Upgrade program kick-off

[Rocketmannequin]

I took the plunge to upgrade my D120 to the D220 Pro. I had paid $4,800 for a a showroom unit in NY which was sold with full warranty in October, only to learn of this upgrade afterwards. I was so impressed with the 120 in itself that I was not convinced that I needed to pay another $4,590 for what was sure not to be twice the SQ. Regardless, after reading some posts in the thread and being impressed with the iOS functionality of some Phantom owners, the ability to add the Devialet OS upgrade and the possibility of adding a second D220 to make the D440 seemed a worthwhile future experiment. It took about two weeks for Devialet to send me the box, and another three to have it returned upgraded from Paris to NY. The process was not without its hitches, and the Devialet rep would only respond in fits and starts when I grew impatient over various periods in the four weeks. At one point I even called Devialet in Paris, only for what seemed to be an off-hours worker telling me that he wasn't responsible for any delays and that all these upgrades take a while as there is only one person working on them! In any case, customer service was ultimately constructive and responsive. The returned box was completely new, along with the same unit, however a new remote. There is s premium power cable supplied, along with another SD card and of course the white gloves and the microfiber cloth. My original 120 had a small scratch on the top surface and an indented plastic window beneath, both of which were respectively polished and repaired. Both main unit and remote seem completely new. The new remote had an inconsistent and odd click feeling in the beginning as it was turned, which was solved over time by turning it extensively. It seems the ball bearings needed some wearing-in, assuming that's the mechanism. Plugging it all in, the display presents "Devialet 220 Pro" and with all plugged in with the SD card with my config file for my B&W 804 D3s, it all sounds wonderful. I listen to mostly classical and electronic music, and certain notes and passages with this very wide soundstage gives me goosebumps regularly. There is no white noise or any hissing sound whatsoever during the quiet passages. Though the 120 did much of the same, I ultimately did not undergo this upgrade just for the SQ though it does sound fabulous sounds particularly clear and powerful, possibly slightly more than the 120. But then I only had the 120 for a month before I opted for the upgrade. It sounds especially spectacular compared to my 10-year old Sony A/V Receiver that I had used while the Devialet was out. I will have to listen further to see if burning-in makes any further difference. Overall, the upgrade was not cheap, but then this hobby is not one that relies purely on reason or technical stats (impressive as these latter are).
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Nick | D220 Pro | B&W 804 D3 | Siltech Explorer 90L | New York, NY