Has anyone heard the Devialet D-Premier Integrated Amp/DAC

[Yaduvent]

Hi Patcam

I use D-Premier, Mac Mini 2012 SSD - iTunes - ( without Jriver ) with Devialet Air without problems now ( all at the latest software version ) all files in AIFF...
I must say that after a period of problems , now it run very well. Cut out may happend after hours of continuous listening, but as I heard they are aware of the problem.

( but definitly they have to improve communication !)

Cheers

Yaduvent

 

[Jupiter]

Did someone compare Premier vs 240 ?

 

[Nightmare]

Some people say that the Devialet 170 sounds ´better´ than the D-Premier - of any kind whatsoever.
Thus the Devialet 240 should also be ´better´ than the D-Premier.
Depending on the connected speakers obviously plainly audible better than its little brother.

 

[Jupiter]

...and what means "better" en detail ? Who are these "some people" ?

 

[Nightmare]

Did you read this thread here? I am not sure, if it is has been mentioned in here or in the other ones around (hifiwigwam, wmp). You should find it using google. ´Better´ is relative - that´s why I wrote it in quotation marks. I did not have the time to search for their exact descriptions. It is some weeks ago that I have read about it. I never listened to a Devialet 170 myself.

 

[IanG-UK]

Hi Patcam

I use D-Premier, Mac Mini 2012 SSD - iTunes - ( without Jriver ) with Devialet Air without problems now ( all at the latest software version ) all files in AIFF...
I must say that after a period of problems , now it run very well. Cut out may happend after hours of continuous listening, but as I heard they are aware of the problem.

( but definitly they have to improve communication !)

Cheers

Yaduvent

I just had an email from Devialet indicating that they are shortly* going to issue new firmware and a new version of Air which should fix the remaining stability problems.

* time not specified and I'm sure they will err on the side of issuing it later rather than sooner if that secures a higher probability of success

 

[Nightmare]

Would mean more than 2 months earlier than expected as the last information was 'end of the year'.

 

[IanG-UK]

Did someone compare Premier vs 240 ?

Getting a reliable view on this is going to be more difficult than normal. The D-Premier discontinued at the time the 240 launched and the D-Premier/240 modification is a direct factory fit. There's little mileage in a dealer (if he has saved a D-Premier) doing a D-Premier v 240 comparison when either outcome results in no dealer income.

Those who modify may say that the 240 is better. What a surprise!

Those who don't may say there is no difference. What a surprise!

And reviewers may say the 240 is better if only as a means of perpetuating the reviewing industry! What a surprise!!!

 

[Nightmare]

And the next difficulty is to find a dealer, that has a Devialet 240 in stock or even in his showroom. There are 26 official dealers in Germany. I called more than 10 of them last week and no one of them has one. Some of them still do have a D-Premier in their showroom for demonstration. No one of these guys is going to buy a Devialet 240 for the showroom as long as they have a D-Premier in stock. Most of the dealers demonstrate the sound with a Devialet 170. Ordering a Devialet 170 and especially a Devialet 240 today in Germany would at least result in a waiting time of 6-8 weeks.

 

[Togil]

Watch this space, I am hoping to get a 240 very shortly at long last, my Premier is sold. I will use it with Mac Air briefly for comparison and then hopefully switch to Ethernet from PC JRivers

 

[microstrip]

...and what means "better" en detail ? Who are these "some people" ?

Paul Miller compared both units in the HiFi News review of the D170. The review is now available online.

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?12179-Preference-vs-audibility-please-keep-them-separate&p=224199&viewfull=1#post224199

 

[IanG-UK]

Paul Miller compared both units in the HiFi News review of the D170. The review is now available online.

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?12179-Preference-vs-audibility-please-keep-them-separate&p=224199&viewfull=1#post224199

... to be taken with a pinch of salt. My dealer says that the 170 does not match, never mind exceed, the D-Premier; and that there is little is anything between the 240 and the D-Premier.

These days, magazines invariably say that Mk2 is a big improvement on Mk1, in part to perpetuate their existence. I'll probably get my D-Premiers modified to 240s but I don't expect much, if any, audible improvement - and I won't be able to test it anyway!

