25-Nov-2014, 16:46
Jeff Fritz replies to a letter from a reader with a Devialet dilemma...
http://www.ultraaudio.com/index.php/lett...-pass-labs
Guillaume
http://www.ultraaudio.com/index.php/lett...-pass-labs
Guillaume
(25-Nov-2014, 16:46)GuillaumeB Wrote: [ -> ]Jeff Fritz replies to a letter from a reader with a Devialet dilemma...
http://www.ultraaudio.com/index.php/lett...-pass-labs
Guillaume
(26-Nov-2014, 06:50)Flashman Wrote: [ -> ](25-Nov-2014, 16:46)GuillaumeB Wrote: [ -> ]Jeff Fritz replies to a letter from a reader with a Devialet dilemma...
http://www.ultraaudio.com/index.php/lett...-pass-labs
Guillaume
It's ironic that the reader asked Jeff Fritz which road to take, when it was obvious. Sometimes people want audio critics to tell them what to do instead of trusting their own ears (do you want analytical vs. warmed-up sound) and preferences (do you want a product suite vs. an all-in-one). The only thing missing was Fritz talking about the free upgrade path of Devialet, which is an ace in the hole. Always interesting to read discussions such as this.
(04-Dec-2014, 13:35)Kari Wrote: [ -> ]Hi,
It was I who wrote the letter to Jeff Fritz and I note that Flashman and ozthepos (purposely?) misinterpret my mail. I did NOT ask Jeff Fritz to tell me what is best or what to buy. My mail concerned a technical question based on a curiosity about my own reactions when comparing the Devialet with a separate component solution. Given his long experience with many different types of amplifiers (and that his profession is to analyze hi-fi equipment) I thought it would be interesting to hear his view about the differences I heard in my comparison.
The types of comments that you post are so typical for those who really are uncertain on their own ears (which I am not). It is called regret aversion, i.e. a manic fear of having purchased the wrong thing, resulting in a Don Quixote behavior fighting every expressed opinion that does not imply an unreserved hallelujah for the product under discussion.
I might, or I might not, purchase a Devialet. But that decision will surely be dependent only on my own ears (and budget). I hope that you two can relax a bit and be happy with your Devialet(s) instead of worrying about what other persons might prefer. You deserve it, the Devialet is an outstanding product and you have made a very good purchase!
/Kari
(04-Dec-2014, 13:35)Kari Wrote: [ -> ]Hi,
It was I who wrote the letter to Jeff Fritz and I note that Flashman and ozthepos (purposely?) misinterpret my mail. I did NOT ask Jeff Fritz to tell me what is best or what to buy. My mail concerned a technical question based on a curiosity about my own reactions when comparing the Devialet with a separate component solution. Given his long experience with many different types of amplifiers (and that his profession is to analyze hi-fi equipment) I thought it would be interesting to hear his view about the differences I heard in my comparison.
The types of comments that you post are so typical for those who really are uncertain on their own ears (which I am not). It is called regret aversion, i.e. a manic fear of having purchased the wrong thing, resulting in a Don Quixote behavior fighting every expressed opinion that does not imply an unreserved hallelujah for the product under discussion.
I might, or I might not, purchase a Devialet. But that decision will surely be dependent only on my own ears (and budget). I hope that you two can relax a bit and be happy with your Devialet(s) instead of worrying about what other persons might prefer. You deserve it, the Devialet is an outstanding product and you have made a very good purchase!
/Kari
(04-Dec-2014, 14:09)GuillaumeB Wrote: [ -> ](04-Dec-2014, 13:35)Kari Wrote: [ -> ]Hi,
It was I who wrote the letter to Jeff Fritz and I note that Flashman and ozthepos (purposely?) misinterpret my mail. I did NOT ask Jeff Fritz to tell me what is best or what to buy. My mail concerned a technical question based on a curiosity about my own reactions when comparing the Devialet with a separate component solution. Given his long experience with many different types of amplifiers (and that his profession is to analyze hi-fi equipment) I thought it would be interesting to hear his view about the differences I heard in my comparison.
