French like the Amazon Echo Dot, or rectangular like the Nest Audio or the now-discontinued Google Home Max.
Devialet is known for its audio products which include amplifiers, speakers, soundbars, and earbuds. The brand has also partnered with Huawei on the latter's smart speakers and smart TVs. However, the Mania is its first portable speaker, and it features an interesting design that sets it apart from the competition.
The Devialet Mania is a smart speaker and the first in the company's portable speakers category. Shaped like an orb with a flat base, the speaker also has a handle that gives it a look similar to Green Lantern's lamp. Unfortunately, the Mania doesn't come in green. Instead, the speaker is provides protection against splashes. It also mentions that the speaker is a tad heavy at a little over 5 lbs.
The Mania Doesn't Come Cheap
The Mania has four full-range drivers and two woofers for 360-degree stereo sound. Devialet says that its “adaptive stereo offers a soundstage that allows it to morph and adapt to any physical space.” It runs DOS2, the same software ecosystem as the Devialet Phantom and Devialet Dione. It also has a 1.4GHz quad-core processor. Devialet's speaker connects via Bluetooth 5.0 but also s dual-band Wi-Fi. It can stream directly from Spotify as it s Spotify Connect. The Mania also has for Apple's AirPlay 2.
With Alexa built-in, it is easy to ask the speaker to play a podcast or control a compatible smart home appliance. The Mania has a 3,200mAh battery that should provide up to 10 hours of listening time, and it s USB Power Delivery (30W). There is also a companion app (available for Android and iOS) for setting up the speaker and making adjustments, in addition to physical controls on the sides of the handle. On one side are the power button, Bluetooth pairing button, and a Devialet button. This side is also home to the USB-C port and microphone toggle switch. The play/pause button, volume buttons, and battery status LEDs are on the other side.
At $790, the Devialet Mania isn't cheap, selling for more than double the $349 launch price of the Apple HomePod. That price even goes up to $990 for the Gold version which is a special Opéra de Paris edition that is gold-plated. There is also an optional $170 protection service that bumps the warranty from two to five years, and an $80 wireless charging dock (included with the special edition). The Devialet Mania ships with a charger, USB-C cable, and a carrying bag.
Source: Devialet