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01-Dec-2015, 17:25
(This post was last modified: 01-Dec-2015, 21:55 by ZoMan.)
First time poster (and soon to be first time owner of a devialet) so I come to you and ask... please, put me out of my misery!
I would like to have one of these home for Christmas but simply cannot decide
- Room size: small (4x4m)
- Music: mostly jazz but listen to other stuff as well
- Volume: low to moderate. Critical that it sounds good at low volumes (oh and I love my details :-))
Looking forward.
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Second that
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Would you not need a trial of both to know how they compare?
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Thanks but a home trial of both is not an option.
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01-Dec-2015, 21:29
(This post was last modified: 01-Dec-2015, 21:31 by Confused.)
Of course the advice is always to listen for yourself. I have been lucky enough to hear both, and if I had to choose one for myself, I'd probably go for the Phantoms. However, reading you original post, I reckon you would prefer the emsemble. It's a case of the Phantom being tops for bass power, depth and accuracy, but the emsemble being better for detail and ultimate resolution. And as you said, you love your details....
Where are you located? Is there absolutely no chance of getting an audition somewhere?
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02-Dec-2015, 05:15
(This post was last modified: 02-Dec-2015, 09:18 by MountainGuy.)
More than one dealer told me that l'ensemble is better. I've not heard it though I would love to. I'd think that detail and resolution contributes to accuracy....or so it seems. A word that is repeated is 'refined', with the l'ensemble being more refined.
Anyways, those conversation were in the Phantoms earlier days so the Phantoms may have been more refined now. I think that they can be more tipped up a bit in the trebles to give the sense of more resolution. This is subjective of course.
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ZoMan,
I've heard the ensemble for a bit (when I was considering the Athom speakers) and the phantom only briefly, so I can't offer much by way of comparison. I liked the Athoms very much, but they were in a big room and playing at a medium volume.
However, your musical preferences, the need for low volume listening and a small room are important factors. Typically, I find that small speakers are more satisfying when playing at medium volume (and i'm sure what that is, really). But the Athoms have a SAM profile and that does make a big difference, and perhaps negates the low volume consideration. The Phantoms by all accounts have bass capability that is remarkable, and many feel it is very good at low volume; that it is a particular strength of the Phantom system. I think that excellent detail retrieval is a hallmark of any Devialet system, so that item is taken care of.
The expert/ ensemble approach may (or may not) give you a more proven approach to actually getting music to the system. I'm thinking of the stumbles some have had with the dialog and getting that connection setup worked out.
How will you get music to your system? Is internet radio or a streaming service important? I'm just thinking that the upstream system may also be a factor in your choice.
Damon
Powernode, NAD M32, Cambridge CD transport, Analysis Plus, Nordost, iFi Nova, CSS Criton 1TDX, KEF C62
Vancouver, Canada
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Hi Damon,
Thanks for this very thoughtful response.
Most of my music resides on a NAS, in addition I will be using a streaming service (tidal or spotify).
Internet radio is definitely important
