The Devialet thread

[Neffa]

I'm having some success with Air - controlling Asset (a DLNA server) via MediaMonkey on a Windows 8 touch device - very nice.

Neffa, I'd be interested to hear more about this. Where is the Asset server? On the Synology NAS?

Matt

It's quite simple, Asset is running on Windows Home Server on simple HP Microserver (it's in a cupboard, hidden away) - you can then use any control point in Windows which is DLNA compliant and then Air 'catches' the output of the control point and sends it to the Devialet over the wired Ethernet connection. It seems pretty good so far, but then I am not using wireless on both sides, I think that would be tricky.

I'm still learning, experimenting - I think the MiND option would be easier, but Devialet do say Air is the best and a MiND streamer + cable is another 1000 or so....

 

[matt49]

It's quite simple, Asset is running on Windows Home Server on simple HP Microserver (it's in a cupboard, hidden away) - you can then use any control point in Windows which is DLNA compliant and then Air 'catches' the output of the control point and sends it to the Devialet over the wired Ethernet connection. It seems pretty good so far, but then I am not using wireless on both sides, I think that would be tricky.

I'm still learning, experimenting - I think the MiND option would be easier, but Devialet do say Air is the best and a MiND streamer + cable is another 1000 or so....

That sounds excellent, and it would fit in with my network 'architecture'.

It's a few years since I last looked at MediaMonkey. I imagine it's matured quite a bit; the user interface used to be very primitive. For me the user interface is of primary importance. It needs to be fast (Synology Audio Station is horribly slow); it needs to be 'always on', with no tedious handshaking or fiddly start-up routines; it needs to handle the peculiar way I do tagging (which I designed with Sonos in mind); it needs to have all the functionality of playlists etc; it needs to be stable.

I agree with you about the MiND: it's a lot of money for something that (a) probably won't sound better than a PC-over-ethernet solution; (b) may not have a very good user interface. A leap of faith, I think.

Matt

 

[matt49]

So what to do with the Cremonas? It's become clear to me in the last two weeks that I have no need of a fall-back. The Montis are doing everything beautifully. This afternoon, while Mrs49 is at the hairdresser, I have the windows wide open and Daft Punk making some very loud and very daft sounds.

Mrs49 has been extremely indulgent about the new arrivals, even their cost. And I'm sure she'd be fine about my keeping the Cremonas, but in return for her indulgence about the Montis, I think I ought to do the (financially) sensible thing and sell the Cremonas on.

I'll be sad to see them go. :boohoo:

Matt

 

[James7]

Sounds like the sensible decision. They've been a good buy though. If nothing else they have provided the benchmark that the Montis had to exceed and without them you would I am sure have been less certain of your final decision.

 

[matt49]

Sounds like the sensible decision. They've been a good buy though. If nothing else they have provided the benchmark that the Montis had to exceed and without them you would I am sure have been less certain of your final decision.

That's very true and well put.

All this has happened within the space of a year: it was last March when I decided to make the big step. I'd lived for 12 years with an Arcam and KEF system, which probably cost me a bit over £1000 back then. Without actually living with the Cremonas (it's been about six months, I think), the leap from then to now would have been much more speculative.

Thinking back, the catalyst, funnily enough, was a new pair of headphones, the Grado SR325i, which Mrs49 gave me for Christmas 2012. The Grados gave me a taste of what was possible. Little did Mrs49 know, when she gave me the Grados, how much it was going to cost her ...

:O

Matt

 

[Macspur]

Sounds like the sensible decision. They've been a good buy though. If nothing else they have provided the benchmark that the Montis had to exceed and without them you would I am sure have been less certain of your final decision.

That's very true and well put.

All this has happened within the space of a year: it was last March when I decided to make the big step. I'd lived for 12 years with an Arcam and KEF system, which probably cost me a bit over £1000 back then. Without actually living with the Cremonas (it's been about six months, I think), the leap from then to now would have been much more speculative.

Thinking back, the catalyst, funnily enough, was a new pair of headphones, the Grado SR325i, which Mrs49 gave me for Christmas 2012. The Grados gave me a taste of what was possible. Little did Mrs49 know, when she gave me the Grados, how much it was going to cost her ...

