26-Jan-2026, 04:23
Hi all.
Since it has been 10 years owning a set of Devialet Phantom 105dB Silver speakers, and I think I got them early on after their launch, I wanted to record a few thoughts on them, in case it is useful to others.
My goals for this (substantial) purchase (and I did start with just 1 before getting the stereo partner a few months later!) were:
Sure there was a solid marketing push at the time of launch, but when I first heard the speakers at a launch event in Singapore, I was really impressed by them. They particularly sang when in a showroom with muffling curtains behind them. Really great frequency range.
Since purchasing, my speakers have followed me through 2 countries, 1 flight as checked luggage, 5 houses, 1 storage unit during the pandemic, sunlight, cooking oil settling on them, dust, etc. Thankfully never knocked over or collided with. A couple of really loud parties, random volume excursions, but never tested past ~85 volume level. 2 Dialogs came and went (1 replaced, 1 obsolete), and 1 remote (starting to break a bit). In all, transporting these around in their original molded-foam and box packaging has served me well.
Without going too deep, I just enjoy the sound. These sing when at louder volume. I usually have EQ set to Low +3dB and High +0. Lows on movies (rumbling) really hit. Bass hits on music. Mid was a little weaker for some years, I think this may have been addressed along the way by software update. They do need some damping - I use foam sound tiles behind each, but generally I have lived in apartments with bad acoustic shapes, and this helps. Without them you do get some crazy hot spots for bass frequencies - sometimes in the shower! With the baffles and some directed placement, they are great, though I think it could still be improved (maybe soft surfaces like curtains behind), and enough clearance from most surfaces.
Spark software was OK to start but not great. I never graduated to more complex setups like Roon, but I am grateful for the development of the system into the Devialet App. Today, I think I can say that it is basically seamless - optical from TV/PS5, Bluetooth from phone/computer, and Wifi speaker select from phone/computer (usually, Spotify) all work great. I think the software platform reliance could have been a huge disaster (eg. start charging subscription to enable use, or just general neglect), but instead they have evolved into a platform that holds up well today. Still some wrinkles like app startup time, always refreshes to splash page when swiping back to it, as well as having to reconnect Bluetooth remote frequently. But I think stability and other things have improved over time. So I actually think this is one of Devialet's biggest wins.
The speakers themselves being solid state are ... very solid. Apart from the drivers, nothing is "loose" inside, and have never had a problem even when they have basically been turned on and connected to power for about 10 years. I thought this would hold up well, and... it has. Without the test of time, despite whatever testing, you just don't know for sure. Now, 10 years on, I still feel like they are in their prime, even better technologically then when I bought them, and hopefully good for another 10 plus!
I am actually really happy to buy a product that is expensive, but lives up to the expectation, and maybe exceeds it. Because then I feel like I'm getting a good deal - not Devialet - because each year that they live on, I get even more value. Call it SGD $7k over 10 years, I reckon I'm getting a steal for beautiful sound in my life for ~$2/day (and getting lower each day). This is what a good product should offer. I hope it's sufficient for Devialet to thrive in today's market. Being a non-US and private company may help them succeed on getting paid well for a great product without having to rely on permagrowth and shift to recurring revenue through eg. subscriptions. I think it's rare to see, today, and I'm grateful for it.
So in all, I think I can say 10 years, I'm a happy owner (not often tempted by the newer products, but sometimes!) and enjoy my Phantoms every day.
Thanks also to the buddies on this forum - it has been very helpful at times! And great to see others' setups and learn from their experiences too.
Peace out!
Since it has been 10 years owning a set of Devialet Phantom 105dB Silver speakers, and I think I got them early on after their launch, I wanted to record a few thoughts on them, in case it is useful to others.
My goals for this (substantial) purchase (and I did start with just 1 before getting the stereo partner a few months later!) were:
- to have a speaker set that could handle my daily music, TV and gaming, and make them sound GREAT
- to have durability similar to a set of Bose speakers that my father had essentially my whole life (I was 30 at the time, and he probably had them before that)
- to be future proof to some extent, able to handle new technologies as they came online, and not to become obsolete
Sure there was a solid marketing push at the time of launch, but when I first heard the speakers at a launch event in Singapore, I was really impressed by them. They particularly sang when in a showroom with muffling curtains behind them. Really great frequency range.
Since purchasing, my speakers have followed me through 2 countries, 1 flight as checked luggage, 5 houses, 1 storage unit during the pandemic, sunlight, cooking oil settling on them, dust, etc. Thankfully never knocked over or collided with. A couple of really loud parties, random volume excursions, but never tested past ~85 volume level. 2 Dialogs came and went (1 replaced, 1 obsolete), and 1 remote (starting to break a bit). In all, transporting these around in their original molded-foam and box packaging has served me well.
Without going too deep, I just enjoy the sound. These sing when at louder volume. I usually have EQ set to Low +3dB and High +0. Lows on movies (rumbling) really hit. Bass hits on music. Mid was a little weaker for some years, I think this may have been addressed along the way by software update. They do need some damping - I use foam sound tiles behind each, but generally I have lived in apartments with bad acoustic shapes, and this helps. Without them you do get some crazy hot spots for bass frequencies - sometimes in the shower! With the baffles and some directed placement, they are great, though I think it could still be improved (maybe soft surfaces like curtains behind), and enough clearance from most surfaces.
Spark software was OK to start but not great. I never graduated to more complex setups like Roon, but I am grateful for the development of the system into the Devialet App. Today, I think I can say that it is basically seamless - optical from TV/PS5, Bluetooth from phone/computer, and Wifi speaker select from phone/computer (usually, Spotify) all work great. I think the software platform reliance could have been a huge disaster (eg. start charging subscription to enable use, or just general neglect), but instead they have evolved into a platform that holds up well today. Still some wrinkles like app startup time, always refreshes to splash page when swiping back to it, as well as having to reconnect Bluetooth remote frequently. But I think stability and other things have improved over time. So I actually think this is one of Devialet's biggest wins.
The speakers themselves being solid state are ... very solid. Apart from the drivers, nothing is "loose" inside, and have never had a problem even when they have basically been turned on and connected to power for about 10 years. I thought this would hold up well, and... it has. Without the test of time, despite whatever testing, you just don't know for sure. Now, 10 years on, I still feel like they are in their prime, even better technologically then when I bought them, and hopefully good for another 10 plus!
I am actually really happy to buy a product that is expensive, but lives up to the expectation, and maybe exceeds it. Because then I feel like I'm getting a good deal - not Devialet - because each year that they live on, I get even more value. Call it SGD $7k over 10 years, I reckon I'm getting a steal for beautiful sound in my life for ~$2/day (and getting lower each day). This is what a good product should offer. I hope it's sufficient for Devialet to thrive in today's market. Being a non-US and private company may help them succeed on getting paid well for a great product without having to rely on permagrowth and shift to recurring revenue through eg. subscriptions. I think it's rare to see, today, and I'm grateful for it.
So in all, I think I can say 10 years, I'm a happy owner (not often tempted by the newer products, but sometimes!) and enjoy my Phantoms every day.
Thanks also to the buddies on this forum - it has been very helpful at times! And great to see others' setups and learn from their experiences too.
Peace out!
--
Stereo Devialet Phantom 105dB Silvers since 2015.
Stereo Devialet Phantom 105dB Silvers since 2015.
