Firmware 8.1.2 released

[Clark]

I agree 100% with all of the comments regarding the remote and configuration issues ! For such a high-end system the current remote, whilst so beautiful in many ways, is seriously flawed as it is lacking the necessary visual feedback. I did read somewhere on this forum that a new remote is in the works. Let's hope so ! And the offline SD card approach to configuration seems primitive and frequently unreliable. In any event, a decent remote app and/or access via a web-browser should surely be pretty standard in this day and age?

Hopefully this is just a timing matter whilst the money-men at Devialet direct available resources to the Phantom launch and the backlog of software problems...

[Vivialet]

I'm not yet 100% sure, but it seems the agressiveness with SAM on is gone again. Hopefully this is really true...
Or maybe I had a problem with my ears last week ?

[Confused]

Does this sound better than 7.1.3?

Maybe time for a 7.1.3 vs 8.1.2 SQ poll ?  (I'm assuming 8.1 and 8.1.2 sound the same)

[Rufus McDufus]

It's sounding pretty much the same as 8.1.0 to me.
I prefer the thermal management in the 8.x firmwares especially with DPM enabled. It sounds very variable with temperature to me, especially as the weather is a bit warmer (the higher temps on the Devialet seem to sound worse to me) so the improved regulation is welcome.

[Antoine]

[cut]
For this reason I have a suggestion, which has been made by other chat forum members, that two or three different kinds of firmware updates be released at the same time. All of them should have the features of 8.0 firmware but the sound quality in them should be different. I and some members feel that a new firmware update should be released which has the sound quality of 7.1.3 but the features of 8.0.
[cut]

As if the changes (if they exist and are attributed to the right root cause by us 'the customers') in sound quality are intentional...Sorry to say it this direct but these suggestions make no sense at all. I'm not saying changes don't exist and that Devialet should not also listen to their product or product updates but to suggest to offer multiple releases: it's crazy. It would suggest you are thinking that Devialet has, or knows about, some dials to turn. My personal opinion: please let Devialet be and stay the technology company that they are now and at most add a critical listeners panel to the company that can internally discuss any unwanted or unintentional changes in sound quality or character and research the mechanisms behind them to advance things forward. The day Devialet starts being a company like "here's three versions, you decide which one you like best" I'm out.

I also don't think it is necessary or desirable to speak for more people than just yourself. If you'd like to add extra weight to any suggestions you or others made/or agreed with in this forum I myself would add links to the original discussion(s) here.

[Dr Tone]

Here's an email that I sent to Devialet's support time: -

Hello Roger,

I understand what you are trying to say here, but not everybody uses the Audirvana software, some of us use music servers and disc players. In that context something needs to be done in a future firmware update of yours because it is quite unsatisfactory that one has to increase the volume by about 6 dB in order to enjoy DSD files. I would think an appropriate solution would be to have some process built in the Devialet and its firmware that every time the system detects a DSD file playing it automatically and by default increases the volume level by 6 dB. I am reasonably sure that this can be done and the reason I say that is because of experience. In my old system, which comprised of an Ayre KX-R preamplifier, an Ayre QB-9 DSD DAC and a Krell 402e amplifier connected to my current music server (Aurender X100) I never had to increase the volume when switching from a PCM to a DSD. Clearly a mechanism existed in the QB-9 DAC that adjusted the output levels in such a way that I never had to change the volume when switching from a PCM to a DSD file. Whether or not DSD is better than PCM is a matter of personal preference; I find the DSD’s files have noticeably better sound quality than PCM and as such others like myself to benefit a better sound quality from the Devialet for DSD files.

The other issue is the sound quality of firmwares 8.0 or later; I am a member of the Devialet chat forum and several members and owners of Devialet are voicing this concern that I have. This concern relates to the sound quality of the Devialets which has changed altogether and most people feel that the sound quality is not good at all like it was with the  7.1.3 firmware. Myself and other members of the chat for have compared the sound quality 7.1.3 and 8.0 and a vast majority of them feel that 7.1.3 was much better.

