Has anyone heard the Devialet D-Premier Integrated Amp/DAC
- Thread starter FrantzM
- Start date
Do you mean improvements to AIR or to the Devialet mainframe performance? If the latter you will have to seek other explanations than others' hearing defects.
No the digital to analog converstion is and was always 24 bit resolution. But the signal comming in to the D-Premiere has to be volume controlled. And for volume control you have to multiply the in coming sample value by a factor to get a new sample value. And this multiplication can be done with different resolution.
I do not remember exactly if Devialet changed this from 32 bit to 40 bit or from 40 bit to 64 bit.
And then there is also the question are floating point values used or integer.
Digital audio worksations today often use at least 32 bit floating point for this calculations.
I concur with Ekmanc that firmware has changes in sound and usually for the better unless someone screws up the coding, which is very rare. For example I use the Bridge to stream music to my PWD Mk II DAC, the bridge firmware has nothing to do with the DAC firmware as they are separate. There have been updates to the main DAC firmware and it will let you even load the older ones, there is definitely a difference in sound between different firmwares and noted not only by me but in every single reviewer's or forum member's comments.
My Premier is a rel. early one (no. 333). After each update an improvement in sound could be heard. It is true, the quantities of improvements were of course not always the same. With 6.08/2.1 stage opens and the sound isn´t as "heavy" as before - in other words the same volume of whipped cream with less fat.
But there is another possibility for improving the sound
Think about the influence of the 6,3 A fuses.
But there is another possibility for improving the sound
Think about the influence of the 6,3 A fuses.Sound difference between firmware versions
So I did now a comparison between firmware 5.5.0 and the current 6.0.8.
I used the same configuration on both, with a initial volume setting of -30dB so that after starting the D-Premier I have always the same volume. In the configuration I also enabled only one input: digital coax 2. To this input I connected a CD player.
All other inputs and AIR where disabled.
I used two simple tracks for my test from the first album of Tracy Chapman called simply Tracy Chapman.
Track No. 1: TALKIN' BOUT A REVOLUTION
Track No. 3: ACROSS THE LINES
My conclusion is that there are easily recognizable differences in the sound between the two firmware versions.
The 5.5.0 sounds all in all more dull and not so fine and transparent than 6.0.8. This can already be easily heard in the guitar sound in first seconds of TALKIN' BOUT A REVOLUTION. Than also in the high hats, voice and so on.
On ACROSS THE LINES there is a Hammer Dulcimer (Hackbrett) used. Which firmware 5.5.0 this is not really identifiable as such but on 6.0.8 this instrument suddenly gets such a clear character that I the first time did recognize what it was.
And all this tests do not include improvements of AIR at all. I bet here the differences are even bigger.
So I did now a comparison between firmware 5.5.0 and the current 6.0.8.
I used the same configuration on both, with a initial volume setting of -30dB so that after starting the D-Premier I have always the same volume. In the configuration I also enabled only one input: digital coax 2. To this input I connected a CD player.
All other inputs and AIR where disabled.
I used two simple tracks for my test from the first album of Tracy Chapman called simply Tracy Chapman.
Track No. 1: TALKIN' BOUT A REVOLUTION
Track No. 3: ACROSS THE LINES
My conclusion is that there are easily recognizable differences in the sound between the two firmware versions.
The 5.5.0 sounds all in all more dull and not so fine and transparent than 6.0.8. This can already be easily heard in the guitar sound in first seconds of TALKIN' BOUT A REVOLUTION. Than also in the high hats, voice and so on.
On ACROSS THE LINES there is a Hammer Dulcimer (Hackbrett) used. Which firmware 5.5.0 this is not really identifiable as such but on 6.0.8 this instrument suddenly gets such a clear character that I the first time did recognize what it was.
And all this tests do not include improvements of AIR at all. I bet here the differences are even bigger.
I haven't changed from 6.0.7 yet and wasn't going to as the 500 is hopefully coming soon ( wait for the further delay announcement ! )
But one strange thing has happened : after 6.0.7 working quite well for a while ( apart from one or two sudden deaths after several hours ) suddenly since yesterday I get lots of small interruptions even after a few minutes. Nothing else has changed in my setup. Weird.
But one strange thing has happened : after 6.0.7 working quite well for a while ( apart from one or two sudden deaths after several hours ) suddenly since yesterday I get lots of small interruptions even after a few minutes. Nothing else has changed in my setup. Weird.
Bernie,
they are located on the surface of the mains circuit board.
But note: one needs two soldering irons á 300 C. It is not for soldering beginners. One must be more than careful during nudging the original fuses. Then use fuses do you want but always 6,3 A T. One of the metal screws (fixing the board) must !!! be replaced by an plastic one, otherwise it can give a contact to the Fuse cap and that is not healthy for the Devialet (and you).
There are many tests about sound influence by fuses. In Germany the most common high end fuses are from ahp. They are longer than the Devialet fuses so it is an artwork to solder them perfect onto the surface of the mains circuit board.
It is quite possible to loose Devialets guaratee !
I have successfully used AHP in my former TACT Millennium, but there it was easy to replace them. I would never start soldering in the Devialet. I have already modified a lot of gear and also have built some digital mono amps with newclassd modules, but my respect for the Devialet is too high. Much too complex for non professionals...
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Togil, assuming you are using Air: Is somebody else in your area now using the same wifi channel...?
Or, in case you are using a router configured as repeater (which I am using): I had the impression that sometimes the Devialet logs on to the distant primary router (with too low a signal strength), instead of the nearby repeater as it should. Then the connection is not stable, and a Devialet restart usually fixes this (however I am not wifi expert enough to say why this would happen in the first place...)
Just an idea...
What I can share though is that the order of shutting down / going in standby (Devialet or my Macbook) makes no difference whatsoever for me. So I suspect something else is going on...
I also got 2 sudden Connection breakdowns with Air2.1 over the past 2 weeks ( having to restart Air), and a few minor glitches (as if the music stumbles, like with a scratched CD). I can't tell whether to blame Air2.1 or some hickup in my network, but it is rare enough that I can live with it so far.
I would not solder anything directly on the main motherboard as it does not look like a normal amplifier main board, it looks more like a computer motherboard which has multiple layers, I wouldn't want to burn through an additional layer of trace, it could be very risky.
Jupiter any chance that you could provide a few picture of the new fuses. I am a bit confused about the soldering as normally fuses just fit into the standard fuse holder, are you saying the Devialet has smaller fuses and different fuse holders??
Thanks
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 ?
cat3600, they are SMD-fuses.
Go to Google on their pictures sides. There are some pictures showing the fuses.
I would not go anywhere near to soldered fuse replacement and inevitably lose a 5 year guarantee!
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