Wireless Speakers Devialet Phantom Gold

This is our review of the Devialet Phantom Gold, the best wireless speaker that we have ever reviewed. It is also the most expensive and powerful, but quite small in comparison. It combines materials such as kevlar and titanium. It encompasses about a hundred different patents developed by the French manufacturer Devialet.

We update twice a year this review. In the updates we consider new accessories and updates in the firmware and in the application to configure and control the device. With major application changes now, we decided to update again this review.

The Phantom series from Devialet, most recently expanded by the Phantom Silver (I have reviewed the Silver in this article) as an upgrade to the standard model, has a clear claim: the performance of this Devialet Phantom Gold should not only impress on paper, but also in practice.

The Phantom Gold has an incredible 4500 watts of power at its disposal, which makes a sound pressure level of 108dB (!) possible. It, therefore, requires a main connection and is therefore only suitable for stationary use.

Devialet Silver Phantom blew us away when we tested it in 2015. Not because it was the most user-friendly high-end product we had ever seen – which it was! We updated in 2020 the article about the Devialet Silver Phantom here.

What captivated us was the fact that it breached the boundaries of what we thought was possible. A small wireless loudspeaker that can fit in a bookshelf was able to fill the room with an extreme sound pressure and, moreover, with just as deep a bass as a pair of floor-standing loudspeakers.

With a peak effect of 3,500 watts, it blasted away with 105 decibels. A technological child prodigy, which in addition sounds particularly good.

It is super expensive, and even on sale, it costs an arm and a leg for just one speaker. Yes, because we are of course talking about a wireless multi-room speaker that can work alone in mono. But it is obviously more fun with a pair connected in stereo. You will be a lot poorer with a pair of Silver Phantom in the living room. But now, Silver has to abdicate from the throne, since the Gold Phantom has arrived.

It has the same white missile shape with the exception that the silver side plate has been replaced by a gold one. The price has increased significantly per piece, so the price for a pair is quite hefty. And here we go all in, testing a stereo pair.

What do you get for the extra money? First of all, the power amplifier capacity has increased from 3,500 to 4,000 watts, and the maximum sound pressure from 105 to 108 decibels. It may not seem so much, but it means that the lower sound pressure can be rendered with even more control and dynamism.

“Phantom, 3 years of R&D, 88 patents filed, 100 million invested... ” – stop. We all know the song, and for good reason: Devialet, a master in the art of marketing, is proud to have created the best wireless speaker of all time.

Let´s forget their marketing announcements and observe the facts: Gold Phantom, 1.58 gallon (6 liters) of volume and 24 lb (11.4 kg) at the withers, promises a power of 4500 Watts with a harmonic distortion amplification rate of 0.0005% and a frequency response sweeping the audible spectrum at +/- 2 dB. On paper, the speaker’s performance seems to defy the laws of physics, but what about it… in reality?

Differences Between Phantom Gold And Phantom Silver: Higher Price And More Watts

If you believe the figures of the French manufacturer Devialet, more than 200,000 phantom loudspeakers are produced per year. Not all of them carry the title Gold, like our test pattern, because besides the royal version there is also the version Silver and a normal Phantom, completely without attribute and title. The difference? The difference between the standard version and the Gold Phantom is 1190 dollars (1100 Euro) and 3300 Watt!

According to the specification, the Gold Phantom has 4,500 watts, measured as a peak.

According to the manufacturer, the Phantom is “the best wireless loudspeaker in the world”. But behind the promises of the marketing department there are no empty shells, but real technological wonders in sound, manufacturing, and design. This comes, of course, at a price.

Improvements From The Silver Version

There are many improvements from the Silver version. One improvement, the frequency response, gets an extension from 14Hz to 27kHz (which is beyond the quality for both human hearing and the frequency for a CD production). Additionally, the company has also improved the digital signal processing (DSP) of the wireless speaker. In terms of the power, the company has also boosted it from the ludicrous 3,000 watts (that comes in the previous models) to an amazing 4,500 watts.

