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

[cat3600]

they are not located on the motherboard.

SMD aka surface mount type got it, but where are they located inside the Devialet could not seem to find them looking at the internal pictures of the Devialet, since I don't have the 170 yet. I see why you would require two soldering irons as to heat both sides of the fuses evenly to extract them at one go or just use a de soldering pump, would be fine too I am guessing.

Edit: just did some research and found the fuses in my PWD MK II DAC which are called Critical Fuses by PS Audio are actually AHP fuses from Germany, these were part of the Mk II upgrade package!

Oh! Ignore my sentence above about where they are located as I saw Jupiter mentioned they were on the power board.

 

[cat3600]

I would not go anywhere near to soldered fuse replacement and inevitably lose a 5 year guarantee!

Since these fuses are located on the power board and not on the main board, I might actually give these a shot, provided the damn 170 lands on our shore someday. Fuses make a huge difference and companies like AHP or HI-FI Tuning fuses are very good upgrades for a nominal price.

Jupiter has these been discussed on some other forum, as I am curious where you got the values for the fuses and what prompted you to do the switch with the fuses. Just wanted to know how you came about doing this as this is not a simple case of switching out the fuses by opening the unit, I would say job well done and I am very tempted given the fuses are only located on the power board!!

 

[cat3600]

cat3600, they are SMD-fuses.
Go to Google on their pictures sides. There are some pictures showing the fuses.

Can you please post a link to the fuses you got as I cant get a link to smd type fuses made by AHP, all I get during searches are the normal fuses glass or ceramic type.

Thank you in advance

 

[Jupiter]

Can you please post a link to the fuses you got as I cant get a link to smd type fuses made by AHP, all I get during searches are the normal fuses glass or ceramic type.

Thank you in advance

AHP fuses are only available as glass types - not as SMDs.
The original SMDs in my Devialet Premier are 12,5 mm long. The value is printed on their surface. In my case: T6.3AL - AC250V
The difficulty with the AHPs is: 1. they are round; 2. they are 22 mm long. That means only a part of their copper caps get contact by soldering them on the board.
Two solder irons is a must. You can not remove the soldering tin by using a desoldering pump. The only way is making both caps hot (not more than 300C) and nudging the fuse aside. Then removing the tin complete ! from one side etc. etc.
Another must is being very careful ! because if a board update or so is available, the original fuses have to take place before sending your unparalleled Devialet to the genious French friends.
My experience with fuses: no HiFi-Tuning. They give a smaller stage and excessive highs with my equipment (JPS-Aluminata-ls; Magico V2 (a bit mod.)
All who think the Devialet(s) is/are another kind of amplifier are wrong. Devialet is for me a gift beween friends. Have owned Kondos Ongaku and nameless other high praised amps. No one came close to this sound.

 

[cat3600]

AHP fuses are only available as glass types - not as SMDs.
The original SMDs in my Devialet Premier are 12,5 mm long. The value is printed on their surface. In my case: T6.3AL - AC250V
The difficulty with the AHPs is: 1. they are round; 2. they are 22 mm long. That means only a part of their copper caps get contact by soldering them on the board.
Two solder irons is a must. You can not remove the soldering tin by using a desoldering pump. The only way is making both caps hot (not more than 300C) and nudging the fuse aside. Then removing the tin complete ! from one side etc. etc.
Another must is being very careful ! because if a board update or so is available, the original fuses have to take place before sending your unparalleled Devialet to the genious French friends.
My experience with fuses: no HiFi-Tuning. They give a smaller stage and excessive highs with my equipment (JPS-Aluminata-ls; Magico V2 (a bit mod.)
All who think the Devialet(s) is/are another kind of amplifier are wrong. Devialet is for me a gift beween friends. Have owned Kondos Ongaku and nameless other high praised amps. No one came close to this sound.

Thanks for the update Jupiter!

 

[cat3600]

Thanks for the update Jupiter!

Jupiter one more thing, is there only one fuse or more?? Sorry don't have my 170 yet, therefore cant look at the board. Also is there a particular direction you went with the AHP fuse, as there is a lot of controversy which direction to point the arrow while installing the fuse?

