Devialet, the high-end French audio technology company known for its winning audio equipment and accessories – including Expert 1000 Pro Amplifier, Dione soundbar, Phantom speakers and Gemini earbuds has added another product to its lineup. The premium brand has debuted its first-ever truly portable speaker with the promise of exceptional intelligent sound delivery without compromising on design.
Christened Devialet Mania, the portable speaker has the peculiar Daft Punk helmet vibe to it, and geeks will want to sport it in their desk setup without a doubt. Not surprisingly the battery-powered speaker carries a mind-numbing price tag of $790, and will only be the privilege of rich brats, or a crazy audiophile who wants to burn a hole in their pocket.
Designer: Devialet
The meticulously designed speaker has no front or back, boasting a roundish design like a kettlebell at the gym. What makes this portable speaker premium in audio quality is the intelligent use of technology to calibrate sound based on where it is placed. For example, if the Mania is placed near a wall, the speakers will pump the sound to make it wider and thumping. This is done via the four microphones at the base of the speaker, performing Active Calibration to map the room for acoustics. Things like bigger obstacles, furniture and walls to “automatically adapt the audio rendering” to adapt to the surroundings.
Just for the record, Mania has six individual drivers, four Hi-Fi speakers projected in each corner, and high-excursion woofers to create the best sound out there you can expect from portable Bluetooth speakers. The company provides this speaker with an automatic room mapping option to guide the machine learning model to ascertain the level each speaker needs to operate at for the best-sounding audio. IPX4-rated Mania gets built-in Alexa for voice commands along with support for AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect.
Devialet Mania is available in three finish options – Deep Black and Light Gray for $790 and the flamboyant Opéra de Paris has 24-karat gold components priced at $990. The charging dock is priced at $80 for the first two, while the third will get it as a part of the package.