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The startup Devialet, which introduces the high-end Phantom music speaker to pop-stars A-listers, wants to expand its appeal by selling a more affordable wireless version to a wider audience.
In the form of a glossy white pod, the new $ 999 Wireless Phantom Reactor costs about $ 2,000 less than its big brother. Less than 9 inches wide and 7 inches tall, but with a maximum volume of 98 decibels, it is almost as loud as a jackhammer or, according to Devialet, a symphony orchestra playing at full power.
Devialet ships tens of thousands of Phantoms every year, said managing director Franck Lebouchard. But by selling its products to more retailers, including Amazon, it plans to transfer hundreds of thousands of cheaper models.
"We want to bring a pure sound: zero distortion, zero background noise, no saturation," said Lebouchard in the Paris offices of the company, where he raised the volume to "Hotel California" Eagles. "We are on a mission to bring this pure sound to a growing number of people."
Over the years, Devialet's Ghost, priced between $ 1,690 and $ 2,990, has won over celebrity clients like Beyonce and Jay-Z, rapper Will.i.am, and Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan. The price climbed to 2,790 euros (3,200 dollars) in Europe for a special version designed for opera lovers, with rose gold plated flanks of 22 carats.
Although the new Phantom Reactor is in a different and more sophisticated part of the market compared to products such as Apple's $ 349 HomePod or Sonos Inc.'s $ 199, consumers are still trying to seduce them. smart speakers. . According to data compiled by Forrester Research, less than one million US households had such a product in 2015. This year, 26.2 million households own one, and by 2022 this number is expected to more than double to 66, 3 million.
Founded 11 years ago, sound quality is a priority for Devialet. Among its investors, telecom giant Xavier Niel, carmaker Renault, chip maker Foxconn and Bernard Arnault – the richest in Europe and the CEO of luxury giant LVMH. It has raised 155 million euros so far, but does not intend to seek more for the moment, said Lebouchard.
The company, which does not disclose financial data, has a team of 100 people working in research and development. It took three years of R & D efforts to develop the reactor and this year Devialet built a plant in Fontainebleau, France, with the ability to produce one unit every 49 seconds.
To sell the Phantom Reactor, the company said it would expand its distribution network by selling its products to more retailers, growing from 500 outlets to 1,000 in six months. "Engaging in everyday products such as smartphones is not yet viable without compromising sound quality," said Lebouchard.
"We want to continue to move towards smaller, more portable and more autonomous products, but we want to go step by step," said Pierre-Emmanuel Calmel, co-founder and chief technology officer. "If I tell my R & D team that we are going to compromise on the sound, half of them will leave – we are not about to compromise on this."
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