is Devialet a lifestyle product

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First, it sounds as though your "old school audiophile" friends may be labouring under the misconception that the Devialets are class D amps: they are not.  In fact they combine both class A and class D modules, the aim being to give the voltage accuracy and purity of a class A amp with the current delivery and efficiency of a class D.

That being the case, I wonder whether the people you spoke to have bothered to listen to Devialets since they are apparently ill-informed and dismissive/defensive about them.

If you are considering a Devialet -- or any other piece of hi-fi equipment -- does it really matter what other people think about it?  For me, at least, the relevant questions are:

• does it sound good (the way I'd like it to, to my ears, in my room)?
  
• does it have the capabilities I need (inputs and outputs, streaming support, controls, etc.)?
  
• is it easy and pleasurable to use?
  
• does it enhance (rather than detract from) the environment in which it's going to be used?
  
• does it give me the pleasure of owning a well-designed piece of equipment?
  
• is it well-built and likely to last?
  
• is it affordable?
  

This explains why defining a product as either "lifestyle" or "audiophile" is a false dichotomy: to some extent all hi-fi equipment is a lifestyle product insofar as it's bought to fit in with the lifestyle of someone who is an avid music listener and/or gear enthusiast (or somewhere in between).  However, as well as sound quality, factors like ease of use, aesthetics, design, and pleasure of ownership are very subjective: your opinion on those factors, and how important they are to you, might be very different to anyone else's.

I bought a Devialet more than seven years ago because it had a unique combination of sound quality, flexibility, and good looks, and I haven't yet seen anything that hits the "sweet spot" for me in quite the same way.  The sound quality in particular is certainly on a par with more "truly audiophile" gear -- whatever that really means -- at least to my ears, which is what matters. 

In short: if it sounds good, who cares whether someone describes it as a "lifestyle" product?