[Bemopti123]

I predict it will be a massive hit with all those consumers that audiophilia has been unable to conquer, with disposable income and with the desire for decent but uncomplicated setups. 

[OzarkTom]

A new website for the Phantom.

http://en.devialet.com/phantom/

[Russell Dawkins]

John Darko sezs,

‘Best of CES 2015’ gong by a country mile.

http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2015/01/the-devialet-phantom-is-a-new-frontier-best-of-ces-2015/

Interesting observation in the first comment under that review:
 ..."I have to say though that I was a bit underwhelmed by the sound quality, while the bass was without a question impressive for it’s size I found the midrange and highs lacking refinement … this kinda puzzled me as the most difficult challenge in this project was certainly to overcome the old rules of box size vs bass output, the mids and highs however are easy to fix, even on a small footprint, so I don’t really get it why they didn’t push the SQ of these to dizzying highs as they would certainly been capable to with the technologies at their hand. In the room next their starter combo Devialet 120 and Athom GT1 bookshelf speakers (an absolutely impressive speaker for it’s size and price) were playing and there was no comparison, the Phantom couldn’t match the articulation and transient restitution of that system by a long shot."...

I have to say "suspicions confirmed" - although I eagerly look forward to a thorough review and would be very curious to hear them in the flesh.

[wisnon]

Actually NOT.

If you read the poster there, he implies that they likely crippled the MR/HF potential and SQ to perhaps make a certain price point and pave the way for an audiophile grade Phantom 2 (Spectre?) for more $$$$. LoL

[Russell Dawkins]

Actually NOT.

If you read the poster there, he implies that they likely crippled the MR/HF potential and SQ to perhaps make a certain price point and pave the way for an audiophile grade Phantom 2 (Spectre?) for more $$$$. LoL

Actually NOT? This is pure conjecture on your part is it not? I would be very surprised indeed to find out that Devialet had intentionally crippled the MF/HF performance for marketing purposes.

[OzarkTom]

There might still be time to go hear the Phantoms in the LA area at

Hotel Bel Air
701 Stone Canyon Road
Los Angeles, CA 90077,

at 1 and 4 pm.

[mresseguie]

Hot damn! I get be there in ~14 hours assuming no pee breaks and smooth traffic. Gonna need a lot of coffee.....

[OzarkTom]

This is a very good video from WhatGear reviews on the Phantom.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eDrzbSj6E9g&a=&feature=youtu.be

[Russell Dawkins]

This is a very good video from WhatGear reviews on the Phantom.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eDrzbSj6E9g&a=&feature=youtu.be

The video is well produced in the contemporary fashion - lots of quick cuts, etc., but lacks any significant information on the sound–at least, I couldn't see any. The  "reviewer" apparently had not so much as even heard the speaker. Obsessed with numbers as he appeared to be (174 dB, etc), he also got some of those wrong, for example describing 3000 watts as the legal limit for club sound in Europe. The limit has nothing to do with watts–only decibels.

This kind of breathless repeating of manufacturers' hype annoys me as much as the original hype–and that from Devialet bugs me as much as any I have read recently.

[playntheblues]

Russel, I have to agree with you.  I really want to like this speaker as I believe in what they are doing and I believe that design / approach is the future.  Most all reviews that I read now a days in the industry periodicals are "paid for advertising"!  The bigger the publication the worse it seems to get.  New start ups IMHO seem to at least try to be objective until they start relying to much on the revenue.  I am not trying to hurt anyone's feeling, is you have some reviewers you follow.

It has always been the case....but you have to listen to the gear in your home and then decide.  I, like a lot of folks have tried to take some short cuts by reading and studying and then unfortunately (because we like the cottage industry thing where everything is custom made so to speak) buy without hearing! Qn the hopes the review(ers) are at least close in their write up.

