Need Advice: Phantom I Classic vs. Gold – Which One Should I Choose?

[elijahross]

Hey everyone,

I am new to the world of high-end audio and have recently been looking into upgrading my sound system. After doing a bit of research, I have narrowed it down to the Devialet Phantom I series, but now I’m stuck between the Classic and the Gold.

My living room is about 20x15 feet, and I am looking for something that will really fill the space with clear, powerful sound. I listen to a mix of music genres—everything from classical to electronic—and occasionally use the system for movies too.

I have read that the Gold has a bit more power and clarity, but I am wondering if it is worth the extra investment. I have been through these resources/articles https://devialetchat.com/Thread-Gold-or-Classic-Phantom ServiceNow Tutorial, however, they are quite informative but I wanted to learn more from community members.

Does anyone have experience with both models? Is the Gold noticeably better, or would the Classic be more than enough for my needs?

Thanks in advance for any advice! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Best Regards

[ragwo]

Hi, and welcome to the forum! Phantom is a great performer, so you're in for a treat.
Are you going to buy one or two Phantoms? Stereo is always way better than mono, so I would choose two Classic/103dB over one Gold/108dB. If you can afford it, buy two 108dB. The tweeter is noticeable better in my opinion.
Whatever you choose, please treat the speakers as big floor standing speakers, they need space around them to breathe.

[supaDean]

Hi. Agee with ragwo. I would add that investing in the proper stands can also make a significant difference in sound. To help you decide between the classics and the current golds, I'd say the return on investment diminishes the more one strives to reach the next best thing. Yes, the tweeter in the gold is better, however it honestly isn't night and day. You'll enjoy wonderful sound with the classics. I'd suggest that a better use of budget would be to get the classics with the proper stands vs the golds without the proper stands. If budget isn't a concern get the golds with the proper stands.

Enjoy the music.

[curban]

I have "all three models" - golds, silvers and the white base model. I'd say that they all perform well, but when comparing the whites with silver you can for sure hear the difference. And, entering the golds into the comparison - I'd say they're better.

I'd also say that you should definitely go for a stereo pair rather than just a single speaker. And for movies, using phantoms and other speakers together is a very bad idea since this will render a slight echo due to the delay of the phantoms.

(One caveat is that my whites and silvers are the older model and therefore have the slight hissing sound at very low volumes - it is only heard when "close to the speaker" and when the volume is very low or off, as in between tracks)