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New Yorker article on audiophilia
#1
All,

Here's a link to an enjoyable article from The New Yorker on audiophilia, our never-ending quest, as the author puts it.  Devialet is mentioned but the author only heard the Phantom.  He also covers MQA, vinyl and puts a bit of audio history in there.  Fun read. Big Grin

Cheers, Flashman
[Image: Denby-I-Tried-to-Quit-I-Tried-to-Give-Up...philia.jpg]
Devialet Expert 220 Pro Kinki EX-M7 power amp tethered to a fiber-fed Lumin X1 streamer via Grimm XLRs, Vivid B1 Decade speakers in Rosso Barchetta red (only 200 produced in a limited edition), Roon Nucleus with a Samsung 860 EVO 2TB SSD, etherREGEN switch fed by a Sonore opticalModule (and Sonore-supplied transceivers and 1M optical cable) with a SOtM dCBL-Cat7 cable to my Nucleus and a DH Labs Reunion Cat8 to my Lumin T2 streamer, Keces P8 linear power supply feeding a (to come) NUC and EtherREGEN switch with an external AfterDark OCXO clock., and opticalModule (5V/1A), AudioQuest Niagara 1000 power conditioner, ASI LiveLine loom (purchased directly from Franck Tchang when I lived in France), Less Loss Firewall for Speakers and Roon lifetime license with Tidal streaming.
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#2
(11-Jan-2018, 22:21)Flashman Wrote: All,

Here's a link to an enjoyable article from The New Yorker on audiophilia, our never-ending quest, as the author puts it.  Devialet is mentioned but the author only heard the Phantom.  He also covers MQA, vinyl and puts a bit of audio history in there.  Fun read. Big Grin

Cheers, Flashman

And apparently, he only heard the Phantoms only in a glass box (for sure not an environment to audition Hifi). As such his statements with respect to the Gold Phantoms are sort of uninformed and incompetent.
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#3
(14-Jan-2018, 09:57)streamy Wrote:
(11-Jan-2018, 22:21)Flashman Wrote: All,

Here's a link to an enjoyable article from The New Yorker on audiophilia, our never-ending quest, as the author puts it.  Devialet is mentioned but the author only heard the Phantom.  He also covers MQA, vinyl and puts a bit of audio history in there.  Fun read. Big Grin

Cheers, Flashman

And apparently, he only heard the Phantoms only in a glass box (for sure not an environment to audition Hifi). As such his statements with respect to the Gold Phantoms are sort of uninformed and incompetent.

Isn't that how Devialet usually demo them? I agree with you by the way.

Guillaume
Industry disclosure: UK distributor for Shunyata Research

220 PRO, totaldac d1 server with additional external power supply, totaldac d1-seven, Echole PSU for Totaldac, Wilson Audio Sasha 2, Shunyata Research cables, Shunyata Hydra Alpha A10 + DPC-6 v3, Various Entreq ground boxes and cables, Entreq Athena level 3 rack, 2 X SOtM sNH-10G with sCLK-EX + 10MHz Master Clock input + sPS-500 PSU, i5 sonicTransporter w/ 1TB SSD

UK
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#4
The glassbox seems to me as an effective ways of increasing the number of sales points where people can learn about Devialet existence and about the Phantoms. The real test should be at home during the 45 days trial period
Qobuz/Sonos/D200/GT1 SE (offered to my father, who enjoys it every day)
2 Phantom Reactor 600 and Spotify Premium
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#5
(14-Jan-2018, 14:15)Teliaved Wrote: The glassbox seems to me as an effective ways of increasing the number of sales points where people can learn about Devialet existence and about the Phantoms. The real test should be at home during the 45 days trial period

Fully agreed! This or at a dealer that sets them up properly. 

Jean-Marie
MacBook Air M2 -> RAAT/Air -> WiFi -> PLC -> Ethernet -> Devialet 220pro with Core Infinity (upgraded from 120) -> AperturA Armonia
France
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#6
(14-Jan-2018, 17:02)Jean-Marie Wrote:
(14-Jan-2018, 14:15)Teliaved Wrote: The glassbox seems to me as an effective ways of increasing the number of sales points where people can learn about Devialet existence and about the Phantoms. The real test should be at home during the 45 days trial period

Fully agreed! This or at a dealer that sets them up properly. 

Jean-Marie

Of course this is the ideal scenario.

However for some the first impressions of the Phantom will be disappointing due to the source material often being played and the poor acoustic environment they are displayed in. I have heard countless examples of the Phantoms being driven to ear splitting volumes, the emphasis seems to be on shock and awe (bass and volume) rather than music. In fact I can name a few incidents myself.

