The Devialet thread

Page 17 - Seeking answers? Join the What HiFi community: the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products.
Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Unless disaster strikes, I'll post my thoughts about the Audiovectors at the weekend.

The Rosso Fiorentinos are new to me. Nice!

Good luck with the System Audio Pandions.

I'm looking for more ideas. My cupboard of future speaker auditions is a bit bare. I really need to keep this running until at least April, at which point I'll announce the winner to Mrs 49 so that she can have my birthday present sorted in time for delivery in early summer. (I'm going to be 21, so a big present is in order.) As you can see, I've planned this very carefully.

The one possible hitch is that moving house is now back on the agenda. Oh no ... :wall:

Matt
 
matt49 said:
Helmut80 said:
If you can, you should try and hear a pair of SF Elipsa SE.
Click to expand...

Ooooh.

You have Elipsas, nicht wahr? Did you compare them to the Cremona Auditor Ms?

Are they still in production? And what does the price look like (new and second hand)?

I think I need to call the local SF dealers.

:cheers:

Matt
Click to expand...

Ja, I have the Elispa SE/Red.

Afraid id ive only heard floorstanders, but here is my experience. Bear in mind that I am relatively new to hifi, and others are much better at articulating subtle sonic differences.

Intialially, l had the SF Liuto towers. A speaker I absolutely loved, after a brief affair with Proacs.

i really like the Cremona M, but felt that the difference to the. Liuto wasn't big enough to justify the price difference. That is how I ended up with the Elipsas, and absolutely amazing speaker. All three I've just mentioned share much more so I ally than the Olympias, which I've heard as well just out of curiousity. When I made the decision to get the Elipsas, I was considering waiting for the Olympica III, but what I heard from the Venere, I don't love the newer SF sound all that much.

The Olympica are very nice, but I got my Elipsa SE s/h for roughly the same as the olympica III are new I think, and I would make the same decision again. They are warm, musical, involving, they've got bass, they can rock, they love jazz and classical, they are forgiving. I'm in love.

PS: don't make the mistake of listening to the Amati Futuras.
 
CnoEvil said:
CnoEvil said:
matt49 said:
I'm looking for more ideas......
Click to expand...

- Diapason

- Vienna Acoustics

- Kef R Series

- Taga Harmony

- Opera

- Art

- GamuT
Click to expand...

- Dali Epicon
Click to expand...

Ah, that's what I was after. You've reminded me of a few models that were in the back of my mind, and you've added a couple of new ones. Good work!

Now I just have to hunt them down.

:cheers:

Matt
 
Helmut80 said:
Ja, I have the Elispa SE/Red.

Afraid id ive only heard floorstanders, but here is my experience. Bear in mind that I am relatively new to hifi, and others are much better at articulating subtle sonic differences.

Intialially, l had the SF Liuto towers. A speaker I absolutely loved, after a brief affair with Proacs.

i really like the Cremona M, but felt that the difference to the. Liuto wasn't big enough to justify the price difference. That is how I ended up with the Elipsas, and absolutely amazing speaker. All three I've just mentioned share much more so I ally than the Olympias, which I've heard as well just out of curiousity. When I made the decision to get the Elipsas, I was considering waiting for the Olympica III, but what I heard from the Venere, I don't love the newer SF sound all that much.

The Olympica are very nice, but I got my Elipsa SE s/h for roughly the same as the olympica III are new I think, and I would make the same decision again. They are warm, musical, involving, they've got bass, they can rock, they love jazz and classical, they are forgiving. I'm in love.

PS: don't make the mistake of listening to the Amati Futuras.
Click to expand...

Many thanks, Helmut!

I was rather disappointed by the Cremona Ms. I think they're a considerably less persuasive speaker than the Cremona Auditor M.

I'd like to hear the Elipsas. The only problem is their size, at 500mm wide. Still, they obviously need to be heard. I haven't seem any s/h recently, and none of the UK dealers have them in stock. :cry:

Matt
 
CnoEvil said:
iceman16 said:
Cno.. the Epicon's were on my radar but ther comes the SF Olympica!:wall:
Click to expand...

Focal to SF is one hellova shift (for the better imo).
Click to expand...

