State of Phantom, December 2015 (new owner questions)

[ragwo]

Hi All,

I am new here on the forums and am looking to purchase a pair of Phantom Silvers with Dialog and Remote.

I've tried to read as much about known issues and found the posts on these forums invaluable.

If I may, I would like to ask opinions of owners who've had their Phantoms for a good amount of time if the following issues i've read about are serious. As i've read about these issues as far back as January 2015 and it is end of year now, hopefully some or all of these issues have been addressed with either new hardware revisions or firmware updates:

- Are the reports of Dialog running "hot" a serious "problem", or normal operating temperature? I've read some posts indicating this is a serious issue, while others have mentioned a FW update seems to have reduced the operating temps. I just am not sure what is the official Devialet stance on this.
The Dialog runs hot but as long as you don't covet it up it will be OK. 

- Reports of hiss at low volumes seems to have been corrected or significant;y reduced with the last FW updates. Is this a problem everyone has to suggest FW is the issue, or if it is only some users having this issue, perhaps it's a manufacturing issue?
It seems like it's a combination of FW and manufacturing. Those with a hissing problem, including me, have gotten the problem reduced with FW. 

- Have Devialet introduced running changes to the Phantom to improve it's performance/reliability? How can I tell if the Phantoms I will purchase will be from an early MFG date or later...by serial#?
As far as I know the only change was in June when introducing Phantom with on board BT connectivity. I believe the first two digits after H in the serial number is the production week. 

- I read that FW updates can significantly alter the sound quality. Is this something that can be reverted if you prefer the sound prior to an update?
At the moment there's no way to revert a FW update after installation. 

- I keep reading how unstable Spark has been since introduction until now. Is Spark still unstable to the point of rendering the Phantoms a hassle to play music through? Are there ways to bypass Spark and simply stream music direct to the Phantoms such as connecting an AirPort express via toslink and using AirPlay?
Spark has been significantly improved during the last updates. Personally I don't think it's a hassle to use Spark on daily basis. Airplay via Airport express will work. You can also bypass Spark by using a Chromecast Audio connected via optical input. It supports 24/96 and costs only $30. 

- Are there any reliability issues to keep in mind?


- I read that the Phantoms constantly stay on as there is no "standby" mode. Is there any issue using an external power switch to shut them down when not in use?
As long as the external power switch doesn't include a power filter everything is fine. 

And some questions on customer service please:

- With the 45-day trial, it seems there is no issue to give them a go in home. But I read from one user they had a nightmare actually returning them for a refund. Has anyone had experience with the return process?
Haven't tried it, so I don't know. 

- Any experiences with warranty repairs? Good/bad?
At the moment there is no way to repair a Phantom. Devialet has no hw service department for Phantom. Quite baffling actually. The only way to repair a Phantom is to replace it. 
I've been granted a replacement for a pair of Silver Phantoms once and the process was fairly quick. 

If there is anything you can add to help a new owner, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you.