2014 Active Setup

[AlmaataKZ]

Very nice! :clap:

Ideally, get those cables buried in the wall. It won't be an arduous task if you get professionals in.

or/and cover them with a nice centre speaker ;-)

 

[WishTree]

Very nice! :clap:

Ideally, get those cables buried in the wall. It won't be an arduous task if you get professionals in.

Thanks Bigboss! I would love to.. At best, I can get a cable channel installed on the wall but any other way to hide them is not workable as of now. To top of it, we are in this place for few months and then we will be travelling again and next year we might be moving elsewhere. Current place is essentially a stop gap and friends think that I am crazy to get a new system for few months

 

[WishTree]

or/and cover them with a nice centre speaker ;-)

Beolab 3 is the fitting center speaker (with line input as well as acoustic lens for tweeter). However, it looks like the system in 2 channel mode is already very good and might finally make me stay away from a center speaker :cheer:

 

[markiedee]

I love your setup it's just so simple and clean, the only thing I'd probably get is some trunking but once again a simple and powerful setup congrats.

 

[BenLaw]

Can I ask what you've got the speakers on - and why? They're super classy until the bottom few milimetres!

 

[WishTree]

I love your setup it's just so simple and clean, the only thing I'd probably get is some trunking but once again a simple and powerful setup congrats.

Thanks markiedee!

 

[byakuya83]

Looks fantastic. Which model is the Oppo?

 

[bigboss]

Only Oppo 105 comes in silver.

 

[Superaintit]

Interesting choice those speakers. It looks very classy, WishTree.

 

[WishTree]

I have been away from the forum for sometime. Be it the chaotic nature of the forum after the 'upgrade' or me myself getting occupied elsewhere or the whole active setup philosophy of 'nothing much to upgrade'

Well, 2015 came (long time back) and towards the middle of the year, I looked at the possibilites for a system change. I was enjoying my set up with Beolab 9 and Oppo BDP-105D but I realised that I am using less of Oppo's bluray playing capabilites and also, the RCA cables acting as antenna on one speaker starting annoying me more. Either I go for a full fledged B&) set up with Playmaker or look sideways for other choices. Playmaker is the simplest choice as everything stays as is but I have been intrigued with Devialet for a long time (Open Secret!)

With the new(ish) Devialet Phantom, I got even more inclined to look into Devialet portfolio. The reviews, are all very glorious.

So finally bit the bullet and got a pair of Silver Phantom with Dialogue!

Sound Quality wise, they are a bit different presentation than Beolab 9. Where Beolab has the feel of brute force, Phantoms felt more sophisticated. I guess what I experience is lack of distortion in Phantoms. Beolab 9 are very clean but still their bass integration between the individual transducers of the speaker feels a bit rough (possibly due to my room, who knows!) where as in the same room Phantoms are doing much better job.

At this price point, it is more about the way the sytem's (re)presentation of the sound and the way it appears to the other senses (visually, financially etc). To me Devialet Phantoms made the needed difference to switch away from B&O.

The software with Devialet Phantoms (Spark App) is buggy for some but it worked flawless in my setup from day 1. So, I got lucky there!!