Since the Phantom model is a “gold” product, you have to expect that the said wireless speaker comes with the precious metal finish. The side parts of the Devialet Gold Phantom, called the “gills” are covered with 22-carat rose gold and this is one design that makes it truly high-end.

Better Amplifier

Like the smaller siblings Phantom and the Silver Phantom, Gold uses a so-called hybrid amplifier between Class A and Class D, which Devialet calls ADH. This operates in Class A – the purest but also the least effective way of amplifying a signal – within a normal volume, which in reality only needs a few watts.

But when you need more power is required – as when playing very loudly, the amplifier switches briefly and concisely to the far more efficient Class D. The whole thing is controlled digitally, so that both the sub-woofers play in perfect synergy with each other.

“If it was not for the ADH amplifier, this construction would have been impossible,” said Devialet’s Marketing Manager, Thierry Massoubre, when he delivered the Silver Phantom at that time. “Otherwise one of the drivers would always dominate the other. But here they are absolutely, perfectly controlled, in perfect symmetry.”

The amplifier technology is further refined in the Gold model and is called ADHV2. Where the siblings are quiet, the amplifier in Gold is silent as the grave. Try to put your ear to the tweeter, you will never hear anything.

New Digital Converter

The amplifier is not the only attribute that is new. The entire digital section has been replaced. Whereas the more affordable Phantom models use a DAC from Texas Instruments (PCM1798), Devialet has developed its very own DAC for the Gold Phantom.

This is now an integral component of the ADHV2 amplifier and pushes the digital noise floor from -106 dB and down to -112 dB. It should be noted that there is hardly any microphone or instrument with a noise floor lower than -110 dB, which is around 18-bit resolution. Thus, Gold Phantom will, in theory, be able to reproduce the entire dynamic range on any studio recording.

Construction From Aluminum To Titanium

The missile shape on the cabinet is not a simple coincidence or the display of signature design. A round cabinet prevents upright bass waves. Moreover, it also manages better treble tones that move across the surfaces of a square cabinet, whereupon they are transmitted in all directions as they hit the edges of the cabin. Also known as diffraction, which creates distortion and an inaccurate stereo perspective.

In front of the cabinet sits a coaxial driver with the tweeter mounted in the center of the mid-range driver. The tweeter on the Gold Phantom is made of Titanium, an upgrade from the aluminum dome on the Silver.

Changes In The Price And The Quality

In consideration of the price attached to the Devialet Gold Phantom, the wireless speaker is surely a stand out among others with it being offered at $3000. This may be a high priced wireless speaker but it is also a high-end one which is compared to well-known premium models like the Naim Audio Mu-So as well as the Raumfeld Stereo L.

Compared to the previous version which is the Silver Phantom, the Gold model is $600 more but take note that a lot of noteworthy changes were made. Improvements in the Gold Phantom wireless speaker includes the provision of a smoother mids and treble responses leading to better audio production and performance, an extension of frequency response, in addition to the change in tweeter component from aluminum to a more durable titanium build which will allow for a better treble quality.

Unboxing the Devialet Phantom: The Contents Of The Box

Unlike other unboxings, unboxing the Phantom is an experience by itself. The first thing you tell yourself is “Damn, this thing is huge”. And it actually is.

Once you get over drooling over the package contents of the Phantom, its actually time to take a look at the contents inside. Here, there is not much.

You will find just the bare essentials to get you started. Apart from the speaker itself, you will find a power cable, an instruction manual, and also warranty information and safety precautions to take when using the speaker. Once all of it is unpacked, we finally got around to playing around with the Devialet Phantom. The Devialet Phantom Gold even has its own carrying pouch that resembles a Bowling Ball bag retailing for around $450 upwards.

Presentation

As a preamble to this test, we would like to draw the reader’s attention to the fact that Gold Phantom is a wireless speaker which, like Perceval, only needs to be considered as such. No need to compare it to a pair of Genelec or Cabasse, its rivals are to be found on the Zeppelin Air, SoundDock and other Aura.