:O

Matt

That's remarkable matt... some people take years to achieve what you have and others never do, but I'm sure it's worth every penny.

Mac

www.macsmusic.blogbubble.net

 

[Neffa]

It's quite simple, Asset is running on Windows Home Server on simple HP Microserver (it's in a cupboard, hidden away) - you can then use any control point in Windows which is DLNA compliant and then Air 'catches' the output of the control point and sends it to the Devialet over the wired Ethernet connection. It seems pretty good so far, but then I am not using wireless on both sides, I think that would be tricky.

I'm still learning, experimenting - I think the MiND option would be easier, but Devialet do say Air is the best and a MiND streamer + cable is another 1000 or so....

That sounds excellent, and it would fit in with my network 'architecture'.

It's a few years since I last looked at MediaMonkey. I imagine it's matured quite a bit; the user interface used to be very primitive. For me the user interface is of primary importance. It needs to be fast (Synology Audio Station is horribly slow); it needs to be 'always on', with no tedious handshaking or fiddly start-up routines; it needs to handle the peculiar way I do tagging (which I designed with Sonos in mind); it needs to have all the functionality of playlists etc; it needs to be stable.

I agree with you about the MiND: it's a lot of money for something that (a) probably won't sound better than a PC-over-ethernet solution; (b) may not have a very good user interface. A leap of faith, I think.

Matt

The thing which is exciting and different about Air is that since it intercepts the output of the local player, you can use any app on the tablet/PC, not just the one bound to the particular hardware device. Searching the Windows 8 store, there are lots of apps you can use, and of course you can have Qobuz too - pretty amazing stuff. I hope they do a proper uPnP solution to close that off, but fast forwarding a few years, I can see why Air could well be a better long-term bet.

 

[matt49]

My attention has drifted away from Devialet recently, as I’ve been enjoying the new speakers. The Dev is driving the Martin Logans beautifully. The sound is, frankly, spectacular.

Tonight I had the optimal conditions for a big session. Mrs49 is in Brussels for a conference. The neighbours have gone away for two months to bring their yacht back from the Caribbean. (Envy? I should say so!) So it was time to turn the wick right up.

Most of my listening is classical, and the MLs really do a superb rendition of a symphony orchestra, but tonight was rock night.

One of my fave high-octane albums is Talking Heads’ ‘True Stories’. After all their experiments with Afro-beat, ‘True Stories’ was a return to post-punk American rock, and it fairly bullets and bounces along. Also it’s pretty well produced, and (importantly) the CD scores well on the DR Database, in fact better than the vinyl version does.

So I turned it up humungously loud and found myself stomping and screaming along. The sheer scale and presence of the MLs is amazing. The room is filled from front to back, from floor to ceiling, every last little detail is there, the rhythms are infectious, the bass hammers like, well, a jolly big hammer. And no roughness or screechiness at all. OMG.

Sadly the 49 girls have to go to bed and be up bright and early for school tomorrow, otherwise I’d be running through a bunch of rock albums: Springsteen, REM, Pearl Jam … Still, there’s always tomorrow evening!

:bounce:

Matt

 

[CnoEvil]

Matt, I'm delighted for you........that's what it is all about.......and evidence that you chose wisely. :dance:

 

[DocG]

Hi Matt,

I sometimes wonder what Mrs.49 and the 49-girls think of the hifi. Do they have any interest at all? Or is it still not close enough to the real thing for them? Cos I think your wife does like (live) music, right?

PS: When going crazy, watch out that the girls don't post the video on Youtube! And if they do, please share the link! 😉

 

[Macspur]

My attention has drifted away from Devialet recently, as I’ve been enjoying the new speakers. The Dev is driving the Martin Logans beautifully. The sound is, frankly, spectacular.

Tonight I had the optimal conditions for a big session. Mrs49 is in Brussels for a conference. The neighbours have gone away for two months to bring their yacht back from the Caribbean. (Envy? I should say so!) So it was time to turn the wick right up.

Most of my listening is classical, and the MLs really do a superb rendition of a symphony orchestra, but tonight was rock night.