I wonder what proportion of Phantoms are sold by dealers. Aren't many now sold direct and/or through retailers such as the Apple Store? I wonder how many people have their phantoms set up less than optimally. Have Devialet actually produced a guide to in room placement for the Phantoms?

Guillaume
Industry disclosure: UK distributor for Shunyata Research

220 PRO, totaldac d1 server with additional external power supply, totaldac d1-seven, Echole PSU for Totaldac, Wilson Audio Sasha 2, Shunyata Research cables, Shunyata Hydra Alpha A10 + DPC-6 v3, Various Entreq ground boxes and cables, Entreq Athena level 3 rack, 2 X SOtM sNH-10G with sCLK-EX + 10MHz Master Clock input + sPS-500 PSU, i5 sonicTransporter w/ 1TB SSD

UK
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#7
(14-Jan-2018, 17:52)GuillaumeB Wrote:
(14-Jan-2018, 17:02)Jean-Marie Wrote:
(14-Jan-2018, 14:15)Teliaved Wrote: The glassbox seems to me as an effective ways of increasing the number of sales points where people can learn about Devialet existence and about the Phantoms. The real test should be at home during the 45 days trial period

Fully agreed! This or at a dealer that sets them up properly. 

Jean-Marie

Of course this is the ideal scenario.

However for some the first impressions of the Phantom will be disappointing due to the source material often being played and the poor acoustic environment they are displayed in. I have heard countless examples of the Phantoms being driven to ear splitting volumes, the emphasis seems to be on shock and awe (bass and volume) rather than music. In fact I can name a few incidents myself.

I wonder what proportion of Phantoms are sold by dealers. Aren't many now sold direct and/or through retailers such as the Apple Store? I wonder how many people have their phantoms set up less than optimally. Have Devialet actually produced a guide to in room placement for the Phantoms?

Guillaume
I have no idea. 
I suspect that the bass heavy and high volume type of demo is geared towards an other type of client than us. I’m sure that if walk in to listen to phantoms we will come with our own music and will also take control of the volume. (For instance, for my personal test, one of the best demonstration of a pair of Gold is using the first movement of the 6th symphony for pipe Organ from Charles-Marie Widor and certainly not what they use normally, but I can also understand that it is not to everyone’s taste Angel )

Jean-Marie
MacBook Air M2 -> RAAT/Air -> WiFi -> PLC -> Ethernet -> Devialet 220pro with Core Infinity (upgraded from 120) -> AperturA Armonia
France
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#8
(14-Jan-2018, 18:09)Jean-Marie Wrote:
(14-Jan-2018, 17:52)GuillaumeB Wrote:
(14-Jan-2018, 17:02)Jean-Marie Wrote: Fully agreed! This or at a dealer that sets them up properly. 

Jean-Marie

Of course this is the ideal scenario.

However for some the first impressions of the Phantom will be disappointing due to the source material often being played and the poor acoustic environment they are displayed in. I have heard countless examples of the Phantoms being driven to ear splitting volumes, the emphasis seems to be on shock and awe (bass and volume) rather than music. In fact I can name a few incidents myself.

I wonder what proportion of Phantoms are sold by dealers. Aren't many now sold direct and/or through retailers such as the Apple Store? I wonder how many people have their phantoms set up less than optimally. Have Devialet actually produced a guide to in room placement for the Phantoms?

Guillaume
I have no idea. 
I suspect that the bass heavy and high volume type of demo is geared towards an other type of client than us. I’m sure that if walk in to listen to phantoms we will come with our own music and will also take control of the volume. (For instance, for my personal test, one of the best demonstration of a pair of Gold is using the first movement of the 6th symphony for pipe Organ from Charles-Marie Widor and certainly not what they use normally, but I can also understand that it is not to everyone’s taste Angel )

Jean-Marie

I imagine organ music would be perfect to demonstrate the Phantoms! Actually most speakers/set ups struggle to convincingly reproduce the organ. 

Guillaume
Industry disclosure: UK distributor for Shunyata Research

220 PRO, totaldac d1 server with additional external power supply, totaldac d1-seven, Echole PSU for Totaldac, Wilson Audio Sasha 2, Shunyata Research cables, Shunyata Hydra Alpha A10 + DPC-6 v3, Various Entreq ground boxes and cables, Entreq Athena level 3 rack, 2 X SOtM sNH-10G with sCLK-EX + 10MHz Master Clock input + sPS-500 PSU, i5 sonicTransporter w/ 1TB SSD

UK
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