23-Jan-2020, 13:43
(23-Jan-2020, 03:01)mdconnelly Wrote: I don't doubt that Devialet can compete with anything on, or soon to be on the market. What for the life of me I can't figure out is why they quit trying. They certainly have the technical competency, but for whatever bizarre business reason, they seem to have given up on high-end audio.@mdconnelly I saw a thread that spoke about the number of Phantom units sold compared to Expert units. Phantom units are selling in vast numbers comparatively so Devialet have made a business decision to optimize that area, as well as other areas that promise better revenues/profits. It is a bit odd that they continue to advertise the Expert units but I guess that's part of milking some additional revenue. Just my guess.
As to whether Devialet can continue to compete with anything on the market or soon to be on the market, I would just opine that nothing stands still. To be sure, when it was launched and for some time afterwards, Devialet had a unique selling proposition. Today, however, companies such as NAD will have on offer a robust all-in-one -- the RoonReady Masters M33 -- that offers features one only could hope Devialet would consider, such as Dirac Live room correction, connection to many different streaming services, full MQA decoding, a web interface, etc. The trump card will be the first mass-market implementation of the Purifi Eigentakt amplification module that could give the Devialet a run for its money on SQ (TBD).
I like my Devialet Expert 220 Pro a lot but I see products on the horizon that could dislodge me. We shall see.
Devialet Expert 220 Pro Kinki EX-M7 power amp tethered to a fiber-fed Lumin X1 streamer via Grimm XLRs, Vivid B1 Decade speakers in Rosso Barchetta red (only 200 produced in a limited edition), Roon Nucleus with a Samsung 860 EVO 2TB SSD, etherREGEN switch fed by a Sonore opticalModule (and Sonore-supplied transceivers and 1M optical cable) with a SOtM dCBL-Cat7 cable to my Nucleus and a DH Labs Reunion Cat8 to my Lumin T2 streamer, Keces P8 linear power supply feeding a (to come) NUC and EtherREGEN switch with an external AfterDark OCXO clock., and opticalModule (5V/1A), AudioQuest Niagara 1000 power conditioner, ASI LiveLine loom (purchased directly from Franck Tchang when I lived in France), Less Loss Firewall for Speakers and Roon lifetime license with Tidal streaming.
