Devialet Phantom Ultimate 98 dB Review: Big Sound From a Tiny Stereo System

The Devialet Phantom Ultimate 98 dB looks like a sculpture first and a speaker second, but that impression vanishes the moment it starts playing. Each speaker is rated at 98 dB SPL at 1 meter, with a claimed 18Hz-25kHz frequency response and 400W of amplification, while a stereo pair is rated at 101 dB SPL. At the time of writing, Devialet lists the standard Phantom Ultimate 98 dB at $1,900 each and the Opéra de Paris edition at $2,400 each.

In practice, they are a nice, compact all-in-one audio system. A pair of Phantom Ultimate 98 dBs handled both music playback and projector audio, with one Opéra de Paris model paired to a standard Phantom Ultimate 98 dB. The Opéra version is a visual upgrade rather than an acoustic one; Devialet lists the same core specs for both finishes, while the Opéra adds the Paris Opera logo and Moon Gold side plates with gold leaf by Ateliers Gohard.

Design

The Phantom Ultimate 98 dB packs a lot of capability into a tiny enclosure. Each speaker uses one full-range aluminum dome driver and two aluminum dome woofers, built around Devialet’s next-gen DOS3 platform. In practical terms, a stereo pair can stand in for a streamer, an amplifier, a pair of bookshelf speakers, and a subwoofer, yet it occupies less space than most people would associate with a serious hi-fi system.

Relative to the full-bodied sound they produce, the Phantoms are tiny. This is one of the smallest systems I have used that still feels full-range. It's perhaps more realistic to call them "almost full-range" because my measurements showed the bass output drops fast under 30 Hz. Granted, there's still measurable output down to 20 Hz and below, but it is likely excursion-limited in terms of total output. No worries, there is low-end authority here, and in a normal living room, there is no obvious need to add a subwoofer.

Connectivity and Home Theater Use

For projector or TV duty, the main limitation is still connectivity. There is no HDMI ARC/eARC connection here; video sources connect through the rear optical mini-TOSLINK input, and in my stereo setup only one Phantom Ultimate 98 dB needed the optical connection. That keeps this firmly in the realm of premium stereo sound for video, not a surround-sound replacement.

That said, the wired optical path is an advantage for projector use. It keeps the system minimal, stable, and easy to live with. Wireless sources can work too, but they may require lip-sync adjustment; Apple documents an iPhone-based Wireless Audio Sync tool on Apple TV 4K specifically for synchronizing wireless speakers with what's on screen.

 

This is not the product for anyone building around HDMI switching, eARC convenience, Dolby Atmos, or discrete surround channels. But for a clean two-speaker movie setup, it makes a lot of sense.

Setup and App

Setup was refreshingly simple. Plug the speakers in, open the Devialet app, let it find them, create the stereo pair, assign left and right, and you are basically done. Devialet requires app-based first-time setup, even for Bluetooth playback. The quick-start guide shows the current hardware layout: four capacitive touch controls for Bluetooth, volume up, volume down, and play/pause on top, plus a top LED and rear Ethernet, mini-TOSLINK optical, power, and an on/off button that also handles reset. Stereo pairing itself is app-based and requires two speakers of the same model.

The Devialet app features a revamped player screen, quicker access to Night Mode and EQ, and the advanced audio settings added for Phantom Ultimate. In the interface I used, that meant meaningful tuning control: latency adjustment, input selection, Night Mode, Monitoring mode, and a 6-band EQ, with dedicated Music, Movie, and Podcast modes also available. Devialet’s own app guide defines Monitoring as a flat acoustic frequency response and describes Night Mode as an overlay that reduces bass and smooths volume using Bass Reducer and AVL.

The default bass balance in my roughly 11-by-14-foot seating area was stronger than I wanted, but the app made it simple to adjust. Switching to Monitoring mode made the sound more neutral and much closer to what I would expect from a well-configured passive hi-fi system.

Sound Quality

The Phantom Ultimate 98 dB’s ability to reproduce deep bass while maintaining coherence is notable. There’s substantial weight here with real control. A design this small has no right to produce bass that is deep, tight, and surprisingly articulate.

The Phantoms sound polished and controlled when they play music. The soundstage scales well with the recording, the imaging is superb, and the dynamics are vibrant. Without sounding strained or disjointed, they can transition from jazz (Duke Ellington) to orchestral pieces (Philadelphia Orchestra) to bass-heavy electronic tracks from Bassnectar and The Orb. They are not just impressive for their size; they are excellent stereo speakers.

