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Sorted at last!
#1
Took delivery of two white Phantoms and Dialog last week and have spent days messing about with them. Had trouble with the Dialog's optical input so changed to a Phantom input with my Auralic Aries.
I was totally underwhelmed with the sound, it was weak and dropping out constantly so I bought an Apple AirPort Extreme to set up another network but that caused problems and I couldn't get it to work correctly.
My initial plan was to run the 2 Phantoms wirelessly but after all this carry on I decided to use a Gigabit switch and connect into my existing network via a home plug. I then connected the Dialog, 2 Phantoms and the Auralic to the switch and bingo! Sound is full bodied, dynamic and no drop outs.
I don't know if anyone is getting good results wirelessly but for me the wired solution is the answer. I am a bit disappointed as I wanted the flexibility of wireless, I can only hope that things improve with the next firmware update. In the meantime though, they do sound damn good!
[size=x-small]Phantom Golds, Yamaha WXC 50
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#2
Interesting. I did not expect any difference in sound quality via wifi or hardwired as it was my impression the data being sent between the two methods are the same. I do not have the option to try Ethernet with my setup, but I wonder if anyone else can verify the same.
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#3
(08-Mar-2016, 20:41)kameraguy Wrote: Interesting. I did not expect any difference in sound quality via wifi or hardwired as it was my impression the data being sent between the two methods are the same. I do not have the option to try Ethernet with my setup, but I wonder if anyone else can verify the same.

While you are right in assuming that sound quality should be the same (since the Phantom itself is doing everything when it come to translating that digital signal into sound), in any case Ethernet-based communications will be more reliable/robust than WiFi ones, even more so if you live somewhere with a lot of overlapping WiFi networks (neighbors, local businesses...) or if your house/apartment's constructions makes it susceptible to dropouts.

I am fortunate enough to live somewhere where my WiFi network is the only one around, yet I still connect my two Phantoms via Ethernet; in fact only small portable devices (cellphones, tablets...) are connected via WiFi, everything else (including laptop computers) goes via Ethernet.
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#4
Yes it was night and day, the difference. Running wireless, the music was bass weak, no body to it, and the stereo image almost seemed out of phase sometimes, it may seem strange but it was almost as if the signal to the left and right speakers was swapping over from one to the other mid song. It was a strange effect, glad to say all cured by a stable wired network.
[size=x-small]Phantom Golds, Yamaha WXC 50
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#5
Congrats with your Phantoms! I'm wondering why your setup doesn't connect via PLC like mine. Are they far away from each other? With PLC you have the benefits of both worlds (no additional cables and hard wired through the mains).
2x Phantom I Gold Opera de Paris 2.12.3 on Branch
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#6
(09-Mar-2016, 07:16)frenkb Wrote: Congrats with your Phantoms! I'm wondering why your setup doesn't connect via PLC like mine. Are they far away from each other? With PLC you have the benefits of both worlds (no additional cables and hard wired through the mains).

And don't use any filtering etc by PLC connect.

It's not possible and right that wired by ethernet cables sounds better than connected via PLC!
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#7
(09-Mar-2016, 07:16)frenkb Wrote: Congrats with your Phantoms! I'm wondering why your setup doesn't connect via PLC like mine. Are they far away from each other? With PLC you have the benefits of both worlds (no additional cables and hard wired through the mains).

I am sure PLC would have worked, my gigabit switch goes into a PLC but it was just as easy to connect the Phantoms to the switch via some nice flat Ethernet cable. My house has about 10 home plugs and I find them to be excellent.
[size=x-small]Phantom Golds, Yamaha WXC 50
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#8
(09-Mar-2016, 07:16)frenkb Wrote: Congrats with your Phantoms! I'm wondering why your setup doesn't connect via PLC like mine. Are they far away from each other? With PLC you have the benefits of both worlds (no additional cables and hard wired through the mains).

It's my understanding the phantoms will not connect via PLC if they are on a different AC circuit than Dialog and the Router.
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#9
(09-Mar-2016, 08:17)Johnnydev Wrote:
(09-Mar-2016, 07:16)frenkb Wrote: Congrats with your Phantoms! I'm wondering why your setup doesn't connect via PLC like mine. Are they far away from each other? With PLC you have the benefits of both worlds (no additional cables and hard wired through the mains).

And don't use any filtering etc by PLC connect.

It's not possible and right that wired by ethernet cables sounds better than connected via PLC!

If you consider the "sound quality" as determined by the original file and the bits/bytes, then you are correct, there should be no difference whether it is Ethernet, PLC, or Wi-Fi. Jitter is a non-issue due to the extensive buffering on the Phantom. However, there is a VERY real reason why an "iffy" WiFi connection in particular, and just possibly via PLC too, will result in exactly the symptoms described by the original poster. It is due to the constantly shifting time-sync between two Phantoms. The time-sync algorithms only work if the buffer is kept full at each Phantom. If the quality of the connection via Wi-Fi means that the buffer is marginal and even sometimes empties (which would result in a momentary sound glitch), then it is entirely possible that the effects of phase differential between the stereo pair occurs which would result in exactly the symptoms described (weak bass etc) due to phase cancellation. I am assuming of course that the reason for lack of time-lock between the Phantoms is caused here due to poor Wi-Fi reception and not the fact there is a bug in Devialet's implementation when the Phantoms are using Wi-Fi resulting in a lack of time-lock.
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#10
Just thought it may be useful to follow-up with my testing between wireless and ethernet connectivity to Phantom.

Normally I connect Phantom via wireless 5GHz. This works but I sometimes get odd dropouts in sound and phase.

I decided to buy a PLC setup for my home as it is not prewired for ethernet. I bought this which is conveniently a set of three units: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017X8B...ge_o04_s00

After setting up Phantoms to connect to Dialog via ethernet this way, I took some time to listen to different recordings, switching back and forth between connection types. Note: I wish/hope Devialet may consider updating Spark to allow on-the-fly connection switching between ethernet and wireless in the future. This is a feature request I will be submitting through the app.

I have to say I honestly could not tell a difference. But, this is just my personal observation. Since we all hear differently, I recognize perhaps I lack the ability to discern any differences that exist.

On the plus side, connected via ethernet has proven to be absolutely stable...no more odd dropouts. So that alone is enough reason for me to stay with ethernet.
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