To Jeff Fritz,
I have purchased Magico S5 speakers and am now going to audition a Devialet 200. My room is large, at 6500 cubic feet, so a question to be answered is whether it can pressurize the room. Cables: Will you give me a recommendation? I’m hoping to find a mid-tier speaker cable that will not insult my speakers.
Thanks,
Lee Herring
United States
Any discussion of amplifier power for a particular speaker should give some consideration to how loud the owner listens to his system and how large the room is. Given that your room is sizeable, and knowing that the Magico S5s at least have the ability to play quite loud without strain, having ample amplifier power is a must in your application. Fortunately, the Devialet 200 is quite the capable amplifier. One great thing about the Devialet amplifiers, which I found when auditioning the 120 earlier this year, is that they are as clean as a whistle right up until their maximum output. Most amps have a sweet spot, over which they start to sound brittle or hard. That's just not the case with Devialets. So the short answer is that, yes, the Devialet 200 should suit your needs well. That's not to say that the Devialet 400 -- a pair of 200s bridged to deliver double the power -- would not be an awesome partner when paired with the S5s. It would. But I suspect that the Devialet 400 would offer more of a peace-of-mind power-output cushion than any substantial audible improvement that you would notice daily. So I say go for it -- you'll have a wonderful, state-of-the-art setup. And you can always add a second Devialet 200 later -- to create a 400 (it's upgradeable that way) -- if you yearn for more power down the line.
As for cables: Since you are considering Devialet, I'd have to recommend that you give Crystal Cable a try. They seem to have a particular synergy with the Devialet products (Devialet ships a Crystal Cable digital interconnect with their 400). They should sound fast and open, which will complement your components quite nicely. . . . Jeff Fritz