The Phantom Ultimate 98 dB passes the crucial test of dialog clarity in films and television shows. The phantom-center image from the stereo pair is effective enough to make you forget about the absence of a dedicated center channel, and voices lock convincingly to the center of the screen.

High-fidelity music and effects add a level of immersion that small speaker systems seldom manage. Explosions have impact, and directional cues are still easy to follow in movies (Predator Badlands, The Running Man) and with gaming (Grand Theft Auto 5 - still waiting for 6!).

Additionally, despite their diminutive size, they play far louder than their size suggests. Devialet rates a stereo pair at 101 dB SPL and a single Phantom Ultimate 98 dB at 98 dB SPL at one meter. The built-in DSP makes sure they never misbehave.

Conclusion

This is not a system for listeners who want Dolby Atmos, HDMI eARC, or a conventional surround-sound system. However, the Devialet Phantom Ultimate 98 dB shines as a simple two-speaker system for gaming, movies, and music. The feature set feels more complete than that of most compact systems, and the system sounds much larger than it looks.

Features

• Ultra-compact all-in-one active wireless speaker system with 400W per speaker, 18Hz-25kHz frequency response, and 98 dB SPL at 1 meter; a stereo pair is rated at 101 dB SPL.
  
• Three-driver design with 1 full-range aluminum dome driver and 2 aluminum dome woofers, using Devialet ADH next-gen, HBI, SAM, AVL, DAC Magic Wire, Devialet ASIC, and DOS3.
  
• Streaming support for AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Bluetooth 5.2, Roon Ready, and UPnP, plus dual-band Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet networking.
  
• Rear optical mini-TOSLINK input for TV, projector, Blu-ray, or other external sources; in my stereo setup, a single optical connection handled the pair.
  App-based setup and control, including mandatory first-time setup, stereo pairing, source selection, latency adjustment, protocol activation, optical auto-switch, Night Mode, three audio modes, a 6-band EQ, and Monitoring mode.
  
• Opéra de Paris edition adds the Paris Opera logo and Moon Gold side plates with gold leaf by Ateliers Gohard while keeping the same published 98 dB / 18Hz-25kHz / 400W core performance as the standard Phantom Ultimate 98 dB.

Specs

• Model / Type: Devialet Phantom Ultimate 98 dB; active wireless speaker with stereo-pair capability.
  
• Amplification: 400W per speaker; 2 x 400W per stereo pair.
  
• Maximum sound level: 98 dB SPL at 1 meter per speaker; 101 dB SPL per stereo pair.
  
• Frequency response: 18Hz to 25kHz (+/- 6 dB).
  
• Drivers: 1 x full-range aluminum dome driver; 2 x aluminum dome woofers.
  
• Processing / platform: Devialet Operating System DOS3; 32-bit / 96 kHz DSP; SoC NXP i.MX 8M Nano 4 x 1.5 GHz processor.
  
• Connectivity: AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect (supports lossless), Tidal Connect, Bluetooth 5.2 (SBC/AAC), Roon Ready, UPnP, mini-TOSLINK optical input (up to 24-bit/192kHz).
  
• Network: Wi-Fi 5 (2.4GHz and 5GHz), Ethernet RJ-45 100/1000 Mbps.
  
• Controls / ports: Top capacitive Bluetooth, volume up, volume down, and play/pause controls; top status LED; rear on/off/reset button, mini-TOSLINK optical input, Ethernet, and AC power.
  
• Dimensions / weight: 157 mm W x 168 mm H x 219 mm D; 4.3 kg each.
  
• Power: 100-240V, 50/60Hz.
  
• Warranty: 2-year international warranty.
  
• Official U.S. pricing at time of writing: $1,900 each for standard Phantom
• Ultimate 98 dB; $3,800 per standard stereo pair; $2,400 each for Opéra de Paris; $4,800 per Opéra stereo pair.
  
• Software context for this review: Devialet App on iOS / Android; Phantom Ultimate ships with DOS3, and Devialet’s v1.25 app notes document improved setup and stereo-pairing flow, a revamped player screen, a 6-band EQ, three audio modes, and Monitoring mode for Phantom Ultimate.