In late 2018, Devialet is revisiting its Expert range with new updates and the long-awaited addition of the excellent Core Infinity circuit, which boosts the performance and possibilities of its devices. We have chosen the smallest of the Expert, which is already a successful device.
Not only does the Expert 140 Pro incorporate all Devialet technologies, but they have been further improved to the point of becoming new. No less than 107 patents protect these purebred French innovations.
REVOLUTIONARY ACRONYMS
If the Devialet box set is a marvel, its bowels are just as impressive. The sumptuously arranged interior is a reference in terms of layout, order and logic. Splendid! It includes the new switched-mode power supply, better decoupled from the mains, faster on transient calls and now developing 4000 W at peak, as well as ADH, SAM, DAC, AIR, RAM and EVO… Uh, what ? How ? How ? All these acronyms are in reality the spirit, the soul, the essence and the existence of a Devialet. These few letters summarize the many technologies developed by the manufacturer. ADH Intelligence is a hybrid amplification method where analog Class A amplification known for its sound refinement and powerful and compact Class D amplification operate in parallel. SAM or Speaker Active Matching adapts the sound signal precisely and in real time to the characteristics of SAM Ready speakers (speakers for which Devialet has created a correction algorithm that can be downloaded by the configurator).
The DAC also known as Magic Wire is the digital to analog converter that is only 5 cm away from the speaker outputs. AIR for Asynchronous Intelligent Route is a 24/192 compatible high definition streaming system that can be used in Ethernet or Wi-Fi. The RAM for Record Active Matching is an MM/MC phono preamplifier that can be fully configured by the configurator, particularly in terms of load, resistive and capacitive, and the equalisation curve chosen among 13 available curves. Finally, the EVO for EVOlution is the integrated electronic platform entirely controlled by an evolutive software, it allows the regular updating of the electronics. The 140 Pro also benefits from the new Core Infinity card. As its name suggests, this new intelligent core includes the Devialet OS operating system. Based on a Linux kernel, this OS has been perfectly adapted for performance-based audio uses. Extremely evolutive, Core Infinity is also built to stand the test of time. For this reason, the computing power of this card has been greatly oversized. But judge for yourself: it first includes a quad-core ARM processor running at 1 GHz supported by 1 GB of DDR3 RAM memory and 4 GB of Flash memory.
Core Infinity also features the most robust network architecture ever built on Expert Pro, providing stability that is perfectly suited to streaming music in high definition via a Gigabit Ethernet port and a 2.4 GHz/
5 GHz Wi-Fi module. This module is equipped with an internal antenna to cover most situations, but also with a removable external antenna to add gain or to remote any other external antenna equipped with an SMA connector. Finally, a 500 Mbps HomePlug AV2 PLC module allows networking via the Expert power cable.
Core Infinity finally embeds a number of hardware and software improvements. First of all, we notice an additional audio DSP, in addition to the one already existing on the motherboard, which will provide an additional power reserve to support future software evolutions. The FPGA circuit has been improved to provide more power to the Devialet OS, ensuring optimized audio signal routing and a new distribution of clocks minimizing jitter. This results in a significant gain in audio quality. The USB interface has been improved to support new audio formats in the future. We note the presence of 3 ASRC (Asyn-chronous Sample Rate Converter) in order to anticipate future developments of Expert and in particular compatibility with additional sources. Currently only 1 ASRC is used. Finally, R & D has integrated a time and date conservation system via a PSTN battery for an ultra-fast start of network services. It’s very simple, but you had to think about it!
THE SET UP
Like any connected product worthy of the name, the Devialet Expert 140 Pro requires proper implementation. But, in all honesty, we must admit that the installation protocol developed by Devialet has the merit of simplicity and flexibility. Indeed, the user does not need to act on the machine directly. Instead, he goes to the manufacturer’s site in the configuration tab, after having registered his machine online, of course, and he proceeds step by step to the different settings. Phono, network, digital inputs, SAM if necessary, everything goes through it. The configuration thus determined is saved and then copied to an SD card provided by Devialet. All you have to do is insert the card into the appropriate slot on the back of the device, and, miraculously, your fully customized device starts working according to your wishes. For our part, we made all our listening in UPnP from our server, and with our Linn Sondek LP12 turntable. It should also be noted that unlike the vast majority of machine builders at this price, Devialet has the good taste to offer its customers a good quality power cord, in this case an Audioquest NRG X, a model sold for more than 100 € public price. It’s a delicate attention. Finally, as with any high-end machine, care should be taken to place the Devialet Expert 140 Pro on a stable and rigid support.
