[jhm731]

http://www.soundstageglobal.com/index.php/shows-events/ces-2015-las-vegas-usa/175-ces-2015-features/547-ces-2015-mirage-listening-impressions-devialet-phantom

[mresseguie]

Could this be a game changer? [Purely rhetorical question.]


One of these days I'm going to listen for myself. [I just realized the song playing on my system right now is Neil Young's "One of these days."]

[mr_bill]

Could this be a game changer? [Purely rhetorical question.]


I am thinking so.

[Peter J]

While the sonic performance might be great, I'm having a hard time loving the way they look. This coming from a guy who typically likes the crisp, contemporary esthetic.

Something about that shiny plastic shell just screams "cheap" to me. Or maybe it's the color...bright white is just too stark. Or maybe it's both combined.

Make mine a medium sheen grey with some silver accents. Better yet....ah, never mind.

Are they handsome or good looking in your eyes? Do they scream "high end" to you? Maybe I'm just not accustomed to speakers looking like this.  Perhaps they  look better in person than photos.

Would love to hear 'em, though...and see that pumpin' side thingie.

[jhm731]

[mr_bill]

Love the idea and possibility.

Haven't come to grips with the looks yet either.

[srb]

Something about that shiny plastic shell just screams "cheap" to me. Or maybe it's the color...bright white is just too stark. Or maybe it's both combined.

I agree on the color.  While I understand the inventory complications of multiple colors and finishes, perhaps at least a satin black or dark grey choice.

I like the stands - makes it look like a futuristic industrial parking meter or gumball machine!  It's all relative, I could more easily live with it than the B&W Nautilus.

Steve

[JP78]

Okay so I received my pre-order invitation - it is only EU and UK customers for now. They're not yet ready for shipping into the US.

I also believe that while there are frivolous patents granted, I think it's unfair to summarily dismiss  a piece of equipment when 77 patents have been given and applied in the Phantom.

I think there's a bit of a double standard when audiophiles gush about some pretty crazy tweaks (quantum noise generators, audio stones, cables lifts, etc) and various other immeasurable devices yet refuse to consider a well-engineered product. I don't know if this will live up to claims or hype but based on the company's amplifiers it's hard to disagree the level of engineering that has gone into this speaker.

This reminds me a little bit about when the Bang & Olufsen Beolab 1 came out - nobody gave it a fair shake until several professional and personal reviews were posted.  Maybe it's just an active speaker thing, or a disdain for anything hifi that isn't cottage industry?

Also, somewhere in an interview or in literature I do remember reading the co-founder flat out stating that it's impossible to break the laws of physics but through the use of pushing the technology envelope they can bend the rules further than before.

Best,

[gregfisk]

I agree on the color.  While I understand the inventory complications of multiple colors and finishes, perhaps at least a satin black or dark grey choice.

I like the stands - makes it look like a futuristic industrial parking meter or gumball machine!  It's all relative, I could more easily live with it than the B&W Nautilus.

Steve

I think you are right on about the color and the sheen makes it look cheap. flat or satin black would have made a significant difference in aesthetics to me. I don't think I could live with shiny white and I have a very modern house, the stand is cool thou.

[srb]

Maybe if it takes off they will offer other finishes.  With a pair of smooth satin black parking meters I'm sure I would grow fond of them and more importantly, wouldn't have nightmares about them or be thinking "get away from my preamplifier/DAC .... bitch".

 


Steve

[Peter J]

Maybe if it takes off they will offer other finishes.  With a pair of smooth satin black parking meters I'm sure I would grow fond of them and more importantly, wouldn't have nightmares about them or be thinking "get away from my preamplifier/DAC .... bitch".

 


Steve

Hmmm, you know Steve, now that you mention it those Nautili do look a little menacing. Alien-esque or something...

You may be onto something with the gumball machine, though. Why not have them do something besides make noise? Maybe they could shoot pill shaped gumballs out and one could try to catch them with their mouth. I'll bet they could patent that as I don't believe I've seen or heard of a speaker using that particular technology. 

