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Devialet, based in Paris, is trying to reach a wider audience with a compact version of its audio technology, called Phantom Reactor.
The design of the Reactor echoes that of the Phantom all-in-one, but is about a quarter of the size. Equally critically, its price starts at $ 1,300 (£ 990), as opposed to $ 2,000 (£ 1,490) for the Phantom. This is still the case at a time when Amazon is virtually abandoning its Alexa-based smart speakers, and where competitors such as Google and Sonos offer a variety of speaker options.
However, Franck Lebouchard, CEO of Devialet, believes that the Reactor Devialet can help the company extend its reach beyond the thousands of audiophiles she has already attracted.
"We are talking about hundreds of thousands of people with Devialet sound at home," he said. "What we are about to announce is a major step for us. We are launching what we have been dreaming for years. "
Read more: Inside Devialet plans to conquer the American audio market with its Phantom speakers
Founded in 2007, Devialet has won over many audiophile listeners with its Expert Pro amplifiers, which start at $ 5,900 and do not include all the other components that an audio system really needs. In 2015, the company reached an important milestone with the introduction of the Phantom, a portable speaker system with stylish design and high fidelity sound.
The Phantom has worked well, but still primarily targets a small group of audiophiles willing to embark on such a listening experience. Since its launch, Devialet has continued to develop boutiques around the world to allow users to try the Phantom, while building partnerships with companies such as Apple, which offers this product in some of its stores.
The company has also integrated its audio technology into the $ 325 Sky Soundbox, a partnership that allows Sky's broadcaster customers to enjoy the power of Devialet audio technology while watching television. The integration of its technology into other products was part of the strategy announced at the end of 2016, which aimed to raise $ 106 million of venture capital.
At the same time, Devialet had started working on the reactor. Three years of R & D have finally enabled the company to find what Lebouchard describes as the right balance between design, cost and sound quality.
In terms of specifications, the Reactor has a maximum volume of 98 dB SPL and 900 W peak power. Its spherical design holds two woofers on the side that come and go with the sound. At 219mm by 157mm by 168mm and 11 pounds, it is easily carried in one hand.
The company describes the listening experience as being "the sound desired by the artist: all the details without distortion, saturation or background noise." Just a pure sound reproduction. "
Like its predecessor, Reactor can be connected via Bluetooth to Spotify Connect or Airplay. Lebouchard notes that it can also be configured and controlled via Alexa from Amazon. The company made a deliberate decision not to control the voice of its speakers, despite the trend and popularity of smart speakers.
"The decision we made is very consistent with who we are and what we want to be," he said. "We are a company that provides the best sound in the world. We can never compete in artificial intelligence. Our strategy is to be very easy to set up with the echo. We consider Amazon a close partner. "
Devialet will continue to manufacture the reactor in France, as it did with the original ghost. The factories of the company are not far from Paris, what Lebouchard said is essential to allow its engineers to maintain quality control and to continue to innovate in production and design.
A big difference, however, lies in the relationship that the company will have with retailers.
The original Phantom needed large amounts of dedicated space, which left most of the traditional retailers reluctant to realize it. But the reduced size and the lower cost of the reactor have already allowed Devialet to form partnerships with European retailers such as Fnac in France and Selfridges in the United Kingdom. The company also expects the reactor to be in Microsoft stores and Amazon.
"It allowed us to go back to major retailers around the world," he said. "With Reactor, these discussions have become very different."
This could be a big leap forward from the company's 20 stores and 500 outlets where you can find the original Phantom. And while the Reactor will likely stay out of the budgets of average listeners, Lebouchard is confident that the explosion of digital music services has created a subset of consumers looking for a better speakerphone.
"We are targeting people who like music," he said. "And the good news is that thanks to Spotify and Deezer, music is more widely available. We want to talk to people who understand the emotion of music. "
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