«External subwoofer? No need – why add something that’s already built in?» I was certain this was just another one of those typical empty marketing promises. But after testing the Devialet Dione, I’m not so sure.
Devialet sees itself as an innovator in the audio industry. After all, hardly any other brand aims to combine luxury, design and the highest technological standards like this audio expert from France. That goes for speakers, headphones, audio amplifiers ...
And soundbars. I present: the Dione.
A soundbar ... with a thermal detonator!?
Left/right sound channel (one driver each)
Centre sound channel (the Orb)
Two side-firing sound channels
*Two up-firing sound channels (with two drivers each)
One bass (with 8 drivers)
The Dione certainly ain’t small. It has a length of 120 centimetres, a depth of 16 centimetres and a height of seven centimetres – except for the sphere, where it goes up to ten centimetres. Because the Orb is smack dab in the middle of the soundbar, it may end up blocking the on-off infrared sensor in lower sitting TVs. Be sure to take this into account before buying the Dione.
All in all, it’s a stylish setup.
All the ports are located at the back. Similar to Sonos – and unlike with Sony – the options are rather limited. Here’s what you get:
1× HDMI 2.1 output (ARC and eARC enabled)
1× optical input (Toslink)
1× LAN
Bluetooth 5.0
AirPlay 2
Spotify Connect
UPnP
It’s a shame the Dione has no additional HDMI inputs I could use to connect external devices. That’s something I’d expect from a soundbar in this price range. I’ve come to use so many external devices – game console, set-top boxes, UHD Blu-ray player – that the four HDMI inputs found on most TVs don’t cut it.
Now let’s take a closer look at the most important supported sound formats:
Dolby Atmos
Dolby TrueHD
Dolby Digital Plus
LPCM
Sound – bass central!
Let’s start with the musical «The Greatest Showman». Boom – the Dione lets out some powerful bass right in the first shot, while a choir sings «whoa-aaaa». Cut to P. T. Barnum’s backlit silhouette; in the stands, the circus audience stomp their feet loudly to the beat. The bass starts up again. Defined and rich, it rumbles through to my core. Hot damn, I’m impressed.
Of course, the video above can’t reproduce how it actually sounded – or felt, for that matter. To clarify just how impressed I am, my own Sonos Sub barely offers more bass in this scene. At least not as far as my ears can tell.
Source: Netflix. Soundtrack: English, Dolby Digital 5.1
All this without any bothersome clattering or distortion.
So, what’s my verdict – good sound quality? No – great quality. The soundstage never feels overloaded – even with the bass on max – and the mids and highs always stand out clearly from the lows. I’m gobsmacked. The fact that one single soundbar can sound this good is beyond my understanding of soundbars. The only thing I’m missing now is spatiality.
Again, I marvel at the fact that no sound goes lost in this dynamic soundstage. Be it Miles’ desperate thumping against the pedals, the sputtering transmission, the buzzing of the brake discs glowing orange, the whistling of the wind – none of it’s lost against the roar of the powerful engine, which really lays claim to the Dione’s subwoofer drivers. Not even the dialogue fades. That’s top-notch performance for you.
Music – rich and multifaceted
«This is Berk» Source: Spotify.
Then the action passages roll in. The percussion rumbles and grumbles in the background with building intensity. The Dione’s mids drivers flood my living room. The percussion builds up even more, the Dione’s bass in tow. Enter a male choir with deep, rumbling voices, untamed and wild. I can see myself right there in the village of mad dragon-riding Vikings.
That was something! Time to pass my final judgement.
I write about technology as if it were cinema, and about films as if they were real life. Between bits and blockbusters, I’m after stories that move people, not just generate clicks. And yes – sometimes I listen to film scores louder than I probably should.
The Dione is huge. Heavy. Unique in terms of design. And, boy, is it expensive – a whopping 2,400 francs at the time of this review. But it promises to be music to the ears of even hi-fi snobs who’d normally turn up their noses in disdain at the very mention of a soundbar. How’s that possible? Thanks to 950 watts of power and no less than 17 high-end drivers, which come together in a 5.1.2 surround sound configuration. In plain English: the Dione is the only speaker you’ll need. So says Devialet. What will I think after testing it?
Admittedly, I wasn’t familiar with Devialet products before this review. I’ve since come to recognise the brand’s aesthetic signature feature: the Orb. It’s everywhere – from Devialet’s Phantom speakers to the Mania Bluetooth speakers, which my colleague David recently reviewed with an underwhelmed verdict.
