Devialet Phantom

[bownose]

I ought to point out the AntiMode Dual Core made a positive difference on small speakers I was using in a time before Devialet. I had one briefly. I'd not consider putting it into a Devialet System as it would throw out everything SAM was doing

 

[mattgbell]

Well, dsp is really all about the back end , the last chain in the listening experience is the room and stuff like the Dspeaker - which is a bass only system , sure do tame the rooms mangling in that FR range.

The automated correction does only apply to LF, but the DSPeaker can also do (non-automated) stuff higher up the FR. I've dialled in a downwards tilt at the top end and a 3kHz psychoacoustic dip, both of which work very well in my room.

 

[Rodney gold]

Yeh, you can tune to taste higher up the FR spectrum , however the Dspeaker does not and should not do room correction above 500hz , in fact you should limit it to well below the schroeder freq (the freq at which your room stops being a resonator) and treat all freqs above that pysically , its really not possible to correct the room higher up..albeit Dirac claims to do it.
I have been messing with DSP from way back..from the sigtech days. Still havent found a great full freq correction..
Higher freq correction with DSP is possible , but it corrects the speakers and not really the room , ie imbalances , freq anomalies etc , but it cant do anything about reflections and flutter echo and suchlike.

Clive , prior to my G1/Devialet setup , I had a set of meridian DSP6000's and twin SVS subs , Just plonked down the subs and adjusted volume an then used the Dspeaker the whole scrambled bangshoot and got stunning results..

I also had plans to biamp the Meridian heads , something similar to what you describe.. couldnt be arsed tho , it requires a huge amount of work and measuring etc..

 

[bownose]

Yep. I don't like hard work. Devialet. In. Switch on. Working fine. I still have the phantoms on the floor at the foot of the bed overhanging the Mezzanine. I am only having minimalistic Phantom stands made to use up wood from a desk I used to own and because I think the Devialet ones look overdone. But a bit of my lizard brain says "DIY... DIY" I dunno why...

 

[Stuart Mason]

Now the Optical Ports (all three if you have two Phantoms and a Dialog) Work... Its getting there.

Three optical ports should be enough for my needs. I guess I can use the Mac with the Apogee Duet plus ??? software for a digital phono stage then all bases covered.

Very tempting.

 

[wiresandmore]

Clive - with your "big" Devialet rig with the B&W's, which Chord cable are you using? Was it a "fit and forget" or did you check out different options?

 

[bownose]

7m ea Chord Carnival Biwire mail order from future shop the naughty dealer did bring round some Chord Sarum to tempt me and yes it was different but everything was so fresh I stuck with the brand new chord carnival bi wire and haven't given it a second thought despite knowing the Sarum was different and hearing the cable change agonisingly slowly over a month (or maybe it was the amps they were not used much).

Wrt TOSLINK and phantom, remember one lead per phantom and one in the dialog. So some cable thought needs to go into getting to the inputs but thankfully you can have very long TOSLINK cables and even use Ethernet repeaters (which is what I do as all that messy stuff is in the machine cupboard, I just don't wanna see that mess plus all the server and routers and comms heat goes into heat recirculation).

I am reading people's phantom woes on devialet chat and I am just not getting it.

 

[wiresandmore]

Thx, and good to hear your Phantom experience has been pretty smooth

 

[strummer]

@strummer: Aw man I am really not a good person to ask on that stuff. They sound good to me. They have a really solid presentation, thats the best I can say. My opinion counts for diddly squat because what I like you might hate and all the fancy words in the world won't skirt around that.

Now the Optical Ports (all three if you have two Phantoms and a Dialog) Work, you can put an AppleTV n one an Airport Express in another and a Roku or a Sky Box or whatever in the other and bypass the Spark software almost entirely apart for software updates and possibly volume control. I prefer flipping between the Services Apps rather than centralising the Services in one app. Spotify through Phantoms is good as is playing my own NAS stuff... Its getting there.

I've mailed Devialet to ask when the Remote will be ready & the USB on Dialog working?

I'm champing at the bit to re-order mine, but going to hold off until those are ready & I know they're working as a stereo pair.

 

[bownose]

Do share dates as I am interested in whether the remote will work with existing expert remote... I like that the important data is now integrated on the knob itself.

They work great as a stereo pair even on the old firmware. I got a follow up call from Devialet after I logged a support question that was solved with the 1.1.1.0 update with poor wifi reach. (Initially Dialog would not work in my machine cupboard where all that trash goes)

Monolake's Icarus Alto is an interesting experience as the bass is deep and substantial. A quick and dirty read of the room shows at 4m from the speaker set at ear height in an uncalibrated mic, shows they are reaching 21.1dB at peak 79dB. That is phenomenal. Not a speaker to need a giant surface area or volume to crank up get the required driver excursion to achieve deep bass.

 

[jamesd]

Clive, apologies if you covered this earlier:

I believe you purchased the pair of them at the same time? I'm wondering how it sounds as a single unit. I have my main stereo that I sit down and listen to (between the stereo pair of speakers) and I have a second stereo setup that is used more for less serious listening (cooking, cleaning, walking around the house), etc.

I'm wondering if a single Phantom would make more sense in that setup. Source in that second stereo is always iTunes Library via Remote.app > Airport Express.

 

[bownose]

Actually we sometimes just grab a phantom, take it to the kitchen and it becomes a combined stereo as mono player for iplayer. its very convenient like that.

if you buy just one you don't need a dialog either. this is why i like it so much, within the things it can do, it is very flexible and transportable. a bit overkill for a kitchen though.

 

[jamesd]

Great, thanks

 

[bownose]

Popped over to a local furniture making who is cutting up my desk to make a pair of rather solid stands to see progress

Phantom z stands by c-g., on Flickr

By end of next week...

I'd like some fancy buckoff feet for this, only for looks, mind. The rest of the desk including the infill oak will become a quadratic diffuser with angled tops for extra nerdiness...

 

[Rodrat]

I have just had the opportunity to hear the Phantoms in a domestic setting over an extended period playing a variety of music. I was also able to hear them in comparison with some serious hi end speakers. I would have to say they were fantastic. The clarity was outstanding without being strident and the bass was perhaps the tightest and fastest I have heard without a hint of boom or being overwhelming. Before today I wasn't even sure how to pronounce Devialet so I can't be regarded as a fan bois. There is the concern regarding network dropout although Clive's seem to be ok. I justhave to decide where to buy from.

 

[MVV]

So can/how do you use a TT with these things? I have 1500 records and simply don't have the energy to sell them.

 

[dr.sah]

I got message from Devialet, that waiting time is 2 weeks for silver version.


Im thinking first to buy one, and later decide to get one more, depends on sound.

 

[garyi]

So can/how do you use a TT with these things? I have 1500 records and simply don't have the energy to sell them.

Yea, these speakers aren't for you.

 

[Rodrat]

Do they have an English language online ordering facility? I can only find the French online shop

 

[Purité Audio]

So can/how do you use a TT with these things? I have 1500 records and simply don't have the energy to sell them.

First step would be an analogue to digital converter, and then the output into the speakers, not sure what they have in the way of digital inputs, optical?
Keith