10-Feb-2016, 10:16
(10-Feb-2016, 07:06)kameraguy Wrote: Well, they finally arrived today (wood finish). Just finished setting Branch up and I have to say geeze, that was a tight fit for all the cables. I got one speaker to use all cables...barely. I gave up trying to fit all the cables on the other. It was just too frustrating to get the IEC cord in place with the cables. Good thing only one side can be used for optical.
They definitely look better in person. And as an unexpected surprise, bass response has significantly improved in my room. I guess the prior coupling to my previous stands just wasn't secure enough, which appears to be the reason I had lackluster bass response prior.
So far, really happy with Branch. I hope they can improve cable space for future versions though.
The cable management is a nightmare. Once it is assembled, it is a work of art in terms of neatness. I found, as recommended by another poster, that it is easier to put the Phantom upside down on a soft mat or carpet, and then dock the branch to the Phantom, preferably with a second person helping you with taking up the cable slack as you connect it up. I didn't connect up the Ethernet cables as I will never use it that way, so I just did the power and optical. As for bass response changes, this is more likely due to the different mass of the stand rather than the coupling. The Phantom only locks at the front to the stand. You will notice if you try and lift the rear of the Phantom that it does lift up a bit. So in reality it is quite close to sitting on the stand. But the mass of the stand can have a significant effect on bass response.
