(20-Sep-2025, 21:24)booshtukka Wrote: I went to the Devialet store in Harrods, London today. I told them I specifically wanted to listen and compare Phantom I Golds to the Phantom Ultimate 104s.
They were very keen to show us the Ultimate 98s even though I was clear my Phantom IIs were all Customs so we wouldn’t be replacing those with the current new offering. They still showed them, and I took away that the sound was a bit muddy and lacking clarity.
The Ultimate 104s sounded great. I felt I could hear more air and clarity in The Gunner’s Dream by Pink Floyd than before (my favourite test track). But the bass felt a little boomy and overpowering. I suggested to the Devialet rep that they appeared to be positioned too close to the wall/corner and that could be impacting the bass. They didn’t comment and declined to allow me to move them. I learned the new Tree stands were not the same as the previous generation so if upgrading I’d need to upgrade those too.
Then I asked to compare with the Phantom I Golds. The one they had set up was the matt black on a tripod. It was further away from the corner/wall, but also significantly lower. I sat on the floor to hear it. The bass did sound better due to positioning, but everything else sounded weaker. It was then I realised there was only one Phantom I vs a pair of Ultimates.
In terms of comparison this was a bit unfair. So I compared them in mono and the difference was more subtle. And when I enquired about purchasing, I was told there would be a “10% off” weekend coming which I could use in conjunction with the 15% upgrade opportunity. But they weren’t in stock, wouldn’t be expected until October 20th, and they couldn’t take pre-orders.
Overall they sound great, but I couldn’t get a fair comparison. And Devialet’s tactic of pushing me towards what I could buy right now for their commission instead of what I wanted, and making it hard to have a true comparison, didn’t feel like the luxury authentic experience I was hoping for.
Keen to hear others’ thought.
Thanks for your extensive comment.
I would never mention the bass of the Phantoms, in a negative context.
The part when you say “everything else felt weaker” reminds me of when I listened to a Pair of Phantoms 1, and image of the mid, and highs, felt smaller than it should have been, when listening to Marilyn Manson’s Mechanical Animals album.
But, yeah, mono comparison, is not fair.
Good luck with your stereo comparison. Maybe find a dealer?
Thanks, again.
