Devialet v Benchmark/Parasound/Pass Labs

[Flashman]

Hi,

It was I who wrote the letter to Jeff Fritz and I note that Flashman and ozthepos (purposely?) misinterpret my mail. I did NOT ask Jeff Fritz to tell me what is best or what to buy. My mail concerned a technical question based on a curiosity about my own reactions when comparing the Devialet with a separate component solution. Given his long experience with many different types of amplifiers (and that his profession is to analyze hi-fi equipment) I thought it would be interesting to hear his view about the differences I heard in my comparison.

The types of comments that you post are so typical for those who really are uncertain on their own ears (which I am not). It is called regret aversion, i.e. a manic fear of having purchased the wrong thing, resulting in a Don Quixote behavior fighting every expressed opinion that does not imply an unreserved hallelujah for the product under discussion.

I might, or I might not, purchase a Devialet. But that decision will surely be dependent only on my own ears (and budget). I hope that you two can relax a bit and be happy with your Devialet(s) instead of worrying about what other persons might prefer. You deserve it, the Devialet is an outstanding product and you have made a very good purchase!

/Kari

Hi Kari, welcome to Devialet Chat! I thought it was an excellent letter hence why I posted about it in here.

I have also had similar dilemmas and I don't think there is an easy answer. You will note elsewhere in this forum that I recently auditioned a Vitus SIA-025 and MPD-201 DAC. Not because I am looking at selling my Devialet and moving on but rather that I am very interested in hi-fi and love to hear other things from time to time. There was much that I really loved about the Vitus combo, in particular it gave a very dense slightly warm soundstage and was supremely musical in a way that perhaps the Devialet isn't. On the other hand whilst I really enjoyed this there were things about the Devialet that I missed! In a nutshell the transparency and lower end grip. And funnily enough the Devialet remote! I had a few friends over in that time, some of which were true audiophiles. It was interesting that some preferred the Vitus sound and others the Devialet.

Having said this I do think that the 800 dual mono package gets you pretty close to some of the other über high-end combos, particularly with upgraded cables and other tweaks. Using SAM-enabled speakers also helps to close the gap.

In the end some of your choice will come down to economics; as much as I'd love a Constelation Audio Virgo preamp with Centaur monoblocks with a Metronome Nausicaa DAC and matching Transparent Audio Ref XL cables, this will set me back at least £130k. That's the attraction of the Devialet proposition, you are getting a ridiculous amount of performance for your money. Particularly if you consider the price of a 120 or 200.

Please keep us posted with your quest.

Guillaume

Well stated Guillaume. At one time I had a nice tube amp/pre-amp combo with some modified Klipsch Forté speakers (original incarnation) and I will never forget the haunting palpable sound of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong on an old recording of "April in Paris." I moved on to other audio equipment but I do miss that elusive warm sound from time to time. As with you, the Devialet trumps everything that I have encountered in terms of price/quality/simplicity/upgrade path. But as with everything in life, it comes down to preferences and choice. That's what makes this hobby so fun, and alternately, perplexing. It's a journey of discovery without a particular destination, so to speak.