Product test
Devialet Mania: looks good, but I don’t love it
by David Lee
On the Dione, the Orb sits in the centre of the rectangular soundbar. My colleagues have compared the design to a spirit level. As a «Star Wars» fan, I claim it’s more like a soundbar with a thermal detonator. C’mon, that’s a much cooler comparison! The fact that I’m a fan of the design might also have something to do with my déformation professionelle. Over the years, I’ve seen and tested so many soundbars, so I tend to be more excited by new ideas that go beyond «rectangle with a glossy finish»
The sphere on the Devialet Dione looks to me like a thermal detonator from «Star Wars». Source: Luca Fontana
But what exactly is inside the Dione? As mentioned, 17 high-end drivers – eight of which are long-throw subwoofers with cast aluminium baskets. I’ve never seen so many built into a soundbar. The idea behind this is to make having an external subwoofer completely obsolete. In addition, there are eight aluminium full-range drivers: three radiating out to the front (one of the drivers is inside the Orbexciter, two to the side and four upwards. This makes for the following overall soundstage:
And there you have it – a soundstage with a 5.1.2 system. In total, without any accessories, the Dione offers 950 watts of nominal output. For comparison, the Sony HT-A7000, which I recently reviewed, manages 500 watts. Add two rear speakers and a dedicated subwoofer, and you’ve got a 7.1.4 system with 980 watts of nominal output for just under 2,000 francs.
In the centre is the sphere; to its left and right, eight subwoofer drivers. Further to the sides are the remaining drivers. Source: Devialet
Having said that, its size isn’t all bad; the built-in drivers are correspondingly large, meaning you get fuller sound than with a smaller soundbar. In addition, the Dione looks fantastic. It’s got fabric covering on all the drivers – at the front, sides and top. The centre portion of the top, on the other hand, has a matt finish which covers the subwoofers. And the sphere? It gives Devialet’s soundbar a distinctive look. For 400 francs more, you can even get the white and gold version called «Dione Opéra».
The design of the Devialet Dione is unusual. And that’s exactly why I like it. Source: Luca Fontana
That’s it. The Dione supports neither DTS:X, the DTS equivalent of Dolby Atmos, nor DTS Digital Surround. UHD Blu-rays especially often still fall back on DTS formats. In the near future, streaming service Disney+ also plans to offer a DTS:X soundtrack for IMAX-enhanced content. Devialet’s soundbar can handle DTS formats but converts them to a lower-quality PCM 5.1.2 format for output.
Is this a deal breaker? Let’s put it this way: for 90 per cent of people, the audible difference will be minimal to nigh non-existent. I only hear the difference in the case of really good sound mixes – which is by no means every DTS:X or Dolby Atmos mix. There are differences in quality when it comes to them. However, if you’ve got demanding ears and are therefore willing to invest several thousands of francs into a sound system, you’ll probably be disappointed regardless. Even Sonos now supports DTS Surround (they didn’t for a long time, either); Sony even DTS:X. Here’s the thing: if Devialet openly describes itself as «an acoustical engineering company operating at the intersection of luxury and cutting-edge technology», this is a faux pas the French manufacturer really can’t afford.
There’s one thing I’m especially curious about: can the eight subwoofer drivers inside the soundbar really replace an external subwoofer? In most soundbars, drivers that should really only cover the mids and highs will end up taking over the lows, i.e. the bass, too. The resulting sound often feels overloaded. If, on the other hand, you hook up an external subwoofer to exclusively take care of the bass, the drivers in the soundbar can better concentrate on their actual job – the highs and mids. The result is clearer, not overloaded sound as well as a much more powerful bass. This is something I’ve previously written about in my Sonos Sub Mini review. Devialet has dedicated quite a bit of space on its soundbar to the built-in dedicated subwoofers – for an all-in-one device. But is it enough?
On to the next test. I recently discovered a new movie with a terrific sound mix: «Edge of Tomorrow». It tells the story of a war against alien invaders who are superior to humans. But all might not be lost. A battle on a French beach is to mark the turning point. Tom Cruise and a host of soldiers are hundreds of metres above ground when their military helicopter is struck, breaking apart with a deafening bang. In an effort to save themselves, they jump before the chopper comes crashing down.