 

[Jupiter]

Jupiter one more thing, is there only one fuse or more?? Sorry don't have my 170 yet, therefore cant look at the board. Also is there a particular direction you went with the AHP fuse, as there is a lot of controversy which direction to point the arrow while installing the fuse?

Premier has two fuses.
One fuse in this the other fuse in the opposite direction.
Don´t use fuses with silver caps or silver covered caps such as Silent Wire ones. It results in prominent highs.
AHPs are available in pure polished copper caps or in copper/gold caps. Have used always pure copper ones. Pl. note: one should avoid the all too often changing of fuses - it decreases the state of the board.

 

[Eric]

Hm, the Airport Express is not connected to any network and nothing else on the same channel, I checked using Wifi Analyser. However ! I did notice that apart from my Mac and Devialet also my Ipad had logged on to the Airport Express. I'm also wondering if the Mac itself is constantly trying to find an Internet connection which isn't there ?

Togil, did you try connecting the Mac directly to your Router via LAN cable (..and turn off wireless on the Mac). It has been posted earlier that this tends to help. This works fairly reliably for me, in addition to putting the Router right next to the Devialet. Going wireless from Mac to Router and then wireless to Devialet has issues - for me it mostly works with 44khz/ 16 bit files, but any highres streaming breaks down pretty fast.

I doubt the iPad is an issue, I use it all the time with Remote to control iTunes. Nor should it be an issue having no external internet connection...

 

[Revel Salon 2]

Devialet 170 latest review available here: http://www.absolutesounds.com/pdf/main/press/2013_09_HFN_D-170.pdf

 

[Ekmanc]

Devialet 170 latest review available here: http://www.absolutesounds.com/pdf/main/press/2013_09_HFN_D-170.pdf

Well imagine that he also thinks it sounds better than D-Premier, that reaffirms the previous discussion about releasing a product at half the price that actually sounds even better...

 

[gatomusik]

Devialet 170 latest review available here: http://www.absolutesounds.com/pdf/main/press/2013_09_HFN_D-170.pdf

Well, shut my mouth! Also shut Devialet correspondent Thierry's mouth, who has been suggesting, in his usual publicity department style, that the revisions to the new Devialet are minimal!

Paul Miller's rave review about the extensively revised 170 ends with an answer to his self-posed question: "...would I trade...[the D-Premier for the 170]? Unequivocally so."

Miller's original reviews provoked my D-Premier purchase. He has more than piqued my interest in the upgrades that will be available in the fall.

 

[Bernie]

the question is which software was used on the D-Premier ? If it was still the old 5.7 then it was an unfair comparison. I'm also planning to upgrade my D-Premier but the question is how much better will it be under equal conditions. Maybe it also had 6.0.7 and we can look forward to a good improvement in fall...

 

[cat3600]

Well, there are three solutions.

1 Take it up with Devialet and dispute what they are saying in terms of sound quality

2 Buy a D-Premier and a 240 and get statistically reliable differences using double blind testing

3 Believe what you want to believe

Yes, I suspect they have improved the engineering of the boards as one would expect after three years' production management experience. Improved the sound discernibly - doubtful.

And as for use analogies, the Porsche example (which Devialet carelessly used themselves) is hardly appropriate as it is seeking to solve much more complex problems and still getting nowhere close to perfection.

IanG-UK Man you went on arguing and disputing so much, but I do hope that you will cut me some slack with the latest review of the 170 especially since the reviewer already uses the D-Premier on a regular basis and has retained the original one with him.

This is a common phenomenon with audiophiles and I too have suffered from it in the past. Whenever a newer and cheaper model is released we go into a denial mode since we have already invested in a substantial amount of money previously and cannot swallow the fact that the newer product, especially when it is half the price can better the old.

I rest my case!

 

[gatomusik]

cat3600:

You might save the testosterone addled arguments for your racing car buddies. This is a site about an audio device and the aesthetic pleasure it provides.

