Audio Science Review of Expert 200.

[ssfas]

It has occurred that the approach taken on that site is fundamentally flawed. 

Their premise is that everything can be measured. What Amir does is measure things and generally points out what is bad, although he does say some things are good. So let's say of all the mini-monitors he decides three measure equally well. How do you then decide which one to buy? You're not allowed to listen to them, that would result in subjective judgement. 

It all sounds a very sad existence.

What does subjective judgement of mini-monitors have to do with the devialet review?
The questions that I feel need answering by Devialet are
- why are the measured specs so wildly different to what they advertise?
- why did the amp fail under an industry-standard test?

As I've stated before, I'm particularly interested to see whether the awful measurements are repeated when DPM is turned off. Because, subjectively DPM sounds so bad to me, I wouldn't be surprised if that showed up in the measurements we see

The only issue I've had with the sound from my 250 Pro was a nagging feeling that the MC phono could be improved, to the extent that I bought a Vertere phono, as mentioned above. 

Tipping the scales in my house is the fact that the Expert unit is a lifestyle product in that everyone uses it and enjoys it. That has never happened before in 20 years because of the complexity of traditional systems. It is also down to recent software advances and Expert's auto-detect and play. It is a big issue given the amount of music played in our house. It also means I use it more as well as everyone else. 

Such considerations count for nothing in objective audio performance. Objectivists rightly get upset by performance claims that, for the purposes of this discussion, I will accept are untrue. I take the website's claims with a bucket of salt, but then I never looked at the website before I bought my unit. I saw/heard it at someone's house and went to a dealer for a demo.

I was a PS Audio owner before and worry that users note that their expensive amplifiers actually generate audible background noise. I don't get that with Devialet, which is a lot cheaper.

If I had a dedicated listening room I might take a completely different view, but there is no mystery how and why Devialet market their products as they do, and largely ignore their customers. The company best at ignoring customers is Apple and it did them no harm. The business philosophy is to tell customers what is good for them and if the products work and they don't go to competitor products, then it's a great strategy. If the incorrect measurements do not lose them customers, then why change anything? 

The funny thing was that I saw in that audioscience discussion that some people there thought that Devialet's reputation would be damaged by audioscience trashing the performance of the product. I thing there's zero chance of that happening in the next millennium. Devialet Expert is a lifestyle retail product.

I think Devialet's problem with Expert, and I think Alan Sircom said so when he reviewed the 140, is that most people who want one will have bought one by now.

I have an apple MacBook Pro and always tell myself I'll get a cheaper, better device, but in 15 years I've yet to find one. My desktop machines are Mac Mini with BenQ screens, because I consider the apple iMac screens overpriced junk. Devialet Expert is much the same, their marketing may be a pack of lies, but the problem is the Expert units do a really good job.