I think the issue here is that the Devialet is as much a computer as it is a piece of audio equipment and firmware updates can significantly change sound quality. I will also admit that there are a few Devialet owners on the chat forum would like 8.0 better than 7.1.3 so essentially it does, to a degree, come down to personal preference. For this reason I have a suggestion, which has been made by other chat forum members, that two or three different kinds of firmware updates be released at the same time. All of them should have the features of 8.0 firmware but the sound quality in them should be different. I and some members feel that a new firmware update should be released which has the sound quality of 7.1.3 but the features of 8.0.

Most of us feel that this is a brand-new technology and it should be developed as much by audio engineers as by software and computer engineers. The audio engineers need to be focusing on sound quality by listening in their studios and work collaboratively with computer and software engineers advising them of the changes that need to be made to firmware updates in order to preserve good sound quality. I have actually gone back to firmware 7.1.3 because I highly disliked the sound of 8.0
I look forward to your email at your earliest convenience.
Thank you


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Devialet absolutely shouldn't be maintaining multiple versions of the firmware.  They have enough trouble getting one version out that isn't bug ridden.  Add the complication of maintaining the configuration tool for multiple features it would be a nightmare for them.

As you said, making 8+ sound like 7.1.3 won't work for the people that like 8+.  I unfortunately I think you'll be stuck on 7.1.3 for a long time which is probably just fine until something comes along and breaks things for you or you want one or more of the new features (DSD as an example).  At that point you'll have to decide to live with 8+ or sell your Devialet and move to something else.


Personally I install the new firmwares as they come out and just enjoy the music.

[Confused]

"Firmware 7.1.3 is actually the last release of Firmware 7. Meaning that this is the most stable version of our firmwares.
I posted this information a couple of weeks ago, but I thought it very relevant to a few of the recent posts on this thread. This is info from Devialet themselves.....

"Firmware 8 is newer than the 7 and it includes many improvements compared to firmware 7 (ICM, DPM, phono menu). It does however need some corrections, that will consequently appear in firmware 8.1"

"Actually the 7.1.1 compared to the 7.1.3 is very different; Because the 7.1.3 brought many ameliorations to the 7.1.1.
So it is not surprising that the sound is better on the 7.1.3, simply because it corrects and improve the general version 7 of the firmware.
Of course in the future, we hope to do the same with firmware 8."

So maybe we will end up with some kind of fully optimised 7.1.3beta style version of 8.x.x in the fullness of time? This seems to be what Devialet are implying above. As to the horror of Devialet offering more than one Firmware version, isn't this exactly what happened when 7.1.3beta was offered? Perhaps we can forgive them the odd beta version, but I am beginning to think that maybe they released the beta version as some kind of appeasement in anticipation of 8.0 being released and problematic, pure speculation of course.

[Antoine]

I seriously doubt that email from Devialet is meant to be anything other than a message to please the customer, telling him what he wants to hear.

If Devialet (not just a/one support employee who want to close cases as fast as possible) really finds we should hear a positive difference they will let us know as they have always done. They'll scream it from every rooftop and perhaps even think up a new catchy acronym for their latest improvement.

[Confused]

I seriously doubt that email from Devialet is meant to be anything other than a message to please the customer, telling him what he wants to hear.

If Devialet (not just a/one support employee who want to close cases as fast as possible) really finds we should hear a positive difference they will let us know as they have always done. They'll scream it from every rooftop and perhaps even think up a new catchy acronym for their latest improvement.

Yes, you could well be right, it's hard to know with the feedback from Devialet.  In fact, it's quite unusual to get response from them that actually makes any sense in a definitive way.

Anyway, I have a few free hours tomorrow and plan to wean myself of 7.1.3 and try the new 8.x features.  (8.0 didn't work for me, and I've missed 8.1, too slow).  I'm really hoping I'm as happy with 8.1.2, to be honest I hate all the SD swapping palaver and A B evaluations, but always feel I need to evaluate properly, thus giving peace of mind that all is well, thus getting back to simply enjoying a few tunes!  For me I'm hoping that there will be no more updates for a while, it's fun occasionally, but not too often.

[amabrok]

while multiple flavours of the same firmware release should be a big no go by all means, but i guess what could be added here are some kind of different filters that one can choose from in the configurator to suit different tastes, different systems and different listening environments.

this way Devialet maintains one release and we users get to tweak SQ using the built in filters to our liking. Having suggested that, I for one will tend not to use any filters but there might be situations where filters or coloration might come in handy.