Design
Devialet has always promised exceptional form without compromising on the function aspect, and this new offering seems to do the same. You get a familiar round design that is much more symmetrical than the Phantom series. The entire body is covered in a fine but sturdy metal speaker grille, with two large circular cutouts on each side that provide space for the sub-woofers to breathe and vibrate openly.
A textured matte strip runs across the speaker's body and visually separates the front from the back. It features the physical control buttons and the charging port while also acting as an easy handhold for times when you need to move the speaker from one room to another. Overall, it seems to resemble the look of an old-school lantern but with a modern fit and finish.
Internals
On the inside, the Devialet Mania gets a four full-range driver array, along with two sub-woofers for a truly 360-degree sound output. As you can guess, each side gets a dual driver and single sub-woofer combo, so the sound output remains consistent no matter which direction the speaker is facing. Thanks to the presence of proprietary audio algorithms, the speakers can automatically adjust their output and sound profile based on the size and scope of the room.
This is made possible by the inclusion of four microphones, which not only let you make effortless audio calls but can also act as a measuring tool for your room, thanks to digital echolocation. As the name suggests, the microphones take specific measurements of your listening space and then automatically adjust individual speaker output to match the requirements of the room and listener. For example, if you have placed the speaker near a wall, it will automatically bump up the output of the two rear drivers to reinforce the sound produced by the front units.
Smart Features
Thanks to support for the latest WIFI and Bluetooth protocols, you can easily connect the speaker to any of your smart devices. There is even support for AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect, so you can use your favourite streaming services without worrying about compatibility issues. For more ease of use, you can take advantage of the Alexa integration, which enables voice control of the device as well as your music playback. The company claims that even with all this, the speaker can still maintain a continuous sound output for up to 10 hours at moderate volumes.
Price & Availability
The Devialet Mania has been officially launched for open sale at a starting price of $790. Even with this price tag, it is still the cheapest product on offer from the brand and can be bought from their official website, offline retailers, and other third-party resellers. Stay tuned for a more comprehensive look at the value proposition once we do a proper review of the same.
