Devialet Expert 200 Amplifier, DAC and Streamer Review

[mhardy6647]

ZOMG that is hideous.

EDIT: although it might be good for Deutschland.

 

[RigorDude]

What is that thing inside the amp? Looks like the hard drive from our old Burroughs B800 computer.

Ah yes, the Swiss, They know nothing of engineering.

 

[anmpr1]

The name Boulder jogged a memory -- turns out they made the second most expensive DAC...

I can understand buying an expensive amplifier. Build quality and all that. Huge power into any and all loads. Lasting a lifetime. Maybe not Boulder dollars, but expensive nonetheless. What I don't understand is spending more than Benchmark/Okto/Matrix dollars for a DAC--and then only if you have a special requirement. If not, then something like the Topping would fill the bill.

 

[snowsurfer]

I always thought Devialet was French version of Bose

"No highs, all lows - Devialet, the French Bose"

 

[Colonel7]

Maybe it stopped working as it already hit 35 hours for the week...

 

[Purité Audio]

Lol, did AMIR test at lunchtime?
Keith

 

[Veri]

ZOMG that is hideous.

EDIT: although it might be good for Deutschland.

So hideous, you displayed the image a second time

 

[RigorDude]

ZOMG that is hideous.

EDIT: although it might be good for Deutschland.

I think the color scheme (red & gold) is intended to resemble the inside of a Steinway or such. But yeah, it's garish audiobling - the kind of thing for a Russian oligarch's townhouse in London.

 

[RigorDude]

Holt's grievance was his claim that manufacturers (ie, advertisers) had 'too much' influence with magazine (Audiocraft and High Fidelity) editorial content.

Holt eventually realized that it was impossible for him to 'go it alone', non-commercial. Let's face it, ads pay for the magazine, any magazine.

As far as the 'no bad reviews'? In Stereo Review's case, Larry Klein chose the gear to be reviewed and sent it to Hirsch.

On the other hand, manufacturers had an incentive to produce well thought out gear because they wanted Hirsch, Len Feldman and the rest to offer a positive write up so they could place it in their ads. There was real competition among manufacturers back then. Some manufacturers refused to play the game, like McIntosh, thinking they had nothing to gain by sending gear in for review. McIntosh was not tweaky enough for the undergrounds, and spec for spec it was difficult for the mainstream mags to recommend them when the Pioneer receiver on page 45 outspec'd whatever Mac was selling for double the price.

The exceptions to the usual types of cookie cutter reviews in the mainstream press were Audio's Richard Heyser (whose loudspeaker reviews remain examples of how it should be done), and possibly Bascom King, who was able to get away with 'subjective' comments--the latter questionable due to his lack of controlled method.

Lots of interesting stuff here - thanks for posting. When I think of Hirsch, "no bad reviews" isn't what comes to mind. It's more like "these specs, which we've confirmed in our lab, tell you everything you need to know about the Pioneer RCH-2745 solid-state receiver." Which would turn out to sound deadly when you brought it home from the hifi shop.

Holt was different in that he believed in listening as the final arbiter of merit, which was pretty radical at the time. Yes, he was fully conversant with the technical issues that mattered. He just didn't linger on them. I believe Stereophile still expects this of its reviewers, which is why Dudley does SET amps and Atkinson doesn't (though I suspect he knows a fair bit about SETs).

And Holt was a terrific writer - brisk, precise, and drily funny. Much better, as I remember it, than anyone at the other mags of that time. Of course, he thought that component break-in is a real thing!

Any idea where I might read a Heyser review?

 

[mhardy6647]

The famous (and, of course, apocryphal) quintessential Julian Hirsch review comment:

Of all of the amplifiers we've ever tested, this is certainly one of them.

Stereo Review scans from https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/HiFI-Stereo-Review.htm

 

[amirm]

FYI, no further response came back from Devialet. So I sent them another note now....

 

[HammerSandwich]

If they ignore this one, perhaps a big banner on the home page: Of all of the amplifiers we've ever seen fail during testing, this is certainly the most expensive.

 

[RayDunzl]

If they ignore this one, perhaps a big banner on the home page: Of all of the amplifiers we've ever seen fail during testing, this is certainly the most expensive.

Did any others fail?

 

[HammerSandwich]

At least one.

 

[infinitesymphony]

At least one.

To be fair, that one costs $140 new and Amir modded it.

This is the first time we've seen an amp go for the option play, juking left and right to avoid Amir's analyzer but ultimately fumbling and being carried off the field.

 

[RigorDude]

FYI, no further response came back from Devialet. So I sent them another note now....

Don't they have dealers?

 

[amirm]

Don't they have dealers?

They do but how would that do us any good?

 

[Doodski]

Don't they have dealers?

Dealers are maybe distancing themselves at this very moment because of this review. They wouldn't involve themselves in this; they have enough problems already.

 

[RigorDude]

They do but how would that do us any good?

Perhaps I misunderstood. My impression was that the people you're asking for help from on this problem are in France - Paris to be exact. Is that mistaken?

Paris has nearly 6,000 people hospitalized with COVID-19 infections. It seems to me rather optimistic to expect Devialet in Paris to get back to you anytime soon.

If you reach out to a dealer or distributor in the U.S. or Canada you might have a better chance of getting a response.

 

[Doodski]

[QUOTE="If you reach out to a dealer or distributor in the U.S. or Canada you might have a better chance of getting a response.[/QUOTE]

Dealers and service depots have very strict agreements and can be severely punished for breaking what amounts to several 3" binders of text agreements. Been there and done that. The best route is to stay out of this sort of thing and keep clean.