[OzarkTom]

I would love to try a pair, this format will be the wave of the future someday. 105db is way too loud for me, I would have to judge them in the 60-75db range. 90db is the max for me.

[mresseguie]

"105db is way too loud for me, I would have to judge them in the 60-75db range."

Tom,

I visited a buddy recently who was showing off his M&K HT to me. He's got a nice microphone kit to measure how loud music is playing. We listened to quite a bit of 70s and 80s rock. It turns out much of it was playing at ~70 to 78dB. It was plenty loud for me. It made me realize I usually listen at even lower levels.

I do not need to hear 105dB in my room.....

[firedog]

I'm assuming the 105db is at the speaker or 1m from it, as 1m is generally how specs are written. If that's the case two of them put out a max of about 108db and at your listen point you will probably get a max of 98db.  I agree that for most people 70-80 db at the listening spot is plenty loud; louder for most is extremely loud, and many prefer 60-70db.

That said, you want the system to be capable of playing much louder, as that means it can play peaks at the volume levels you like without strain and with a natural, dynamic sound.

[macrojack]

Seems like all of this debate is being fueled by numbers and cosmetic reservations. Strange to read this stuff coming from audio purists who frequently decry the scientific in deference to the experiential - and favor the sound over all else, including looks.

Why not just file this one under "wait and see" until someone offers some real experience? If this speaker even approaches its claims, it will defy the theories and give pause to appearance objections.

[jhm731]

"Phantom won the CES 2015 EDITORS’ CHOICE AWARD in USA Today for its patented acoustic engineering technologies.
 
Devialet is proud to be the winner among 20,000 new product announcements at the CES this year!
 
Learn more on devialet.com"

[OzarkTom]

Here is a very recent review, Jan. 9.

http://televisions.reviewed.com/content/devialet-phantom-speaker-first-impressions-review

At the end of the day, all this technobabble means one thing: These are some of the best-designed speakers known to man—for the time being, anyway.

These are the luxury speakers you should buy when you have the money to spend and you want something that sounds as amazing as it looks. While we can't give you lab-tested data on this speaker after a CES show floor demo, it's clear to hear that the Phantom is special.

[absolutk]

Opinion
Having recently acquired a Devialet 200, I'm a bit torn on how to react to this news. On the one hand, the 200 is everything one could want as the center (and only) component of their 2-ch setup. On the other hand, Devialet has taken the technology from their flagship products and put it into an all-in-one that can be daisy-chained just like their flagship products.

Pricing

..., but American pricing has been set at $1,990 for the 750-watt variant and $2,390 for the 3,000-watt. You'll also need to pick up the $329 Dialog WiFi box to start building your system. Obviously, that's a huge commitment.

No, it isn't! Could I get rid of my Harbeth C7s, the D200, the Zu Event speaker cables, and the Rythmik F12G and replace it all with 2 Phantoms + a Dialog? Even if I chose the silver variant, I'd come out WAY ahead in terms of cost. This is particularly interesting given that for the Expert line, Devialet has *significantly* higher pricing in the US than in the EU.

Design
I'm not a big fan of the side profile either. But if I were to look at it from the "front", i.e. the tweeter peering out from the floral pattern cut-out, I could get used to it very easily. Another +1 in its favor is the following:

But the Phantom's strange, semi-spherical design isn't just for show; it's a rare case of form following function.

I, for one, am looking forward to our local dealer bringing in some units so I can audition them.

[OzarkTom]

According to this story from Mac news, you can use up to 24 of them at one time. 

http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/cool_stuff_found/post/ces-2015-devialets-phantom-implosive-sound-center-powered-speakers?utm_source=macobserver&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_everything

[JP78]

According to this story from Mac news, you can use up to 24 of them at one time. 

http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/cool_stuff_found/post/ces-2015-devialets-phantom-implosive-sound-center-powered-speakers?utm_source=macobserver&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_everything

line source towers?