Devialet brings its sci-fi design aesthetics to a $790 portable speaker

Devialet, the French audio company best known for its lineup of eye-catching audio gear that looks like Daft Punk helmets, is getting into the portable smart speaker business. Today, it’s announcing the Devialet Mania, a battery-powered speaker that retains the company’s signature sci-fi stylings but in a compact form factor that it says offers 10 hours of battery life at “moderate volumes.” 

The Mania includes four full-range drivers and two sub-woofers, which Devialet says offer 360-degree sound. But perhaps more interesting is how the speaker adjusts its sound profile based on measurements of your listening space it takes from its four microphones. Place the speaker up near a wall, for example, and Devialet claims the speaker’s two rear drivers will adjust their sound to “reinforce” the front two drivers.

In terms of connectivity, the speaker supports both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth streaming. Protocols include AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect, and there’s built-in Alexa for voice commands. It’s got an IPX4 rating for dust and water resistance, which should mean it’ll survive a light splash of water, but Devialet makes no claims about it being protected from solid particles like dust or sand. There’s a USB-C port for charging or a docking station available separately.

The Devialet Mania is going on sale from today starting at an eye-watering $790. But if it sounds anywhere near as good as the company’s recently released soundbar, then that could go some way toward justifying this hefty premium over other similarly portable smart speakers. For comparison, Sonos’ portable Roam speaker offers a choice of Alexa or Google Assistant and retails for $179.