Devialet Expert 220 Pro Review: A Highly Configurable Integrated Amplifier

Introduction

The Devialet Expert 220 Pro is an integrated amplifier that does not immediately look like one. The chassis is carved from a single block of aluminium and finished in dark chrome, and it sits noticeably narrower than a standard audio component at only about 1.5 inches tall. A small round window on the top surface near the front edge is the only hint that this is a piece of audio equipment at all.

Devialet is an acoustical engineering company headquartered in Paris, France, and has been designing high-performance audio gear since 2007, blending advanced technology with a design-led approach. The brand is best known for its distinctive Phantom loudspeakers, but the Expert 220 Pro shows a different side of the same philosophy: serious amplification packaged in something an interior designer would not object to.

Under the surface, the Expert 220 Pro is an integrated amplifier delivering 220 watts per channel, with streaming built in through Roon, AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect. Its digital-to-analogue conversion handles 24-bit/192 kHz files and DSD 64. A pair of speakers is all you need to add for most music systems.

Who this product is for

This amplifier makes the most sense for listeners who want one carefully designed box to cover several jobs at once: power amplification, preamplification, digital-to-analogue conversion, streaming and a phono stage. Instead of stacking separates and the cable clutter that comes with them, the Expert 220 Pro consolidates the chain into a single low-profile chassis.

It also suits people who care about how their system looks in a living space. The unit can sit on a table or be mounted to a wall, which is unusual for a component in this class and useful in rooms where floor space is tight. Vinyl listeners with a varied record collection are another natural fit, because the phono stage offers a level of adjustability that most integrated amplifiers do not attempt.

Design and build quality

The build quality of the entire unit is about as good as it gets. The chassis is beautifully finished, and every connection on the rear panel is of very high quality. Devialet also solved a problem most amplifier designers ignore: the rear panel has two wings on the sides that protrude back almost 3 inches, and once all connections are made, an aluminium cover attaches to those wings and hides the cables completely. That tidy solution matters even more if the amplifier is wall mounted.

The supplied remote control is unlike anything in the category. It is a heavy square block of aluminium with a large round knob in the centre surrounded by a handful of buttons, and turning a solid volume control instead of pressing a plastic button genuinely improves the experience of adjusting levels. Using the configurator, the small buttons can be assigned to a wide range of different functions.

Main strengths

Devialet states that the Expert series carries 160 patented technologies, and the 220 Pro is built around several of them. The core is the ADH, or Analog Digital Hybrid, circuit, which pairs Class A amplifier performance with the efficiency of Class D. The result is the ease and authority of a very powerful amplifier from a box only about 1.5 inches tall.

Speaker Active Matching, or SAM, is a Devialet-specific feature that can be switched on. Devialet used laser analysis to measure how a speaker’s drivers react and electrical analysis of its crossovers, with the goal of recreating a more phase-accurate signal. The same measurements reveal where a speaker will overload. Devialet has performed this work on more than 900 of the world’s most popular speakers, so there is a good chance a SAM profile exists for yours.

Record Active Matching, or RAM, covers vinyl. There are 13 RIAA curves to choose from, along with multiple gain and loading settings for both moving coil and moving magnet cartridges. Many popular cartridges are already listed in the configurator, so selecting yours is a matter of picking it from a list.

Flexibility extends to the connections themselves. A left and right audio input can be configured as a normal line level input or as a highly flexible phono input. Four RCA jacks can be set up as four coax digital inputs, or as a stereo line input plus two coax digital inputs, and one of them can be assigned as an analogue subwoofer output while another becomes a digital output. There is also a Toslink digital input, an AES/EBU digital input and a USB digital input for computer audio. On the other side of a very solid speaker binding post are two mini jacks that can be configured as an additional Toslink input or RS232 control, plus a button that can act as a trigger input or output.

The phono input can be set for moving coil or moving magnet with fully adjustable loading, and the subwoofer output allows crossover tailoring for both the sub and the main speakers, with a wide range of slopes and settings. Devialet’s DAC Magic Wire places the digital-to-analogue converter right at the power amplifier, keeping the signal path to only 5 cm, which the company claims is better than splitting those stages into separate components.

Day-to-day control is generous. Balance, treble, bass, stereo, mono, phase and a subsonic filter can all be adjusted from the remote, and the configurator lets you preset where the tone controls begin to act. An intelligent cinema mode monitors the incoming signal to even out loud and soft passages and can be switched on or off remotely. SAM can also be toggled and dialled from 100 percent down to zero effect from the remote. If you later move to larger speakers that need more than 220 watts per channel, the amplifier can be configured for mono operation and paired with a second unit.

