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Best way to spend $10K: D200 or 5 Phantoms??
#1
Hi Everyone,

I've been lurking on the DevialetChat forums for some time, as I've been on the fence about upgrading my current system.  I have scheduled a 1 week in home demo with one of my nearby dealers with a D200.  Currently this dealer does not have any Phantom's that I can demo.

In your opinons, what is the best usage of my funds?  A Devialet D200, or 5 Phantoms?  (I believe these are close to the same amount)

My speakers are used for roughly 70% music, 30% movies.  Some background on my current gear:

Speakers:  Anthony Gallo Reference 3.5 (Front Left and Right), plus Gallo Reference AV (Center) and Gallo Adiva's (Surround)
PrePro: Integra DHC 9.9
Amp:  D-Sonic Magnum 7 Channel (1000 watt Class-D per channel)
Amp:  Anthony Gallo Reference Subwoofer Amplifier (used for 2nd speaker inputs for low end)
DAC / Music Source:  Logitech Transporter

I know my speakers and gear pale in comparison to some of the high end equipment on here.  However, I wanted something with more refinement that could help me get the maximal "musical" performance out of my Reference 3.5's, while also reducing and potentially getting rid of all of the above gear.  

One of my concerns with the Phantom is the Dialog.  The Dialog does not have a hdmi input.  To me this means it would not be able to play a Dolby/DTS lossless track from a bluray.  This wouldn't be a problem with the D200 as I could simply connect it to a receiver when watching movies, and the receiver could decode the Dolby/DTS lossless tracks.  For music i would connect my music sources directly to the D200.


I live in an urban apartment, so can not upgrade to any massive speakers.  Looks wise, I like the look of my current speakers and the Phantoms, just worry if the Phantoms will match with my current decor.  

Ultimately it is all about the sound though, and your input would be greatly appreciated.
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#2
Have Gallo ref 3.5 too, with Auralic Aries, Nuprime dac-10h, and nuforce ref9v3 se. Im interested in Phantoms too,,but i want to hear them first.
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#3
Hi,

My own thoughts are that the Phantoms (I have two) do not have the refinement that a D200 will bring, but if you are not a tremendously fussy listener, they will do fine for informal/semiformal/parties almost all the time. I consider them very satisfying to listen to, even though I feel they lack the resolution and air of my older setup (Focal beryllium bookshelves and a krell integrated). Imaging is also not as pinpoint, but the soundstage does go wide and deep. I would not call the Phantoms refined.

If you're in an urban apartment, the Phantoms are likely to be a problem. The bass is lovely but my upstairs neighbour came to complain after only about 5-10 mins of me playing a test track with the volume set at 55 out of 100. I feel like I've got a porsche, but can't drive it faster than 60kph.

My plan is to test the Phantoms in a home theatre setup soon using the optical. I really don't care about lossless tracks for movies anymore. It's not like I've got sharp enough hearing to pick out the difference anyway, and the phantoms are a much prettier package than buying an AV receiver and running umpteen cables all over the room. They're also better than buying a subwoofer.
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#4
Thanks for the input. I think once I try the D200 for a week, I'll wait until my dealer has the Phantom's in stock, and will do a week trial with them as well before making my decision.

I've been dreaming about owning the D200 amp for quite some time, but the phantom seems to simplify the whole setup so I can focus on enjoying my system and stop all the tinkering.
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#5
Please write your feedback here.
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#6
(27-Apr-2015, 17:25)joranopi Wrote: Thanks for the input.  I think once I try the D200 for a week, I'll wait until my dealer has the Phantom's in stock, and will do a week trial with them as well before making my decision.  

I've been dreaming about owning the D200 amp for quite some time, but the phantom seems to simplify the whole setup so I can focus on enjoying my system and stop all the tinkering.

That's why I went with them in the end. Sick to the back teeth with a million cables, boxes, amplifiers etc. The Phantoms will reach 90% or more (read the reviews) of systems in that price range and even more expensive rigs. Simple life anytime - get back to listening to the music.
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#7
One thing that is definitely in the Phantom's favor is that they are SAM capable. I've voted for my speakers, but they currently only have around 16 votes. Realistically they will probably never qualify for the 100 votes to get the SAM upgrade. Does SAM really make that much of a difference??
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