Hi Fi pet hates

[spiny norman]

Dismissive customer service departments which refuse point-blank to acknowledge a fault. Devialet for example...

 

[ifor]

My pet hate is my old black and white tom cat spraying my speakers. Before you ask, yes, he has been done.

+1. When I replaced my old TDLs which had cat spray stained foamed front ports I specified that the replacements your be rear ported so as to avoid this problem. Pissing Pippin is no longer with us, but will be replaced before too long.

 

[Gazzip]

Dismissive customer service departments which refuse point-blank to acknowledge a fault. Devialet for example... Apparently the power supply on my £18K amp is supposed to hum/buzz and the phono stage should hiss so loud you can hear it from the listening position. *diablo*

I had been thinking about auditioning a Devialet sometime, but you are not doing a good selling job there. *wink*

You would do well to steer clear. "Monsieur, it is zee ferites in zee powair supply you can ear. This iz as it iz meant to be. Mon dieu! Nevure mind zee noize floor figures we ave published. Non! Look at zee tiny small print we have put on our website in the FAQ zection inzstead, where we clearly ztate that our product is merd."

 

[BigH]

Dismissive customer service departments which refuse point-blank to acknowledge a fault. Devialet for example... Apparently the power supply on my £18K amp is supposed to hum/buzz and the phono stage should hiss so loud you can hear it from the listening position. *diablo*

How old is it?

 

[Gazzip]

Dismissive customer service departments which refuse point-blank to acknowledge a fault. Devialet for example... Apparently the power supply on my £18K amp is supposed to hum/buzz and the phono stage should hiss so loud you can hear it from the listening position. *diablo*

How old is it?

8 months.

 

[spiny norman]

"Monsieur, it is zee ferites in zee powair supply you can ear. ."

Zut alors! ’Ow did zose furets get in zere? Were zey sent in to chase out les lapins?

 

[expat_mike]

Dismissive customer service departments which refuse point-blank to acknowledge a fault. Devialet for example... Apparently the power supply on my £18K amp is supposed to hum/buzz and the phono stage should hiss so loud you can hear it from the listening position. *diablo*

I had been thinking about auditioning a Devialet sometime, but you are not doing a good selling job there. *wink*

You would do well to steer clear. "Monsieur, it is zee ferites in zee powair supply you can ear. This iz as it iz meant to be. Mon dieu! Nevure mind zee noize floor figures we ave published. Non! Look at zee tiny small print we have put on our website in the FAQ zection inzstead, where we clearly ztate that our product is merd."

Vraiment terrible, il peut vous forcer à ouvrir le pastis. *drinks*

 

[spiny norman]

But seriously, it sounds like a fault in the product - what does the retailer who supplied it say?

I must say on the several times I've listened to Devialet amps, I've never encountered hum or hiss or other noises. IMO the amps always made music sound underwhelmingly soulless, in a kind of 'digital' or 'mechanical' way, but were never noisy. Although they're well-regarded in some quarters, and hailed as reference-quality in others, they're not for me, but chacun à son goût and all that.

 

[Gazzip]

But seriously, it sounds like a fault in the product - what does the retailer who supplied it say?

I must say on the several times I've listened to Devialet amps, I've never encountered hum or hiss or other noises. IMO the amps always made music sound underwhelmingly soulless, in a kind of 'digital' or 'mechanical' way, but were never noisy. Although they're well-regarded in some quarters, and hailed as reference-quality in others, they're not for me, but chacun à son goût and all that.

Not sure on the retailer's view yet as he is still forming one I think. He is however equally surprised by Devialet's approach to customer services, which is absolument terrible!

 

[BigH]

Dismissive customer service departments which refuse point-blank to acknowledge a fault. Devialet for example... Apparently the power supply on my £18K amp is supposed to hum/buzz and the phono stage should hiss so loud you can hear it from the listening position. *diablo*

How old is it?

8 months.

You buy it from a uk retailer?

 

[Dom]

http://www.whathifi.com/sony/mdr-100aap/review

I listened to these colourful headphones and they sound exellent, really good sh*t. WHF 3 out 5 stars puts them into Dre Beats territory.

Nope.

Don't mean to bash on WHF, but what I hear and what they hear must be totally different and I have to respect that.

Plus the sales guy dropped it to £100 in store. So you could up it a star couldn't you.

 

[nopiano]

I dislike displays that are hard to read, because they are too small, or recessed into the fascia, or have reflective covers. Ditto, legends that are in a similar colour to their background.

Remote controls bother me less, though often the expensive gear has crummy generic remotes because they use a standard Philips, or whoever, system. I'd rather they used their specialisms on the sound, though as some have noted above you need a decent ap these days too. Sadly, these are often flaky, and I don't hold out much hope after a decade that these aps will even function.

Ultimately, good clear controls are a boon on a hifi, just as in a car.

 

[Gazzip]

Dismissive customer service departments which refuse point-blank to acknowledge a fault. Devialet for example... Apparently the power supply on my £18K amp is supposed to hum/buzz and the phono stage should hiss so loud you can hear it from the listening position. *diablo*

How old is it?

8 months.

You buy it from a uk retailer?

Yep.

