Firmware 8.1 released!

[Dr Tone]

Seeing as there can't be too many variables in play here, perhaps the SAM percentage is just the level of bass boost? I thought it was the level of phase correction but have seen it mentioned on here a few times that even SAM at 0% is correcting phase. Would be nice to know exactly what it's doing. I'm not keen on the idea of any excessive bass boosting and to my ears it's always sounded like that's an element of it!
[sorry I'm going a bit off topic here]

I don't think it's a bass boost at all:

The pdf that came with 8.1 firmware explains the SAM % as the amount of extension.

0% means your speakers are operating at their normal frequency response.  100% means you are getting the maximum extension, the number devialet indicates as the new achievable low Hz with SAM on and at 100%.

So people experiencing boom, it simply could be the new found low frequencies not interacting with your room very well. Or maybe it just doesn't sound good and messes up other frequencies.  Fortunately Devialet gave us the option to dial it back.



Jeff

[ledesc]

An what about the impact of the subsonic filter on/off on SAM ?

[Jean-Marie]

An what about the impact of the subsonic filter on/off on SAM ?

The subsonic filter is working independently from SAM.

So having it on, will roll off the lower frequencies. I could hear the effect on test tones slightly at 40Hz and very definitely at 30 Hz.

[imprezap2]

Is the subsonic filter also working on the pre-out ?

[Mikeeo]

Thanks Mike, now I know exactly what you mean.  I have noticed this with 7.1.1, but only at crazy volumes, but this was in no way an issue in normal use.  I'll be annoyed if this is more apparent with 8.1, time will tell once I give 8.1 a try.

I had none of this with the 7.1.3 not even at crazy volumes (+15 dB on some material in my system). Mind you my Raidhos are both tricky in impedance as have low efficiency. 

/M

[f1eng]

Thanks Mike, now I know exactly what you mean.  I have noticed this with 7.1.1, but only at crazy volumes, but this was in no way an issue in normal use.  I'll be annoyed if this is more apparent with 8.1, time will tell once I give 8.1 a try.

I had none of this with the 7.1.3 not even at crazy volumes (+15 dB on some material in my system). Mind you my Raidhos are both tricky in impedance as have low efficiency. 

/M

Wow! +15dB will certainly be clipping on pretty well all digital recordings, and with modern pop records clipping all the time.
I do not think it reasonable to judge sound quality on any equipment when overloaded like that.

[Jean-Marie]

Thanks Mike, now I know exactly what you mean.  I have noticed this with 7.1.1, but only at crazy volumes, but this was in no way an issue in normal use.  I'll be annoyed if this is more apparent with 8.1, time will tell once I give 8.1 a try.

I had none of this with the 7.1.3 not even at crazy volumes (+15 dB on some material in my system). Mind you my Raidhos are both tricky in impedance as have low efficiency. 

/M

Wow! +15dB will certainly be clipping on pretty well all digital recordings, and with modern pop records clipping all the time.
I do not think it reasonable to judge sound quality on any equipment when overloaded like that.

I don't think is is really clipping since I was told once by Devialet that they apply an intelligent interpolation to have an elliptic curve if they were to clip (kind of an fancy compression). 

But I fully agree with you at +15 dB it would be most of the time compressing and therefore very unfaithful anytime the source would be higher than -15 dBFS.

[Mikeeo]

Thanks Mike, now I know exactly what you mean.  I have noticed this with 7.1.1, but only at crazy volumes, but this was in no way an issue in normal use.  I'll be annoyed if this is more apparent with 8.1, time will tell once I give 8.1 a try.

I had none of this with the 7.1.3 not even at crazy volumes (+15 dB on some material in my system). Mind you my Raidhos are both tricky in impedance as have low efficiency. 

/M

Wow! +15dB will certainly be clipping on pretty well all digital recordings, and with modern pop records clipping all the time.
I do not think it reasonable to judge sound quality on any equipment when overloaded like that.

Yes I know and I am not happy with this of course. For every FW upgrade I have to crank the volume a bit more to get the levels I want. Or have I perhaps built up a hearing problem?

To bad Guillaume doesn't have time to sweep by my place this Saturday for our Raidho event here in Sweden to give me some kind of reference/witness!

Though I had an issue with the AES/EBU input on the Master (almost lost one channel and had enormous distortion in the same channel) and after reconfiguring the same level that I had at +15 dB is now at -5 to 0 dB. Perhaps problem solved?

/Mike

[Pim]

The Devialet deletes 2 files after a Firmware update, this is so that if you put the configuration and Firmware on one SD card and leave it in the amp, the amp does not repeatedly update the firmware when you power down.  If you have dual mono, you need to lock the SD card before updating firmware in the first amp, assuming you want to update both amps with one SD card.

I tried 8.1.0 last weekend and also saw only 15 files after the update but I started with 18! I just checked to make sure and I've got 18 files in my folder, see? By the way, I went back to 7.1.3

Why back to 7.1.3 Pim?  What do you think was missing from 8.1?

I was home for a quick weekend and just wanted to enjoy the music. I tried the new SAM and it definitely lets you play louder before the 'nanny' kicks in which is a plus. But it did sound harsher to my ears and I couldn't bring myself to listen all night in the hope it would get better. So back to 7.1.3 for now until I have more time to evaluate properly. I like the new SAM enough to want to give it another go. As for all the other enhancements; Although they can be good for some, I don't feel a need for them.