Devialet 120

Devialet 120

The Devialet 120 is the audio system you’ve always dreamed of, at a price you never thought possible.  A bundle of cutting-edge technology delivering an unmatched level of audio perfection, all housed in an extremely thin chassis for versatile home integration.

With its perfect balance between nostalgia (phono and analog line input) and contemporary (USB, Ethernet, digital coaxial), you’ll love the Devialet 120’s flexibility and simplicity.  The Devialet 120 is also equipped with the new AIR Universal Streamer, allowing you to enjoy your computer’s musical content at the highest quality, no matter the source.

Review from whathifi.com:

Devialets are like no other amps on the market, and don’t use any of the conventional circuit structures.

Like its siblings, the Devialet 120 has a clever arrangement whereby a low-power, high-quality Class A amplifier works in tandem with a more powerful Class D circuit to drive the speakers.

The idea is to deliver top-quality sound from a compact, environmentally friendly box, and it works.

All the internal workings happen in the digital domain, so even analogue signals (including those from a record player) are converted before the amplifier processes the signal.

Features

The cleverness extends well beyond the electronic design and space-age appearance though. Devialet has had a fresh look at the features set too. Like the D-Premier before it, this amplifier is configurable.

The physical connections at the back include optical, coax and USB as well as a pair of RCAs.

Each of these can be fine-tuned to an appropriate source, so, for example, the analogue RCAs can be set for line-level use or configured as a phono stage (moving-magnet only in this case).

All this is done by means of an on-line configurator, which downloads onto an SD card. The SD card fits into a rear-panel slot and the 110 automatically uploads the configuration data.

Connect the Devialet 120 into your network wired or wirelessly and this amplifier will even stream music from your computer.

Just download suitable software (Mac or PC) and off you go. It’s easy to implement, and the losses involved in going wireless are far less than such a connection normally entails.

There are even iOS and Android smartphone apps that control volume level and source selection.

The Devialet 120, with its unusual shape, means that while it can be used in a conventional manner on a decent equipment rack, it’s also suitable for wall mounting. That small display changes orientation accordingly. Clever.

Performance

So it’s unusual and clever, but does the Devialet 120 sound any good? The answer is a resounding ‘yes’. If you’re looking for a clean, precise-sounding amplifier we don’t think you’ll find better for the money.

It’s an agile sound, one that defines the leading and trailing edges of notes superbly.

We’re particularly impressed by the way this amplifier renders bass frequencies – there’s no sense of blur with overlaid notes, and lovely resolution.

Move on to something harder-edged, such as Nirvana’s Nevermind, and the Devialet responds with glee.

It’s a rhythmic amplifier, one with solid punch and the ability to communicate the aggression in the music well.

High volumes aren’t an issue either – the amp stays astonishingly clean – although in the end the limitations of 120W a channel are heard.

We played a range of music, from Mahler’s Symphony No.4 (24-bit/192kHz fed through the 110’s asynchronous USB) to a heavily compressed 256kbps version of Eminem’s Mockingbird, and in each case the Devialet’s clarity and insight impresses. It will show up any flaws in the recording but never overplays the shortcomings.

Surprisingly, despite the tonal neutrality and precision, this amplifier doesn’t fall into the trap of sounding clinical or sterile either. The joy and energy in music is kept intact and communicated well.