Company & Product Overview

Even though high-performance audio systems have not fully caught on with interior designers, Devialet is out to change this. Headquartered in Paris, France, Devialet was founded in the fashion capital of the world, where they’ve been blending cutting-edge tech with high-end luxury materials since 2007. Since that time, they’ve quickly become one of the most awarded brands in audio history.

A lot of brands treat their design and technologies separately with separate departments for each part of the product development process. Not Devialet. Devialet is one of those distinct brands that put a unique purpose into everything they do. With more than 200 patents filed, Devialet’s DNA for innovation has trickled down across all of its products.

Today, Devialet continues to redefine the place of modern sound systems by involving audio experiences that are also a part of the home’s design. DIONE is Devialet’s first-ever Dolby Atmos soundbar. Powered by more high-end drivers than most traditional soundbars, DIONE delivers an impressive 5.1.2 channels of Dolby Atmos immersion from a completely standalone, sleek-looking piece of audio equipment that will also acoustically adapt to its position when wall-mounted for an optimal soundstage and a striking look.

Devialet sent us a sample to test before the official launch. In this review, we’ll cover the cool design, the tech, and finally, the immersive performance you get with this in various adaptions and room sizes.

Design & Build Quality

The first thing you will notice about Delvalet’s DIONE is its patented central ORB^® sphere on top of the bar. Curved like a sphere, the “orb” has an important purpose that is as much about acoustics as it is the aesthetics. Devialet’s proprietary sphere is actually the dedicated center channel speaker in this completely standalone Dolby Atmos 5.1.2 surround sound system.

You might have seen one of Devialet’s Phantom loudspeakers — all-in-one uniquely shaped speakers that can put out sound rivaling normal speakers 20 times their size. Curved like the speaker cabinets used in Devialet’s ultra-high-end Phantoms, the proprietary central ORB^® is based on a similar acoustic design principle called the “Olson curve,” which allows Phantom speakers to not break or diffract the sound waves coming out of them. In DIONE, the main idea behind the sphere is to spread voices and vocals into the central area of the room, where listeners will be seated, for a crystal-clear mid-range reproduction on movies & TV shows.

The other key function of this cool design is mechanical in nature. DIONE’s ORB^® has the ability to rotate. This allows DIONE to ergonomically change its position, and the distinct central ORB^® sphere will maintain a perfect front-firing orientation, giving you some options to incorporate it with your room’s interior design.

DIONE stands just 3-inches tall (or, about 3.5-inches tall with the special sphere). It spans 47-inches wide and has 6.5-inches of depth across. If you use its default shelf mode, you could place DIONE on a piece of furniture like a traditional bar, and the very low profile angular cabinet will easily slide under most modern TVs for a nice, clean, discreet look — visually, this will look great with TVs that are 55-inches or wider.

As a Devialet product, the build quality is what we would expect from a high-end brand. The bar weighs just shy of 26.5 lbs, which speaks to the premium build and finishings. The cabinet is constructed with a dark grey anodized aluminum frame, and this is wrapped with carefully selected black acoustic fabrics for the grille cloth. At Audio Advice, the build quality reminds us of Devialet’s luxury Phantom smart speakers which are in similar price categories — DIONE is not just another black plastic soundbar.

The wall mounting brackets and all the connections are tucked away on the bottom of the unit rather than on the back, which is where things get really interesting. If you use DIONE’s special wall mode, you could mount it to your wall for a really striking appearance, and the entire 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos presentation will acoustically adapt to this position.

You just turn the central ORB^® sphere and this will rotate its center channel’s directional dispersion pattern. The orientation of all of the other speakers in the system will also adapt DIONE’s audio signal to a special wall-mounted enhanced mode using its built-in gyroscope to detect its position and then optimize the output automatically with a new special DSP technology that uses beamforming. Super cool!

Since all the connections are also tucked away on the bottom of the bar, DIONE is very easy to wall-mount. There is access to an ethernet port for connecting up your network, a digital optical Toslink input that will let you connect TVs that do not have the newer ARC/eARC connection, one HDMI eARC input that will let you access true Dolby Atmos without compression, and a power connection.

