Devialet Phantom

Orb

New Member
Sep 8, 2010
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Very interesting,
I wonder how many speaker manufacturers are looking at their approach to speaker design-build.
Jeff you ever seen Cabasse manufacturing in detail with regards to their sphere and everything involved including DSP?
Seems Devialet has taken this to an evolutionary step (I appreciate their approaches and focus are not really the same), but might be a worry for Cabasse if Devialet decide to do a much larger speaker - although a lot more work would be needed.

Cheers
Orb
 

Diapason

Well-Known Member
Mar 26, 2014
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Dublin, Ireland
I can't quite figure out at what level of the market they're pitching this. Obviously I'll reserve judgement until I hear them, but are these trying to replace my Kharmas or the mini speakers I use for TV?
 

FrantzM

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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Bold product and engineering approach. Active speakers have not been well received by audiophiles. Will wait to see how they react to these. if they are as good as the first impression tend to suggest that is an impressive way to full range .. $5,000 is a complete 2-Ch system !!

@Diapason

I am not sure they aim at your mini-speakers as they go down to 16 Hz ... on paper ... They will require us, asudiophiles to listen with truly an open mind. They check many of things the audiophiles community seems not to ike:
Class D
Active
Digital
 

Randall Smith

New Member
May 30, 2010
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NC
What an interesting product! If the phantom lives up to the other products in the Devialet's line, this could be a game changer. Cannot imagine the company putting their name on a product that would lower their reputation.

I cannot wait to see what this product really is....
 

Diapason

Well-Known Member
Mar 26, 2014
325
39
260
Dublin, Ireland
I am not sure they aim at your mini-speakers as they go down to 16 Hz ... on paper ... They will require us, asudiophiles to listen with truly an open mind. They check many of things the audiophiles community seems not to ike:
Class D
Active
Digital

To be honest, I'm pretty much done with audiophilia for the moment, I just want something that sounds good every time and requires zero input from me. As such, if these tick the boxes I'd be very happy! The frequency response alone was enough to pique my interest.
 

FrantzM

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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To be honest, I'm pretty much done with audiophilia for the moment, I just want something that sounds good every time and requires zero input from me. As such, if these tick the boxes I'd be very happy! The frequency response alone was enough to pique my interest.

Believe me I understand the feeling. I do not share it entirely but I am not that far.

These speakers require an extensive listening session and comparison to mainstream products. am on the road to a Devialet-based system anyway...

Do they (De Vialet) have HT in their mind too. 5 of these and one is set :)
 

Randall Smith

New Member
May 30, 2010
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NC
I have wanted to own one of the Devialet products since Doug first posted his review on SS years ago.

I now want 5 of these for my HT. It very well could be my last purchase.
 

microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
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(...) They will require us, asudiophiles to listen with truly an open mind. They check many of things the audiophiles community seems not to ike:
Class D
Active
Digital


The audiophile community does not like the products implemented using these techniques that failed to reach the objectives of audiophile high quality sound reproduction. Long years of perfect class D amplifiers, each of them better than the previous perfect one but sounding harsh, made audiophiles feel suspicion about class D.

We had excellent active speakers, but even the more expensive ones failed to exceed the performance of top passive implementations in a well tuned system and room.

Digital is not a problem any more - the last generation of excellent sounding digital products have gained full acceptance in the audiophile community.

Devialet deserves the recognition for having analyzed what were the technical and psychoacoustical targets they need to reach to have high quality sound using switching amplifiers with great measurements - it all was started in 2004 and the ADH class amplifier, a true hybrid of class A/D patented in 2005, not just a simple class D, is still being continuously perfected using firmware upgrades.

IMHO, Devialet is creating another path to high quality sound reproduction, that does not replace but will live side by side with other technologies, such as tube or conventional SS, each having its sound characteristics and supporters.

Just to finish, France, the land of Jean Hiraga, Gérard Perrot and many great designers, had a strong underground audiophile culture since the 70's, driven initially by the SET-horn-OTL japanese influence. I am not astonished that Devialet blossomed in France.

As always, just MHO.
 

f1eng

Well-Known Member
Jul 24, 2014
128
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Oxfordshire
I was bowled over by the Devialet amps on home demo 4 years ago and have been running them in my main system since. They have replaced a system which would cost between 5 and 10x more to buy new today.
I am not sure about the styling of these items, but can see the logic that the shape will give better sound quality than any box.
Interesting that it can be mono, stereo and 5 channel and not need a sub.

My biggest problem with it is that CD and LP, my 2 main sources, would need connecting somehow. It looks like the accompanying network box can achieve this.
I wait with baited breath!

