Will there be a new expert line anytime soon?

[GuillaumeB]

To my mind the Od'A wasn't really that much of a technological leap from the current Expert series, and seemed like a bit of an intermediate update - OK, there were a few hardware upgrades but it certainly didn't come across as revolutionary compared to the current line.  I'm not in that market so can't really say, but Im actually surprised current 800 owners went for it - I know its better, but I would have personally waited for a complete refresh of the line (but then I do rarely upgrade to the next version unless it seems like  a proper upgrade  - I definitely skip iPhone models).  I guess the allure of the 'limited addition' appealed, but I think they're going to have to do a bit more than a colour change and upgrades to a few key components to drag in the next several years worth of buyers.

But maybe not, time will tell…...

On paper perhaps it does look like a minor update. However the sound quality has been significantly improved, it just sounds so much more natural and effortless in its presentation. It's almost like the timing of the system has been improved and the midrange has more flesh/body. The 800 was already a very accomplished affair, however this takes things to an altogether new level. From an ADH point of view this is a very significant update, and it's still not clear if these improvements will trickle down to the Expert range anytime soon. I think it's fair to say that Devialet have enough on their plate with the Phantom and other plans to get the ADH technology platform into everyday consumer items such as cars and televisions.

No it doesn't tick all the latest audiophile fad boxes but there are plenty of ways of benefiting from these developments via dedicated renderers and other souped up computers. 

Before committing to the OdA I did look at a number of other solutions and did actually evaluate a few other systems in my own setup. It was still much cheaper for me to sell my 800 and buy an OdA than go for another rival solution, even if some of the other systems were amazing! There is some fantastic stuff out there but boy is it expensive. 

Guillaume