Features & Technology

DIONE embodies more than 100 patents to deliver an incomparable thinness-to-performance ratio from such a strikingly slim form factor. Next, let’s take a look under the hood to see the high-performance tech hiding under DIONE’s discreet design.

Extreme Engineering

Powered by a suite of patented Devialet technologies, DIONE is unlike any sound bar we have seen.

Devialet Intelligence Processor — Devialet’s audio system on a chip (SoC). As with many high-performance Dolby Atmos soundbars, there are increased processor demands. DIONE’s chipset has its own DAC (digital-to-analog converter), which is the same one that trickles down from Devialet’s top-of-the-line Phantom speakers.

The custom silicone combines Devialet's award-winning bespoke amplification & signal processing tech (ADH^®, SAM^®, Magic Wire, Class A, DAC) into a one-square-centimeter high-performance chipset that minimizes amplification noise, and distortion to near-zero for crystal-clear audio at any volume without saturation or hiss.

SPACE™ — Devialet’s patented 3D algorithm that upscales any non-Atmos source into a 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos signal for a more immersive experience on any audio coming from your favorite movie or TV show, music, or video game — even if what you’re watching isn’t primed for Atmos. We love the fact that SPACE™ is turned on by default for any content since it applies so much to streaming content today. The vast majority of movies on streaming services are still offered in stereo or 5.1, so it will add the height channels, and this can also be disabled in the app.

AVL™ — developed exclusively for DIONE — Adaptive Volume Level technology is Devialet's dynamic level-control that tailors the sound levels based on the content you are watching, in real-time. So, if you are watching a movie with an explosive action scene that is coupled with quiet hard-to-hear dialogue, Devialet’s special dynamic tech will automatically raise the volume of the voices in the soundstage, so you won't miss a detail.

ORB^® — rotating center channel speaker combined with Devialet’s new Advanced Dimensional Experience (ADE^®) digital signal processing tech adapts DIONE’s acoustic presentation to whatever physical placement you choose using a special beamforming technology to reinforce your 3D immersion.

Basically, this helps optimize the 3D sound field by boosting soundwaves from certain angles while “rejecting” others in the soundstage to better optimize the presentation for the listener in front of the soundbar.

All-in-one Design Adapts To You

Behind the grille cloth, an impressive seventeen autonomous custom Devialet speaker drivers present room-filling sound. Each speaker driver unit is made of an aluminum membrane with a high field neodymium magnet and nine of these are full-range aluminum drivers that deliver dynamic midrange and crystal-clear treble for good top-end extension up to 21Khz.

If configured in DIONE’s default shelf mode, there are two custom-designed Devialet full-range aluminum Atmos speakers on top of the bar that fire the height channels upward for that top-to-bottom sense of elevation.

When you mount this to the wall, Devialet uses a special DSP technology — called Advanced Dimensional Experience (ADE^®) — to automatically adjust the signal for the up-firing channels on each end of the bar. An internal gyroscope automatically detects DIONE’s set-up position and Devialet’s special DSP tech adjusts the audio signal for all the drivers accordingly — maximizing impact & immersion in either position.

Deep Bass — No Sub Needed

The SAM^® algorithm, inherited from Devialet’s Phantom, ensures DIONE’s woofers perform at optimal efficiency — enabling DIONE’s eight neodymium high-excursion long-throw subwoofers to reproduce distinctively deep 24Hz bass. Not only does this setup eliminate the need for a separate wireless subwoofer, but it also makes DIONE capable of delivering good, deep low-end effects with improved directivity and impressive impact.

Room Calibration

You just scan your space in the Devialet App, and DIONE's four calibration microphones combined with Devialet’s ADE^® DSP tech will analyze an accurate acoustic model of your room. DIONE uses beamforming technology to optimize the sound field for any furnishings or reflective surfaces in the room — and at Audio Advice, we like that this can be recalibrated at any time in the app. Should you want privacy, you simply push a button on the DIONE to turn off the voice calibration microphones.

