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Was Devialet a fad?

Not too worried about how they looked or any reliability concerns, I just didn’t find them at all convincing at reproducing music and couldn’t get past that.

In ten years let’s see how many are in use and new ones being sold, then there’s a clearer idea of fad v future.
 
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tenpercenter said:
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.
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Precisely in my view Devialet’s Achilles Heel . High quality DAC’s now more affordable than a few years ago and no way to remove the DAC given everything is digitised including a standalone DAC fed in to the Devialet. I’m positive a stand-alone RME DAC with latest AK chip would better the DAC inside Devialet current £25k offering.
 
runforfree69 said:
Precisely in my view Devialet’s Achilles Heel . High quality DAC’s now more affordable than a few years ago and no way to remove the DAC given everything is digitised including a standalone DAC fed in to the Devialet. I’m positive a stand-alone RME DAC with latest AK chip would better the DAC inside Devialet current £25k offering.
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Last sentence hurts but it’s true.
 
I don’t think it’s a fad. It’s a brilliant idea that will endure, not necessarily with the same company. Some people want high fidelity in a neat parcel. Think of all those designer houses with a wall full of Naim or linn and all those cables you can’t quite hide. It’s so yesterday. And they actually match!
I kayak past houses on the Fal estuary that have gazebos that cost more than your average house. They will want nice sounds but just want it like you want a nice garden but don’t want to do the digging. All in one for 25k? That’s sounds a bargain to some if it looks something out of the design museum. Good luck to the company. Enough seem to think it’s a step forward if only in getting high quality sounds in something that might almost pass through your letterbox. So many hifi systems still looks like a brick wall.
 
I am incredibly impressed with my current ATC/Innuos/Linn set up. It probably straddles the divide between ‘traditional’ hi-fi & modern; best sound I’ve heard at home.
 
It was one of those brands that passed me by.
For some reason it didn’t appeal to me.

Everywhere brands come and go.

I recall the ‘amplifier of the month’ feature in a particular audio magazine.
People rushed to but it, but it was sold or not in stock.
By the time they were available, there was another ‘amplifier of...’

I’ve noticed a lot of people here stay with what they have/what they know.
Quad, etc.
I’ve had an Audiolab 8000A ( admittedly serviced ) for years.
It suits my Spendor BC1s perfectly.

The engineer who serviced it told me it is much better constructed than current
Audiolab amplifiers.
 
Interesting. I wasn't aware Devialet was ever that popular. Certainly nobody I have met outside of a small cabal of enthusiasts has ever heard of it. My local hifi dealer pushes the brand every chance they get, and Devialet have run some fantastic (and expensive!) promotion events locally.

I did audition one. Provided your source was digital, it was fantastic. I had no concerns about the DAC. But I run a lot of sources and the lack of inputs was a deal breaker.

Paul Miller, HiFi News Editor/EISA President, uses a Devialet in his reference system.
 
Sloop John B said:
Okay, the title is designed as click bait but I can’t help noticing a huge fall off in mentions of this brand lately.
I suppose there could be any number of factors.

Is it that people who own it now are just happy with their sound, not bothering with upgrades and hence we don’t hear from them too frequently on PFM?

Has the company gone into other areas and is not actively marketing either in the UK or in specific home audio market?


Is it of Boris Johnson‘s fault?

.sjb
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For me it is the end game amplifier.
I shan't be considering another.
I believe it to be completely audibly transparent and mine is powerful enough so no point in considering anything else.
 
I have two systems. One old scool (pc-dac(twisted Pair Audio)-Pre-Power(MusicLife D200)-Martin Logan-REL And the devialet Phantoms.

On an average week i might use the old scool system once, and the devialel 10 times.

So I agree that the many box system has a much longer life, but the one box solution delivers much more music joy, at least in my busy life.
 
I think one of the issues with the Devialet amps is that they’re not really Hi-Fi enthusiast amps. There’s not a lot to fiddle with and it doesn’t really look like a piece of serious Hi-Fi. I’m sure there are better amps out there but as an overall package I really like what it does. I like to enjoy my music collection with minimal hassle while keeping the box count down so it works for me.
 
Small note from recent personal experience: one of my Devialets had an issue with the power button. Packed up, taken to dealer - sent to and from Paris repaired (and very shiny :) ) in a week with no charge. I’ve had them since 2014 so not exactly new, so very impressed with the service.

(Small clarification - this was with one of my Expert amps, not a Phantom)
 
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