 

[Orb]

Ian,
hmm tough call who to decide (not being sarcastic here) in that as Paul Miller is from a scientific research education background, also an engineer, developed digital measuring tools used in the industry, while also being an audio journalist.
One reason I can think of it being better is that from what I understand there is a subtle design improvement to power supply/storage, but just hypothetical from me.

If requiring all of the power-current then no I cannot see 170 matching D-Premier, but depends upon the context I guess; after all from my own experience I much preferred D-Premier in mono setup so looks like some subtle improvements were going to happen down the line IMO.
Cheers
Orb

 

[microstrip]

... to be taken with a pinch of salt. My dealer says that the 170 does not match, never mind exceed, the D-Premier; and that there is little is anything between the 240 and the D-Premier.

These days, magazines invariably say that Mk2 is a big improvement on Mk1, in part to perpetuate their existence. I'll probably get my D-Premiers modified to 240s but I don't expect much, if any, audible improvement - and I won't be able to test it anyway!

The pinch of salt is always needed. But Paul Miller was specific enough in his review, and IMHO he addressed aspects I have previously identified in my listening with Devialet, even when everyone only eulogized it. As Orb refers, we had reports of how better two mono 240's sounded than just a stereo, in conditions you will would not need more power - people I know well also reported significant improvements after they tried the dual mono.

Considering the fair upgrade policy of Devialet, I think that people should try to listen to the differences by themselves - if not possible I would upgrade it anyway. Remember it is MHO, I am an audiophile, take it with a large pinch of salt!

 

[IanG-UK]

Hi Orb/Microstrip

I pretty much agree with your comments and I certainly rate Miller (and three or four others) as a credible engineering-based reviewer.

Part of the weakness of his review was in comparing the 170 with the D-Premier, when the right choice would have been the 240 with the D-Premier. In addition, Miller used the USB input with the 170 which the D-Premier does not have.

He concludes his review by saying he would unequivocally swap his D-Premier for a 170, which will be read as a statement that he thinks it is unequivocally better.

But:

- this is largely irrelevant since the D-Premier is no longer available and owners of the D-Premier can get it modified to a 240 (but not to a 170) direct from Devialet at what I think is a pretty low price.

- the use of terms implying really material differences , in one reviewer's sighted opinion, are now largely discredited since such reviewers never publicly expose themselves to blind testing - and they never will!

 

[Jupiter]

Is there anybody who knows when the upgrade of D-Premiers start ?

 

[merrillaudio]

Is there anybody who knows when the upgrade of D-Premiers start ?

There is no hard date. "what the dust settles". October was the last approx date.

 

[Ekmanc]

Is there anybody who knows when the upgrade of D-Premiers start ?

They've started already but only available in France so far, I think they will roll it out over the next few months.

Has anyone heard anything about the discount on the upgrade they talked about for people who very recently bought their D-Premiers??

 

[Jupiter]

Probably the full upgrade (3.000E) for the price of the second one(2000E) ?

They've started already but only available in France so far, I think they will roll it out over the next few months.

Has anyone heard anything about the discount on the upgrade they talked about for people who very recently bought their D-Premiers??

 

[IanG-UK]

Probably the full upgrade (3.000E) for the price of the second one(2000E) ?

By the way, the full upgrade is 3,500E. The second, if you have dual-mono D-Premiers, is 2,400E. The restricted upgrade (new inputs only) is 1,900E.

Their original plan was that the second unit would omit the phono stage and the wifi card. Now, the website says you get both units equipped with these. It was also the original plan to take back both original remotes and give you back one. Not sure if this has changed. This effectively may make the retention of the second remote cost 1,100E. This seems expensive. I have queried with them.

EDIT: They have now clarified that you get two remotes too. So first full upgrade is 3,500E and second is 2,400E.

They did talk about a lower price for units (single or dual) bought in 2013, but the website is silent on this.

(As a separate issue, they are about to launch new firmware (presumably 6.0.10) and Air (presumably 2.2) soon. This is claimed to eliminate any residual dropouts.)