HDMI 2.1 eARC

Devialet DIONE has one high-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 eARC input that will let you access true Dolby Atmos without compression. If your TV has the ARC or eARC HDMI connection, all you’ll have to do is connect an HDMI cable from your TV to DIONE, and you are done. Another cool thing about the HDMI eARC connection is how it allows you to narrow down your remote control options by letting you access all of the Spatial Audio on Apple Music & Dolby Atmos content with just your TV’s remote control.

Sound Enhancement Modes

Devialet DIONE supports wireless streaming over Bluetooth 5.0, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and UPnP with external hard drives. Within the app, there is access to Devialet’s special up-mixing SPACE^® tech with sound enhancement presets that take full advantage of the DIONE’s 17 speakers — which upscales any mono or 2.0 stereo signal into a more immersive 5.1.2 multichannel 3D sound field. In the app, four up-mixing SPACE^® modes will let you finetune the soundstage to taste based on the content. These include:

Movie Mode: Converts any mono and stereo signal coming from DIONE’s HDMI or optical input into a thrilling 5.1.2 multichannel experience that is specially optimized for movies.
Spatial Mode: Upscales any music streamed over AirPlay 2, Bluetooth, Spotify Connect, & UPnP or any music streaming service into an immersive 5.1.2 Spatial Audio track.
Voice Mode: Boosts the accuracy and intelligibility of voices to sound their best on voice-forward content like podcasts, news programs, and audiobooks.
Music Mode: Disables spatialization effects and faithfully reproduces a stereo setup.

Convenient Controls

DIONE also integrates into a Phantom multiroom configuration through Airplay 2 — allowing you to share content via AirPlay 2 with multiple Phantoms or any AirPlay 2-enabled speakers throughout the home. If you are on iPhone or iPad, you could have DIONE in your living room space, and another AirPlay 2 speaker playing the same audio in another room. Super cool!

This only works with Apple Airplay 2 devices, so Android users will not have the ability to create a multiroom setup. The streaming protocol with Spotify Connect allows for lossless streaming, which is super important for non-Apple users that can't use Airplay — especially when Spotify releases their hi-res lossless streaming tier. So, if you are an Android user, Bluetooth is not your only streaming option.

DIONE is also compatible with Devialet’s latest Devialet Remote, letting you control your viewing from the comfort of your couch.

Performance

DIONE is a totally self-contained system driven by 950 watts of total power using Devialet’s custom-built power supply for a maximum loudness of 101 dB SPL — impressive considering the DIONE’s compactness — as this should provide enough power to completely fill a small to medium-sized living room space or even a large master bedroom with clear-sounding, high-quality, Dolby Atmos sound.

Setup & User Experience

The room where we tested DIONE was a typical medium-sized living room with an open floor space of about 12 feet wide by 16 feet deep and 9-foot tall ceilings. At Audio Advice, we are big fans of room calibration, and DIONE’s built-in calibration microphones made this fairly straightforward using Devialets’ companion app. We did have to scan our room a few times to get a good, accurate reading at first — but after a few tries, there were noticeable improvements to the sound. The microphone button on top of the bar "deactivates" the room calibration microphones. Even though the microphones are only used when conducting a room calibration scan through the Devialet app, it’s nice that you have a physical way to disable them if you have privacy concerns.

DIONE runs on Devialet’s custom DOS2 (Devialet Operating System 2) software ecosystem, so the setup was seamless within the Devialet App. If you are lucky enough to have any of Devialet’s other Phantom products, the app made it super easy to add them as other AirPlay2-enabled speakers that you can control throughout your home.

Interestingly, there is no remote control included, and we really liked the minimalism baked in as this does narrow down the remotes at play. It also meant the engineers had to spend a lot of time developing sophisticated ways to control the soundbar — and we have to hand it to Devialet for producing more than one unique solution.