I would really like to hear these speakers but I would have to hear them in my home.  If these aren't the say
all end all and it seems they may not be.  I hope there design / approach evolves into some true audio gold   

[jhm731]

[wisnon]

The video is well produced in the contemporary fashion - lots of quick cuts, etc., but lacks any significant information on the sound–at least, I couldn't see any. The  "reviewer" apparently had not so much as even heard the speaker. Obsessed with numbers as he appeared to be (174 dB, etc), he also got some of those wrong, for example describing 3000 watts as the legal limit for club sound in Europe. The limit has nothing to do with watts–only decibels.

This kind of breathless repeating of manufacturers' hype annoys me as much as the original hype–and that from Devialet bugs me as much as any I have read recently.

Hi Russell,

Its seems you are right. Just got feedback from someone who I trust who has heard them. Bose genre lifestyle product.

Air pusher rather than vibration wave generator.

[Bemopti123]

Regardless of auditions and the like, what proves the claims of the manufacturer will be the amount of people who will be willing to take it home and audition it at their time with their tracks with a no questions asked 30 days money back.  If they are willing to do that, it would add more credibility to the device than any review printed or expressed in an advertisement revenue site.  I doubt that it will happen.

I wonder if the Phantom will be the latest technology du jour that appear over and over again on different audio sites.  I have lost count of amps, components or speakers that dotted audio sites claiming them to the the giant slayer, just to later have the same audiophilias slowly sell on the forums.   

[Russell Dawkins]

Hi Russell,

Its seems you are right. Just got feedback from someone who I trust who has heard them. Bose genre lifestyle product.

Air pusher rather than vibration wave generator.

Well it did look to me like the challenge of getting high quality sound out of the acoustic environment that the mid/high frequency driver has to operate in–the recess and the elaborate and thick ornamental cover over both–would be almost insurmountable. Also, I imagine the mid range driver has to operate down to a relatively low frequency due to the upper limits to the frequency extension of the LF drivers (caused by the rigid dome covers), and so a lot will hinge on the quality of the low mids generated (and able to escape from) the mid driver.

In the final analysis it appears to me that this speaker more than anything pushes the limits in an extreme way as to bass extension and output from a given size enclosure by utilizing very tough drivers in a very tough and very small enclosure driven by a ton of power and EQ'd rather extremely to compensate for the natural roll-off inherent in such a configuration. The dual force-cancelling configuration is almost a necessary choice for the speaker not to vibrate off the surface it sits on, if a stand is not used, with this kind of woofer activity and driver weight necessary to hold itself together under these forces.

The coaxial mid/high element lends itself logically to the physical design of the Phantom and is another talking point for sales–and even has the potential to sound great, even if it is far from universally successful. In reality results seems to be mixed; witness KEF Uni-Q, as an example. The acclaim is not unanimous. The jury is still out.

[jhm731]

Phantom User guide:

http://www.devialet.com/assets/pdf/Phantom-user-manual.PDF

[Russell Dawkins]

Phantom User guide:

http://www.devialet.com/assets/pdf/Phantom-user-manual.PDF

Certainly interesting. I think Devialet and Phantom will be a stimulus to other manufacturers to get out of any ruts they might be in and think more outside the box (pun intended, of course), and I respect them very much for that.

[jhm731]

Certainly interesting. I think Devialet and Phantom will be a stimulus to other manufacturers to get out of any ruts they might be in and think more outside the box (pun intended, of course), and I respect them very much for that.

They're reorganizing their US Distribution, you should apply:

http://fr.devialet.com/jobs/regional-sales-manager-hf

[Russell Dawkins]

They're reorganizing their US Distribution, you should apply:

http://fr.devialet.com/jobs/regional-sales-manager-hf

I think they're looking only in the US, and I'm in Canada. Same continent, different world.

[OzarkTom]

If you are close to Seattle, head over to Definitive Audio for their special 40th Anniversary Celebration this Thursday from 5-9pm and hear the Phantoms. Stereophile and many other company reps will be there also. Check this one out.

http://www.stereophile.com/content/music-matters-10-seattle-thursday

[firedog]

Waiting to hear impressions of anyone who attends. From others who've heard the Phantom at demonstrations, the summation seems to be that it sounds impactful and impressive, but they aren't sure it will play with the detail and subtlety that expensive separates will. If any of you can get any sense of this, I'd like to hear it.