30-Oct-2022, 14:31
1. Which Devialet Expert model did you have?
220 Pro.
2. What made you switch from Devialet - what were you lacking and did you found it in new gear?
1) Disappointed with lack of timely/functional updates. The Sweet Room fiasco was the final straw. 2) Eager to try Class A/B. 3) Eager to try new streaming solutions. 4) Wanted a solution with full MQA decoding (not as important as the other reasons). Did I find the answer in new gear: a resounding, yes!
3. What else is better with the new gear?
1) Better DAC. 2) I find the SQ better with my new gear. 3) Lumin is great at updating its hardware. As an example, it added Leedh Processing (digital volume control) as a firmware update. It also added a Roon-Only mode as a firmware update for better SQ.
4. To what gear did you switch?
1) Lumin X1 DAC/streamer, and 2) Kinki EX-M7 power amp (Lumin has Leedh Processing, which obviates the need for a preamp)
5. Are you missing something which you had with Devialet?
I loved the elegance of the one-box solution. When Devialet was a relatively new company, I loved the pace of its evolution. When the company decided to go mass market for the bulk of its products and diminished support for the Expert series, I gradually lost interest.
6. What speakers do you use?
Vivid B1 Decade (only 200 made in Rosso Red). Lovely speakers! Basically, beautiful furniture that also plays music!
220 Pro.
2. What made you switch from Devialet - what were you lacking and did you found it in new gear?
1) Disappointed with lack of timely/functional updates. The Sweet Room fiasco was the final straw. 2) Eager to try Class A/B. 3) Eager to try new streaming solutions. 4) Wanted a solution with full MQA decoding (not as important as the other reasons). Did I find the answer in new gear: a resounding, yes!
3. What else is better with the new gear?
1) Better DAC. 2) I find the SQ better with my new gear. 3) Lumin is great at updating its hardware. As an example, it added Leedh Processing (digital volume control) as a firmware update. It also added a Roon-Only mode as a firmware update for better SQ.
4. To what gear did you switch?
1) Lumin X1 DAC/streamer, and 2) Kinki EX-M7 power amp (Lumin has Leedh Processing, which obviates the need for a preamp)
5. Are you missing something which you had with Devialet?
I loved the elegance of the one-box solution. When Devialet was a relatively new company, I loved the pace of its evolution. When the company decided to go mass market for the bulk of its products and diminished support for the Expert series, I gradually lost interest.
6. What speakers do you use?
Vivid B1 Decade (only 200 made in Rosso Red). Lovely speakers! Basically, beautiful furniture that also plays music!
Devialet Expert 220 Pro Kinki EX-M7 power amp tethered to a fiber-fed Lumin X1 streamer via Grimm XLRs, Vivid B1 Decade speakers in Rosso Barchetta red (only 200 produced in a limited edition), Roon Nucleus with a Samsung 860 EVO 2TB SSD, etherREGEN switch fed by a Sonore opticalModule (and Sonore-supplied transceivers and 1M optical cable) with a SOtM dCBL-Cat7 cable to my Nucleus and a DH Labs Reunion Cat8 to my Lumin T2 streamer, Keces P8 linear power supply feeding a (to come) NUC and EtherREGEN switch with an external AfterDark OCXO clock., and opticalModule (5V/1A), AudioQuest Niagara 1000 power conditioner, ASI LiveLine loom (purchased directly from Franck Tchang when I lived in France), Less Loss Firewall for Speakers and Roon lifetime license with Tidal streaming.