 

[cat3600]

cat3600:

You might save the testosterone addled arguments for your racing car buddies. This is a site about an audio device and the aesthetic pleasure it provides.

Sorry you are right, I edited my previous post!!! Oh I didn't know audio, specifically sound was about aesthetic pleasure!!!

 

[oelli]

Regarding all this discussions of replacing the fuses to get better sound I can only say if you really want dramatic improvements in sound with the D-Premier then use a PS Audio P5 Power Plant to power it. This is my experience and also mentioned in the absolute sound review.
I even use two Power Plants in sequence which has even more impact.

 

[cat3600]

Regarding all this discussions of replacing the fuses to get better sound I can only say if you really want dramatic improvements in sound with the D-Premier then use a PS Audio P5 Power Plant to power it. This is my experience and also mentioned in the absolute sound review.
I even use two Power Plants in sequence which has even more impact.

Hmmm wouldn't it be better to then get the PS Audio P10 power plant, as one of the reasons I choose the Devialet 170 is to reduce the number of units in a system. Anyone else has any inputs of which power equipment or regenerator to use when my amp comes in. I was thinking of getting a Torus Power Conditioner.

Also the power cord I am thinking of using with the 170 is the Wire World Silver Electra 5-2 as this is presently what I am using on my PS Audio PWD DAC, any thoughts on this power cord?

 

[IanG-UK]

IanG-UK Man you went on arguing and disputing so much, but I do hope that you will cut me some slack with the latest review of the 170 especially since the reviewer already uses the D-Premier on a regular basis and has retained the original one with him.

This is a common phenomenon with audiophiles and I too have suffered from it in the past. Whenever a newer and cheaper model is released we go into a denial mode since we have already invested in a substantial amount of money previously and cannot swallow the fact that the newer product, especially when it is half the price can better the old.

I rest my case!

We will agree to differ.

Although you say "this is a common phenomenon with audiophiles" I could respond "this is a common phenomenon with reviewers" with regard to the inevitability of their rating "mark 2" gear as significantly audibly superior to "mark 1" - not least because it encourages the readership base to keep buying the magazine and encourages the manufacturers to keep advertising.

I think we best wait for the double blind listening tests of the 240 opposite the D-Premier - and we will be waiting for a long time because no commercially astute magazine editor or equipment manufacturer will go anywhere close.

Having read your post *1002 where you say "Fuses make a huge difference" I can see we are at opposite ends of the spectrum, which is perfectly ok.

 

[oelli]

Two P5 in sequence seem to be better than one P10 (my dealer made test using different combinations)
I have one Power Plant Premier (a model older than the P5) and one P5 in sequence.
Two of them are luxuriousness but one is mandatory to get optimum performance. Not only does the Power Plant eliminate a lot of distortion in the sound but it also gets even more powerful. This is because the P5 also stores energy which has the effect, that the connected equipment can get more peak power (current) than from the wall outlet.
This is in contrast to many filters that often slow down the sound.

I have no experience with Torus Power Conditioners. But you have to test it with your equipment at home and if you can get a Power Plant for testing then you should do so. My experience is that the Power Plant has more impact on devices using switching power supplies (like the Devialet has) than on such with traditional transformers.

Changing fuses never made big differences for me sound wise. So I do not even think about doing such a modification to may Devialet although I am electronics engineer.

 

[marcor]

In the review the main differences are pointed out to be in the inputs, the motherboard and the the PSU. Regarding the ADH it is said that is 99% the same but the 1% of difference seems to be the layout not the unit itself. The comment about the PSU being able to reach the same quality level of the old Premier with a PS Audio P5 power plant I think it is particularly interesting as show that these sound improvements could come from pieces that can be changed (opposite to be a radical new ADH for example).
I try to see the positive side of the thing. Devialet will offer an upgrade that will take the D-premier to the same specs of the 240. Other companies won't offer such option and you will have to sell your gear and buy the new model.
For my side I would still probably buy the 240 vs the 170 just for the Watt output.
So even if I am not super happy to spend another 3,500 euros or whatever it will end up being still I am fine to know that my gear won't be obsolete after the upgrade.