Devialet 200 Enough for S5?

[NC Lee]

How well will a Devialet 200 drive the S5s in a 6500cf room? Typically listen 85-90db.

 

[EricDH]

I don't know, but looks like a 400 is justified. Why not try both 200 and 400 at home?

 

[NC Lee]

I want to believe it has a good chance of meeting my needs before I go to the trouble of shipping product around. As well, at $9500 the Dev looks like a deal; at $18k less so.

 

[mauidan]

Did you try this:
http://myhometheater.homestead.com/splcalculator.html

The dealer I got my D200 from has no problem driving any of the S series Magicos to
high SPLs.

Plus, there's a SAM file for the S5 which will improve SQ and protect the drivers.

 

[stereo]

I think it will have enough power, the S5 is not very difficult to drive. Much less than Q1, Q5 and even S1. But I also think there are other amps which sound better (and I owned a Devialet D-Premier, that I used with both S1 and Q1).

Is it a good amp for its price? yes, very good.
will it be the limiting factor in your system? yes. Not because it is a bad amp, but because the S5 is so transparent that you hear better upstream components.
But you can always go for it, and upgrade it in a few years
PS: I personally think that the SAM is more marketing than anything else

 

[mauidan]

I think it will have enough power, the S5 is not very difficult to drive. Much less than Q1, Q5 and even S1. But I also think there are other amps which sound better (and I owned a Devialet D-Premier, that I used with both S1 and Q1).

Is it a good amp for its price? yes, very good.
will it be the limiting factor in your system? yes. Not because it is a bad amp, but because the S5 is so transparent that you hear better upstream components.
But you can always go for it, and upgrade it in a few years
PS: I personally think that the SAM is more marketing than anything else

http://en.devialet.com/speakers/magico/magico-s5

 

[stereo]

yes.. .as I said.... a nice marketing pitch to fix their own amp issue (protection against clipping).
+ some DSP intervention in the bass which is introducing artifacts and decreasing medium transparency.
But anyway, nobody is forced to use it so not a major issue.

 

[EricDH]

PS: I personally think that the SAM is more marketing than anything else

That is not what I hear from people who actually heard it, and can compare SAM with non-SAM. But they also say it is a subtle change, not a dramatic one.

 

[cannata]

yes.. .as I said.... a nice marketing pitch to fix their own amp issue (protection against clipping).
+ some DSP intervention in the bass which is introducing artifacts and decreasing medium transparency.
But anyway, nobody is forced to use it so not a major issue.

I agree. Heard it on the S1 with and without. It was clearly more hifi sounding, and it lost some fluidity with the SAM. I did not like that at all, but I can see how people may think it is more impressive.