advertisement


Was Devialet a fad?

jamington2004 said:
Yes I heard they may be in a bit of financial trouble having made promises to investors that haven’t come to fruition.... I’m sure those must have been based on selling to the masses.

They do spend a lot of money on Marketing!!!
Click to expand...
Sadly it’s one of many hifi companies that are, or have been, in financial trouble. It’s not unusual.
 
I've never heard one of the amps myself, I can see the attraction though, they look great and seem to offer nearly everything you would need, though I'm always concerned about longevity and serviceability as I don't really change equipment that often and would hate to he left with an expensive door stop.
 
A lot of people find the Devialet offer irresistible but I understand a lot of people leapt in at the lower end only to find it didn’t quite deliver the sound of the models slightly further up. It’s a hard product to trade up and so they’re fairly disillusioned compared to say those people who bought a 220 and then doubled up to a 440. Issues with their wi-fi also persist to an extent that is plainly ridiculous.

I certainly see nothing faddy about them but like Naim they’ve got their top offer in place and now seem to be focusing on the lifestyle sector of the market.

Have to say I struggled with them at shows but then had the opportunity to loan one for a month. My source didn’t have a digital out so we had to go A/D D/A which was obviously less than ideal. Nevertheless it was stunningly neutral and, were I in the market, for a two box solution it would still be right up there as something to audition.
 
I’ve had mine 7 years now. @SteveS1 got me off the Naim amp path with a Berning ZH270 and then I moved to Devialet. First with a 110 which became a 120 via a firmware upgrade. A few years later it went off to France to become a 220 Pro via the upgrade scheme (and then again for the free Core Infinity board upgrade). All very painless with door to door service via UPS. It’s a fantastic amp, doesn’t hum, sounds the same every day and the remote is just lovely to use. My only real complaint is the shiny casework, I’d have preferred black if it had been an option. No plans to change at the moment unless Naim bring out a 555 level integrated amp which could tempt me back - no interest in Naim pre/powers anymore - Been there, done that, too many boxes !
 
Yes the phono amp is very good as far as adjustments go but it’s not in my opinion one of the best. Tested against an ifi phono my D Premier clearly struggled, its miles off my current Allnic 1201. Problem for me with the D Premier was the DAC, it’s chip is old and every source passes through. For me the amplifier section is the D Premiers strongest point. The phono on D Premier is quieter too having compared it to the 200, 400 and 250. I had the D Premier for 6 years but now have separated by way of Allnic t2000 & h1201 with a Topping D90 and it’s more transparent, lively and colourful than the D Premier. I still think though that at around £3k used the D Premier is an absolute steal with so much function and performance on offer, compared to a 200 or 220 the sound is immediately recognised as more authoritative. I asked Devialet about upgrades and they said I’d need a 250 at least having owned the D Premier as I’d be disappointed with anything further down the range.
 
Indeed. I love where Focal have gone with their variety of colours, both bold and pastels, on higher end lines.

I like old school wood too and welcome the variety of woods and finishes available.

Then there are combinations...

Something for everyone.
 
I love the look of the phantoms, bought a pair, was happy for 5 to 6 years. Now i can't upgrade them (not supported by Devialet) and Tidal ect is therefore gone.

I think that IF you introduce a relatively technical advanced product to the marked, the support part is crucial.

Personally I'm back to the one box for one thing setup, but I still love the idea of All in One solutions ;).

But they sounded excellent for the time thy where working.
 
Reenberg said:
I love the look of the phantoms, bought a pair, was happy for 5 to 6 years. Now i can't upgrade them (not supported by Devialet) and Tidal ect is therefore gone.

I think that IF you introduce a relatively technical advanced product to the marked, the support part is crucial.

Personally I'm back to the one box for one thing setup, but I still love the idea of All in One solutions ;).

But they sounded excellent for the time thy where working.
Click to expand...
The "one box-one thing" approach is by far the best on the long term for the longevity and ease of repair.
 
I heard the early standalone integrated amps a couple of times in owner systems when they first came out - they were fine. Not in any way remarkable, and sonically it was hard to see where the >£4K was going. I see the full-fat Expert 1000 Pro Duo has now hit £25,000!

I also notice that Devialet has got around the widely-known unserviceability issues of the Phantom range by offering a £220 Phantom Care add-on warranty! Now that is cynical - make your bad design and unreliability the buyer's problem and charge them for the privilege!
 
earlofsodbury said:
I heard the early standalone integrated amps a couple of times in owner systems when they first came out - they were fine. Not in any way remarkable, and sonically it was hard to see where the >£4K was going. I see the full-fat Expert 1000 Pro Duo has now hit £25,000!

I also notice that Devialet has got around the widely-known unserviceability issues of the Phantom range by offering a £220 Phantom Care add-on warranty! Now that is cynical - make your bad design and unreliability the buyer's problem and charge them for the privilege!
Click to expand...
There’s a lot of fine stuff that isn’t remarkable for around the 4K mark. Devialet aren’t on their own in this respect. The warranty stuff is concerning though.
 
Last edited:
I actual HAD the add on warranty on the phantoms, unfortunately that does not help on software stuff. I still think the phantoms is an excellent looking, and was a quite fine sounding speaker too. Now it's just good looking...
 
For me, Devialet really hits the spot in terms of SQ alone. It delivers in ways lots of other stuff I owned could not. I bought my first one purely as a box reduction/ ‘downsizing’ strategy and it actually bettered what I was using. Add in the utility of a one box solution, particularly that very decent phono stage and it makes a compelling argument.
I started with a 200, bought a 220CI then had the 200 upgraded, now running both as a 440 set up.
 
I would always want to keep the digital source / DAC / decoding elements separate from the rest of the system because that area is subject to the most change. Forwards compatibility is rarely guaranteed in one box solutions.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top