12-Nov-2020, 15:56
(11-Nov-2020, 23:19)SoCalB Wrote:(10-Nov-2020, 09:07)Pim Wrote: I went to a Magnepan dealer a month or so ago because I happened to be in the neighbourhood. It's 700km away from where I live and I've been wanting to go there for years. I came unprepared so he set up a Nuprime pre and two mono amps.
He chose Nuprime because they're Class D and, as he said "Devialet is also Class D so it will sound similar".
As soon as the music started I knew it wasn't anything like what I get from my Expert Pro. I told him it sounded like what I've always read Class D is supposed to sound like; Sterile. He changed to a tube amp and it sounded much more like my Expert. My conclusion is that Devialet doesn't sound like Class D but more like a tube amp. BTW, the tube amp didn't sound mushy at all.
I've also listened to different speakers with my Expert driving them elsewhere and, so far, I haven't heard anything better yet. That doesn't mean there's nothing better around but it does show that the Experts are pretty damn good.
As for the way it looks; I've always wanted to have some big mono blocks but instead I have these pizza boxes. To be honest, they don't fit into the 'lifestyle' I had planned.
I love Nuprime...have the IDA-8, and had the IDA-16 for 5 years. It was replaced about 2-3 weeks ago by Expert Pro 440.
In the first 30 seconds there was NO COMPARISON with the devialet!
The nuprime is great for what it is...$2600 for 200w x 2 channel intrgrated dac. It is now in the master bedroom running the LS50s.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I got the expert pro 440. How much of a difference would it REALLY make over the IDA-16, especially when I don't play at super loud volume that often (where the extra watts would come in).
Everything was just soooo much better on the devialet.
In the end...do what YOU enjoy! I don't care that I don't have huge racks of gear. I LOVE the simplicity of 2 boxes and using my phone/ipad with roon to run my entire system.
The simplicity of it all is amazing. I can appreciate tube amps, 5 foot racks of gear, and cables galore. But for me, I got what I enjoy.
Puts a smile on my face every day (and every person that has listened to it so far as well...)
Enjoy!
The Nuprime's I was listening to were the top model. They're not cheap so I expected more.
Lifetime Roon, Mac mini, int. SSD, ext. HDD, tv as monitor, key board and track pad on bean bag as remote,Devialet 200, Od'A #097, Blue jeans speaker cable,
Dynaudio C1 MkII.
Jim Smith's GBS.
Northern NSW Australia.
Dynaudio C1 MkII.
Jim Smith's GBS.
Northern NSW Australia.