Classic Phantom pair - No low-mids, shoebox sound

[EmmanuelG]

Hello all,

I'd like to share and ask your thoughts about 2 Classic Phantoms I installed yesterday at my home.

Installation was very straight forward, thanks to the quick and intuitive setup from the Android app.
Quick configuration is:

• Spotify Connect over 5 GHz Wi-Fi network
  
• DOS 2.10.0
  
• listening room 4m large / 5m deep
  

Unfortunately I was immediately disappointed at the first tunes I sent to them. What I was very unpleasantly surprised with was:

• low-medium almost absent
  
• bass very weak
  

I can describe the sound as muffled, coming from a shoebox or a low-quality 80's plastic boombox. Singers seem have their nose pinched. Pianos seem to have a pillow on their cords. I cannot tell anything but that's very bad !

I have compared extensively, with Spotify Connect and same musics with my other systems:

• Google Home Max stereo pair: far better presence, low mids and bass - sure very low frequency extension and highs clarity on the Phantoms are better.... but not that much...
  
• Bang & Olufsen setup with BeoLab 1s and BeoLab 2: blows away the Phantoms
  

Once again I am very surprised with that tiny, poor sound quality. My listenings in store + reviews I have read are far for describing this result.

I have made following tests:

• check each driver: all are operating
  
• move the Phantoms to the same place were my Google Home Max's and B&O setup are: same bad results
  
• mono listening of each Phantom to search for phase issues or one of them's malfunction: same
  
• Bluetooth listening (mono / stereo): same
  

Therefore my room is not the problem, neither my sources.

I am sad because I love the principles and aesthetics of the Phantoms  I am waiting for an advice from the Devialet support.

Did you experience this ? Is there any setting I may have missed ?

Thanks for your thoughts,
Emmanuel

PS: serial numbers of the Phantoms are following + these are reconditionned units from Devialet with makes me think I am not the first disappointed customer with these.