Phantom vs XXX

[ragwo]

You won't regret getting a couple of Phantoms

[Mr_Bill]

Ragwo, did you have a conventional high end system before your Phantims?

[Nl88]

For the same price, I am able to get a pair of B&W 805D3 and Denon Heos Amp. Would u say that the Phantom still beats this setup easily in terms of sound quality ? I keep mentioning the Heos Amp because I was sales talked into the ease of use and also it was powering a set of focal sopra 1 that impressed me.

[dogbait]

As most of you here are fans of the phantom, I should've already predicted the answer. But for the benefit of doubt, how many of you if given a chance, would rather go the traditional route?

Went from a pair of KEF Reference 4.2 speakers (50kg, 4' tall beasts) powered by Bryston 7B-ST monoblocks (1000W into each speaker) to a pure Devialet Expert system and now to Silver Phantoms.

The KEF Reference 4.2 setup (which cost approx £20k in todays money) wins, but it was absolutely huge and consumed a lot of electricity (300W at idle, 600W at load). The Devialet Expert system was comparable to the old setup on low to mid volumes, but at high volumes it would struggle to handle bass heavy music (50-75W power consumption on average). The Phantoms lack the fidelity of either of my previous systems between high and medium frequencies, but this is only noticeable in A/B testing (50-75W as well in case you're curious).

In bass response however the Phantoms approach the old monoblock setup and in convenience and size surpass everything I've seen. No regrets whatsoever. I haven't heard a pair of Golds, which by all accounts resolve the high frequency-midrange response of the Silvers.

[intouch1]

phantoms are midfi at best. a nice little solution for plug n play music. nowhere near high end sound.

I am a true high end aficionado with many current different setups. Wilson maxx3 powered by halcro dm 58 and naim hadx front end. focal stella utopia powered by audio research ref 210 and ref 5 pramp and ref 8 cd player. Wilson sasha powered by pass labs x160 and astell & kern.....plus various other setups.

based on that I think that I have a base for comparison.

I got the 4 silver phantoms to use on my boat as a means of having better sound than the standard gear that gets installed by princess yachts. mainly bose lifestyle which is utter crap.

[JohnnySix]

I believe the perceptions of the Phantoms are magnified by the psychological disconnect between their visual size and the size of their sound.
I only have a modest D120 + $1K speaker system (inc. ribbon tweeters). Every now and then, I read a rave about the Phantoms, and I think I'd better give my 2 Whites a chance again (on heavy Partington Dreadnought stands, 1metre from the walls, same position as my floorstanders).

Initially, I always think they are astounding... they produce a dynamic & dramatic sound waaayy beyond their size, and I wonder why I bother with all the clutter.

After a couple of days though, I realise that music is too 'cool', the bass dry, and vocals are less realistic/emotive than via my ribboned speakers (only vocals though - instrumental colour is still pretty damn good). Eventually, I even ended up preferring my KEF LS50's as well, even though they are a little boxier than Phantoms.

If you ask me, the Phantom's true forte is with A/V, as the LFE effects are the only thing that truly lets them stretch their legs. And I really do mean - the rumbles they made during a couple of movies frightened me in a way my REL T2 subwoofer never did!

[dmitrek]

I had two mono-amps standing on the floor, and receiver on top of it, bunch of cables, each size of a baby arm, and a really huge speakers. It was a mess. Now it's two Silvers and a nice table for them. I love how my room has changed.

[Mr_Bill]

phantoms are midfi at best. a nice little solution for plug n play music. nowhere near high end sound.

I am a true high end aficionado with many current different setups. Wilson maxx3 powered by halcro dm 58 and naim hadx front end. focal stella utopia powered by audio research ref 210 and ref 5 pramp and ref 8 cd player. Wilson sasha powered by pass labs x160 and astell & kern.....plus various other setups.

based on that I think that I have a base for comparison.

I got the 4 silver phantoms to use on my boat as a means of having better sound than the standard gear that gets installed by princess yachts. mainly bose lifestyle which is utter crap.

Wow - nice systems! You do have a good basis for comparison and thank you for your comments,

[Dre]

The phantoms are excellent given their form factor but are a far cry from my eggleston andra 3 & krell monobocks. I would agree that they are very decent mid fi although the golds are definitely a step in the right direction of bridging the gap.

[Olivier4444]

I was looking for :
- a Plug and Play system
- wireless and modern looking speakers
- very good quality sound (even if not as close as a true HIFI)

Devialet did it with the Phantoms.

NB: I loss too much time changing/optimizing set ups with my past traditional systems (Naim and Devialet Expert)... now I spend more time listening to music