 

[Al ears]

Reviews that bare no relation to the item tested.

Best example was Usher S520 speakers. WHFI gave them 3 stars (can't remember the exact comments) but when I heard them with fairly modest amplification, Arcam A18, they sounded superb for the price.

Also seems to be some bias towards/against certain brands. I don't have much time for WHF reviews now, think they are very shallow.

All reviews are normally just one person's opinion therefore they are all valid. Whether or not they agree with your findings is irrelevant. FWIW I doubt a lot of WHF reviews particularly relating to speakers as they are quite often at odds with many other publications and occasionally my own findings and preferences. Both speakers recently produced by Andrew Jones spring to mind.

 

[BigH]

Reviews that bare no relation to the item tested.

Best example was Usher S520 speakers. WHFI gave them 3 stars (can't remember the exact comments) but when I heard them with fairly modest amplification, Arcam A18, they sounded superb for the price.

Also seems to be some bias towards/against certain brands. I don't have much time for WHF reviews now, think they are very shallow.

All reviews are normally just one person's opinion therefore they are all valid. Whether or not they agree with your findings is irrelevant. FWIW I doubt a lot of WHF reviews particularly relating to speakers as they are quite often at odds with many other publications and occasionally my own findings and preferences.

WHF seem to use 4 reviewers. Some of their reviews seem out of line with users and other reviews, I can think of brands like Creek who amps seem to never get 5 star reviews even when other mags have them as their top, I thought Creek had given up with WHF but they did review the 50A about 2 years after it was released. Other brands seem to get 5 stars on virtually everything even if there are problems.

 

[BigH]

Dismissive customer service departments which refuse point-blank to acknowledge a fault. Devialet for example... Apparently the power supply on my £18K amp is supposed to hum/buzz and the phono stage should hiss so loud you can hear it from the listening position. *diablo*

How old is it?

8 months.

You buy it from a uk retailer?

Yep.

When did you first report the problem to the retailer? You know your contract is with the retailers?

In the first 6 months you can ask for a refund or for it to be repaired, you don't have to prove its faulty. After 6 months it gets a bit more complex but its still under the manufacturer's warranty, I would be telling the dealer you are not happy and want a refund.

 

[expat_mike]

You would do well to steer clear. "Monsieur, it is zee ferites in zee powair supply you can ear. This iz as it iz meant to be."

Reminds me a bit of an issue a few users had with the Chord Mojo, with faint buzzing when charging, which was traced to ripple voltage in the power leads from the external charger, causing the inductors to vibrate - easily cured by using a better charger, but may not be so easy with the Devialet.

 

[Al ears]

Reviews that bare no relation to the item tested.

Best example was Usher S520 speakers. WHFI gave them 3 stars (can't remember the exact comments) but when I heard them with fairly modest amplification, Arcam A18, they sounded superb for the price.

Also seems to be some bias towards/against certain brands. I don't have much time for WHF reviews now, think they are very shallow.

All reviews are normally just one person's opinion therefore they are all valid. Whether or not they agree with your findings is irrelevant. FWIW I doubt a lot of WHF reviews particularly relating to speakers as they are quite often at odds with many other publications and occasionally my own findings and preferences.

WHF seem to use 4 reviewers. Some of their reviews seem out of line with users and other reviews, I can think of brands like Creek who amps seem to never get 5 star reviews even when other mags have them as their top, I thought Creek had given up with WHF but they did review the 50A about 2 years after it was released. Other brands seem to get 5 stars on virtually everything even if there are problems.

To be fair I only actually read WHF reviews occasionally. I find them very subjective and dont give enough technical feedback as many of the other publications, I even bought my amp on the recommendations of one. Over the years I have found several reviewers that I trust and tend to echo my findings so tend, as you would, to listen to their ideas more than others. I hope I can continue to influence people on this forum but must admit WHF is not my go-to publications for reviews at the moment.

 

[Gazzip]

Dismissive customer service departments which refuse point-blank to acknowledge a fault. Devialet for example... Apparently the power supply on my £18K amp is supposed to hum/buzz and the phono stage should hiss so loud you can hear it from the listening position. *diablo*

How old is it?

8 months.

You buy it from a uk retailer?

Yep.

When did you first report the problem to the retailer? You know your contract is with the retailers?

In the first 6 months you can ask for a refund or for it to be repaired, you don't have to prove its faulty. After 6 months it gets a bit more complex but its still under the manufacturer's warranty, I would be telling the dealer you are not happy and want a refund.

Unfortunately I am outside the warranty period. Devialet have had the unit back, consider the buzzing power supply acceptable, and have sent the unit back. The phono hissing they haven't really commented on fully, but at 0.3mV output on the MC cartridge I wouldn't expect this to happen.

To be honest I am really shocked by Devialet's dismissive approach. Historically my systems have been Bryston, PMC and Audio Research for a number of years. Any fault or issue with those manufacturers has been dealt with head on and sorted out quickly with no quibbles and no excuses. Watching a supposedly "high end" manufacturer sidestep like this is a new one for me. *boredom*

 

[lindsayt]

Gazzip, I think that's really poor from Devialet, considering the multi-thousand pound cost of your amplifier.

