When it was launched in 2015, Devialet's 750 W Phantom wireless speaker looked like nothing else on the market – throwing out distortion-free sound and commanding an eye-watering price tag. Silver and gold editions followed that increased to 3,000 W and 4,500 W respectively, and last year the "basic" version got a bump to 1,200 W. Now a mini Phantom has been released, which the French high-end audio house is calling the Reactor.
Devialet says that the Phantom Reactor has been 3 years of research and development and has resulted in 11 new patents being secured. It's reported to be four times smaller than the classic, silver or gold Phantoms at 219 x 157 x 168 mm (8.6 x 6.1 x 6.6 in) and tips the scales at 10 lb (4.5 kg), with the company boasting that it's "small enough to be held in the palm of your hand, but can play as loud as a symphony orchestra at full force."
The Reactor comes in two flavors – a 600 W peak model with 95 dB SPL at 1 meter and a 900 W variant with 98 dB SPL. Again, Devialet is promising "dazzling detail with zero distortion, zero saturation or background noise." The actual total harmonic distortion figure is quoted as 0.001 percent, which is as close to zero as makes no difference, and the frequency response is 18 Hz - 21 kHz.
The curvy wireless speaker system combines Class A analog amplification with Class D digital technology, sports the now signature push-push woofers to the sides and a single full-range speaker, includes Speaker Active Matching for control of the speakers, and Heart Bass Implosion for rocking the low end "with phenomenal depth and physical impact."
It works with Bluetooth, Spotify Connect and AirPlay or any UPnP source device, or if you'd rather go cabled, there are analog and optical jacks available. And the speaker can be remotely-controlled using a mobile app.
Devialet has opened a dedicated manufacturing facility to produce the Reactors, which are up for pre-order on October 24 for starting prices of US$999 (600 W) and $1,299 (900 W). You can take a short tour in the promo video below.
Product page: Devialet Phantom Reactor