Audio Science Review of Expert 200.

[PeppaPig]

Well, the clue is Confused has referred to low output MC cartridges which many of us use and have found with appropriate settings within the configurator,  the system sounds noisy, in particular hiss. I have no doubt that any MM cartridge will sound just fine with the configurator appropriately set. Those of us with low output MC cartridges have generally reverted to the addition of external step up transformers or a separate dedicated MC phono stage, as I have done. This issue has been communicated to Devialet and Matthew Pernot has personally looked at the problem and has concluded that the level of noise is acceptable. That is nonsense because users are troubled by the noise. As said, (considering the refusal to accept there is a noise issue) most of us in this situation have found our own solutions. I don’t blame Devialet for this because I realise how hard it is to create a noise free low output MC stage particularly when the amp has everything crammed into such a small space when low output MC cartridges benefit from expanded low noise construction requiring components in the phono amplifier section to be well spaced........not possible in a Devialet chassis. 

So, a separate MC phono amplifier absolutely works for me. My two gripes are 1, why can’t Devialet publicly recognise the problem and either acknowledge that they can’t fix it or better, do something that does fix it. My 2nd is I’m a bit pissed that I have to accommodate the space of a separate MC phono stage when one of my main drivers for going full Devialet was that I would have a simple one box system. Unfortunately, it seems that’s not going to happen. Otherwise, the sound of my 250 Pro C/I is magnificent!

Hi, can you change to a higher output MC cartridge? My gold note MC cartridge sounds very good, and how clean is the background from a Vinly often surprised my guess. What is the benefit to use very low output MC cartridge?

Which model do you use? I notice that the Donatello Red MC puts out a huge 1.8 mV which should make for a very hiss free listening experience.

Donatello Gold, not sure what different between the red and gold, but it sounds very good and clean. I also has a CD player that analog output to Devialet and I don’t hear any background noise too, it’s extremely clean.

Will see if I can borrow another MC cartridge to test out.