Dynaudio (Evoke) + ExpertPro 220

[zoran_pavlovic]

I owned a pair of Dynaudio Contour 1.3 SE when I bought my Devialet 130 Pro (now a 140 Pro after a firmware update). The 1.3 SE are specified as less sensitive than the Evoke 50 (86 dB/W/M vs 87 dB/W/M) and a Stereophile review indicated they were closer to 83 dB/W/M. 

You mention 2 eras of concern, soundstage and power. Soundstage is far more dependent on setup in your room than on the amp. I thought soundstage with the !.3 SE was superb.

Power is a bit trickier. My 130 Pro drove them better than my previous amp, a NAD M3 integrated, did and that is despite the NAD being  rated as delivering more power than the 130 Pro. Over and above the transparency you mention, the 130 Pro delivered superior bass control to the NAD and when it came to peak volume levels I had no complaints at all about the 130 Pro. It could deliver higher listening levels in my room than I ever wanted to listen to.

You don't mention your room size and that is a big factor when considering whether an amp has enough power but if an amp does not has enough power to drive the speakers to a sufficiently high level in a given room, you need a lot more power than you think. If the 220 Pro does not have enough power at 220 W into 6 Ohms, then the Moon 3401 which is rated at 100 W into 8 Ohms/200 W into 4 Ohms has less power and will not drive the Evoke 50s to the same level as the 220 Pro. In my experience with Dynaudio they respond well to bigger amps, no matter how large your amp a pair of Dynaudios will always seem to respond better to a bigger amp  even when played at the same listening level as with the smaller amp. Apart from that, bass response depends a lot on damping factor the Devialet's are superb in that regard. My 130 Pro delivered far better bass than the larger NAD did.

You can always get better sound by upgrading to a better amp for the same speakers or better speakers for the same amp but in my experience the gains you can get that way are not as large as those you can get with better speaker and listening position setup in your room. I think your Dynaudios should work well with your 220 Pro and I would be reluctant to replace the amp with an amp with less power. You say you're getting good sound with the Dyns and the 220 Pro but  better with the Moon 340i. I'd start by trying to improve things with better setup rather than changing components at this stage. You may be surprised at what you can achieve with just some time and effort. If I were going to look at more power for the Evokes, I'd be looking at something which delivered twice the power of the 220, not an amp rated to deliver less, but more power with Dynaudios puts you on a slippery slope because you will always think that they sound better with a bigger amp. They also sound better with better setup and they really are surprising when you achieve a really good setup. I'd work on setup first.

Hi David,
many thanks for the detailed answer. Do really appreciate the time you spend writing it. 
Actually yes, you gave some great points, as the one, that I might end in the daisy-chain, always buying amp with more power thinking it will sound better and better  
As for setup, you were such right! Namely, for over a months I struggle with uPnp application working on iPhone / iPad. And yesterday, the application I've been using for months mConnectHD suddenly stopped playing on Devialet.
Well, I took my Auralic Aries Mini + external linear Auralic power supply and attached to Devialet. What a difference. Much better sound (for my ears  
So, I decided to keep Devialet and Dynaudios and as you suggested to continue with experiments with setup and position of loudspeakers in my room.
Yes, to answer your question: my room is 7,5 x 5 meters. Since the kitchen is on the wall opposite my sofa, the speakers are about 2 meters away from the rear wall. Yes, I know that it is not the best solution, and I am thinking now to reposition speakers in my apartment. 
I will also try to play with Roon! So far didn't have enough time but now I will give a try. 
Also, I heard that DSP can make significant sound improvement. Don't know did you try to play with DSP, and what is your experience with Roon? 
Once again, many thanks for the answer and many useful recommendations, and have a great weekend. 
Zoran