Configurator, connectivity, and streaming

The Expert 220 Pro is fully integrated with Roon, and it also supports AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect. Streaming performance is one of the amplifier’s strongest arguments, and the digital side is handled with the same care as the analogue stages.

The configuration system deserves a clear explanation, because it is where the amplifier’s flexibility meets its one real inconvenience. Initial programming is done on a computer, and everything is loaded onto an SD card that you insert into the back of the unit. Many people will need a USB to SD adapter to do this, but it is a one-time task. When you want to see what you are doing, you need to be standing in front of the unit and looking into the small lighted circle on the top surface.

Devialet has explained that the settings cannot currently be changed from the companion app because the two run on different operating systems that are not compatible. The company has indicated that an app update is planned, which would be welcome news for anyone who likes to fine-tune settings regularly or who owns a large collection of records that call for different RIAA curves.

Sound quality in practice

Summed up in three words, the Expert 220 Pro sounds fast, tight and very detailed. Through hours of listening across streaming and vinyl, it never skipped a beat, including on a network with spotty Wi-Fi reception where other streamers had dropped out in the past.

The phono stage is very quiet and completely hum-free, even with the volume turned up and nothing playing. That is notable with an unshielded cartridge, a setup that has produced audible hum in many phono preamps. There is some hiss in the phono stage as the volume rises, which is normal behaviour. SAM made a clear difference with matched speakers: with the effect turned fully on, imaging improved and bass became tighter and deeper.

The variable tone controls could be genuinely useful in difficult rooms. If a room has a bass peak and you know where it sits, you can dial in the exact frequency and reduce it with the bass control. Across reference tracks spanning classic rock, jazz and classical, the amplifier never sounded strained, and dynamics arrived with the ease you would expect from a very powerful amplifier rather than a box barely an inch and a half tall. Imaging was pinpoint accurate, with a large soundstage that extended beyond the speakers and instruments placed precisely in space.

Vinyl playback is handled well, but it is worth understanding the approach. To enable the full set of Devialet features, analogue signals are converted back to digital, which will not appeal to the hardcore vinyl purist. Trying alternative RIAA curves on very old jazz albums produced pleasing results, and the ability to change those curves on the fly is genuinely convenient for collectors. Overall the amplifier leans analytical rather than warm, and for many listeners that will translate into a sense of clarity they have not experienced before.

Things to consider before buying

The first thing to plan for is setup. Configuration is a computer-based process, and the resulting file has to be transferred to an SD card and inserted into the rear of the unit. You may need to buy a USB to SD adapter if you do not already own one. It is a single session rather than an ongoing chore, but it is not the plug-and-play experience many buyers expect at this level.

The second consideration is the display and app situation. Reading settings requires standing in front of the amplifier and peering into the small lighted circle on top, and the deeper configuration options are not available in the app today. Devialet has said an app update is coming, but that is a future improvement rather than a current feature.

Third, the sonic character is worth weighing against your preferences. This is an analytical presentation rather than a warm one, and the digitisation of analogue signals will not suit every vinyl enthusiast. Finally, the price sits at a level where separate components are a real alternative, so it is worth comparing carefully before committing.

Buying advice

This is not an inexpensive amplifier, and it is not meant to be. The useful way to judge it is against the alternatives at the same level. Building something comparable from separates means a power amplifier with this much output, a preamplifier with this many features, a phono stage with this much flexibility and a streamer of similar quality. Assembled individually, those pieces tend to add up to more than the Expert 220 Pro costs.

If your priority is maximum adjustability, streaming quality and a design that belongs in a living room rather than a rack, the Expert 220 Pro is a strong candidate. If you prefer a warm, forgiving sound, or you want every setting available from a phone app on day one, it is worth auditioning first and considering whether the setup routine and analytical character match how you actually listen.

Conclusion

The Devialet Expert 220 Pro does a great deal inside a small and beautiful box. Its 220 watts per channel, Roon-ready streaming, configurable inputs, adaptable phono stage and SAM speaker matching add up to a genuinely flexible centrepiece for a modern system, and the cable-hiding rear panel and aluminium remote reinforce the sense that the details were considered. The trade-offs are real but specific: computer-based configuration, a small on-unit display, an app that is still catching up, and a sound that leans towards analysis rather than warmth. Buyers who value clarity, control and design will find a lot to like.