The rating criteria, therefore, differ from those of a Hi-Fi speaker (the 5-star rating would be denied just because there is no analog input), not to mention those of a monitoring speaker.

We would like to point out that the price does not fall within the rating criteria.

There is no analog input, but could be connected with 720p monitors and dumb TVs through Bluetooth. Depending on the size of your room or home theater, you could simply detach the speakers from the TV, as we showed in our article with the Pioneer Kuro that is an old television with a decent resolution, and connect a Devialet speaker.

Connected briefly with a Samsung OLED monitor, I could test the Devialet in Dolby Digital and in DTS Neo 2.5. Excellent both formats in the Devialet. However, I have not noticed any audible difference. I am sure that DTS could have a better waveform analysis as we discuss in the DTS Neo 2.5 article, but not something you can differentiate in a double-blind or ABX test.

The Phantom Gold nestled seamlessly between the polished wooden paneling of the projection room at home, despite – or precisely because of – its extraordinary appearance, was both an eye-catcher and a sculpture. The white, ellipsoidal case with the gold-plated side surfaces on both long sides can just be called compact, it will fit on every larger – and stable – sideboard. Devialet also offers wall mounts and tripods for the Phantom.

The sides in fine 22 carats rose gold leaf is just as much a sign of his life-affirming style as the lightness of the aluminum woofer and midrange driver cones.

Only the titanium tweeter cone brings a light pinch of hardness into the game, but of course, we do not mean that in terms of sound. As far as the timbre is concerned, the Gold Phantom plays just as flawlessly as its visual appearance suggests. After all, white contains all the colors of the spectrum in their entirety and purity. So it is symbolically the optimal color to summarize what happens acoustically. Because the white of the Phantom – actually a RAL 9016 (Pantone 705) – conveys the charm of a canvas on which colorful pictures are drawn.

Weighing in at around 11.4KG and measuring 10”H x 9.9”W x 13.5”D (253 * 255 * 343mm), the Devialet Phantom actually looks like an abnormally shaped egg of some futuristic creature.

Composed of an all-white sturdy plastic body, the front of the speaker contains the main driver that is protected by a rather ornate grill, adding to the swankiness and aesthetic of the phantom’s design. On either side of the body of the speaker, you will find two woofers that are used for low-frequency effects AKA the “bass”.

When handling the Devialet Phantom, we actually learned that the best way to carry the speaker is by holding it from the front and back. You should also be very careful to not apply pressure to the front grill or the woofers on the side as they can get damaged if enough pressure is applied.

Taking a step back to look at the speaker itself, it does not really look like a speaker at all. In fact, if we did not know, we would have thought it was something else entirely.

Right behind the two woofers, you will find two removable panels which we dubbed “fingerprint magnets”. Branded with the Devialet logo, the panels do not really serve a purpose, except when you remove it and find a sticker saying you should not open the speaker.

Located at the back of the speaker is the Power button and also the port to connect the power cable. The speaker itself is quite heavy and once set down on a surface will not easily move around or roll about. This will play a significant part in our testing later on below (you will see why).

Ergonomics And Workmanship

Throughout this test, we have constantly noticed how Devialet works with the user’s body to try to create an almost animistic experience. And when we say “to the body”, it is not a figure of style: the hearing is of course solicited, but also the sight and touch.

If, from the front, the speaker mimics a sphere look, in profile its “biophilic” lines are more like a bean. The main body, composed of two symmetrical white ABS shells, has a surprisingly unsightly and unassuming middle junction, unlike the hollow joints that criss-cross the rest of the speaker.

What seems at first glance to be the time capsule of an alien from a science fiction movie, is a pretty ingenious 3-way speaker with a tweeter, midrange, and a pretty spectacular woofer.

The tweeter can still be recognized quite obviously by the flower-shaped perforated grille, but the wider ring around it already represents the midrange driver, one can hardly imagine.

The third way, the bass driver, was placed by the French company, in a double version on the left and right of the sides, so that one can basically speak of a real point source. This eccentric object, which consists of an unbelievable 1 610 components, is manufactured with the highest precision.

