Author: Napier Lopez / Source: The Next Web
The Devialet Phantom was met with wide praise in the audio community a few years ago for achieving something rare: a truly full-range, compact high-end speaker. The speaker is about the size of a Sonos Play:5 but can extend below 20hz on the bass while maintaining hi-fi sound.
That it looked like a futuristic orb designed by space-faring creatures didn’t hurt.Two years later, Devialet is improving upon the original Phantom with a ‘new’ model dubbed the Phantom Elevate. It bumps up the wattage from 750 to 1,200, and max volume from 99 db to 101 db. Meanwhile the price was cut from $1,990 per individual speaker to $1,690.
I say ‘new’ in quotes because the upgrade is partly a software one. Devialet used what it learned creating its most powerful speakers, the Phantom Golds, and figured out how to pull more power from the original Phantoms, although the update is only compatible with devices produced after November 2017.
A few disclaimers: I had not heard the original Phantoms outside of listening rooms and it’s been a while since that. I’m testing a pair of the Elevates in my studio apartment, which is far from an ideal testing environment. And though I’ve listened to all sorts of hi-fi headphones, my experience with speakers in this price range is limited.
All that being said, the Phantom Elevate sound wonderful. Against my Sonos Play:5 – excellent speakers in their own right – there’s no real competition: the Phantom sound better in pretty much every respect, unless you prefer more (muddier) bass.
As one would hope, considering the price difference.What I most find remarkable is the fullness of the sound from a speaker this small; voices and instruments between almost sound like massive bodies. And as someone who lives in a tiny apartment, it’s a huge relief to not need a subwoofer. Listening to the Black Panther score, I can hear (and feel) the full breadth of the sub-bass in Killmonger’s theme, even at low volumes. There’s adequate thump for all but bassheads, and it’s pretty awesome to see the side-firing woofers move in and out at the lowest frequencies.
It’s not the most realistic sound I’ve heard at the price though. KEF’s LS50W – an oft-recommended alternative – go for cheaper and provide a more tangible soundstage and pinpoint instrument separation to my ear. They definitely don’t stretch quite as low – and they used wired stereo – but they have the flexibility of adding a subwoofer and adjusting some sound parameters in app.
Which brings me to…
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