Devialet Phantom Review – The Devialet Phantom Speaker
Summary
The Devialet Phantom is a game changer and by far the most expensive Bluetooth speaker we have ever come across, period. It is hands down the loudest Bluetooth speaker available on the market that is capable of pumping out a jaw-dropping 750 Watts of pure energy – do note that Devialet also developed a more powerful 3000 Watt version which can pump out a massive 105 db. With this kind of power, it is not an exaggeration to say that these Bluetooth speakers can go as loud as an airplane engine. Listening to the Phantom for the first time was for us, quite an amazing experience we would not forget. The manufacturers claim that the Phantom emits the best sound in the world, with a unique physical impact. With no distortion at high volumes, no saturation, no background noise – the Devialet Phantom truly lives up to its name as a master piece of audio technology.
Pros and Cons
The Pros. The Devialet Phantom has unbelievably natural sound reproduction, with extremely detailed midrange, crisp highs, stunning low-frequency reproduction and bass output. Vocals sounded almost too life-like on these best Bluetooth speakers – and the music is reproduced with zero sound distortion. We also liked the nice futuristic design which gave it a very sleek and modern aesthetic appeal.
The Cons. The Devialet Phantom is probably the most expensive Bluetooth speaker on the market, and built for serious audiophiles with extra cash to spare. It is also extremely sensitive to the music source material, so be sure to use high quality audio files to stream music or the speaker will expose the flaws in the audio material.
Design and Setup
The Phantom speakers look very futuristic. They have a sleek, modern white exterior that looks like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. The speakers can also be opened up for you to admire the acoustic drivers and audio compartments that create this amazing sound. They come in a strong and very nice designed box. Opening the box is a little party in itself: when you fold the box open sideways, the Phantom stands there on a little platform. Well thought out. The speaker feels very heavy when you lift it up, which is testament to the fact that these speakers are of very high quality.
Despite all the complex machinery that goes into the Phantom speakers, these speakers are surprisingly easy to set up. You start installing these speakers by placing them in the right position or on a speaker stand, preferably near a corner to enhance bass resonance. Then you install the ‘Spark’ app on your iPhone or iPad (most Android devices are also supported). Then something magic will happen: when you touch each of the Phantoms, they start to make some ambient breathing sound and their ‘ears’ will move a little. They really come to life! Next you swipe some speaker icons in the Spark app according to your needs: 1 to the left, 1 to the right. Then you’re ready to go.
Sound Performance
When it came down to sound performance, we were initially surprised by the really good sound quality. The Phantom emits an ultra-dense sound with physical impact with no distortion from 16hz to 25khz. The bass goes deep down and is rich and full but never rumbling. The mids are clear and well defined. Highs are excellent. Listening to electronic and rock music on the Phantom felt as though we were listening to a live concert, with detailed sound separation on the left and right channels. Vocal performances were frighteningly live-like, with absolutely stunning sound reproduction that felt crystal clear and well defined.
What really stands out from the Phantom is that the sound is very realistic. A voice really sounds as if someone is singing in my very own room. Guitars, drums, piano, strings – everything is just so realistic and naturally reproduced. We would also mention that to a certain degree this would depend on the quality of the recording. Despite the Phantom’s ability to get up to a stunning 750Ws (or 3000Ws if you choose the other version), they sound incredibly good at low to moderate volumes. In fact, the Phantoms hit the sweet spot when it comes to playing music at moderate volumes, with crystal clear highs and phenomenally detailed midrange and bass response. And they will almost blow you away when you play them loud (there is no need to go for the 3000watts version unless you live in a really big room).
In short, the Phantom is a speaker which can easily compete with systems that are much more expensive and require complex setting up. Although the Phantoms do cost some serious money, they perform well above what we expected. We have reviewed many speaker systems over time but the Devialet Phantom is really something different – it is easily one of the best Bluetooth speakers ever created and probably the most expensive on the market.
The Verdict?
If you are an audiophile looking for the best Bluetooth speakers and have plenty of cash to spare, we highly recommend the Devialet Phantom due to the incredible design and sound quality. The volume can go extremely loud and it produces some of the most well defined, natural sound we have ever heard. Apart from the stunning sound quality, we absolutely loved the futuristic look, deep bass, heavy, unique sound, good customer support, and realistic omnidirectional sound. The Phantoms cuts through all of this in one purchase. The audio stream, if you use the Devialet software, is done digitally perfect straight to the Phantom system. The audio performance of the Devialet Phantom is something that you just have to experience once in a lifetime to believe that it actually exists. We were told that everything in Phantom is unique – the Phantom is protected by 88 worldwide patents and we can see why the manufacturers have gone through such lengths to protect this revolutionary invention.
Be sure to also check out our top picks for the loudest Bluetooth speakers that are selling at budget prices and capable of deliver stunning audio performances.