Basically every review I’ve read said that the best sounding input on my devialet amps is the Ethernet port ( I have an expert 400 system), but now that I’ve had a chance to compare/contrast the nucleus usb output to my devialet versus using the dev as an endpoint with AIR, I am pretty sure the direct USB connection sounds better. I don’t know, when streaming via Ethernet the music lost its soul and I can hear some distortion. This was not the case with regular USB. I am conflicted because it seems crazy to have a nucleus with it’s switch more power supply introducing noise through the audio chain.
So the USB output is Nucleaus (PS plugged into audioquest Niagara conditioner) to ifi isillencer 3 — ifi Mercury 3 usb Cable- ifi usb ipurifier —- to devialet usb input
My straight Ethernet audio chain is wall jack to netgear orbi router (linear psu) to netgear pro switch (linear psu) to devialet Ethernet jack via blue jeans cable Belden patch cords.
I am hearing digital grain and the music sounds generally less relaxed via Ethernet.
Has anyone else experienced this? Can someone maybe weigh in on what I am gonna wrong?
I have my devialet 400s paired with magnepan 1.7i’s and actually I think the sound is just a bit too bright, I am considering buying a tube dac and running the nucleaus into it via usb and analog output into the devialet.
Thoughts? Comments?
Would love some feedback…
If you’re hearing distortion via Ethernet (or any input, for that matter) then I’d say something is wrong. There should be subtle differences in sound quality, if any, between inputs on the Expert amps.
Thank you for writing back. Perhaps distortion is the wrong word. It’s as if there are millisecond drop outs in the music. I have gigabit Ethernet, so speed should not be an issue.
I am somewhat new to the world of hifi, and I really love playing around with getting new speakers and amps etc and I wonder why so many devialet users basically say that using analogue inputs from an exterior dac is silky. I get it, the input goes through ADC and then DAC conversion, but isint the whole point of devialet that the amps have vanishing distortion and are just crystal clear. Devialet 400 touts a world class phono stage, and many swear by it —- can someone explain why using that ADC-DAC system please so many vinyl junkies while the thought of doing the same with a tube DAC is considered silly?
Thanks for the extra detail; that does sound more reasonable, although drop-outs are surprising if your network is entirely wired (as it seems from your first post).
Are you using Devialet’s “virtual sound card” AIR driver on the computer where Roon core is running, or Roon’s built-in AIR support? Roon’s built-in support is generally reckoned to be more reliable than Devialet’s AIR driver so it might be worth switching to that if you’re not already using it.
I am using the Roon/Air integration from the Roon end. I frankly could not even get the devialet AIR to work period. My core is on a nucleaus so I assume everything outta be optimized. My core is connected with Ethernet jack to a WiFi satellite point, meaning that the actual router is connected via WiFi only to the network…
But I can’t see how that would mean anything…
I did a speed test and my upload speeds are 950mb/s or more
Any chance of bypassing the WiFi with Ethernet to troubleshoot any problems on the WiFi side of things?
Hello @Gregory_Itingen,
We are currently investigating reports of “crackling” and dropouts occurring when using the Roon Devialet Air implementation. I will be sure to update this thread when there is news to share regarding this issue. In the meantime, we encourage users with the Core Infinity board to download the latest firmware update which includes a certified Roon Ready implementation.
-John
WiFi in my hands is problematic, regardless how much I try to bridge the distance to the modem with range extenders. Streaming usually is fine up to 24/48 files, anything from 88 kHz files will eventually cause crackling in my system, even though I have gigabit network. But I have to bridge two floors and this can be difficult.
Ethernet wiring solved all problems, no drop-outs whatsoever, absolutly reliable. I am using Roon‘s built in Air with my Nucleus and it is flawless.
Initially, I connected my Nucleus via USB to my Devialet Expert 120, just to switch later on to Ethernet into the Devialet. I heard very little difference between USB and Ethernet. I had the impression that channel separation was a bit better with Ethernet, but the difference was marginal. So no big differences between USB vs Ethernet.
Now I am thinking of upgrading my Expert 120 to the Expert Pro 220 since Devialet became Roon-ready!
Hi John:
Please let us know when you have any news to share
This doesn’t really happen until recently.
I can’t use RAAT as I am using Expert 200, only AIR is available. Thanks.
I am using wired connection (not WiFi) and 5000ms buffer, nothing helps.
Anthony
@Gregory_Itingen Sorry to hear about your issues. I had random crackling on my system but believe (fingers crossed) it’s been solved with the recent introduction of a dual-input low-noise linear power supply (Keces P8) for a base Nucleus and my plain vanilla TP-Link switch. My system is pretty simple: Devialet 200 fed by a Nucleus over Ethernet. I use Roon’s Devialet AIR, which has been flawless. I also use Google mesh WiFi with an Ethernet connection from one of the satellite pucks direct to the Devialet. As I said, it’s a fairly simple system.
Don’t know about Devialet.
But I wouldn’t worry about all the noise talk.
I use USB, wired networking and WiFi, and don’t notice any problems with any of them.
In case you wonder if I have tin ears, read Archimago’s musings, especially these two. He measures the differences systematically, with different cables, power supplies and computers.
Seems to me that random noise interference over one’s system is difficult to diagnose. Some lucky people have set-ups that never experience noise, or at least the kind of noise that is easily detected. On my system, I could never get rid of the random crackling that would suddenly rear its ugly head. Was it a momentary network problem? Was it the quality of my Ethernet cabling? Was it the result of poor power supplies? One can go crazy trying to isolate the issue. As I’ve noted on this thread, the recent introduction of a dual-input linear power supply for my Nucleus and my switch seems to have corrected the problem. I’ll report back if the crackling re-appears (fingers crossed it doesn’t). Oh, and on the plus side, the musicality of my system has improved. 
Anthony, I assume you are using Roon Devialet AIR and not the original Devialet AIR implementation. Big difference.
Yep, Roon’s AIR Implementation.
As the matter of fact, none of my PC/Mac has Devialet AIR Driver/App installed.
I also notice two kinds of behavior
- This crackle problem doesn’t really happen until v1.6
- The crackle noise always happens when I am using iOS app to select and play different songs. One time it was so bad that it keep crackles once the track started playing “Girl From Ipanema” from Album Getz/Gilberto (24-192). Once I restarted the ROCK (nuc7i7bnh 8GB RAM, 64GB SSD), the crackle stopped.
I tested to play for around 6 hours after I uninstalled iOS app from my phone, no crackle. I also refrained myself from browsing the library while playing.
Then, I reinstalled the iOS Roon app, browse my library using the iOS app while playing… sure enough, crackle… I force quit the iOS app. Played for another hour, no crackle noise… 