It’s been several years since I was last on this forum. I have been very satisfied when listening via my Devialet d200. I see that devialet still offers to upgrade from the d 200 to d220 pro ci. They quoted me $3100 usd.
As it seems that devialet has more or less abandoned the integrated amp division, and I have not seen any news of improvements coming to this line, if you had a pre ci expert today, would you upgrade still?
I bought a LUMIN u1 mini years ago shortly after I got the d200 and have been satisfied with it, but if I’m being honest,I don’t find a noticeable improvement of streaming from the LUMIN to the devialet or via devialet air directly from my Roon nucleus. So I’m thinking of selling the LUMIN, and using those funds towards the upgrade or just pocket the money for something else down the road.
Suggestions welcomed…
Thanks,
Mike
If there was even the remotest indication of Devialet producing an evolutionary path for the Experrt series then you might be encouraged. There has been absolutely no development on this product for at least 5 years now so if your looking a a premium price solution with evolutionary possibilities I would suggest you look elsewhere. Companies like Naim and Linn here in the U.K. help you protect your investment in their products whereas Devialet has apparently abandoned its Expert customers.
(02-Jan-2024, 12:17)Gerronwithit Wrote: [ -> ]If there was even the remotest indication of Devialet producing an evolutionary path for the Experrt series then you might be encouraged. There has been absolutely no development on this product for at least 5 years now so if your looking a a premium price solution with evolutionary possibilities I would suggest you look elsewhere. Companies like Naim and Linn here in the U.K. help you protect your investment in their products whereas Devialet has apparently abandoned its Expert customers.
Absolut agree about Devialet ,i Think there expertline is dead.
I find it a bit strange that Air is sounding the same as a Lumin U1 Mini. I use an ifi Zen Stream with a Ferrum PS which sounds much better than Air. And I already have a Pro Version of the Expert.
Try to use a good LPS with your Lumin or switch to the ifi in combination with HQPlayer. The ifi supports NAA, Lumin does not. The new Holo Red may also be a very good choice.
Keep the Devialet without investing more money in it, it will be very expensive to replace it with something better…
The Lumin U2 Mini with a Farad Super3 is even to a 440 Pro a stunning combination.
Try to get a proper power conditioner for your setup.
What benefit would you hope to get by upgrading your d200? Reports suggest there's a slight change in the character of the sound going from an Expert to an Expert Pro with some liking the change and others preferring the character of the Export range. You get a 20W per channel increase in power which is essentially inaudible in terms of peak loudness but may well be a contributor to that reported change in the character of the sound. Since you're using Roon, then your amp would become Roon Ready and you can stream to it using Roon's RAAT protocol as well as by using Devialet's AIR protocol. Some people prefer AIR, others RAAT.
Both the d200 and the 220 Pro are good amps but the differences are small and not everyone prefers the Expert Pro range over the Expert range. I'd definitely want to listen, preferably in my own home with my own system, before deciding to upgrade to the 220 Pro because you might find the change more of a sideways move than an upgrade and even if you find the change is an upgrade it may not be a big enough upgrade to persuade you to spend $3100.
As 2 replies above has said, there are fears that Devialet has abandoned their amplifier line and there are reasons for those fears but the fact is that we never have any guarantees about the future so we should make our purchasing decisions on what the purchase offers us here and now and if it's not a good choice in the here and now don't buy in the hope that it might prove to be a good choice in the longer term.
I think the more important question for you is my first question above, what benefit are you hoping for? Is an amp upgrade the best way to get that benefit? It seems you're prepared to consider spending $3100 on the upgrade so what alternatives offering similar benefits can you get for that amount of money? If you're going to spend money then the 2 questions to consider, and they may not both give the same answer, are what is the current weak point in your setup and what will deliver the biggest improvement for the amount you're prepared to spend.
(02-Jan-2024, 20:06)markush Wrote: [ -> ]The Lumin U2 Mini with a Farad Super3 is even to a 440 Pro a stunning combination.
Try to get a proper power conditioner for your setup.
I have a ps audio p5 power plant that delivers very nice clean power. All my hi-fi gear is plugged into it. It did help clear up the sound field to my ears when I added it to the mix several years ago.
Call it getting older, but both my wife and I,who are in our early 50’s did not notice a discernible difference when A/B’ing with the LUMIN in the mix vs with air from the Roon nucleus to the d200. If it’s decided the upgrade from d200 to 220 expert pro ci is no longer warranted based on devialet’s lack of development and support of their expert line, then I am happy to stick with what I have or maybe try and find another d200 to make this into a d400 as a cheaper “upgrade” over the 220 ci route. Idk…
Although I’m not sure more power is really needed to drive my focal aria 936’s.
Again, I very much enjoy the current musicality of my set up and don’t have anything to complain about except I had hoped the ci upgrade would be a big improvement at a 3k investment. If I were to sell the d200 and my LUMIN (and get 4-5k for both), I’m not sure if I can find a significant improvement for that price point.
(02-Jan-2024, 22:01)David A Wrote: [ -> ]What benefit would you hope to get by upgrading your d200? Reports suggest there's a slight change in the character of the sound going from an Expert to an Expert Pro with some liking the change and others preferring the character of the Export range. You get a 20W per channel increase in power which is essentially inaudible in terms of peak loudness but may well be a contributor to that reported change in the character of the sound. Since you're using Roon, then your amp would become Roon Ready and you can stream to it using Roon's RAAT protocol as well as by using Devialet's AIR protocol. Some people prefer AIR, others RAAT.
Both the d200 and the 220 Pro are good amps but the differences are small and not everyone prefers the Expert Pro range over the Expert range. I'd definitely want to listen, preferably in my own home with my own system, before deciding to upgrade to the 220 Pro because you might find the change more of a sideways move than an upgrade and even if you find the change is an upgrade it may not be a big enough upgrade to persuade you to spend $3100.
As 2 replies above has said, there are fears that Devialet has abandoned their amplifier line and there are reasons for those fears but the fact is that we never have any guarantees about the future so we should make our purchasing decisions on what the purchase offers us here and now and if it's not a good choice in the here and now don't buy in the hope that it might prove to be a good choice in the longer term.
I think the more important question for you is my first question above, what benefit are you hoping for? Is an amp upgrade the best way to get that benefit? It seems you're prepared to consider spending $3100 on the upgrade so what alternatives offering similar benefits can you get for that amount of money? If you're going to spend money then the 2 questions to consider, and they may not both give the same answer, are what is the current weak point in your setup and what will deliver the biggest improvement for the amount you're prepared to spend.
Thanks David for the input. Always welcomed and valued. I think you have helped me confirm I should probably stick with what I have for now. My budget is not huge, so best to hit up a few music shows that come through my area to see if something blows me away over what I currently have.
I am saddened by devialets abandonment of their amplifiers, but we can always hold out hope that will change in the near future.
Also, I agree that an in home demo would be the way to go, but unless I found someone locally who would lend theirs out (not likely), I don’t know how to go about this without feeling like a heel. I wouldn’t feel right using a dealer to demo this unit in house knowing full well if I liked it, I would be sending my old unit off for the upgrade.
Another wish list item for devialet… to offer an in home demo programs for such upgrades.
@
mmorrison55
You don't have a signature which gives your location. You could simply try posting a request here asking if anyone in your area has a 220 and would be prepared to bring it to your home for an evening's listening session. Sweeten the request with an offer of supper and a beer or wine and see if you get any responses. You may not only get a home demo but a new friend from the evening if you get any takers.
Good idea, I’m in Tampa, fl.