Original d'Atelier

[Pim]

You need 10.0.2 to go to 1kW, and yes the additional 100W makes a difference.

Just do it Pim. 

Guillaume

You know what? I'm just going to take your word for it. Why not   

P.S. did you come up with that all by yourself or did you steal that from Nike? 

How dare you? LOL

My impressions were that 10.0.2 without the 100w boost was a bit to analytical sounding. Adding the 100W has helped considerably.

How is your clean power project coming along?

Guillaume

Haven't made it home yet    Another week or so and I'll finally get my ears on it! But I first have to install a new power point (Easy, I'm a sparky) and make a rack to fit them in. Easy too but I'm still toying with ideas to not tilt them and still see the display. Mirrors? Camera? iPod touch as AIR display? I'm not sure. I've just never been happy with the way i set up my D200. Too hard to get to the back and always had to pull it forward (very awkward) to change the SD card.

Edit: All this will be temporary so I won't spend much time on it. I'd rather be listening.

[GuillaumeB]

Easy, I'm a sparky

Oh well Pim I'm expecting big things from you then. Dedicated consumer unit feeding off the power entry point, new earth rod (chem rod?!), some nice thick copper wire in the walls, maybe dedicated circuits for each unit... and don't forget decent Furutech or at least hospital grade outlets!!   

Maybe lots of impedance measurements before and after?

Go Pim!

Guillaume

[GuillaumeB]

Easy, I'm a sparky

Oh well Pim I'm expecting big things from you then. Dedicated consumer unit feeding off the power entry point, new earth rod (chem rod?!), some nice thick copper wire in the walls, maybe dedicated circuits for each unit... and don't forget decent Furutech or at least hospital grade outlets!!   

Maybe lots of impedance measurements before and after?

Go Pim!

Guillaume

Fredrik's setup looked interesting:

http://devialetchat.com/showthread.php?tid=3175

He's a sparky too 

Guillaume

[Pim]

Easy, I'm a sparky

Oh well Pim I'm expecting big things from you then. Dedicated consumer unit feeding off the power entry point, new earth rod (chem rod?!), some nice thick copper wire in the walls, maybe dedicated circuits for each unit... and don't forget decent Furutech or at least hospital grade outlets!!   

Maybe lots of impedance measurements before and after?

Go Pim!

Guillaume

Fredrik's setup looked interesting:

http://devialetchat.com/showthread.php?tid=3175

He's a sparky too 

Guillaume

I have to deal with the fact that I only have one fase coming into the house and I'm not sure if I'll be able to get another. I will look into it because the supply cable needs to be replaced anyway. If I can, I'll have a dedicated fase. If not, I'll at least have dedicated supplies straight from the main board but with the option of going battery powered one day.

As for power points; Because the O d'A came from Germany, it will have Schuko plugs on the cables so I will get some power points when I'm in Holland. 30 years ago I worked in a hospital as a sparky and last year I spent quite some time with my wife in intensive care and as far as I know there's no such thing as a hospital grade power point. I also paid attention to the network cables; ordinary Cat.5E.

I'm more inclined to take care of the room and that's got me thinking lately. Initially I thought of hanging the amps on the wall in a shallow shadow box. Nice light behind them, it would look great. And, because I can attach the board they're screwed onto to the outside wall with silicone they would hang virtually vibration free.

Now though, I've given it some more thought and I've got a sneaky suspicion that the new living room will be too large with too many reflections and I just think it won't sound right. There's no way on earth my wife will let me sound proof the whole room so I'm seriously considering making the master bedroom the main listening room. It is my living room now so I know how it sounds and I also know there's scope for improvement. I can hang the speakers on the wall opposite the bed head. They could be 30-40cm off the back wall but I can clad that wall with some cloth and fill the void behind it with insulation. The void is 60cm deep (Roof overhang) so that filled with insulation should sound as if there's no wall at all behind it. I can fill the side walls (20cm deep) in the corners too. Then to combat side wall reflections further in the room there's a window just in the right spot on the left and I could do something on the right wall to even things out. The bed should take care of any other reflections.

All this thinking lead me to drop the idea of hanging the amps in the living room. I can just set them up on shelves and should the room sound ok, I could always keep using them in the living room. If not, they will get the wall treatment in the bedroom.

As for speakers. If the living room sounds ok, I want to go big, dollars permitting. If I have to go to the bedroom, I will do some serious research into bettering the Dynaudio C1's. The problem I'm facing there is that whatever speakers I get, they need to be able to be screwed onto wall brackets. Brackets can be custom made but the speakers need to have something to screw into. The C1's have that option but I almost bought Raidho D1's and I don't think they have.

