Review: DALI Phantom Series Speakers
The launch of the Phantom Series speakers by DALI (Danish Audiophile Loudspeaker Industries) back in 2022 was something which really caught our attention: we have been fans of their wonderful loudspeaker products for a number of years and this foray into the custom install sector was something we had all hoped would eventually happen.
By admission, Tim Burrow is often sceptical of marketing materials and their claims of outstanding performance which typically accompany a new product launch, but on this occasion… “When I first received news of the Phantom Series, I read the specs and saw the list of materials and, well, I just believed that they would be better than anything that’s gone before.”
“We have had DALI floor-standing speakers previously and have been undeniably impressed with their performance, so being able to have in-wall speakers which promised that same performance, well, I just couldn’t ignore it.”
The subsequent demonstration of the speakers went as well as hoped for and Tim has now invested in the Phantom Series personally – as mentioned in a recent article, he has recently installed a pair of DALI Phantom Series S-280 full-size speakers and DALI Phantom Series M-675 centre speaker at his home in the South Lakes.
“They have replaced the existing speakers in our main family room – I won’t mention the brand because they are still absolutely excellent speakers – and accompany an 84” Samsung Neo QLED 4KHD TV.”
This is not a dedicated media room or home cinema, and is used on a daily basis as part of an open-plan living space that includes a dining area and kitchen. The room is also unconventional in that part of it has a sloped ceiling which extends to the main roof height, there is the kitchen with lots of hard surfaces, and a combination of conventional and full-height windows along the main exterior wall.
Not exactly the ideal place to evaluate these speakers? “Actually, the perfect place.” suggests Tim, “If we are going to recommend these speakers to our clients, then we want to be sure how they will perform in somewhere that doesn’t have all the acoustic treatments to the walls and where sound can bounce around in a less than uniform manner.”
“On one side of the room, we have the kitchen which is essentially a hole, then the hard glass surfaces of the windows, so acoustically it’s a nightmare!”
“We’ve all been into a hi-fi demonstration room and know what can be achieved, but having them in our home provides real world, everyday experience.”
“The drivers are manufactured in what is essentially quite an old style. That said, DALI have perfected this type of driver in their speaker range and the result is absolutely up-to-date in terms of their response, producing a sound which is very soft, very warm and extremely accurate.”
“The Phantom Series speakers offer a much bigger driver than we have ever been able to use in-wall, so there was another reason to invest and properly evaluate.”
So, the speakers are in place, what were they like to install and what was the initial opinion?
“Very easy to install, very well built, something which our guys all commented on. And once they were in place, the sound quality was evident right from the start, even before we had properly calibrated them.”
“As soon as we turned them on, the sound transformation in that room was quite amazing. It is a totally seamless, encompassing sound and you’re not aware of any speaker location in that room.”
“The sound is an immediately immersive experience, whether it’s a movie you’re watching or just a regular TV programme, you feel involved with what’s happening on the screen. Not once do you find yourself thinking, ‘where is this sound coming from’.”
The speaker configuration in this living area is 5.1, not even Dolby Atmos, with the existing in-ceiling and rear speakers (non-DALI) playing different tracks to complete the ‘surround sound’ sensation.
“When you feel the sound physically passing over you, it’s those speakers above and behind you working with these incredibly sensitive front DALI speakers which enables that to happen.”
High audio performance in a large awkward space
Back to the layout of the room(s) in question, surely that has meant compromise on the sound quality?
“We’ve got the ‘audio hole’ kitchen to one side, the hard reflective surfaces to the other, but the DALI speakers fill the space beautifully; if anything, I suggest the reason they are so adept and capable of handling a large and awkward space is that they are perhaps overpowered, and I’d suggest ours would be more than suitable for a much larger space.”
“Even at lower volumes, they are just a joy to listen to and live with; not just when watching movies, but everyday TV feels such a lovely experience.”
“I’m not a true audiophile who can express the nuances of what I’m hearing and experiencing, but I tend to think that the quicker I enjoy it, if it instinctively sounds good from the start, then the better I believe it is. With the DALIs, there wasn’t any ‘bedding-in’ time for Carol and I to get used to them, they were absolutely on the money right from the first moment.”
It’s official, we’re impressed.
The DALI Phantom Series speakers have already exceeded our high expectations and, having invested their own money in these, Tim and Carol are very much advocates.
This level of performance does come at a price but, in terms of getting the most ‘bang for your buck’, they are a very attractive option.
Speaking of which, there’s the appearance of the speakers themselves. They do come with magnetic cover grilles which are very easy to take off and put back on, but Tim and Carol (actually, more Carol) prefer to keep the covers off.
If desired, the cover grilles can be spray painted to a colour of your choosing but when something that sounds this good also looks this good, why would you want to hide them away?
Where can you hear the Phantom Series for yourself?
At time of writing, there isn’t any dedicated UK demonstration suite for you to experience DALI Phantom Series speakers for yourself but, should you be genuinely interested in evaluating them for yourself then Tim and Carol are happy to welcome interested persons into their own home.
As you can appreciate, this is by prior arrangement and we’ll politely ask that only genuinely interested persons – private clients, interior designers, architects etc – get in touch with us at Majik House to discuss further.
The DALI Phantom Series loudspeakers at Tim’s home work with their existing Arcam AVR5 amplifier, with Dirac Live audio calibration, accompanied by Monitor Audio in-ceiling custom install speakers.
DALI Phantom Series in-wall and in-ceiling speakers offer no-compromise audio performance and feature the same technology as DALI cabinet speakers, with seamless integration as part of a single-room or whole home custom installation.