The types of comments that you post are so typical for those who really are uncertain on their own ears (which I am not). It is called regret aversion, i.e. a manic fear of having purchased the wrong thing, resulting in a Don Quixote behavior fighting every expressed opinion that does not imply an unreserved hallelujah for the product under discussion.
I might, or I might not, purchase a Devialet. But that decision will surely be dependent only on my own ears (and budget). I hope that you two can relax a bit and be happy with your Devialet(s) instead of worrying about what other persons might prefer. You deserve it, the Devialet is an outstanding product and you have made a very good purchase!
/Kari
Hi Kari, welcome to Devialet Chat! I thought it was an excellent letter hence why I posted about it in here.
I have also had similar dilemmas and I don't think there is an easy answer. You will note elsewhere in this forum that I recently auditioned a Vitus SIA-025 and MPD-201 DAC. Not because I am looking at selling my Devialet and moving on but rather that I am very interested in hi-fi and love to hear other things from time to time. There was much that I really loved about the Vitus combo, in particular it gave a very dense slightly warm soundstage and was supremely musical in a way that perhaps the Devialet isn't. On the other hand whilst I really enjoyed this there were things about the Devialet that I missed! In a nutshell the transparency and lower end grip. And funnily enough the Devialet remote! I had a few friends over in that time, some of which were true audiophiles. It was interesting that some preferred the Vitus sound and others the Devialet.
Having said this I do think that the 800 dual mono package gets you pretty close to some of the other über high-end combos, particularly with upgraded cables and other tweaks. Using SAM-enabled speakers also helps to close the gap.
In the end some of your choice will come down to economics; as much as I'd love a Constelation Audio Virgo preamp with Centaur monoblocks with a Metronome Nausicaa DAC and matching Transparent Audio Ref XL cables, this will set me back at least £130k. That's the attraction of the Devialet proposition, you are getting a ridiculous amount of performance for your money. Particularly if you consider the price of a 120 or 200.
Please keep us posted with your quest.
Guillaume
(04-Dec-2014, 13:35)Kari Wrote: [ -> ]Hi,
It was I who wrote the letter to Jeff Fritz and I note that Flashman and ozthepos (purposely?) misinterpret my mail. I did NOT ask Jeff Fritz to tell me what is best or what to buy. My mail concerned a technical question based on a curiosity about my own reactions when comparing the Devialet with a separate component solution. Given his long experience with many different types of amplifiers (and that his profession is to analyze hi-fi equipment) I thought it would be interesting to hear his view about the differences I heard in my comparison.
The types of comments that you post are so typical for those who really are uncertain on their own ears (which I am not). It is called regret aversion, i.e. a manic fear of having purchased the wrong thing, resulting in a Don Quixote behavior fighting every expressed opinion that does not imply an unreserved hallelujah for the product under discussion.
I might, or I might not, purchase a Devialet. But that decision will surely be dependent only on my own ears (and budget). I hope that you two can relax a bit and be happy with your Devialet(s) instead of worrying about what other persons might prefer. You deserve it, the Devialet is an outstanding product and you have made a very good purchase!
/Kari
(04-Dec-2014, 14:39)thumb5 Wrote: [ -> ]Guillaume, Flashman - nice posts!
I take the point particularly about the journey of discovery without a destination. For me one of my strongest memories of hearing what I thought was "proper" hi-fi was in the late 1970s or early 1980s, in a specialist shop in Coventry (of all places). I vividly remember listening to a large chunk of John Martyn's "Solid Air" on a demonstration system - I have no idea what it was, but certainly nothing truly high-end - and being almost literally awestruck by the sound picture it created. I'm sure it was a happy combination of beautiful music along with some technical aspects such as realistic imaging etc. that I hadn't heard before. Although my current system probably "does everything better" than what I heard that day, it is still with me as a strong guide to the emotional reaction that tells me when a system is working well.
[Sorry, this is well off the original topic...]