I'm quite happy with the overall sound of the C1's but I would love to be able to just cranck them up a tad more than they can handle now. I guess with SAM on 0% and some in wall subs that's achievable. Maybe all they need is the 1.2 to 1.3 kW into their 4 Ohm load which the O d'A provides.

There you have it; first world problems. Great to have

[waikeywi]

Dear all, especially GuillaumeB, here's some info that you might find interesting.

I've gone to HK AVShow yesterday. I went to the Devialet's HK dealer's room and met Julien Bergère. Had a little chat with the gentleman, and I've asked question about the upgrade schedule of OdA, why are we the last group to be upgraded, is it because it's "free"?

The following is a quote though not word-for-word from the man, and yes, I've asked his permission to quote:
He said that OdA has already got most of the hardware of V6 platform, the only things missing is the PSU and the forthcoming DevialetOS card. He also stressed that we ARE their VIP, and we will be the first ones to get the DevialetOS card. Hence the upgrade date in 2017! OdA has the new MagicWire and the new ADH in place! I guess the motherboard has to be replaced to accommodate the new DevialetOS card.

Will try to post some pics from the show later.

Wilkie

[Mka]

has anyone detailed picture comparison on the v5.5 and v6 motherboard?

[nicknick]

Dear all, especially GuillaumeB, here's some info that you might find interesting.

I've gone to HK AVShow yesterday. I went to the Devialet's HK dealer's room and met Julien Bergère. Had a little chat with the gentleman, and I've asked question about the upgrade schedule of OdA, why are we the last group to be upgraded, is it because it's "free"?

The following is a quote though not word-for-word from the man, and yes, I've asked his permission to quote:
He said that OdA has already got most of the hardware of V6 platform, the only things missing is the PSU and the forthcoming DevialetOS card. He also stressed that we ARE their VIP, and we will be the first ones to get the DevialetOS card. Hence the upgrade date in 2017! OdA has the new MagicWire and the new ADH in place! I guess the motherboard has to be replaced to accommodate the new DevialetOS card.

Will try to post some pics from the show later.

Wilkie

Hi waikeywi,

Yes, it's my honor that I've the chance to talk with the good gentleman Julien and got his recommendation before I made my decision to brought the Od'A. 

He said that the Od'A and LE1000pro is 99% same hardware, and will get free upgrade in 2017 to have 100% same HW as 1000pro (except the outlook).
Their main difference is that the Od'A does not have provision for PLC (mainly for the connection with Phantom). Both Od'A and 1000pro still need the upgrade for the DevialetOS card at 2017, the OS card for 1000pro can be installed by Squarewave at HK but the installation for Od'A must ship back to Paris.

So I think (only my guess) the component of Od'A is already equal to V6 but some circuit board layout or connection pin is not the same as the "finalized" version LE1000pro, that make the Od'A still need to replace the main board in order to fit the new DevialetOS card.

[IanG-UK]

Dear all, especially GuillaumeB, here's some info that you might find interesting.

I've gone to HK AVShow yesterday. I went to the Devialet's HK dealer's room and met Julien Bergère. Had a little chat with the gentleman, and I've asked question about the upgrade schedule of OdA, why are we the last group to be upgraded, is it because it's "free"?

The following is a quote though not word-for-word from the man, and yes, I've asked his permission to quote:
He said that OdA has already got most of the hardware of V6 platform, the only things missing is the PSU and the forthcoming DevialetOS card. He also stressed that we ARE their VIP, and we will be the first ones to get the DevialetOS card. Hence the upgrade date in 2017! OdA has the new MagicWire and the new ADH in place! I guess the motherboard has to be replaced to accommodate the new DevialetOS card.

Will try to post some pics from the show later.

Wilkie

Hi waikeywi,

Yes, it's my honor that I've the chance to talk with the good gentleman Julien and got his recommendation before I made my decision to brought the Od'A. 

He said that the Od'A and LE1000pro is 99% same hardware, and will get free upgrade in 2017 to have 100% same HW as 1000pro (except the outlook).
Their main difference is that the Od'A does not have provision for PLC (mainly for the connection with Phantom). Both Od'A and 1000pro still need the upgrade for the DevialetOS card at 2017, the OS card for 1000pro can be installed by Squarewave at HK but the installation for Od'A must ship back to Paris.

So I think (only my guess) the component of Od'A is already equal to V6 but some circuit board layout or connection pin is not the same as the "finalized" version LE1000pro, that make the Od'A still need to replace the main board in order to fit the new DevialetOS card.

It tells you something that we can get replies from dealers which are inconclusive and then make us say "...(only my guess)...". 

