13-Jul-2015, 14:03
I bought the magazine, and there really isn't much in it that you haven't already read on the internet. I was pleased to see that the reviewer found that pointing almost straight worked best for him, which is a conclusion I also arrived at after 2 months of experimentation. The only surprise to me was that SAM is applied to ALL its drivers; not just woofers.
There is no way any HiFi magazine is going to compare 3K worth of product with anything more than twice its price. HiFi Choice is not particularly critical, although it is the sister magazine to HiFi News, which I consider the sternest critic (and to which I subscribe). They share resources, so there might be some similarities in review policy.
My take on why the Phantoms cannot replace proper high end systems, is simply: size. They are not big enough to sculpt palpable lifesize images in space (with their own "airspace") like large speakers do. In my opinion, weighty bass - although fabulously fun in a Phantom -doesn't contribute to the "body" of the entire instrument across the rest of its frequency range.
Good HiFi can create an enveloping 3D soundstage, but I believe most people don't realise they are listening to flattened instruments (in the Z-plane). I have heard HiFi starring huge valve amps and speakers that actually gives instruments a round, three-dimensionality *in themselves*. It really sounded like there was a saxophone and a double-bass in the room shrouded with an invisibility cloak (!)
I don't intend to be negative - after all I've abandoned my D120 for Phantoms since they are several times better than my old 1K XTZ speakers, brilliant VFM, and I enjoy them immensely. I just don't think we should fool ourselves into thinking that Phantoms have absolutely *everything* covered!
There is no way any HiFi magazine is going to compare 3K worth of product with anything more than twice its price. HiFi Choice is not particularly critical, although it is the sister magazine to HiFi News, which I consider the sternest critic (and to which I subscribe). They share resources, so there might be some similarities in review policy.
My take on why the Phantoms cannot replace proper high end systems, is simply: size. They are not big enough to sculpt palpable lifesize images in space (with their own "airspace") like large speakers do. In my opinion, weighty bass - although fabulously fun in a Phantom -doesn't contribute to the "body" of the entire instrument across the rest of its frequency range.
Good HiFi can create an enveloping 3D soundstage, but I believe most people don't realise they are listening to flattened instruments (in the Z-plane). I have heard HiFi starring huge valve amps and speakers that actually gives instruments a round, three-dimensionality *in themselves*. It really sounded like there was a saxophone and a double-bass in the room shrouded with an invisibility cloak (!)
I don't intend to be negative - after all I've abandoned my D120 for Phantoms since they are several times better than my old 1K XTZ speakers, brilliant VFM, and I enjoy them immensely. I just don't think we should fool ourselves into thinking that Phantoms have absolutely *everything* covered!
JRiver v25 (Windows) >> 220Pro/CI >> PMC Twenty5.23 + twin KEF KC62 subs. One White Phantom.