 

[Andrewjvt]

Dismissive customer service departments which refuse point-blank to acknowledge a fault. Devialet for example... Apparently the power supply on my £18K amp is supposed to hum/buzz and the phono stage should hiss so loud you can hear it from the listening position. *diablo*

How old is it?

8 months.

You buy it from a uk retailer?

Yep.

When did you first report the problem to the retailer? You know your contract is with the retailers?

In the first 6 months you can ask for a refund or for it to be repaired, you don't have to prove its faulty. After 6 months it gets a bit more complex but its still under the manufacturer's warranty, I would be telling the dealer you are not happy and want a refund.

Unfortunately I am outside the warranty period. Devialet have had the unit back, consider the buzzing power supply acceptable, and have sent the unit back. The phono hissing they haven't really commented on fully, but at 0.3mV output on the MC cartridge I wouldn't expect this to happen.

 

To be honest I am really shocked by Devialet's dismissive approach. Historically my systems have been Bryston, PMC and Audio Research for a number of years. Any fault or issue with those manufacturers has been dealt with head on and sorted out quickly with no quibbles and no excuses. Watching a supposedly "high end" manufacturer sidestep like this is a new one for me. *boredom*

Its shocking - not only because of 18k but also the attitude. If i were rich and could afford it, i would throw the amp through the dealers window

 

[BigH]

Reviews that bare no relation to the item tested.

Best example was Usher S520 speakers. WHFI gave them 3 stars (can't remember the exact comments) but when I heard them with fairly modest amplification, Arcam A18, they sounded superb for the price.

Also seems to be some bias towards/against certain brands. I don't have much time for WHF reviews now, think they are very shallow.

All reviews are normally just one person's opinion therefore they are all valid. Whether or not they agree with your findings is irrelevant. FWIW I doubt a lot of WHF reviews particularly relating to speakers as they are quite often at odds with many other publications and occasionally my own findings and preferences.

WHF seem to use 4 reviewers. Some of their reviews seem out of line with users and other reviews, I can think of brands like Creek who amps seem to never get 5 star reviews even when other mags have them as their top, I thought Creek had given up with WHF but they did review the 50A about 2 years after it was released. Other brands seem to get 5 stars on virtually everything even if there are problems.

To be fair I only actually read WHF reviews occasionally. I find them very subjective and dont give enough technical feedback as many of the other publications, I even bought my amp on the recommendations of one. Over the years I have found several reviewers that I trust and tend to echo my findings so tend, as you would, to listen to their ideas more than others. I hope I can continue to influence people on this forum but must admit WHF is not my go-to publications for reviews at the moment.

I quite agree with that.

 

[BigH]

Dismissive customer service departments which refuse point-blank to acknowledge a fault. Devialet for example... Apparently the power supply on my £18K amp is supposed to hum/buzz and the phono stage should hiss so loud you can hear it from the listening position. *diablo*

How old is it?

8 months.

You buy it from a uk retailer?

Yep.

When did you first report the problem to the retailer? You know your contract is with the retailers?

In the first 6 months you can ask for a refund or for it to be repaired, you don't have to prove its faulty. After 6 months it gets a bit more complex but its still under the manufacturer's warranty, I would be telling the dealer you are not happy and want a refund.

Unfortunately I am outside the warranty period. Devialet have had the unit back, consider the buzzing power supply acceptable, and have sent the unit back. The phono hissing they haven't really commented on fully, but at 0.3mV output on the MC cartridge I wouldn't expect this to happen.

To be honest I am really shocked by Devialet's dismissive approach. Historically my systems have been Bryston, PMC and Audio Research for a number of years. Any fault or issue with those manufacturers has been dealt with head on and sorted out quickly with no quibbles and no excuses. Watching a supposedly "high end" manufacturer sidestep like this is a new one for me. *boredom*

I don't understand, if its 8 months old why is it out of warranty?

 

[Infiniteloop]

But seriously, it sounds like a fault in the product - what does the retailer who supplied it say?

I must say on the several times I've listened to Devialet amps, I've never encountered hum or hiss or other noises. IMO the amps always made music sound underwhelmingly soulless, in a kind of 'digital' or 'mechanical' way, but were never noisy. Although they're well-regarded in some quarters, and hailed as reference-quality in others, they're not for me, but chacun à son goût and all that.

Not sure on the retailer's view yet as he is still forming one I think. He is however equally surprised by Devialet's approach to customer services, which is absolument terrible!

Sorry to hear you're having issues with your Devialet Gazzip. I would definitely push harder for a new unit.

You really shouldn't be having the problems you describe. I have to say that my Dev 200 (nearly 2 years old) still performs flawlessly. As for customer service, I once had an issue with SAM where after a software upgrade, a certain track I played distorted the sound. I reported this to Devialet and they replicated the fault at their HQ, then issued a software fix for it. - All within a week!

If it were me I'd be applying pressure on your dealer.

Hope you get this sorted soon.

 

[nopiano]

As a potential future customer, I'd like to see this resolved properly too. When Absolute Soubds acted as importer I'm sure they'd have helped, but now Dev are direct (I think) they need to get on top of this.