30-Sep-2015, 17:54
I long-suspected the degradation was temperature-related. I did some more thorough testing over the summer and ended up finding the temperature-SQ link a little less conclusive, but I did find there seemed to be a noticeable SQ dip as temps rose - though at a higher temper threshold than I previously suspected (in the mid-late 50s C as opposed to the mid-to-late 40s). I did also strangely find my unit seemed better close to power up - maybe ten minutes in, and seemed to deteriorate from then on albeit pretty slowly until that threshold was reach where SQ dip was noticeable, beyond which it was pretty much unlistenable.
On the other hand I've suspected I have a faulty D200 for a long time as it's quite inconsistent sound quality wise from one listening session to the next. It's currently with Devialet and I have a loaner unit which seems much more consistent (i.e it hasn't sounded bad at all, even on extended listening sesssions where the temps have got quite high). So I don't really know for sure whether there's a temperature link. It could just be a faulty unit.
Another factor is the earlier units like mine were generally subjected to higher temps due to less attention paid to temp regulation in the earlier firmwares. I wonder sometimes whether earlier units could've degraded somehow due to the higher temps, but then we're not really talking very high temperatures at all in terms of electronic components/solder joints etc. which should remain in tolerance quite a bit beyond the temps we're seeing displayed.
But I'm fairly sure lower temps/higher stability of temperature (which you seemed to achieve Manoet) can't be anything other than positive.
Now if you could fool it into thinking it's a 250...! Are there DIP switches anywhere? I'm wondering how the firmware figures what unit is running.
On the other hand I've suspected I have a faulty D200 for a long time as it's quite inconsistent sound quality wise from one listening session to the next. It's currently with Devialet and I have a loaner unit which seems much more consistent (i.e it hasn't sounded bad at all, even on extended listening sesssions where the temps have got quite high). So I don't really know for sure whether there's a temperature link. It could just be a faulty unit.
Another factor is the earlier units like mine were generally subjected to higher temps due to less attention paid to temp regulation in the earlier firmwares. I wonder sometimes whether earlier units could've degraded somehow due to the higher temps, but then we're not really talking very high temperatures at all in terms of electronic components/solder joints etc. which should remain in tolerance quite a bit beyond the temps we're seeing displayed.
But I'm fairly sure lower temps/higher stability of temperature (which you seemed to achieve Manoet) can't be anything other than positive.
Now if you could fool it into thinking it's a 250...! Are there DIP switches anywhere? I'm wondering how the firmware figures what unit is running.
