common Devialet OS. This will lead to a multi channel hi-fi offering. There will be incremental improvements to PRO line via firmware updates.
2. Devialet will become an OEM providing ADH and SAM technology to other technology firms. We will see some specific announcements around televisions and cars.
3. Devialet will make inroads into the Pro market, offering ADC technologies (as already seen with Phoenix). Also what will happen to all those traded in Experts?!
Guillaume
Price, place, promotion and product: with the invested money Devialet will be able in 2017:
1. Devide the firm better into (a small) firm of Expert driven specialities for a select number of shops with top of the line hifi solutions. The integration of expert with surround sound is one of them. In 2017 I expect that I must doubt between selling the brand new Oppo UHD205 and buying the new Devialet solution;
2. The larger business will contain the internet website with more "Apple minded" products, lower margins and larger quantities. Car solutions will be introduced and my Focal with Italian amplifiers in the cars will be replaced in 2018;
3. The firm will be more driven by a marketing mix and be less driven by technological innovations. In other words: the link for a dealer between selling one Phantom Gold and 3 pair of Phantoms silver at the same time will disappear. The number of shops which will sell Devialet will be less; on the other hand the quality of the shops will rise. Integration between sound and picture will rise further.
The Devialet company will rise from product minded into.......sold? Yes (partly) in 2019.
My predictions are:
1) the new streamer board with Devialet OS will be delayed and won't materialise until Q4 2017 at the earliest
2) the new streamer board will directly support Qobuz (but will not be Roon Ready, as predicted by Confused)
3) the new streamer board will cause much angst among owners about increased operating temperatures
4) AIR will not be properly fixed and will be deprecated
5) there will be a launch of new hardware but not in the existing audiophile/wireless speaker markets (I tend to agree with Guillaume that it will be integrated into some other familiar product)
6) Devialet will upset and/or re-arrange their dealer network
My (forlorn) hopes are:
7) AIR will be properly fixed and will continue to be supported
8) the new streamer board will be Roon Ready
9) the new streamer board will support local configuration (that is, point a browser at the amplifier and configure it without needing the Devialet-hosted configurator) - that for me would make it worthwhile on its own
10) the new streamer board will support room correction (that is, it will be able to build the convolver based on measuring the room, and the existing DSP hardware will then run the convolver)
My positive predictions:
1. The Od'A upgrade will get preference over previously upgraded Pros and will have a Roon ready, beautifully sounding streamer board as well as an extra 200Watt of power exclusively for the Od'A. The Pro owners will have to wait another 6 months for their streamer board and will be reading about how great it is on this forum every day. Guillaume will be writing about how happy he is with the Od'A like he was before the announcement of the Pro.
2. There will be a portable player made with an equivalent OS to the streamer board and it will be based on ADH technology. It will have enough power to drive the most difficult of head phones. Similarly ADH and OS will be implemented into car stereos.
3. Devialet takes the recording industry through an overhaul and soon Devialet A to D technology becomes standard throughout the recording world. Because recordings are optimised for Devialet equipment MQA goes the way of the SACD, DVD-A etc. and everyone will own a Devialet.
My Negative predictions (Just for laughs, I hope):
1. The streamer board will finally arrive in December and turns out to be a Dialog that works with the Pro range but not with the Expert.
2. AIR stays in the air. There will be no love.
3. There will be more 'lost' recordings (Shouldn't they be called 'found' recording?) but they will be from Britney Spears and only the lucky few who can afford the lacquer version will have to listen to them once.
(31-Dec-2016, 10:54)Pim van Vliet Wrote: [ -> ]My positive predictions:
1. The Od'A upgrade will get preference over previously upgraded Pros and will have a Roon ready, beautifully sounding streamer board as well as an extra 200Watt of power exclusively for the Od'A. The Pro owners will have to wait another 6 months for their streamer board and will be reading about how great it is on this forum every day. Guillaume will be writing about how happy he is with the Od'A like he was before the announcement of the Pro.
2. There will be a portable player made with an equivalent OS to the streamer board and it will be based on ADH technology. It will have enough power to drive the most difficult of head phones. Similarly ADH and OS will be implemented into car stereos.
3. Devialet takes the recording industry through an overhaul and soon Devialet A to D technology becomes standard throughout the recording world. Because recordings are optimised for Devialet equipment MQA goes the way of the SACD, DVD-A etc. and everyone will own a Devialet.
My Negative predictions (Just for laughs, I hope):
1. The streamer board will finally arrive in December and turns out to be a Dialog that works with the Pro range but not with the Expert.
2. AIR stays in the air. There will be no love.
3. There will be more 'lost' recordings (Shouldn't they be called 'found' recording?) but they will be from Britney Spears and only the lucky few who can afford the lacquer version will have to listen to them once.
Uh oh, My first negative prediction might actually become true:
http://devialetchat.com/showthread.php?tid=3858
Post # 9
I hope this is not going to be a hat trick
(31-Dec-2016, 11:15)Pim van Vliet Wrote: [ -> ]3. There will be more 'lost' recordings (Shouldn't they be called 'found' recording?) but they will be from Britney Spears and only the lucky few who can afford the lacquer version will have to listen to them once.
Now if this were an exclusive arrangement - i.e. that all Britneys future material forever more was released solely on severely limited edition 'play once only' laquers - the audio community would probably band together and forgive any of Devialet's previous wrong doings.
1. The streamer will be compatible with all inputs of the Devialet, including USB (it will be possible to connect a USB drive directly to the amp without the need for a source)
2. The ipad app for the streamer will be best in class,
3. It will be integrated with the current remote app for a one stop solution.
Cheers,
Bernard
1. Unified Spark for phantom and expert
2. Streamer board delays until 4Q
3. Minor Firmware update announce at munich; major firmware update after streamer launches with numerous bug fixes
4. New product - mini phantom, dialog refresh, car sound system
5. IPad app refresh
6. Expert -> pro upgrade program continues with free streamer
1. The Streamer Board (Beta) will be on display for the 2017 Munich High End Show.
2. Upon release of the Streamer Board, further development on AIR will be discontinued.
3. Streamer Board and Dialogue will become one and the same unit (external) and will not be Roon Ready.
It's spring! (Or for forum members in the southern hemisphere, It's Autumn!)
Anyway, time for a Q1 update, as follows:
Nothing of any significance has happened.