Phantom white vs silver + general impressions

[AaronG]

@Novak My guess is that with a very clean and very wide range speaker like the Phantom stereo or more makes all the difference. Symphonies for example will probably sound like they are in a totally different world in stereo. I'm an ex-Harbeth owner and a big fan so not prejudiced them in any way.

[Mr_Bill]

I tried both mono and stereo Harbeths. Of course, one Harbeth doesn't have some much of an edge but they still have a better frequency balance in my room. Saying that, one or even two Harbeths wouldn't achieve the scale into the garden like the Phantom would!

I don't think anyone in their right mind would expect one phantom to sound better than a pair of respected audiophile speakers.

[AaronG]

I tried both mono and stereo Harbeths. Of course, one Harbeth doesn't have some much of an edge but they still have a better frequency balance in my room. Saying that, one or even two Harbeths wouldn't achieve the scale into the garden like the Phantom would!

I don't think anyone in their right mind would expect one phantom to sound better than a pair of respected audiophile speakers.

I'm not sure why. It will certainly beat the smaller Harbeth on bass and probably on imaging (given my experience with Harbeths). It will depend on what you are looking for. I doubt it will have the Harbeth midrange.

[devialetstore]

Hi Novak, we tested the Silver's side by side with the non Silvers. From the first impression -as the same with all other listeners- the Silvers are by far the winners. However, if you take a moment to listen through the approx -6dB higher efficiency of the non Silvers and their less explosiv sound you suddenly notice a more harmonic sound, more relaxed, less edgy, with more conservative bass (which is in comparison with other speakers even top). It is more that people tend to choose the product with more energy more sound...even with this story we only sold Silvers zo far, which is actually a litte bit sad, because I think that the non Silvers derserves more attention...


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[Novak]

'By far the winners'...
Sounds like sales talk to me!

[Mr_Bill]

Hi Novak, we tested the Silver's side by side with the non Silvers. From the first impression -as the same with all other listeners- the Silvers are by far the winners. However, if you take a moment to listen through the approx -6dB higher efficiency of the non Silvers and their less explosiv sound you suddenly notice a more harmonic sound, more relaxed, less edgy, with more conservative bass (which is in comparison with other speakers even top). It is more that people tend to choose the product with more energy more sound...even with this story we only sold Silvers zo far, which is actually a litte bit sad, because I think that the non Silvers derserves more attention...


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So.....your opinion is the white is the better of the two - better than the silver? (Aside from the bass). Better balanced?

[MountainGuy]

The white Phantom arrived yesterday. First impressions are good.

However, I'm not so keen on the Spark app at all, it's tricky to use and took a while to get set up.

I'm currently using the temp bluetooth dongle they supplied, until (so I'm told) the new firmware is released at the end of the month. This will activate the (now integrated) bluetooth capability. This is much better, so I can use iTunes and Spotify as normal.

How does it sound? It's certainly thunderous! At a decent volume (Around 45-50 I'd say), it sounds well balanced and certainly very impressive. When playing out to the garden, listening from a distance it sounds absolutely superb, I was listening to Grey Reverend and it almost realistic. However, when listening at a low-ish volume, and close up, it doesn't have the magic of a normal 2 channel system, it sounds quite dark, needs a bit more air and presence. Saying that, as a convenient second system to play in almost any position or location, it's a winner. I can imagine two would be fantastic, but that would work with our layout.

I quickly tried it against my main (and fairly modest) system – Harbeth P3ESR, Chord Hugo and Jadis valve integrated. The Phantom doesn't compare in terms of producing lush, natural music with detail, air, soundstage, but it certainly rocks as a great all rounder, convenient, and versatile sound system. Great product, and nicely made too.

Novak, I was seriously considering the Phantom (convenience, size, portability, bass extension etc) but ultimately decided agasint it due to the reputation that the mids could not match up to the rest of the frequency range. Howeer, am reconsidering - just wish I could audition a pair.   

However, a couple of quick comments on your experience: 

1. I wish you did have a pair of Phantom to compare with your Harbeth.  Harbeths have a great reputation for wonderful mids.  However, having only Mono phantom is a huge hit.  I believe that stereo makes a very very significant difference in the perception of sound quality. As to testing the Harbeth vs Phantom, perhaps you could move the Harbeths so that both speakers are touching, and then you listen from 10 feet or further away.  At that point, perhaps it would be more like a mono source, and then recompare the mids and air. 

2. When you listened to the PHantom at low volumes, was it in the same room and setup as your Harbeth or was it outside?  I really do want the Phantoms to meet my needs....but that reputation for not having excellent mids is a damper as the midrage is the most important range for music. 

3. Ok, one more.  Does the Phantom sound clinical/cool at all? I know the Harbeths supposedly have a warm sound. 

MtnGuy

[Novak]

No, haven't tried that type of comparison, and to be honest, the Phantom wasn't bought to replace the Harbeths... I couldn't see myself ever replacing the Harbeths with a Phantom. It's just a versatile second system for me, as I don't plan to buy two. The comparisons were made just out of curiosity. Yes, shame I can't hear two Phantoms, as I agree it's not really a fair comparison.

Yes, I have tried the Phantom in several places and it does has a darker sound at lower volumes, mostly because of the deep bass always being present. To many this will be an advantage. I find with a bit more volume, that sound evens out and it sounds fantastic – so much detail, texture, speed, and with none of the niggles you get with many speakers. I'd say the closest speakers, from memory, I have heard to the Phantom, would be something like the Kef LS50. I say this because I remember them having a large, authoritative sound, stacks of detail and little colouration, but not in your face presence or a 'warts and all' presentation. Just a smooth, heavyweight, well articulated sound overall.

[devialetstore]

It's (as always) a matter of taste. So, in my opinion, the silver isn't better or the white version...check for yourself and make your best decision. For me, it depends on my mood and or sort of music. Playing Hans Zimmer through the Silvers have definitely more impact....however, playing songs with acoustic instruments, then the white version gives you more music.....


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[Novak]

Well, after another couple of days the Phantom is sounding great. The bass has been a touch too strong, but I discovered (well, I had forgotten about it since reading it recently) the bass reduction feature, mainly aimed for late night listening. In most scenarios this just balances everything out in my room and the mids and highs are very articulate. Really pleased!