Devialet has released the Phantom, a round-shaped speaker that combines several unique ideas into one unique device. As an all-in-one speaker and amplifier, the Phantom is Devialet's attempt to enter the mass market.
Devialet has been making high-end audio equipment since 2007, with prices ranging from $8,000 to as high as $30,000. The price of the 750-watt standard model of the Phantom, which can reach volumes of 90db, is $1,990, while the 3,000-watt silver version, which can hit volumes of 105db, is $2,390.
While the company claims that the Phantom can replicate the presence and sound of speakers that are 20 times its size, the price of the Phantom could still be considered as steep. However, the question is if the revolutionary speaker is worth the price tag.
The Verge: "The Phantom is a wireless speaker that packs a number of interesting ideas into an equally interesting-looking shape... The sound is very clear, and as Devialet claims, it doesn't distort when you crank the volume. Mostly, though, it's just really freaking loud... Actually getting music to play on the Phantom is more work than it should be... Those interested in dropping north of 2,000 dollars on this thing will probably buy it for its looks as much as for its sound."
Slash Gear: "Devialet's Phantom resembles something from Portal, has audiophiles by turns fuming or fawning, and squeezes up to 3,000W into a casing some physicists say shouldn't work... Devialet promises aural astonishment, and though I was never driven to tears, the Phantom certainly delivered a more engaging sound. There's a clarity and presence that's clearly noticeable... In the Phantom, Devialet has made an astonishing, clean, crisp, and engaging music system. True, it's expensive, but you can be guaranteed there's nothing else out there much like it."
Mirror: "If the Death Star and a Storm Trooper had a baby, it would look something like the Devialet Phantom... The system is let down by its app, Spark, which is buggy... Overall, this is a very impressive sound system at a premium price, let down slightly by buggy software that's likely to be fixed in the coming months."
Engadget: "Is it for everyone? Maybe not, but it's potentially less niche than others in the genre... So how does this speaker actually sound? I heard the Phantom in two environments: first in a small 8x15 ft. office with a Devialet-provided demo playing off of a Mac using the Spark application. The bass was enveloping, while the sound of fingers gliding across tightly coiled guitar strings stood out prominently in an acoustical portion of the tune. The second occasion was in a sound-dampened studio (about 50 x 30 feet) listening to Papertwin's Alkaline (Tenant remix) and while the speaker still packed a punch and could be heard throughout the space, its impact was dissipated."
The Telegraph: "The wonderful clarity of the sound is the Phantom's party trick... At our demonstration, organ music with bass notes around 60 and 83 hz showed how admirably the design copes with these frequencies. What's more, the supremely balanced 11kg aluminium alloy core Phantom remained stock-still, evidenced by a smartphone balanced on its top... This speaker is the best in its class to date, and not surprising when you note that the Phantom has been more than two years in development and that Devialet's 40 engineers on the project notched up some 77 patents on its new baby."
Reviews on the Devialet Phantom have been mixed, though with more good points than bad ones. Audiophiles that have the cash to spare should probably at least try out a demonstration of the Phantom, and for best results, buy two of these highly advanced speakers.
