Small system with Devialet 250/Focal Diablo Utopias - worth upgrading to 800?

[thumb5]

[...]
The difference between the 200 and 400 was IMO pretty big. Even more transparent and noticeable more power, this was pretty obvious at low volume where the 200 felt a bit "thin" sometimes (compared to my old Plinius Hautonga).

Thanks Johan. This is really helpful info. I was thinking the same thing that the Devialet is a bit thin sounding at lower volume (could be the speakers though I guess).

I'm very interested by these comments, because they match my experience exactly. (See my sig below.) I find the sound at low volumes rather thin and weedy. But if I crank up the volume, it sounds transcendentally wonderful. I'd assumed it was a problem I could address with a bit of FR tweaking, maybe a lack of lower mid-range oomph. But experience suggests not.

Well, call it expectation bias if you like, but having extended my 200 to a 400 (on trial) and listened for a couple of hours, I think the highlighted points are a very good description of one of the differences I'm hearing.

Also, and I'd have had a hard time imagining this, the openness and ease of the 200's delivery seems to be noticeably better again with the 400. It's just absolutely clean without being in any way tiring to listen to.

(This is with the "infamous" standard-supply Crystal Cable linking the two units - haven't tried anything else yet.)