One of my fave high-octane albums is Talking Heads’ ‘True Stories’. After all their experiments with Afro-beat, ‘True Stories’ was a return to post-punk American rock, and it fairly bullets and bounces along. Also it’s pretty well produced, and (importantly) the CD scores well on the DR Database, in fact better than the vinyl version does.

So I turned it up humungously loud and found myself stomping and screaming along. The sheer scale and presence of the MLs is amazing. The room is filled from front to back, from floor to ceiling, every last little detail is there, the rhythms are infectious, the bass hammers like, well, a jolly big hammer. And no roughness or screechiness at all. OMG.

Sadly the 49 girls have to go to bed and be up bright and early for school tomorrow, otherwise I’d be running through a bunch of rock albums: Springsteen, REM, Pearl Jam … Still, there’s always tomorrow evening!

:bounce:

Matt

Magic Matt!

How do they sound with more stripped down music?

Mac

www.macsmusic.blogbubble.net

 

[matt49]

Hi Matt,

I sometimes wonder what Mrs.49 and the 49-girls think of the hifi. Do they have any interest at all? Or is it still not close enough to the real thing for them? Cos I think your wife does like (live) music, right?

PS: When going crazy, watch out that the girls don't post the video on Youtube! And if they do, please share the link! 😉

Ha! Good advice! Actually until we move house (maybe 3-5 years away? who knows?) the main system is in my study, and I'm the only listener. Which is a shame, but there's really no space for the Montis elsewhere in the house. We do listen to music together at our holiday cottage. Sometimes the girls and I will have a session watching a Springsteen concert on DVD, which is great fun. One day I'll get the main system in a nice big room with a ginormous TV. One day ...

Magic Matt!

How do they sound with more stripped down music?

Mac

www.macsmusic.blogbubble.net

Even better!

There's nothing quite like really well recorded acoustic music, as you know yourself. The Montis are brilliant at conveying textures and timbres. The imaging is pinpoint, with voices suspended in mid air and bang centre stage. It's the corny old "musicians in the room with you" thing: both very spacious and very intimate.

Cheers,

Matt

 

[iceman16]

Hi matt, how does it play with metal? integration , propulsion with the base?

Ice

 

[iceman16]

Hi matt, how does it play with metal? integration , propulsion with the base?

Ice

 

[matt49]

Hi matt, how does it play with metal? integration , propulsion with the base?

Ice

Hi Iceman,

I'm afraid metal is a genre I've never got on with. I do like rock, including stuff from the '90s and more recently, e.g. Foo Fighters and Pearl Jam, but not metal.

There's other stuff with lots of fast and deep bass that I listen to and that works very well, e.g. electronica. I'm a big Yello fan: very exciting and dynamic music, inventively and meticulously produced, and with a nicely wacky sense of humour. Yello sounds fantastic through the Montis.

Matt

 

[Paul@HiFi-Lounge]

The Montis are brilliant at conveying textures and timbres. The imaging is pinpoint, with voices suspended in mid air and bang centre stage. It's the corny old "musicians in the room with you" thing: both very spacious and very intimate.

Cheers,

Matt

Hi Guys,

I've been following this thread for quite some time and a couple of weeks ago I decided to take on Devialet as a brand after following their progress for since I went to Munich last year was came away extrmely impressed with the new range, I just couldn't resist any longer, and funnily enough I have just got my Montis back yesterday after a customer damaged one of them so after reading Matts comments this is a setup I can't wait to try myself, being a big Springsteen fan it sounds like we've got a lot in common

I haven't had time to try any of my Devialet models yet, hopefully this afternoon I can have a play, here are a couple of pics I took though, there are more if you follow the link -

http://hifilounge.tumblr.com/post/81063924436/devialet-land-at-hifi-lounge

Cheers,

Paul.

 

[matt49]

Hi Guys,

I've been following this thread for quite some time and a couple of weeks ago I decided to take on Devialet as a brand after following their progress for since I went to Munich last year was came away extrmely impressed with the new range, I just couldn't resist any longer, and funnily enough I have just got my Montis back yesterday after a customer damaged one of them so after reading Matts comments this is a setup I can't wait to try myself, being a big Springsteen fan it sounds like we've got a lot in common

I haven't had time to try any of my Devialet models yet, hopefully this afternoon I can have a play, here are a couple of pics I took though, there are more if you follow the link -

Cheers,

Paul.

