Soundbars don’t always have to look so bland; for proof look no further than Devialet’s uniquely-designed Dione, which prominently features a centered orb that’s meant to deliver quality surround sound without wires.
Outside of differentiating the bar aesthetically, the perfectly round orb can automatically orientate itself whether you have it placed on a TV stand or mounted onto the wall. You can also manually adjust the orb to aim the audio in a certain direction.
If you’re not an audiophile, chances are you haven’t heard of Devialet. They’re known for their funky designs, like its Phantom II speaker, the aesthetic of which inspired the Dione’s orb feature. They’re not as much as a household name as Sonos or Sennheiser, but their design and quality has earned funding from Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and others back in 2016.
Spatial sound —
Devialet managed to fit 17 drivers into the slim 3.5-inch tall shape of the Dione, 9 of them being full-range speakers and the other 8 being subwoofers. The soundbar can produce a max sound level of 101dB SPL at one meter and has a total amplification power of 950W RMS.
Devialet built a fair amount of technology into the Dione soundbar, including its Space technology that uses an algorithm to upscale any mono or stereo signal into a 5.1.2 signal so you can get surround sound for whatever you’re listening to. To get even better surround sound, Devialet has an app that can scan your room to get a better model.
The Dione also features Devialet’s Advanced Dimensional Experience that uses digital filters to improve audio and Adaptive Volume Level technology that harmonizes sound levels so you don’t ever have to deal with loud explosion scenes one minute and barely audible dialogue scenes the next.
The Dione has four modes — movie, spatial, voice and music — and can be connected through Bluetooth, AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect. You can just as well use wires to hook up the soundbar to your TV with HDMI or TOSLINK cables.
High price tag —
Devialet’s innovative design comes at a pretty steep price. The Dione costs $2,400 and is currently up for preorder on the Devialet site, with first shipments expected on April 26.
Devialet isn’t afraid of premium pricing — their Phantom II speaker costs $1,200 and their Gemini wireless earbuds cost $240. When compared to more affordable options like the Sonos Arc soundbar, the Dione’s price seems a bit high. But, it’s safe to say that Devialet is aiming for the real audiophiles out there.