In 60 work steps, it passes through over 250 standardized quality assurance checks. More than any other speaker. Any normal person would now say, okay, a high-end manufacturer can do that too. But not every two minutes. Because that is the frequency at which the Phantoms are produced. Of course, this is only possible with the help of robotics and computer control. And just like the product, the laboratories and production lines of the French factories where the Phantom is manufactured look the same. The whole thing is somewhat reminiscent of the series production of vehicles. Any Hollywood movie set from a space strip would be happy about the technology and atmosphere of this company.

The front part, cut into three concentric rings, draws in the center an openwork rosette behind which is a titanium dome tweeter, mounted coaxially with the midrange driver. The logo of the brand in punch overhangs the whole and takes up the pattern of water drop sketched by the outer circle.

The whole is truncated in the lower part so as to slightly tilt the loudspeakers upwards. The sides, carved, accommodate a lacquered pink gold plate, the eponymous shade of the model. The brand name is embossed and the aluminum dome woofer is housed there as an extension of the front sphere.

By lifting it the height/weight ratio is surprising: extremely dense, Gold Phantom weighs no less than 24 lb (11.4 kg) for an interior volume of only 1.58 gallons (half a dozen liters).

The speaker has only one button. Among other things, it is used to reset the configuration.

If the plug is in the socket, the box is always ready for use and draws around 20 watts even without music playback. There is no standby mode. A network socket and an optical digital input are available as connections. However, access to both sockets is only possible if the mains plug is pulled, which covers the connections. That’s not very user-friendly!

Only a short manual in miniature format is included in the delivery – for a device in this upscale price range one would be pleased about more information.

A remote control is available separately for just under 150 euros, the Dialog Box for connecting several Phantoms in multi-room operation costs just under 300 euros. It is also equipped with an optical digital input. Devialet also has a tailor-made bag in its range for convenient transport.

The speaker can handle WLAN, Bluetooth, and AirPlay. Stream files with up to 24 bits and 192 kilohertz are supported. Integration into the domestic network is possible via the “Spark” app. Here you have access to your own songs from your smartphone, to Internet radio and to the music services Deezer, Qobuz, Tidal, and Spotify via corresponding paid subscriptions.

Setting up the Devialet Phantom Gold: Bluetooth And WiFi

After we unpacked the device, now we will set it up. I have chosen the easiest way to do it.

The Devialet Phantom Gold speaker can connect to a device via a number of ways. The primary (and easy) way to connect is via Bluetooth. Here, akin to setting up a regular Bluetooth speaker, you would switch on the speaker and search for it in your device’s Bluetooth settings and then pair it up.

Apart from that, the Devialet Phantom can also be connected via WiFi. This requires additional software to be installed on your Laptop, tablet or even smartphone. Called Devialet Spark, the software offers an all in one solution to connect, pair and control the Devialet Phantom Gold speaker.

According to the specifications of the speaker, you can connect up to a total of 40 Devialet Phantom Gold speakers and link them all up. From there, you can literally get each one to play a different song and control each speaker individually. You can even set them up in pairs to have stereo sound from wherever you are. All this, through the Devialet Spark app.

While Bluetooth only allows one speaker to be connected at a time to a device, using Spark, you can connect a pair of speakers via Wi-Fi. The app takes care of setting up speakers and actually took only a few seconds for us to start our playback testing. For starters, we used a laptop and connected via Bluetooth to see how the Devialet Phantom would perform.

The Phantom can be connected via Ethernet or an optical cable, as we briefly said before. The latter is particularly interesting for TVs or external preamplifiers as feeders beyond the network. Both inputs hide extremely skillfully under the power button on the back behind the cover of the power cable. They are honestly so well hidden that we almost missed them for our test.

But even that would not have been tragic because we are testing “the best wireless speaker in the world” as Devialet likes to say, and the integration into the network is – without exaggerating – really excellent.

On the smartphone, we install the Phantom Remote app from Devialet, which finds the loudspeaker abruptly because it sends a Bluetooth signal on factory settings and thus also makes itself publicly known without a network.