IMHO the biggest real problem for any audiophiles who are more kit enthusiasts than music fans is that there isn't any opportunity to play around and mix and match components and cables to taste!
 

sujay

Member Sponsor
May 5, 2012
516
219
955
Singapore
.......and so I finally had the opportunity this week to listen to the phantoms. Please note the plural here as I heard a pair of the silvers run stereo! For all the hype, I must confess I was a little underwhelmed. Before you guys get me wrong, I will say that these speakers rock, absolutely rock the very foundations of the house! And I think for the price and what they can do, they are irreplaceable for their portability, form and funk factors not to belittle the SQ. these, IMO are 'purpose built' for a party like situation and they punch (quite literally) way above their weight. However, they are definitely far from being the last word in transparency, soundstage......et al. But then, I reckon, that's not what they are meant to be in the first place. So, in my view, they 'over deliver' on expectations if we are realistic about what we are buying them for - which I stated earlier in this note. These are an entertainer's dream....no question!!

I did demo them side by side with the Devialet 800 (nothing less mind you) driving a pair of Giya g1s ( again nothing less mind you) and I hope I don't have to articulate my findings through detailed conclusions......:D but then the comparison was, admittedly, stark!

Overall, great experience....am I going to buy a pair? Yes, eventually, to keep in my living room and super charge a party! And which I can carry with me in the boot of my car when I am on off on vacation!

Cheers

Sujay
PS: just the sheer amount of technological innovation that the phantoms foster is a revelation in itself. God only knows what we should expect 20 years hence!!
 

wisnon

Well-Known Member
Dec 12, 2011
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.......and so I finally had the opportunity this week to listen to the phantoms. Please note the plural here as I heard a pair of the silvers run stereo! For all the hype, I must confess I was a little underwhelmed. Before you guys get me wrong, I will say that these speakers rock, absolutely rock the very foundations of the house! And I think for the price and what they can do, they are irreplaceable for their portability, form and funk factors not to belittle the SQ. these, IMO are 'purpose built' for a party like situation and they punch (quite literally) way above their weight. However, they are definitely far from being the last word in transparency, soundstage......et al. But then, I reckon, that's not what they are meant to be in the first place. So, in my view, they 'over deliver' on expectations if we are realistic about what we are buying them for - which I stated earlier in this note. These are an entertainer's dream....no question!!

I did demo them side by side with the Devialet 800 (nothing less mind you) driving a pair of Giya g1s ( again nothing less mind you) and I hope I don't have to articulate my findings through detailed conclusions......:D but then the comparison was, admittedly, stark!

Overall, great experience....am I going to buy a pair? Yes, eventually, to keep in my living room and super charge a party! And which I can carry with me in the boot of my car when I am on off on vacation!

Cheers

Sujay
PS: just the sheer amount of technological innovation that the phantoms foster is a revelation in itself. God only knows what we should expect 20 years hence!!
100% agree with all you said. My demo experience mirror waht you said. They are the ultimate party speakers and I can imagine stringing up multiples of them on the walls in a club setting and the club would be good to go!
 

Diapason

Well-Known Member
Mar 26, 2014
325
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Dublin, Ireland
I think that's a fair comment Whatmore, and I've said myself (here?) that anyone looking to buy in that price range would be mad not to sample them. For me, they just don't have the kind of sound I'm looking for, the mid-range especially doesn't have the kind of open-window magic that I crave, and they never pulled off the trick of making me think I was listening to real performers in real space. Now, that's a subjective assessment based on my preferences, I certainly don't think they're BAD or anything of the sort, in fact I think they're really good at what they do for the money.
 

wisnon

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Dec 12, 2011
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My demo experience is somewhat different.

I'd challenge anyone to put a system together at that price that would come close... any takers?

Close in terms of what though...

In terms of partyness, refinement, musicality, etc?

For what it does, perhaps nothing could come close, though Klipsch has an offering for $2500 that they say similar things about...
 

wisnon

Well-Known Member
Dec 12, 2011
3,525
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I think that's a fair comment Whatmore, and I've said myself (here?) that anyone looking to buy in that price range would be mad not to sample them. For me, they just don't have the kind of sound I'm looking for, the mid-range especially doesn't have the kind of open-window magic that I crave, and they never pulled off the trick of making me think I was listening to real performers in real space. Now, that's a subjective assessment based on my preferences, I certainly don't think they're BAD or anything of the sort, in fact I think they're really good at what they do for the money.

They are fun speakers.
 

sujay

Member Sponsor
May 5, 2012
516
219
955
Singapore
100% agree with all you said. My demo experience mirror waht you said. They are the ultimate party speakers and I can imagine stringing up multiples of them on the walls in a club setting and the club would be good to go!

Actually, I think you are spot on! If you have 6-7 of these, you could light up a night club! And you will have trouble convincing someone that you only paid a pittance, relatively speaking.

By the way, I am told that there are talks of the phantoms coming up as a whole HT set up! That could be quite something.

I quite agree that it will be a feat to beat the phantoms at their elevated (rather exalted) price/offering equation. In fact the guy demoing these also carries the klipsch and while I didn't hear them side by side, according to him, there is no contest......the phantoms stand alone and lonely in their splendor!

Cheers

Sujay
 

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