THE SOUND
As time goes by, and with each new generation, the Devialet sound gains in fluidity and delicacy. If the Frenchman has always known how to master the ardour, precision and power, today he brings them a very pleasant touch of naturalness, immediately perceptible, from the most accessible model in the range. The Expert 140 Pro offers a sound reproduction whose rhythmic follow-up and dynamic mastery are still as impressive as ever, but which is expressed with more modeling and softness. The tonal balance is very good. It promotes the intelligibility of the message, transparency and naturalness. Devialet is in favour of removing all kinds of discolouration, and this can be heard very clearly. We played a large number of HiRes files, and we felt very clearly that we were as close as possible to the original signal. However, this magnificent transparency is not expressed at all at the expense of life and the way music materializes. The dynamic behaviour of the Expert 140 Pro remains a model of its kind, with a speed of reaction that often makes it perfect. On a large orchestral mass, the tutti manifest themselves without the slightest settling, and with sovereign intelligibility. The same goes for a drum solo, or powerful layers of superimposed bass. The piston work of the woofers is ensured by a flow of watts controlled to the millimetre and of extraordinary vigour. Listening to loud electronic music on large speakers with the Expert 140 Pro is an absolutely exhilarating experience. But this device is not limited to that, it excels on small formations where its sharp sense of analysis hits the mark every time. Debussy’s trio was sifted through with magnificent acuity and a splendid sense of proportion. Far from being sectarian, the Expert 140 Pro is at the service of all the music it reproduces with a mineral and luminous essence, textures of infinite variety, and a lot of sitting.
OUR CONCLUSION
Thanks, among other things, to Core Infinity, and its extensive functionalities, Devialet has taken a decisive step forward, which allows it to make its electronics even more relevant and efficient. It is surprising to see to what extent the French manufacturer has succeeded in applying the great virtues of its ultimate products in its entry-level range. That’s why, in our opinion, the Expert 140 Pro, positioned just below the 5.000 € mark, is a formidable and efficient machine, with unparalleled flexibility at its price, and capable of delivering great musical thrills on a very large sample of speakers.
TECHNICAL SHEET
PRICE
€ 4.990
DIMENSIONS
383 x 383 x 40 mm
WEIGHT
5.65 kg
OUTPUT POWER
2 x 140 W RMS / 6Ω
SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO
130 dB
OUTPUT IMPEDANCE
0.001 Ω
BANDWIDTH BANDWIDTH
DC-30 kHz @ -0.1 dB
DC-95 kHz @ -3 dB
MEMORY MEMORY
1 GB of DDR3-RAM
4 GB Flash
CONNECTIVITY
Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz 802.11ac, compatible with 802.11a / b / g / n
Ethernet RJ45 100/1000 Mbps
USB Audio 2.0 Asynchronous
ANALOG INPUTS
2 RCA line and 2 RCA phono MM/MC (depending on configuration)
ANALOG OUTPUTS
2 pairs of HP plugs
DIGITAL INPUTS
1 USB-B, 1 Toslink, 1 S/PDIF mini-jack 3.5 mm, 2 RCA S/PDIF (depending on configuration)
THE GENESIS OF DEVIALET
The year 2018 marks the eighth anniversary of the launch of the D-Premier amplifier, Devialet’s very first production. The buzz caused at the time was considerable! Indeed, the device entirely created and developed by this newcomer to the world of high fidelity is unlike any other known electronics. This sleek and ultra-flat UFO in mirror polished solid aluminum houses a preamplifier, amplifier, DAC, streamer and phono stage, inputs configurable by an Internet configurator, all linked by a proprietary scheme protected by numerous patents.
The profession is not accustomed to this kind of tidal wave, either technical or aesthetic. The arrival of such a machine shakes up the design of high-end audio electronics as we have imagined it since the beginning of Hi-Fi. Despite conversations and criticisms that are going on in professional clans, customer feedback is almost unanimous. Breathtaking aesthetics and WAF at the top level, outstanding user-friendliness, especially with this dream remote control and the scalability of the product, undeniable musical qualities. Devialet’s innovative concept hits the mark by providing a modern response in line with the demand of 21st century music lovers who want to listen to music in a simple and qualitative way. A source, a pair of speakers and a minimum set of cables are all that is required to put the D-Premier into service.
THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND THE TECHNOLOGY
The name Devialet refers to Guillaume Vialet. This Diderot’s companion participated in the writing of articles in the Encyclopedia in the 18th century, a major work that was the first French encyclopedia. The considerable work it represents makes it a symbol of the work of the Enlightenment, a philosophical movement against oppression of all kinds and for the progress of the world. Devialet’s instigators are deeply inspired by this intellectual approach, the company is a true engineering company at the service of progress in sound science. The D-Premier has served as a springboard for the company, which has since expanded its proposal with the introduction of Phantom connected speakers and has continuously improved the performance of its amplifiers in the Expert range since May 2013. The latest Expert Pro range would not exist without the level of expertise achieved with the Original Workshop Limited Edition launched in 2015. As for the 1000 Pro, it is the most powerful and advanced of all the electronics created to date by Devialet.
