Devialet’s huge soundbar might not need a separate subwoofer
with UK broadcaster Sky, the sound company is ready to launch its first solo soundbar for TVs, the Dione. And it’s huge.
There’s also the reality that it’s likely as wide as your new 4K TV. And as deep too. That’s because it houses 17 speaker drivers – including eight subwoofers, all custom-built to Devialet’s specifications. This means, according to the company, that there’s enough oomph to sidestep a separate subwoofer unit, with the built-in woofers reaching bass levels as low as 24Hz, and attempting to fill the company’s aim of, as CEO Franck Lebouchard told me, “bringing everything to one object”.
The most impressive trick is still the upmixing. I watched a nature documentary, first in stereo, then in Devialet’s SPACE upmixed mode, which attempts to add the richness and breadth of 5.1.2 audio to stereo audio. It works – even if this might not be true 5.1.2 audio. I could hear a richer soundstage, with the background rustles of the jungle, and the separate tweets of two birds in the midst of a courtship dance. Switching back to stereo, and everything sounds narrower, tighter.
You can switch between the modes through the companion app, as well as use the app for volume controls. There’s also a standalone controller from Devialet – sold separately – which looks like a smart thermostat. Because of course.The company’s new Advanced Dimensional Experience is its take on beamforming audio.