Hello Iceman,

Have you heard the Olympicas? I'd be very interested in your view. As Cno suggests, they're a world away from Focals. Not necessarily better, just very different.

Matt
 
iceman16 said:
CnoEvil said:
iceman16 said:
Cno.. the Epicon's were on my radar but ther comes the SF Olympica!:wall:
Click to expand...

Focal to SF is one hellova shift (for the better imo).
Click to expand...

Have'nt heard SF.. but with your descriptions.. It may be too warm with my kit?:?
Click to expand...

Your taste in hifi is gradually becoming more and more "musical". This could be your final destination. :shifty:
 
CnoEvil said:
iceman16 said:
CnoEvil said:
iceman16 said:
Cno.. the Epicon's were on my radar but ther comes the SF Olympica!:wall:
Click to expand...

Focal to SF is one hellova shift (for the better imo).
Click to expand...

Have'nt heard SF.. but with your descriptions.. It may be too warm with my kit?:?
Click to expand...

Your taste in hifi is gradually becoming more and more "musical". This could be your final destination. :shifty:
Click to expand...

Ive got some VT tech under the AMS!:O 😛
 
iceman16 said:
Cno.. I know for sure what's artificial detail or brightness. Warm and being dull aswell. Don't know..but my ears may say so.🙂
Click to expand...

They've done good so far. :grin:
 
iceman16 said:
Yup.. the 50 for the amp. sorry I have'nt the time to swap etc.but they look my old slippers cut into circles:shhh:
Click to expand...

It took so much effort to get them under my amp (with my dodgy back), that I would have paid the same again not to have to repeat the exercise. :doh:

I was hoping you could tell me if there was a difference. :wall:
 
Today I had a chance to hear the Audiovector Si3s courtesy of the very nice people at PJ Hifi in Guildford.

Audiovector have a strong reputation, although they’re still a fairly small outfit and don’t have much of a presence in the UK. They produce a well populated range of speakers: two standmount models and four floorstanders, not including the (presumably unaffordable) flagship R11s. Towards the upper end of the range, each model comes in a number of specifications. The Si3 model is the next but one floorstander to the R11: it’s a slim, elegant 3-way design, with two small rear ports near the top and a bass port in its plinth. I was listening to the Si3 Avantgarde Arreté, the top spec of the Si3 model, which, to be frank, comes with a certain amount of ‘foo’, e.g. cryogenically treated electronics. Oh well …

I took my Devialet along, and the dealer provided an appropriate source, plus a bucket-sized coffee from the shop across the road. So the system was:

Linn Akurate DS (via SPDIF) > Devialet 170 > Audiovector Si3 Avantgarde Arreté

My initial impression was of a very clean speaker with super dynamics and retrieval of detail. That initial impression stayed with me throughout the long demo. Nothing about the speaker blotted its copybook, and the positives multiplied the longer I listened. This is a very serious and well designed speaker.

One thing to bear in mind is that I’ve got used to listening to smallish standmounts. Hearing a pair of very fine full-range floorstanders is something of a shock to the system, in a good way. Although at only 190mm wide they’re elegant to look at, the Si3s sound very big. The bass is lovely: rich, fast and tuneful. In orchestral pieces the musical tone of timpani came across with real precision. The words that came to mind were: controlled musical thunder.

The Si3s also do scale and atmosphere. With well recorded classical music, whether an opera or a string quartet, the recording space was clearly audible. Listening to the same tracks on my Cremonas, I feel like I’m in my sitting room, which is jolly nice. With the Audiovectors, the space was clearly a concert hall. Obviously this means you lose a touch of intimacy, but the gain is a big one.

The retrieval of musical detail was excellent, but it was set in the context of a very harmonious presentation. With piano there were no gaps or discontinuities. I listened hard, but nowhere could I find any stress or harshness, nothing overcooked or brittle at the top end.

And the detail all made good musical sense, which was especially notable during complex passages of percussion. I think the marriage with the Devialet was a happy one. The speakers were well controlled; they responded beautifully to the lightning speed of the Devialet, its ability to dig out detail and then return to complete silence in an instant. In some complex modern piano stuff (Ligeti’s Musica Ricercata played by P.-L. Aimard, in case you’re interested) the handling of sustain and damping was lovely. Imagine that perfect ‘plink’ when a high note is struck firmly.

