AIR is not that bad but it's not fool proof and needs careful setup.
At least it used to run flawless here and I have used it over WiFi until I upgraded my D-Premier to a 250. Then I first started using ethernet because if/when I used WiFi and loaded a heavy website I would sometimes have those "crackles", monitoring WiFi latency indeed showed an increase and packet loss but this is normal behavior and I could probably have prevented this if I chose a higher buffer. As I also live in a neighborhood with a crowded 2.4GHz band (I could easily pickup >40 AP's) I placed my WiFi router (a still excellent 2.4GHz performer Asus RT-N66U) near the Devialet, with a clear line of sight. Of course a dedicated ethernet line takes away all the bandwidth, packet loss and latency issues common to WiFi in a crowded WiFi neighborhood so I switched to using that after the 250 upgrade.
When I discovered USB could/does sound a whole lot better when using a properly tuned music server I switched to USB completely.
I never suffered from the white noise issue while using AIR while using release versions of both AIR and firmware.
edit: the USB input on the Devialet is completely fool proof BTW, but at a cost (at least when using a PC/Mac based music server), it doesn't sound as well 'out of the box' as AIR. Like I wrote it needs careful tuning and so presents one with a steep learning curve. If one doesn't want any of that, and a flawless working system than perhaps the Aries, Aurender like machines are more to your liking but I expect even those are not trouble free. Don't you want any troubles at all then keep spinning those silver and black disks!
At least it used to run flawless here and I have used it over WiFi until I upgraded my D-Premier to a 250. Then I first started using ethernet because if/when I used WiFi and loaded a heavy website I would sometimes have those "crackles", monitoring WiFi latency indeed showed an increase and packet loss but this is normal behavior and I could probably have prevented this if I chose a higher buffer. As I also live in a neighborhood with a crowded 2.4GHz band (I could easily pickup >40 AP's) I placed my WiFi router (a still excellent 2.4GHz performer Asus RT-N66U) near the Devialet, with a clear line of sight. Of course a dedicated ethernet line takes away all the bandwidth, packet loss and latency issues common to WiFi in a crowded WiFi neighborhood so I switched to using that after the 250 upgrade.
When I discovered USB could/does sound a whole lot better when using a properly tuned music server I switched to USB completely.
I never suffered from the white noise issue while using AIR while using release versions of both AIR and firmware.
edit: the USB input on the Devialet is completely fool proof BTW, but at a cost (at least when using a PC/Mac based music server), it doesn't sound as well 'out of the box' as AIR. Like I wrote it needs careful tuning and so presents one with a steep learning curve. If one doesn't want any of that, and a flawless working system than perhaps the Aries, Aurender like machines are more to your liking but I expect even those are not trouble free. Don't you want any troubles at all then keep spinning those silver and black disks!
PS Audio P3, Shunyata ΞTRON Alpha Digital and HC/Furutech power cables, Paul Hynes SR7EHD-MR4, DIY Roon Server & Roon Endpoint running AudioLinux Headless, Phasure Lush^2 USB cable, Audioquest Diamond RJ/E ethernet, Uptone Audio etherREGEN, Mutec MC-3+ USB, Shunyata ΞTRON Anaconda Digital XLR AES/EBU, Devialet Expert 250 Pro CI, Nordost Tyr Reference LS cables, Von Schweikert VR-5 SE Anniversary Edition, Anti-Mode Dual Core 2.0, JL Audio Fathom F112. More detail here.
The Netherlands
The Netherlands