Hi Paul,

Good to hear from you.

I think we exchanged e-mails last year when I was on the Sonus faber trail. And I was interested in your Springsteen event last summer, but couldn't make it due to holidays.

I'll be interested to hear thoughts about speaker matching. I've found the 170 to be capable of driving some pretty substantial speakers to splendid effect.

:cheers:

Matt

 

[Paul@HiFi-Lounge]

Hi Paul,

Good to hear from you.

I think we exchanged e-mails last year when I was on the Sonus faber trail. And I was interested in your Springsteen event last summer, but couldn't make it due to holidays.

I'll be interested to hear thoughts about speaker matching. I've found the 170 to be capable of driving some pretty substantial speakers to splendid effect.

:cheers:

Matt

Hi Matt,

Yes I remember now, hope you are keeping well, sounds like you've been having plenty of fun since we last spoke.

I've been working my way through various forums reading up everything I can on Devialet at the moment, I can honestly say that it has been a long time since I have been this excited by a new piece of kit, it really does feel like the dawn of something new and exciting, I just wish Devialet would add DNLA streaming which for me would complete the package and really take the fight to Linn and Naim.

Regarding speakers, I will definately try my Montis with the 170, I'm also looking forward to trying the SF Olympica range, I hope that will make a great combo, style in the extreme 🙂 I'll hopefully be getting the new PMC Twenty.26's this coming week, and as a bit of a PMC fan this is a combo I'm really looking forward to also, aswell as trying the Fact.12's.

All I really want to do today is go into work and spend the day experimenting but as it is Mothers Day I guess I should put Family before HiFi for a change.

Hopefully have a relatively quiet day tomorrow to experiment.

Cheers.

 

[Frank Harvey]

We've found the Devialet's have a better grip on bass than some other more conventional amplifiers. Ranges like the KEF's Reference can be quite demanding on the amplifier (despite being fairly easy to drive), and there are some amplifiers that just don't suit them as they're not able to bring out the bass that the range is capable of producing, and they also reveal electronics that don't have a clean top end. Even the 'baby' 110 didn't have any problem with the 203/2s, and with such a revealing speaker, the jump up to the 170 brings big dividends.

So its safe to say they suit the Reference range very well. Hopefully I'll get some time to try others out too, including the new PMC Twenty.26, which may even be as soon as tomorrow - fingers crossed!

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Hi Paul

Looks good

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Paul@HiFi-Lounge]

We've found the Devialet's have a better grip on bass than some other more conventional amplifiers.

I've been having a good play with the 110 and 170 and couldn't agree more with the above statement.

I have to say that the 170 and Magneplanar 1.7 is a stunning combo, as the Maggies need a top quality amp to really get hold of the bottom end and drive it properly so they are a good test of any amp and the 170 drove them as well as anything I have ever heard, but with a clarity and separation that I have never heard before, it is a shame that the Maggies are not the most stylish design compared to Devialet but they certainly sound good. I do love the sound from a panel so now I can't wait to try the ML Montis on the 240, that should really sing, although the Maggies add a bit of warmth to the mid so maybe that may still be a better combo.

So far so good though, I do wonder though when do you really need a 500? I guess I will find out when I try the 240 on the PMC MB2 SE's, that may be a speaker too far for a single 240 :O

 

[DocG]

We've found the Devialet's have a better grip on bass than some other more conventional amplifiers.

I've been having a good play with the 110 and 170 and couldn't agree more with the above statement.

I have to say that the 170 and Magneplanar 1.7 is a stunning combo, as the Maggies need a top quality amp to really get hold of the bottom end and drive it properly so they are a good test of any amp and the 170 drove them as well as anything I have ever heard, but with a clarity and separation that I have never heard before, it is a shame that the Maggies are not the most stylish design compared to Devialet but they certainly sound good. I do love the sound from a panel so now I can't wait to try the ML Montis on the 240, that should really sing, although the Maggies add a bit of warmth to the mid so maybe that may still be a better combo.