Chaos. Terror. Metal being ripped apart. Humans in iron exoskeletons being hurled into each other. Everyone’s screaming for their dear life. I hear the aliens’ projectiles as they whizz past me, missing me by a hair’s breadth. Explosion after explosion thunders through my living room. Flying debris almost clobbers me. Others aren’t so lucky; bones break, bodies are crushed. The bass rumbles. The first hapless soldiers come crashing onto the hard ground. With that, the humans start shooting back as the fighters run, cursing and swearing, towards certain death.
Don’t get me wrong – the Dione easily fills my 35-square metre living room with sound. But it all comes from in front of me; from the soundbar. Of course, Devialet, like all manufacturers, has bestowed upon itself a fancy marketing term for a technology that’s supposed to make you think there are more speakers in the room than there physically are. Devialet calls it «Space» technology. In reality, this is simply digital audio manipulation – nothing out of the ordinary. All manufacturers implement techniques and algorithms in their audio devices to get more out of the sound. The bottom line is if you want true surround sound, you can’t avoid setting up physical speakers where you want the sound to come from, i.e. next to, above and behind you. Otherwise, there just won’t be any output from those directions. No matter what story marketing spins, virtual speakers that can legitimately replace physical ones have yet to be invented.
Let’s move on the to the final test: «Ford v Ferrari» – a great movie, by the way. Miles’ brakes have just failed. In desperation, he attempts to engage the transmission brake by downshifting. The Dione reproduces the metallic sound with crystal clarity despite the deep rumbling. The car spins with a screech. Miles has lost control. The water-filled barrels marking the track are hurled through the air with a resounding thump. It’s no use; Miles crashes into a hill. Bam! The explosion rumbles through my living room. For a moment, I feel like I’m on the track myself.
Of course, the Devialet Dione lends itself to more than just bomb-filled alien invasions. You can, of course, also use it for listening to music. In fact, you can set up a multi-room system with the Devialet app for Android or Apple devices and several Devialet speakers. The app itself is minimalistic and organised. It’s a shame I can’t control my music directly in the app, though. Even if I link Spotify to the Dione, I can only control the volume in the app itself; for everything else – like to change the track – I have to go back to the Spotify app. In this respect, Sonos wins.
But on to actual playback. I’ve chosen «This is Berk» from «How to Train Your Dragon» as my test track. Why, you ask? First, because this track offers everything from quiet, contemplative passages to epic, max intensity action ones. And second, I’ve heard this score dozens of times, so I know exactly how each segment should sound. I know where the bass should boom and where I want that proper punch.
Again, the video doesn’t do justice to what I hear in real life. I suppose the soundstage is too epic for my camera to cope with. The Dione, for one, isn’t fazed. Berk’s theme plays strong and full on the brass instruments. The Dione has something resonating in the pit of my stomach. A clarinet pipes up. (Or at least what I believe to be one.) Then the strings join in. I hear their melodic stroking, which adds a whole new dimension to the track. In the background, I appreciate the drums gently setting the beat. A female choir fills the highs, giving the entire thing a heavenly vibe. The soundstage is rich and complex.
Admittedly, when Devialet asked me if I’d like to test the Dione, I was sceptical. Mainly because of its price tag – 2,400 francs at the time of my review. That’s how much I’d pay for an entire Sonos, Sony or Samsung surround sound system, not just for the soundbar alone. The Dione is definitely one of the most expensive soundbars available.
The Dione from Devialet has one goal above all: to stand out. Source: Luca Fontana
Over the course of testing the Dione, my scepticism turned into enthusiasm. Its architecture beats that of all the soundbars I’ve tested so far. And it does so by a longshot. This is mainly thanks to its dedicated subwoofers. In tandem with the other drivers, they create a soundstage that not only fills a large living room with ease but never sounds overloaded. In fact, I’ve rarely been able to hear so many facets of sound without additional devices. This is no marketing mumbo-jumbo on Devialet’s part.
So do I recommend the Dione – no ifs and or buts? Well, yes and no. Digital audio manipulation or not, you won’t get surround sound with the Dione. What’s more, it’s not expandable for home theatre use; additional speakers can only be added as part of a multi-room system for listening to music. So, if you want to hear the bioluminescent jungle on Pandora from the movie «Avatar» whooshing and crackling from every corner of your living room, you won’t be happy with the Dione. But if your room doesn’t allow for umpteen speakers and subwoofers, then I’ll say this: I haven’t tested anything else that sounds as good as the Devialet Dione.
