I have a slightly different take on the 'too complicated many ugly boxes' vs 'all in a pretty single box' debate. Essentially I agree with Antoine, in that I would quite happily have a few ugly boxes if the performance to price ratio is good. If I could get 90% of the performance of the dCS Vivaldi Upsmpler and clock for a quarter of the price with HQPlayer and five ugly boxes, that would suit me fine. It is perhaps worth mentioning that the dCS Vivaldi is two boxes if you have the clock. I think the best 'one box' solution I have heard with a Devialet is the Aurender W20, and even that can be improved with an external clock. Although I also think the Aurender N10 is superb, and that really is just one box. Of course, the Aurenders are no good if you want Roon or similar.
My different take though is that if your aim is to find the 'best bang for your buck' and the ultimate from end for a Devialet, the most compelling 'multi box' solutions for a Devialet seam to entail converting Ethernet to USB, then USB to AES/EBU. This takes us to the dCS Network Bridge, which skips bothering with USB and goes straight from Ethernet to Devialet's preferred AES/EBU input. Perfect! Well, almost perfect. The multi box solutions with USB also allow use with HQPlayer and kit like the Ref 10, neither of which will work with the dCS. Now, I am happy with lots of ugly boxes, and currently suspect that something like the sMS-200Ultra with clock input, MutecMC3+USB, Ref 10 feeding both, plus some decent LPSU's providing power, might be the perfect solution for me. It's just that some kind of ugly box that would do the same but skip the USB step might be even better, it just doesn't exist at the moment. Also, noting that the Ref 10 has a decent LPSU, which makes me think that Mutec could make a better MC3+USB, with a similar LSPU inside and other optimisation. You could give up here and say 'when will it ever end', but perhaps this is where the ugly box approach has some benefits, if for example a Mutec MC3Ultra or something emerges, you can add this at reasonable cost and use it with your existing Ref 10. A much easier way to upgrade that selling your previously very expensive Aurender W20 or dCS Vivaldi to fund the next new model.
I am quite sure that in the fullness of time there will be a pretty one box solution that does do all this, with perfect simplicity, it just depends how long you want to wait. And even then there will probably be something even better and cheaper, but in lots of ugly boxes.
I think we should all be happy that there is so much choice and good stuff coming out currently, it's just a case of working out which solution suits you best.
My different take though is that if your aim is to find the 'best bang for your buck' and the ultimate from end for a Devialet, the most compelling 'multi box' solutions for a Devialet seam to entail converting Ethernet to USB, then USB to AES/EBU. This takes us to the dCS Network Bridge, which skips bothering with USB and goes straight from Ethernet to Devialet's preferred AES/EBU input. Perfect! Well, almost perfect. The multi box solutions with USB also allow use with HQPlayer and kit like the Ref 10, neither of which will work with the dCS. Now, I am happy with lots of ugly boxes, and currently suspect that something like the sMS-200Ultra with clock input, MutecMC3+USB, Ref 10 feeding both, plus some decent LPSU's providing power, might be the perfect solution for me. It's just that some kind of ugly box that would do the same but skip the USB step might be even better, it just doesn't exist at the moment. Also, noting that the Ref 10 has a decent LPSU, which makes me think that Mutec could make a better MC3+USB, with a similar LSPU inside and other optimisation. You could give up here and say 'when will it ever end', but perhaps this is where the ugly box approach has some benefits, if for example a Mutec MC3Ultra or something emerges, you can add this at reasonable cost and use it with your existing Ref 10. A much easier way to upgrade that selling your previously very expensive Aurender W20 or dCS Vivaldi to fund the next new model.
I am quite sure that in the fullness of time there will be a pretty one box solution that does do all this, with perfect simplicity, it just depends how long you want to wait. And even then there will probably be something even better and cheaper, but in lots of ugly boxes.
I think we should all be happy that there is so much choice and good stuff coming out currently, it's just a case of working out which solution suits you best.
1000 Pro - KEF Blade - iFi Zen Stream - Mutec REF10 - MC3+USB - Pro-Ject Signature 12
