Devialet Predictions for 2020

[mdconnelly]

I don't doubt that Devialet can compete with anything on, or soon to be on the market.  

Sound quality included?

When I bought my D200, later 220 Pro, later 440 Pro, I was certain that not only did Devialet have the best sounding platform on the market but that their ability to continue to improve it through firmware/OS updates was brilliant and would help ensure that they would stay on top. It's sound quality is still the best IMHO. For now. But I have to agree with @Flashman... others will catch up. Perhaps not so surprising, the direction the NAD M33 is going is exactly where I thought Devialet was heading.  But money speaks and if the Phantoms are bringing in far more revenue, well then, that's seems to be where Devialet has chosen to go.  Perhaps that will work for them, but it certainly seems like powered/integrated speakers is a very crowded market, even if perhaps a more lucrative one for Devialet right now.  It will be interesting to see if that is sufficient to carry them.

Meanwhile, back at the high-end ranch, others are clearly challenging Devialet's reign and, sadly, Devialet seems quite content to let that happen.  I have to believe that the engineers that brought us the Expert and then expanded on it with the Pro series and CI upgrade certainly had a strategy in mind to continue to improve and evolve the platform.  It must be hard for them to see it all put on hold.

Perhaps Devialet still has a surprise or two up their sleeves, who knows.  But I see nothing to support such a prediction.