A lot of hot AIR from Devialet?

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Hi Thumb (excuse me not knowing your name!)

No need at all to apologise - I'm another Ian (I think we met at the Guildford Audio event last year).

I've tried the dealer and distributor route in the UK. With no success, despite the best intentions of distributor and dealer.

More than most overseas (to the UK) manufacturers, Devialet seems to pay only modest regard to what their distributor and dealers say. Indeed, their recent activity with Harrods in the UK, which was intended solely to be the initial source for the Phantom/Dialog product line, has annoyed their existing outlets because they are selling the Expert line there as well.

I think Devialet's aspiration is to establish Devialet shops in key locations and effectively get them to act as resellers, rather like the model adopted by Apple and, less successfully, by Meridian and Bang & Olufsen.

So I'm sure dealers are discontented on the one hand, but hugely grateful that Devialet has revived the high end market and provided welcome profits. So I suspect they cannot arm-twist effectively and are not minded to do so anyway.

Sorry to hear that you've already tried that approach with little success.  I had really hoped that the dealer network might be a good advocate for its customers, but if Devialet have not responded with anything of any substance, it is disappointing to say the least.  I didn't know that Harrods was also selling the Expert line, and can see how that would put a few noses out of joint.