MELCO

[GuillaumeB]

I'm intrigued by the Dialog but I don't really consider this a high-end streaming solution. I think it was designed for the Phantoms and not the Expert range, hence the delays (for the Expert range) and some of the confusing messages from Devialet. I'm also uncomfortable about the USB connection between the Dialog and the Master, USB as far as I understand doesn't offer any galvanic isolation and I can only imagine the Dialog box will generate a fair bit of electrical noise; it's a very powerful wifi transmitter with an SMPS (I'm guessing?) not to mention other electronics. Do I really want to plug this directly into my Devialet? I'm not so sure. We were also told by Devialet on many occasions that qualitatively the AES/EBU input was the best input. But then again I'm coming from the totaldac d1 server with its obsessive attention to detail noise-wise (check out the graphs on the totaldac website - Vincent measures all this stuff!) and powerful reclocking capabilities, and it's connected via AES/EBU as recommended by Devialet. I don't doubt that eventually Spark will be an impressive control point and if streaming services are properly integrated it could be fantastically convenient. Still I will keep an open mind and will definitely give it a try in the Autumn or something by which time things would have settled down a little. 

Hi Guillaume,

I agree with most of what you say and think it would be better if Devialet developed a 'Dialog Expert' specifically for use with the Expert range.  They could drop the mesh network and PLC support and add an AES/EBU output and additional USB connectors to support external HDD/SSD storage, thumb drive and output. If they added coax to the Dialog as well then the connectors on the Expert range amps would become largely redundant part from phono. So less need to use the Configurator 

Devialet have indicated that USB will be the only link between the Dialog and Expert range initially but that wired and wireless ethernet will be added later using an enhanced version of AIR.  Even with USB support it would of course be possible to use a re-clocker and I guess your Totaldac would filter out any 'noise'. Assuming Spark is as good as Devialet promise this could be quite an attractive solution: a highly flexible front end with support for lossless streaming services (an area in which the Totaldac seems deficient), local storage on USB drives or NAS + a very clean, re-clocked signal into the Expert amps. 

Philip

That's a very good point Philip, I could just connect the Dialog to the d1 server with the short totaldac USB cable (that currently connects Cubox to reclocker). Good thinking! 

Guillaume