Another in-house app also offers a whole range of high-class streaming services, including old friends such as Deezer, Spotify, Qobuz and Tidal, but also classic web radios or the in-house platform “Live on Phantom”, via which Devialet offers live streams from major concert halls. But as soon as you have access and the loudspeaker opens the domestic network periphery all the settings are completed. It is as if the Phantom had waited all his life to play.

A simple power cable is embedded at the rear under the ventilation grille.

Once connected, the loudspeaker, which is not very cooperative, does not emit the slightest sign of being powered up. Not the slightest light, not the slightest… Ah. Yes, it is. After a few seconds, a flickering chord invades the room, Phantomatic so minor indicating that Gold is on and ready to connect.

Since the Devialet Gold Phantom is a wireless speaker on its own, it can connect in different wireless options of which can be considered both as a Wi-Fi speaker or a Bluetooth speaker. If you prefer streaming it inside your home, you can choose the option of making it as a Wi-Fi speaker which you can control via its dedicated app (for Android, iOS, and Mac), known as the Phantom Shark app. With the app, you can stream music through the Wi-Fi speaker using different streaming services like Spotify, Deezer, Tidal, and Qobuz.

However, if you do not feel connecting the wireless speaker via Wi-Fi, you can use the Devialet Gold Phantom as a Bluetooth speaker. You can pair your devices and play your music with the Bluetooth speaker and still the sound would be pretty decent. If you want to boost the audio from the Wi-Fi speaker or Bluetooth speaker, you can connect two (2) Gold Phantoms together and create a more powerful sound (if you are willing to spend about $6000 for both models).

Connecting the Spark App To Configure The Devialet Speaker

After we connected the device via Bluetooth or WiFi (these are the recommended ways to connect the device), we have to download the Spark application that allows us to configure completely the device.

First of all, you need to download Spark, an essential application for configuring Devialet products. Several options are then available to the user. It is possible to use it “solo” by connecting directly to it via Ethernet or via Wi-Fi connection.

To do this, you have to press the button on the back of the speaker once, to which Phantom reacts by emitting a distinctive “click” while shaking its lateral gills. All you have to do is connect from your device to the PhantomSetup network, then let yourself be guided by the application.

The application first recognizes Dialog, after which you must place your hand on the back of each speaker for it to be recognized. The recognition is systematically validated by the expiration of the speakers, as always accompanied by the excitement of the woofers.

The connection technology is extremely basic: Gold Phantom is AirPlay and Bluetooth compatible and has a Toslink input on board, attached to an RJ-45 port, carefully hidden in the hollow of the power supply base.

Dialog has strictly identical connectivity. HDMI or RCA point… or even an analog input in mini-jack. The same applies to the remote control, which is only used to adjust the volume… which is already done from the application without which the speakers cannot be controlled. In short, no need to say more: it is useless.

No other connection or setup is needed. You do not need to connect an amplifier to it.

User Experience

Streaming services include Deezer, Qobuz, Tidal, a comprehensive list of radio stations (organized by country and music genres) and, as always, Spotify Connect. To take advantage of the latter, you must exit the application, go to the appropriate application, then select the name of the multiroom group created in “Available devices”).

The Results Of the Test

But What is “Devialet”?

For the record, the brand name refers to Guillaume Vialet, engineer and sub-inspector of civil engineering and pavements, Diderot’s friend and co-author of some articles in the Encyclopedia. Devialet says it is “deeply inspired by the Philosophy of Enlightenment” and “aspires to scientific progress that makes mankind better” – the name of the company that owns the “Ingénierie Acoustique de France” extension, which voluntarily remains in Molière’s language, even in other countries. A true tribute or marketing smoke, the etymological anecdote remains interesting.

B. Ludwig

I am Bob. I work as an audio engineer and audio technician. I work in mastering and arranging bridges in existing songs and the arrangement and orchestration of the chorus. In Planet HiFi I test gear for a couple of days and write a review. I also write about AV topics, amplifiers, speakers, and headphones.