To Doug Schneider,
I have a sweet spot in my heart for Devialet. Your review of the D-Premier started my interest in it. Since then, the company came up with a few more versions.
I'm wondering if you have any plans of revisiting Devialet? Your review has caused a lot of interest in many of your readers judging by the number of letters you have answered on it. I trust your opinion and appreciate the fact that you are shooting from the hip and pulling no punches. You have alluded to the fact that it could compete with most, if not all the top contenders. Has it got any better since?
After reading Jeff Fritz’s recent “Opinion” on SoundStage! Ultra, “Why Most Ultra Gear No Longer Excites Me,” I came to the conclusion that the Devialet might be the appropriate remedy to lift his spirits!
Regard,
Guy La Rue
I agree that one of the Devialet amps would likely raise Jeff’s spirits, since it’s night-and-day better than most of the overpriced, questionable products he alludes to in his article. Unfortunately, Jeff hasn’t heard it yet, but your encouragement might help to change that.
I’m not scheduled to get one of the new Devialet amps for review (they discontinued the D-Premier and introduced the 110, 170, and 240 earlier this year), but Hans Wetzel expects one for our sister-site SoundStage! Access, though we’re not sure when (time for an e-mail to their North American distributor). The only reason I'm not getting one in is because my review queue is currently so big that I just can’t handle any additional gear in a timely fashion. But if I could, I surely would, since the D-Premier was astonishingly good.
Still, even though I’m not getting one for review personally, I’ve kept tabs on the company and asked around about the 110, 170, and 240. Everyone I’ve talked to who was familiar with the D-Premier said the new models are much better than the D-Premier, which is really surprising, since the original could outclass anything near or above its price. Reviews I’ve read elsewhere corroborate this. So, if that’s true, those new amps have to sound incredible. . . . Doug Schneider
