Why is the D400 "better" than the D200

[yabaVR]

From the marketing texts of the D400: 

(I'm afraid something got lost here in translation e.g. 'Current return from the total mass')



I think it boils down to separated power supplies and ADH cores (less crosstalk/noise/ground contamination, more power per channel) and the use of 2 DAC IC's (I think the DACs run in parallel in order to sum the outputs and average the difference) vs. 1 per channel (less distortion and jitter).

I get your point.
But how comes a D250 shows similar sound characteristic improvements (Compared to a D200 being a half D400) as a D400 without the concept of dual mono. Only by raising the voltage in the power supply as they say? Other than that their hardware is completely the same (you know I had both on my workbench). That's not conclusive to me thus some kind of processing might be envolved ?!

gui

I recall discussing this with Devialet's Mathieu Pernot, maybe about three years ago.  He stated that the hardware is indeed identical.  The difference is in the control of the power supply.  I cannot claim to fully understand this myself, or it's absolute significance in terms of sound quality, but the difference is in the control of the power supply, that is the 200's power supply does have some limitations imposed versus the D250, the reason being that if you did not, the 200 would overheat.  One thing I am clear about, Mathieu Pernot said absolutely nothing about any differences in processing, although could you consider some kind of electronic control over the power supply as 'processing'?  I think this could certainly give that impression.

Just think of it from Devialet's point of view. You have to keep a wide gap between a D200 and a D250 SQ-wise to justify the almost double price. So you only have the aluminum case and as I know they scaled down the Voltage in the powersupply due to less cooling mass of the case (they say). You can be sure that Mathieu Pernot would never come around with something like sound processing for the worse on smaller models. It would be a shame. They wouldn't do that. I think they do it in a VW-style. Alter the software and keep their mouths shut...(oops so should I   )

But as they build it, it's their game...and I love my D anyway   .

gui