Lots of other positives to report, but I don’t want to tax your patience: good placement of voices and instruments in a high and wide soundstage, nice upper mids with plenty of air and space, exciting dynamics (no doubt aided by the 91.5dB sensitivity).

You’ll have gathered that I’m really impressed by these speakers. They knock the likes of B&W, PMC etc into a cocked hat. But the big question: how will they fare in a shoot-out with the similarly priced Sonus faber Olympica IIs? My feeling is that the Audiovector sound is fresher and more open than SF, and by the same token not as warm or sweet. My Cremonas certainly sound more sparkly at the top end; the Audiovectors were definitely cooler. Traditionally SF haven’t aimed for accuracy, though they compensate by creating magic. The Audiovectors do aim for accuracy, and on this evidence they achieve it without sounding at all forced or harsh. This is going to be interesting.

8)

Matt
 
Interesting as always Matt.

As you say, a moderate amount of foo, makes me wonder what the 'cooking' versions, the Si3 signature would do at a little more than half the price.

That said it is always the detail that makes the difference at this level....... :?
 
Matt, I agree with DDC.....great write up.

IMO. "Magic" is what to look for in a system, if long term satisfaction is the goal.

Edit. I see you only used the DS as a "transport".......it's a pity you didn't try it through RCAs, just to compare the difference.
 
davedotco said:
As you say, a moderate amount of foo, makes me wonder what the 'cooking' versions, the Si3 signature would do at a little more than half the price.
Click to expand...

A fair point and worth investigating. But hey that foo sounds fantastic!

CnoEvil said:
Edit. I see you only used the DS as a "transport".......it's a pity you didn't try it through RCAs, just to compare the difference.
Click to expand...

I suspect it would have made no difference, and it's hard to imagine in theory how going through the DS's RCAs could improve the sound, but as you say, I didn't try it.

The reason for only using the DS as a digital transport is that the Devialet automatically converts all analogue signals to digital at the input stage. So going through the DS's RCAs would mean converting digital to analogue in the DS, then converting it back to digital and then back to analogue again in the Devialet. As a Devialet rep said to me, you can go from London to Edinburgh via Exeter if you want to, but why bother?

:cheers:

Matt
 
matt49 said:
I suspect it would have made no difference, and it's hard to imagine in theory how going through the DS's RCAs could improve the sound, but as you say, I didn't try it.

The reason for only using the DS as a digital transport is that the Devialet automatically converts all analogue signals to digital at the input stage. So going through the DS's RCAs would mean converting digital to analogue in the DS, then converting it back to digital and then back to analogue again in the Devialet. As a Devialet rep said to me, you can go from London to Edinburgh via Exeter if you want to, but why bother?

:cheers:

Matt
Click to expand...

I didn't know (or quite forgot) that the Devialet did an ADC on all analogue signals.

Linn upsamples everything to 352.8 kHz or 384 kHz, but (as I understand it) if the digital out was set to "raw", all processing is by-passed.

Just in case it's of academic interest: http://docs.linn.co.uk/wiki/index.php/Up-sampling
 
Hi Matt,

I'm glad you seem to like the AudioVectors too! They're special, aren't they? I heard the little brothers (Si1), so I missed the thunder. And they had not been in the freezer... But reading your review (a joy to read, as ever!) I really recognized your observations. I think they match very well with the Dev: the combo of a powerful amp (with a dead silent background) and sensitive speakers works wonders here.

So where would you rank the AudioVectors in the growing list of speakers you heard?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

I
The Valve Amp Thread
Replies
26
Views
2K
Hi-Fi
Al ears
Al ears
B
Devialets with Martin Logans below 4 ohms
Replies
3
Views
601
Hi-Fi
DocG
DocG
DocG
Holy mackerel! Devialet are trickling down!
Replies
116
Views
7K
Hi-Fi
DocG
DocG
WishTree
Class A flavors - Arcam AVR600/750 Devialet HK990 and more?
Replies
22
Views
2K
Hi-Fi
plastic penguin
plastic penguin
K
the house that jack built!
Replies
6
Views
885
Hi-Fi
iQ Speakers
I

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom