Devialet Dione Is A Dolby Atmos Soundbar With Style To Match
Devialet has introduced some attention-getting audio devices with surprising designs throughout the years, and it looks like the company isn't done yet. Today, Devialet introduced the Dione, which is billed as an "all-in-one soundbar" designed to alleviate the need for a separate subwoofer. Anything that promises multi-speaker sound in a single-device setup is enough to get our attention, plus Devialet has packed this model with enough proprietary technology to make it sound like a capable audio device, at least on paper.
Of course, we can't see those technologies — most of them, anyway — by looking at images of the soundbar, which is eye-catching thanks to the orb taking up space in the center. Devialiet says this sphere is important for "maximizing sound restitution," but it's also something of a callback to the Devialet Phantom, which had an oblong oval shape that looked almost spherical when viewed head-on. If you were a fan of Devialet's past designs, then, it seems the sphere is partially intended for you. Of course, form and function come with a price, and that's something existing Devialet fans will already be well aware of.
Devialet Dione hides a ton of speakers and tech
Beyond the sphere — which is actually a proprietary Devialet technology called ORB — the Dione is packed with a ton of speakers. All counted up, there are eight subwoofers and nine full-range speakers made with aluminum in the Dione, so it's no wonder the soundbar doesn't need an external subwoofer considering it has so many of its own. Devialet says it uses such proprietary technologies as SPACE, which will upscale audio content to 5.1.2 spatial audio; Advanced Dimensional Experience (ADE), which sounds like a fancier form of beamforming; and Adaptive Volume Level (AVL), which, as the name suggests, automatically equalizes audio. Hopefully that means no more action movies where dialogue scenes are whisper-quiet but action scenes are deafeningly loud, as that isn't always an easy problem for standalone soundbars to solve.
Devialet says the Dione can be positioned one of two ways: it can either lie flat on a surface with the sphere facing viewers, or it can be mounted to a wall with the sphere pointed toward the ceiling. A gyro sensor inside the soundbar detects Dione's orientation and makes the proper audio adjustments automatically. The soundbar supports Dolby Atmos, HDMI 2.1 eARC, Airplay 2, and Spotify Connect. The model also has four listening modes and clocks in at just barely over 3-inches tall — though, judging from these images, it does seem to be a bit wider than most soundbars.
It sounds like Devialet has packed the Dione with a lot of hardware and technology, but the soundbar doesn't come cheap. Devialet says the Dione is available in the U.S. today for the eye-watering price of $2,400, so prepare to shell out some cash to put the Dione in your home theater.