Phantom gold vs silver

[jonstatt]

I must say the comparisons between Gold and Silver models are all over the place.

I saw comments that said the Gold had a clearer and brighter upper range (which is kind of what we hoped) and then there is another comment here that the highs of the Gold are significantly softer!

So I am really not sure what to make of it. I was originally thinking to upgrade from Silver to Gold, but nobody seems to have the perception of dramatically better, just different!

[ogs]

I must say the comparisons between Gold and Silver models are all over the place.

I saw comments that said the Gold had a clearer and brighter upper range (which is kind of what we hoped) and then there is another comment here that the highs of the Gold are significantly softer!

So I am really not sure what to make of it. I was originally thinking to upgrade from Silver to Gold, but nobody seems to have the perception of dramatically better, just different!

Very few Phantom owners seem to be audiophiles. One of the few that compares Phantoms to real audiophile gear is Steve Huff in his review http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2016/08/29...i-is-here/ This is Silvers so we can only hope he gets a pair of Golds and gives us a comparison

I would not expect 'life style' Phantom owners to know how to describe differences well. Soft may actually mean transparent while clear and bright could mean 'hard'. The latter could point to something in the playback chain, not the Gold (Bluetooth?) You have Silvers yourself. Does Steve Huff's description match what you hear?

[Dre]

Just took delivery of my single Gold phantom today. Based on my listening impressions in the first 2-3hrs versus my previous silvers, there's a dramatic improvement in clarity & projection from the mids & highs. The overall tonality is better balanced (full). Bass no longer feels like the main event. It sounds more like a full range floorstanding speaker. There's also more resolution I hear more details in the music & background. Not sure if that's from the upgraded DAC or Drivers (or both). The extra power tightened up the bass somewhat. My gf said music sounds more natural, less tiresome.

I noticed even after the first 2 hours it did open up some. Will share further impressions down the line.

[ZeDuke]

Exactly the same impression here, though I have two Golds.

I can't stop listening to music, and it has benn like this for 3 days...

[Olivier4444]

Same here too ... 2 golds on branch and so impressed that I'm not missing my D200 !

[ogs]

Just took delivery of my single Gold phantom today. Based on my listening impressions in the first 2-3hrs versus my previous silvers, there's a dramatic improvement in clarity & projection from the mids & highs. The overall tonality is better balanced (full). Bass no longer feels like the main event. It sounds more like a full range floorstanding speaker. There's also more resolution I hear more details in the music & background. Not sure if that's from the upgraded DAC or Drivers (or both). The extra power tightened up the bass somewhat. My gf said music sounds more natural, less tiresome.

I noticed even after the first 2 hours it did open up some. Will share further impressions down the line.

Thanks!  This is meaningful! I had a pair of white Phantoms on loan from my dealer this weekend. Very nice sound, but midrange sounded a bit strained. If Golds sound more natural with better detail in mids and treble they are really good. Can't wait to hear a pair!

[Dre]

Just took delivery of my single Gold phantom today. Based on my listening impressions in the first 2-3hrs versus my previous silvers, there's a dramatic improvement in clarity & projection from the mids & highs. The overall tonality is better balanced (full). Bass no longer feels like the main event. It sounds more like a full range floorstanding speaker. There's also more resolution I hear more details in the music & background. Not sure if that's from the upgraded DAC or Drivers (or both). The extra power tightened up the bass somewhat. My gf said music sounds more natural, less tiresome.

I noticed even after the first 2 hours it did open up some. Will share further impressions down the line.

Thanks!  This is meaningful! I had a pair of white Phantoms on loan from my dealer this weekend. Very nice sound, but midrange sounded a bit strained. If Golds sound more natural with better detail in mids and treble they are really good. Can't wait to hear a pair!

I felt the same way with my silver. The mids/tweeters didn't match up to their prodigious bass and sounded rather edgy & artificial. In a way they sounded like super boomboxes. The golds have addressed this it's a good leap forward. 

I am (finally) tempted to sell my egglestons and settle for a gold pair. I would not have considered this before.

[MountainGuy]

Dre, what you wrote is EXACTLY what I hoped the gold would provide.

Thanks!

[Olivier4444]

According to my Devialet reseller Golds and Silvers have really a different sound.
Silvers have more impressive bass and are most recommended for bars and parties ; bass are always present.
Golds were made for customers who wanted a more HIFI sound... better highs and mediums and a little less bass ... yet still incredibly powerful !

[GuillaumeB]

According to my Devialet reseller Golds and Silvers have really a different sound.
Silvers have more impressive bass and are most recommended for bars and parties ; bass are always present.
Golds were made for customers who wanted a more HIFI sound... better highs and mediums and a little less bass ... yet still incredibly powerful !

This is from Devialet themselves:

"To sum-up you can consider the Gold Phantom as an Audiophile Phantom, it is much more refined (thanks to new technologies and new tweeter). So this is the one for classical music."

Guillaume