So far so good though, I do wonder though when do you really need a 500? I guess I will find out when I try the 240 on the PMC MB2 SE's, that may be a speaker too far for a single 240 :O

Hi Paul, I guess you *need* a Devialet 500 like some people *need* a Bentley Continental GT Speed. 8)

 

[matt49]

We've found the Devialet's have a better grip on bass than some other more conventional amplifiers.

I've been having a good play with the 110 and 170 and couldn't agree more with the above statement.

I have to say that the 170 and Magneplanar 1.7 is a stunning combo, as the Maggies need a top quality amp to really get hold of the bottom end and drive it properly so they are a good test of any amp and the 170 drove them as well as anything I have ever heard, but with a clarity and separation that I have never heard before, it is a shame that the Maggies are not the most stylish design compared to Devialet but they certainly sound good. I do love the sound from a panel so now I can't wait to try the ML Montis on the 240, that should really sing, although the Maggies add a bit of warmth to the mid so maybe that may still be a better combo.

So far so good though, I do wonder though when do you really need a 500? I guess I will find out when I try the 240 on the PMC MB2 SE's, that may be a speaker too far for a single 240 :O

Hi Paul, I guess you *need* a Devialet 500 like some people *need* a Bentley Continental GT Speed. 8)

I was really surprised to find how many people over on the 'Wam do indeed have 500s (or dual D-Premiers). And I don't think they play for Man Utd.

Paul, good to hear your views on speakers. If I'd had enough lateral space for Maggies, I may well have gone down that road. I agree that they're a bit warmer in the mids than MLs. I've now invested in some serious acoustic treatment (costing peanuts in relative terms), which has rounded out the sound of the 170-Montis combo very nicely. You still get that wonderful ML attack and spaciousness, but the top end is now so clean you could brush your teeth with it.

Matt

 

[Paul@HiFi-Lounge]

Hi Matt,

I must admit that I am having a lot of fun trying the various Devialet versions with different speaker combos, at the moment the 110 does a sterling job but the 170 just seems to get hold of the music better at higher volumes.

I got the new PMC Twenty.26's last night and plugged them straight into the 110 and that seemed to be a combo that worked straight out the box which is good news as PMC are my main speaker brand.

Going to try them later on the 240 though and see what the differences are, if any.

 

[DocG]

Having heard more than once about the excellent match between Devialet and Sonus faber, I needed to sort this out for myself. As the new Olympica standmounters, with their side reflex port, might be less fussy about positioning (less than the rear ported designs, that is), I decided to give these a go, and booked a demo.

In its graphite guise, the speaker looks the business. A modern classic in the making. Asymmetric build, real wood, hand-stitched leather front, top and back, the silk-covered strings, superbly machined binding posts, impeccable finish. Wow!

We used a GoldNote CD-player as transport, linked to the Devialet with a coax-cable.

We had a cup of fine coffee and talked about my previous auditions while the amp warmed up. And then it was time for some music…

I didn’t like what I heard. Not a bit. It was lifeless, lacked sparkle and detail. I considered to call it a day, but since I had driven nearly an hour to get there, I chose to listen a little longer… And then, gradually, I realized there was no detail lacking at all. It was all there! Just not ‘in your face’, more laid back, like I was sitting somewhere halfway the venue and not in the front row.

I really enjoyed small-scale, acoustic music through the Devialet – Olympica I combo: male voice + acoustic guitar, saxophone + double bass, lute, oud + percussion… It sounded all very convincing once I had got used to the Sf presentation.

As soon as things got more busy though, the Olympica I struggled to stay credible. Larger scale music (think Brian Setzer Orchestra or Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings) sounded closed-in, congested. Disappointing. Well, I’m not sure if the problem is just due to their size or a real Sonus faber trait… I guess I should hear the bigger boys to find that out.

Which is somewhat tempting, because the dealer is doing a ‘Spring Clean-Up’ this month, with 20-30% discounts on all his demo gear. I know a discount is a bad reason to buy a pair of (still expensive) speakers, but a pair of Elipsas at 70% of the RRP could be an opportunity. Or could it? :?