Datzeel vs Asr Emitter exclusive vs Devialet

Audiofreekgeek is an established Audiogon member posting under a new moniker largely due to all the heat he received using the old one regarding non disclosure promotion of his products.

Email or call me for details on this creep.

Want to know haw are the analog inputs of the D-Premier ?
Check this extract from Devialet web site :
 
The analog inputs have been designed with the Devialet quality and total lack of compromise.
- Internally routing all the analog inputs as differential signals although received via a "single-ended" RCA connector, with an insulating washer (a very meaningful detail), which makes all the difference: doubles the needed devices of the analog chain hence its cost and removes all the ground noise and distorsion, making the phono ground connection virtually useless,
- Providing a configurable resistive (9 to 460 Ohms) and a capacitive (100 to 700 pF) loading of phono MC cartridge for optimal operation,
- Paying the same attention to noise and distorsions as on the DAC and the ADH amplifier,
- Providing the same extremely wide and ultra flat (see figures below) frequency response as the digital inputs, totally independant from the speaker impedance, except a security sub-bass cutoff at 0.1 Hz for speaker safety purpose (no cutoff in digital)
- using the most optimal and accurate RIAA corrector, volume control and gain stage architectures. Should we disclose that it's the most expensive section of the whole product?
Actually some customers are using their D-Premier as an ultimate RIAA-Analog to Digital converter to rip their vinyl LP collection and build a bridge between recording technologies.

Nice joke.

While the Devialet is incredibly good with digital inputs, it's not the game changer with analogue. While its phono section is fairly good, there are plenty better ones out there.

If I was going with an analogue front end I would opt for either the Dartzeel or the ASR Emitter.

Greg

As a former NAD M2 owner I would be interested in such a product ONLY IF there were an asynchronous USB input. Many others have done the PCM--->PWM---->analog amplification.(eg. NAD, Lyngdorf) But to my knowledge, no manufacturer has done it with a SOTA input stage. S/Pdif input on any DAC is by definition synchronous and therefore prone to much greater input-related jitter than the best asynchronous USB module/driver available from the industry leaders eg. Weiss, Wavelength, Empirical Audio, Playback Designs, Ayre etc.

I think what Jonathan is saying is correct. Once you go this route, you are stuck with an outdated design that can only be fixed by replacing the entire unit; which is what I have done with my NAD M2.