It tells us, amongst other things, that we cannot get full and unambiguous replies from Devialet, and neither can dealers. 

I bought an OdA at the end of December 2015 and I was delighted with it without qualification ... whereas now I am delighted with it but not with Devialet. 

I have asked the question "what are the technical differences between an OdA and a 1000 Pro, and between an updated OdA and a 1000 Pro?" at least five times - once verbally and once in writing to Devialet UK, once verbally and once in writing to the Devialet France R&D expert, and once to the helpdesk. I have never had a full and unambiguous reply, and not had any reply so far from the helpdesk. 

I conclude that Devialet has, or had, something to hide. 

When Devialet launched the 1000 Pro at Oxford Audio on 13th July, I emailed the Devialet R&D guy eight days in advance with ten questions including this one:

"1 How many discrete boards/elements does the 800 and Od’A and 1000 Pro have and how many have changed (or are going to change, and if not immediately, then when) between the 800 and the Od’A and the Od’A and the 1000 Pro and what, put simply, were the changes?"

I asked that a written response be prepared and handed out to all meeting attendees and got an email response saying "I will answer extensively your various questions of course".

In the event there was no written response so I noted these comments made by Devialet at the meeting:

A: There is a new A board, a new D board, and a new control algorithm which is, I think, the element that makes the A and D elements work optimally together. There is no new DAC chip (and no current intention to change that in future) but a new Magic Wire (with better distortion and noise) and all this will be common to all new and modified units. This is already a feature of the Od’A. The 1000 Pro also has a new power supply and thermal management system which will eventually go into the Od’A - though it was not stated fully how this would drip down to the new and upgradeable units.

I circulated this and other comments to the Devialet R&D guy (see my Oxford Audio post number 72) and asked them to check their accuracy - and this one came back without comment.

So I think it is fair to say that everyone at the meeting came away with the impression that the only technical differences between the OdA and the 1000 Pro were the power supply and the thermal management. 

Things have moved on and I won't bore you with the details, but my summary is:

Common to 800 and OdA and 1000 Pro: Phono board, DAC chip, AIR board (at present)

Different from 800 but common to OdA and 1000 Pro: Board with "D" amplification

Different between OdA and 1000 OdA: Board with "A" amplification, Magic Wire, algorithm; power supply, thermal management, Platform system 

I don't calculate that at 99% similarity but if Devialet could reply fully and unambiguously then we would all know.

Interesting that the OS card for the 1000 Pro (due next July) can be fitted by Squarewave in HK.

We know that everything other than the OS card for the OdA could be fitted now in Paris and then presumably the OS card could be fitted next July by UK dealers. But the proposition to OdA owners is that everything has to be fitted in Paris but not until next July. 

It improves cashflow, of course, if you can upgrade 100 Expert 800 units for £0.5m in the next few months rather than upgrade 100 OdA units for £NIL.

[nicoludio]

TBH, although I do not have a horse in the race, I am rather confused (with due deference to Confused). What I have heard from those that were in Paris/Versailles and the recent "revelations" are not consistent.

Perhaps (wishfully) OdA owners could have been sent an e-mail detailing the changes vis-a-vis the 1000 Pro as well as the steps to be taken and the roadmap to ensuring that the OdA remains the TOTL. That would have been definitive.

The truth is out there ...

Edit: Oops, with due deference...

[IanG-UK]

TBH, although I do not have a horse in the race, I am rather confused (without due deference to Confused).  What I have heard from those that were in Paris/Versailles and the recent "revelations" are not consistent.

Perhaps (wishfully) OdA owners could have been sent a e-mail detailing the changes vis-a-vis the 1000 Pro as well as the steps to be taken and roadmap to ensuring that the OdA remains the TOTL.  That would have been definitive.

The truth is out there ...

You read my thinking.

I wrote earlier elsewhere:

"I felt that, to a degree, my product had been devalued ... (though I accepted that the purchase had been my choice alone)

Of course, Devialet could have mitigated this by liaising with their Original d’Atelier owners speedily and with openness and honesty: A personal letter from Monsieur Calmel to the 100 Original d’Atelier owners thanking them for their purchase. Assuring them that their unit would be upgraded to the technical quality of the 1000 Pro. Telling them that the unique aspects of their Original d’Atelier would be maintained. Promising to put them at the head of the upgrade queue. 

I would have been delighted. I would have become even more of an advocate.

Did they do this? No.

No letter. Lack of clarity as to technical differences and their addressing, despite being asked five times. Delayed agreement that unique aspects of the Original d’Atelier would be maintained. One year down the queue (July 2017) for most improvements to be made even though most could be delivered now.