First impressions

[fcs]

My Phantom and Dialog arrived a couple of days ago but I just set it up today.

First the power cable is ugly. Bright yellow. You never see it on videos!

Set-up was easy thoughm with Dialog. You're guided with a soft music coming from the Phantom.

To control it I'm using an iPhone, an Android device or two computers.
The smartphone app is limited and buggy. It lost my playlist several times after I closed it. It seems very slow and it takes a few seconds to navigate through menus. Not very intuitive either. But it does the job.
I couldn't install Spark on windows 7. I'm getting an OpenGL error when I try to launch the app even though all my graphic drivers are up to date.
I was more successful on windows 8.1 but I'm not able to log in my Devialet account (nor create another one) and couldn't play any music. Hum.

Then the sound. I couldn't test the Phantom above the 35 volume mark (does it go to 100?). The sound seems ok but not phenomenal. The bass speaker is only moving a little. Does anyone know if it should be more dynamic?
There is no way to set up the equalizer to boost bass in Spark so I'll have to wait until my neighboors leave for the week-end to try at higher volume.

A little bit disappointed so far.

[stonedragon]

My Phantom and Dialog arrived a couple of days ago but I just set it up today.

First the power cable is ugly. Bright yellow. You never see it on videos!

Set-up was easy thoughm with Dialog. You're guided with a soft music coming from the Phantom.

To control it I'm using an iPhone, an Android device or two computers.
The smartphone app is limited and buggy. It lost my playlist several times after I closed it. It seems very slow and it takes a few seconds to navigate through menus. Not very intuitive either. But it does the job.
I couldn't install Spark on windows 7. I'm getting an OpenGL error when I try to launch the app even though all my graphic drivers are up to date.
I was more successful on windows 8.1 but I'm not able to log in my Devialet account (nor create another one) and couldn't play any music. Hum.

Then the sound. I couldn't test the Phantom above the 35 volume mark (does it go to 100?). The sound seems ok but not phenomenal. The bass speaker is only moving a little. Does anyone know if it should be more dynamic?
There is no way to set up the equalizer to boost bass in Spark so I'll have to wait until my neighboors leave for the week-end to try at higher volume.

A little bit disappointed so far.

What is the source for the Phantoms?

I'm using a Meridian Sooloos Core 15 and also Rhapsody. Love it.

I tried using my phone and that was an awful experience.

[fcs]

I'm using a Meridian Sooloos Core 15 and also Rhapsody. Love it.

I tried using my phone and that was an awful experience.

For now sources are limited to Deezer and Qobuz in addition to local drives.

I managed to fix the windows 7 issue by manually copying a dll ibrary in the Spark folder but I'm not able to play any music so far from a computer...

[stonedragon]

I'm using a Meridian Sooloos Core 15 and also Rhapsody. Love it.

I tried using my phone and that was an awful experience.

For now sources are limited to Deezer and Qobuz in addition to local drives.

I managed to fix the windows 7 issue by manually copying a dll ibrary in the Spark folder but I'm not able to play any music so far from a computer...

I forgot to answer your question about volume. Yes is 100. I've only managed 65 without wondering whether the speaker was going to blow up (try the 1812 on these and those sides flap in out in a manic way) or my neighbours complaining.  Depending on the material and time of day, I find anything from 5-40 more than adequate.

Disappointing? Not for me. I don't know what you were coming from, but my rig consisting of B&W 802 Diamonds, power amps etc is not in any material way better than the Phantoms as far as I can tell. Yes the treble is better on the 802's but for the most part I would say they are on par. For this reason and for the sheer simplicity of listening to music, the old kit has to go and I have already sold some on eBay. Hopefully with software updates and the like, things will only get better. But I must admit, I'm no audiophile who can tell the difference when music is playing on one rack from another, but there is something tangibly different listening to music through the Phantoms and I can't put my finger on it. The biggest let down is the buggy software, but I've just bought an ipad mini and the Spark software seems to behave much better on that, than on my Android phone.

[Mikeeo]

Had a demo in  Paris at their home office!

The silver version with 3000 W on tap was mind blowing when it comes to bass quality and depth. They claim 16 Hz flat! The bass is the fastest and tightest I ever heard concerning the low freq it plays. These are mechanical wonders when you look at the 'cups' or what ever sits on the outside of each bass unit they sometimes look that they will fly away or burst but that never happens, just ++++++ bass reproduction. The rest of the freq area is not super impressive BUT still quite good.
When these can be hooked to the expert line and used with cutting freq, it will be a blast in my Raidho system. 

/Mike

[Confused]

Had a demo in  Paris at their home office!

The silver version with 3000 W on tap was mind blowing when it comes to bass quality and depth. They claim 16 Hz flat! The bass is the fastest and tightest I ever heard concerning the low freq it plays. These are mechanical wonders when you look at the 'cups' or what ever sits on the outside of each bass unit they sometimes look that they will fly away or burst but that never happens, just ++++++ bass reproduction. The rest of the freq area is not super impressive BUT still quite good.
When these can be hooked to the expert line and used with cutting freq, it will be a blast in my Raidho system. 

/Mike

This makes me wonder if @fcs's Phantom is actually working properly?  The "cups" on the Silver Phantom I saw at the Bristol show were certainly busy enough!

[davidadamson]

The side panels vibrate, not as much as in some videos, which is good, however in certain passages they really do pulsate, probably in very dynamic areas

[stonedragon]

The side panels vibrate, not as much as in some videos, which is good, however in certain passages they really do pulsate, probably in very dynamic areas

So true, on some tracks they go manic. I have feared that they were going to explode. Try something like 'thus spoke zarathustra' or 'Fanfare for the common man' or some bass heavy blues like Marcus Miller. See what happens 

[Mikeeo]

They really vibrate intensively, so high on WAF I guess! 

Couldn't resist, so my apologies to all you women, if offended.

/Mike

[stonedragon]

They really vibrate intensively, so high on WAF I guess! 

Couldn't resist, so my apologies to all you women, if offended.

/Mike

LOL