Poll: Are you affected by the hissing problem?

[ragwo]

I asked Devialet customer service if they have a limit when the noise isn't acceptable, they replied there was no strict limit. They asked me to record a video? of the noise and email them so their engineers could take a look. Now I just have to get hold of a cam recorder with a proper mic.

[fgueho]

You can use your phone. They are interested in the sound, not so much in the image.
So you can record a video normally. And after that, you record only the sound, but you need to be very close to the noise.
And you combine the two footages in Adobe Premiere (or any other software).

[02nz]

In another thread I posted about my experience auditioning the Phantoms at a dealer in Wilmington - and the hissing was the key dealbreaker. These were manufacturer-provided demo units (regular Phantoms and Dialog) running 1.2.0.0 firmware. The hissing was audible whether playing through the network (both wireless and wired) or optical input from CD player. Very noticeable on quiet passages of classical music, if you have a quiet ambient background. The noise would stop a few seconds after music stopped playing. In my opinion it's utterly unacceptable on a $4000/pair speaker - indeed I wouldn't accept (nor have I observed) this level of background noise on a $100 Bluetooth speaker. Frustrating when they got so much else right. Hope that this can be fixed soon.

[invader]

In another thread I posted about my experience auditioning the Phantoms at a dealer in Wilmington - and the hissing was the key dealbreaker. These were manufacturer-provided demo units (regular Phantoms and Dialog) running 1.2.0.0 firmware. The hissing was audible whether playing through the network (both wireless and wired) or optical input from CD player. Very noticeable on quiet passages of classical music, if you have a quiet ambient background. The noise would stop a few seconds after music stopped playing. In my opinion it's utterly unacceptable on a $4000/pair speaker - indeed I wouldn't accept (nor have I observed) this level of background noise on a $100 Bluetooth speaker. Frustrating when they got so much else right. Hope that this can be fixed soon.

This is exactly my case! "Good" to hear I'm not the only one. It's indeed a deal breaker. I just got word from Dev that at the end of this month they have a major update, which should also address the hissing. I said earlier that for me the only acceptable end to this is a dead silent product. Fingers crossed.

[ragwo]

I've finally managed to get hold of a portable recorder with a quality microphone to record the hissing. I've emailed the file to Devialet support, looking forward to their response. If anyone is interested in how the hissing sounds, send me a PM.

[ragwo]

Good news! Devialet is replacing my Phantoms. Kudos to Devialet for good service

[Dvlt PhD]

Hi, ragwo

at what volume and distance do you hear the hiss?

and at what volume and distance did you record it?


Thanks.

[ragwo]

I can hear the hissing four meters away at volume 20 on quiet passages. I can't get any further away in my living room. The noise was recorded quite close, < 1 meter, at volume 7.

[Dovyj]

Hi,

As a new member with single white Phantom used with Dialog streaming via Qobuz in a very quiet environment I have experienced no hissing.
With my previous HiFi system I sometimes encountered hissing problems but these always stemmed from other equipment, turntables especially, or the power supply with ethernet enabling powerline plugs being a particular bugbear.
In a home environment there are so many variables, are we sure the Phantoms are causing rather than highlighting the problem?

[ragwo]

Congratulations with a noise free Phantom!
I agree that there is a lot of variables to consider but
Devialet customer service has confirmed that there is generally a noise problem with the Phantoms, and that it is partly hardware, partly software dependent. As for my hissing noise I've tried with and without Dialog, wifi and ethernet, streaming locally, with Tidal and toslink. The noise is there all the time, even when playing the mildly annoying configuration sound while setting up the system.