03-Mar-2020, 23:39
I have a 140 Pro with Focal Sopra 2s and it's a really great combination in my view. Should you buy a Devialet? It's not an easy question to answer.
I find my 140 Pro very neutral and transparent and that means that it will show up brightness elsewhere in the system. I don't find the Sopra tweeter bright but it is extended and with a bright source and/or a bright sounding room you may find the Devialet/Sopra combination a bit bright sounding overall. I don't know how close to the walls you have your Sopras but getting them out into the room and well away from walls can help. You may lose a bit of bass reinforcement but SAM can help there and distance from the walls helps deliver a more open and sweet top end in my experience. You can always dial the top end back a bit with the treble tone control as well.
You say your Sopras are lacking much in the bass and mids. I'm unfamiliar with the Marantz 6013 but I just checked its specs and it's rated at 150 w/ch into 6 Ohms, 2 channels driven. That's basically the same as my 140 Pro (150 W delivers an unnoticeable amount of additional power relative to 140 W) but the Devialet's class AD Hybrid amp and low damping factor should deliver better bass and mids than the Marantz. My 140 Pro replaced a NAD M3 integrated with higher output than the 140 Pro but the 140 Pro delivered better bass than the M3 and I would expect you would get a similar result but the only way to find out is to actually try it. Is there anywhere you can audition a Devialet with your Sopras or can you arrange a home audition of a Devialet?
And what Devialet are you considering? Even the 140 Pro, the lowest price current Devialet model, is around 4 times the price of a Marantz 6013 here in Australia. Depending on the kind of music you like, the level you like listening at, and the size of your room you may find yourself needing more power than the 140 Pro can deliver. A Devialet is going to be an expensive upgrade but your Sopra 1s aren't going to be delivering their best with a receiver like the 6013.
Finally, if you want to use Bluetooth then you need to be aware that currently the Devialet's do not do Bluetooth. It was promised for the current model Expert Pros as part of the list of features to come with Devialet's Core Infinity processor board but it has currently not been delivered. There is apparently a new firmware update for the Expert Pros in testing prior to release but we don't know what new features will be included. Bluetooth capability is long overdue and it would be disappointing, given that, if it isn't included in the next update but there's no real word of when we may expect the new update and it's now nearly 13 months since the last update and over 2 years since the Core Infinity board was introduced. If Bluetooth capability isn't in the next update you could find yourself waiting a long time for Bluetooth so I would not rush to upgrade to a Devialet if Bluetooth is essential to you. If you're looking at older, used Devialet's rather than a new one then check whether it will handle Bluetooth before buying. My feeling is that earlier models than the current range can not do Bluetooth so you will need to consider a current model.
In addition, if you're going to only be streaming from Amazon over Bluetooth I'd be looking at improving my streaming method first before upgrading to a Devialet. You should be able to improve your connection to the 6013 for a very modest outlay and get better results than you're currently getting. Whatever you do on that front will also deliver better results with a Devialet if you do decide to buy one and if you don't do anything about your source connection the Devialet will probably make the weaknesses of that connection more obvious. I'd be looking at how you stream to your amp as the first step and leaving a Devialet to later if it were me. High end gear can deliver better sound and a Devialet will sound better than a 6013, but Bluetooth is not a high quality source and it's always going to be a limiting factor when it comes to the results you get. Given the modest cost of improving your streaming connection compared to the cost of a Devialet I'd definitely be starting with my streaming connection if I were you.
I find my 140 Pro very neutral and transparent and that means that it will show up brightness elsewhere in the system. I don't find the Sopra tweeter bright but it is extended and with a bright source and/or a bright sounding room you may find the Devialet/Sopra combination a bit bright sounding overall. I don't know how close to the walls you have your Sopras but getting them out into the room and well away from walls can help. You may lose a bit of bass reinforcement but SAM can help there and distance from the walls helps deliver a more open and sweet top end in my experience. You can always dial the top end back a bit with the treble tone control as well.
You say your Sopras are lacking much in the bass and mids. I'm unfamiliar with the Marantz 6013 but I just checked its specs and it's rated at 150 w/ch into 6 Ohms, 2 channels driven. That's basically the same as my 140 Pro (150 W delivers an unnoticeable amount of additional power relative to 140 W) but the Devialet's class AD Hybrid amp and low damping factor should deliver better bass and mids than the Marantz. My 140 Pro replaced a NAD M3 integrated with higher output than the 140 Pro but the 140 Pro delivered better bass than the M3 and I would expect you would get a similar result but the only way to find out is to actually try it. Is there anywhere you can audition a Devialet with your Sopras or can you arrange a home audition of a Devialet?
And what Devialet are you considering? Even the 140 Pro, the lowest price current Devialet model, is around 4 times the price of a Marantz 6013 here in Australia. Depending on the kind of music you like, the level you like listening at, and the size of your room you may find yourself needing more power than the 140 Pro can deliver. A Devialet is going to be an expensive upgrade but your Sopra 1s aren't going to be delivering their best with a receiver like the 6013.
Finally, if you want to use Bluetooth then you need to be aware that currently the Devialet's do not do Bluetooth. It was promised for the current model Expert Pros as part of the list of features to come with Devialet's Core Infinity processor board but it has currently not been delivered. There is apparently a new firmware update for the Expert Pros in testing prior to release but we don't know what new features will be included. Bluetooth capability is long overdue and it would be disappointing, given that, if it isn't included in the next update but there's no real word of when we may expect the new update and it's now nearly 13 months since the last update and over 2 years since the Core Infinity board was introduced. If Bluetooth capability isn't in the next update you could find yourself waiting a long time for Bluetooth so I would not rush to upgrade to a Devialet if Bluetooth is essential to you. If you're looking at older, used Devialet's rather than a new one then check whether it will handle Bluetooth before buying. My feeling is that earlier models than the current range can not do Bluetooth so you will need to consider a current model.
In addition, if you're going to only be streaming from Amazon over Bluetooth I'd be looking at improving my streaming method first before upgrading to a Devialet. You should be able to improve your connection to the 6013 for a very modest outlay and get better results than you're currently getting. Whatever you do on that front will also deliver better results with a Devialet if you do decide to buy one and if you don't do anything about your source connection the Devialet will probably make the weaknesses of that connection more obvious. I'd be looking at how you stream to your amp as the first step and leaving a Devialet to later if it were me. High end gear can deliver better sound and a Devialet will sound better than a 6013, but Bluetooth is not a high quality source and it's always going to be a limiting factor when it comes to the results you get. Given the modest cost of improving your streaming connection compared to the cost of a Devialet I'd definitely be starting with my streaming connection if I were you.
Roon Nucleus+, Devilalet Expert 140 Pro CI, Focal Sopra 2, PS Audio P12, Keces P8 LPS, Uptone Audio EtherREGEN with optical fibre link to my router, Shunyata Alpha NR and Sigma NR power cables, Shunyata Sigma ethernet cables, Shunyata Alpha V2 speaker cables, Grand Prix Audio Monaco rack, RealTRAPS acoustic treatment.
Brisbane, Qld, Australia
