First impressions

[cthroughblue]

Have mine on a cabinet the and on still points

[davidadamson]

Yes Spark still buggy, sometimes stopping in mid track or not moving on to next track - usually requiring a complete re boot - it is beyond my understanding how they could ruin a fine product with this bad software, I have had both Linn DS and Naim streamers and never have encountered anything like this before.
Step up to the plate Devialet and get it fixed.

[EvPa]

Mine arrived today from Colette (shipped via UPS), very impressed up to now.

I wasn't expecting this in Spark though:



Here's a quick shot of their temporary placement:

(the "stands" are ADAM Audio ARTist 6s)

[Phs]

I think one of the most impressive elements of the Phantom is the way it handles music at low volumes. True the headline  grabbing feature of 16Hz at 105db is impressive (although I've not verified that for myself), but I think the detail at low volume is more impressive. Why do I say that? Well who really listens to music at max level? For most people living in flats or houses in the city, unless you are having an almighty party, those sort of listening levels is not going to happen. So that brings me onto low level listening.

It is so satisfying to listen at low levels, but yet still get all the imaging and detail. It is very relaxing and the proper way to enjoy music. I can sit in my study and have the system playing at 15 and yet hear everything so clearly and with a decent bass presence. It is both exhilarating and liberating. It makes such a change not having to crank everything up. In short....fatigue free listening pleasure.

Well done Devialet, but please sort out SPARK. I had to turn my Phantoms off twice before everything behaved as it should. Spark is the only let down, apart from that I'm happy    

I totally agree to this! Even if I live rural with the closest neighbour 100 m away I enjoy the Phantoms at low volume. Not that they would sound worse at high volume, but my ears get nummed at high volume and therefore nuances become less structured. So for most music I also prefer low volume at 8-15 out of 100. Howeve, dynamic recordings like big classic orchestras, e.g. Carmina Burana sounds better at 45 to 55. When I  listen to the phantoms I question myself if the loudness curves of the human ear have been determined with normal dynamic speakers and would look more linear when made with Phantoms.

@streamy I agree with your impression about low volume listening. To me when played low, the Phantom still produces low bass with no particular reduction like other speakers normally do. It feels like Devialet is compensating the Fletcher curve depending on volume. 

[stonedragon]

I think one of the most impressive elements of the Phantom is the way it handles music at low volumes. True the headline  grabbing feature of 16Hz at 105db is impressive (although I've not verified that for myself), but I think the detail at low volume is more impressive. Why do I say that? Well who really listens to music at max level? For most people living in flats or houses in the city, unless you are having an almighty party, those sort of listening levels is not going to happen. So that brings me onto low level listening.

It is so satisfying to listen at low levels, but yet still get all the imaging and detail. It is very relaxing and the proper way to enjoy music. I can sit in my study and have the system playing at 15 and yet hear everything so clearly and with a decent bass presence. It is both exhilarating and liberating. It makes such a change not having to crank everything up. In short....fatigue free listening pleasure.

Well done Devialet, but please sort out SPARK. I had to turn my Phantoms off twice before everything behaved as it should. Spark is the only let down, apart from that I'm happy    

I totally agree to this! Even if I live rural with the closest neighbour 100 m away I enjoy the Phantoms at low volume. Not that they would sound worse at high volume, but my ears get nummed at high volume and therefore nuances become less structured. So for most music I also prefer low volume at 8-15 out of 100. Howeve, dynamic recordings like big classic orchestras, e.g. Carmina Burana sounds better at 45 to 55. When I  listen to the phantoms I question myself if the loudness curves of the human ear have been determined with normal dynamic speakers and would look more linear when made with Phantoms.

@streamy I agree with your impression about low volume listening. To me when played low, the Phantom still produces low bass with no particular reduction like other speakers normally do. It feels like Devialet is compensating the Fletcher curve depending on volume. 

Doh! What is the Fletcher curve?

[f1eng]

I think one of the most impressive elements of the Phantom is the way it handles music at low volumes. True the headline  grabbing feature of 16Hz at 105db is impressive (although I've not verified that for myself), but I think the detail at low volume is more impressive. Why do I say that? Well who really listens to music at max level? For most people living in flats or houses in the city, unless you are having an almighty party, those sort of listening levels is not going to happen. So that brings me onto low level listening.

It is so satisfying to listen at low levels, but yet still get all the imaging and detail. It is very relaxing and the proper way to enjoy music. I can sit in my study and have the system playing at 15 and yet hear everything so clearly and with a decent bass presence. It is both exhilarating and liberating. It makes such a change not having to crank everything up. In short....fatigue free listening pleasure.

Well done Devialet, but please sort out SPARK. I had to turn my Phantoms off twice before everything behaved as it should. Spark is the only let down, apart from that I'm happy    

I totally agree to this! Even if I live rural with the closest neighbour 100 m away I enjoy the Phantoms at low volume. Not that they would sound worse at high volume, but my ears get nummed at high volume and therefore nuances become less structured. So for most music I also prefer low volume at 8-15 out of 100. Howeve, dynamic recordings like big classic orchestras, e.g. Carmina Burana sounds better at 45 to 55. When I  listen to the phantoms I question myself if the loudness curves of the human ear have been determined with normal dynamic speakers and would look more linear when made with Phantoms.

@streamy I agree with your impression about low volume listening. To me when played low, the Phantom still produces low bass with no particular reduction like other speakers normally do. It feels like Devialet is compensating the Fletcher curve depending on volume. 

Doh! What is the Fletcher curve?

It is Fletcher Munson equal loudness curve. These were curves arrived at by the average of many listener's tests on the apparent sound level at different frequencies to give the impression of equal loudness.
Human hearing is most sensitive at mid frequencies, and very low levels can be detected. To get the impression of equal loudness low and high frequencies need boosting at low levels.
Back in the 60s and 70s it was common for amps to have a loudness button which boosted treble and bass for low volume listening (mostt people I know wanted more bass and left it engaged for all volumes).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal-loudness_contour

Note the threshold of hearing is below 0dB at 2kHz, but one needs around 45dB to just detect 50 Hz.
The threshold of hearing crosses the threshold of pain at around 20kHz, which means for a 20kHz tone to be just audible it needs to be loud enough to hurt...
Risky for both ears and tweeters! 

[stonedragon]

New review

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology-...te-5468431

[stonedragon]

and another review here

http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/133412-d...th-delight

[GuillaumeB]

and another review here

http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/133412-d...th-delight

Both reviews already posted in Devialet Reviews forum! 

Guillaume

[hk6230]

Cool


从我的 iPhone 发送，使用 Tapatalk