One of our favorite ways to interact with DIONE was using Devialet’s dedicated rechargeable remote control. It’s the same remote control that comes bundled with Devialet Phantoms. It has a very smooth rotary dial that will let you precisely control volume and playback with just a quick turn of its dial. When you have multiple Phantoms and a DIONE soundbar in different rooms, covering your whole house with music, the rotary dial made it very easy to quickly raise or lower the volume of individual speakers on the fly. The Devialet remotes are sold separately, but once you use one, you simply won’t want to use anything else.

The Devialet App will also let you control the volume, plus a lot more. In the app, there are EQ modes that will let you finetune the soundstage to taste based on the content you are watching. You can soften the bass with Night Mode, optimize the presentation for movies or music, change inputs, and create multi-room setups for whole-house music coverage with as many Phantoms as you wish — all while keeping DIONE and Phantom speakers up to date.

After we plugged in the power supply and made the necessary connections with our Sony Masters Series OLED, the multifunction button on the top panel greeted us with a blinking LED light. The Devialet app provided the remaining steps that finalized the connection with Bluetooth and our WIFI network.

The Sound

For our first test, we used HBO Max to stream the new Batman movie in Dolby Atmos, starring Robert Pattinson as the Batman. Voices and dialogue were presented very clearly in the soundstage. We never had to raise the volume to hear dialogue clearly in the soundstage. However, with our volume raised all the way up to the maximum level, we did not have a room-filling soundstage with this movie as our source material. At first, we thought it was a rare issue affecting the sample Devialet provided, but as it turned out, the new Batman movie has a quieter than average Dolby Atmos mix, overall.

Fortunately, none of this was DIONE’s fault, but this just goes to show how important your Dolby Atmos source material really is. We have another video that shows you all the Best Movie Platforms to Experience Dolby Atmos. So, be sure to check that out if you want to know how to get the best Dolby Atmos experience. Despite the movie’s often disappointing audio, DIONE’s deep bass capabilities made up for the lack of proper Dolby Atmos mixing in some surprising ways.

About an hour and ten minutes into the film, a bomb explodes, launching The Batman across the room. About 10 seconds later, there’s a very deep low-pass filtered sound effect that cuts out all of the higher frequencies, imitating the “muffled” sound of hearing loss — a very creative trick sound designers and audio engineers use.

During this scene, the low-end came alive with deep, impactful bass that shook the walls as if a dedicated subwoofer was in the room. We demoed this scene with the volume maxed all the way to 100, so with a properly mixed Dolby Atmos movie, you will not normally have to raise the volume quite this loud to get this level of immersion, but it was cool knowing the built-in sub’s 24Hz truly produced bottom-end weight that was comparable to having a good compact subwoofer in the room.

In terms of holographic Atmos height effects, the movie’s Dolby Atmos mix on HBO Max didn’t have a lot of immersive information to feed DIONE, but in this same scene, there was a really cool high-pitched tone that slowly became louder in the soundstage as it hovered right above our heads. Overall, this scene did a nice job immersing us in what tinnitus probably really feels like after an explosion goes off, and it was a lot more immersive and lifelike sounding with DIONE rather than just sound coming out of the TV’s built-in speakers.

Now, if you want to check out a movie that was properly mixed in Dolby Atmos and really shows off DIONE’s built-in sub with immersive Atmos effects, then you have to check out “The Adam Project” on Netflix. At about 35 minutes into the movie, there’s a cool fight scene with kicks, punches, and explosions that all have good slam and impact — which placed us deeper into the center of all the action.

But, what impressed us the most was the clarity of voices poking out in DIONE’s presentation. With all of this action going on at the same time fighting for space in the mix, the center-channel ORB presented clear dialogue without ever having to rely on special DSP to get voices more into focus. Having said that, if you still want a little more mid-range detail to stand out, DIONE’s voice enhancement mode did a fantastic job of presenting dialogue even more clearly. However, this did tighten and narrow the overall presentation, so we think most people will use this mode for podcasts, news, sports announcements, and documentaries with a narrator.

The Devialet team was very excited to tell us about the Dolby Atmos content coming to Apple Plus, so if you have an Apple TV 4K, and are interested in some of the best sounding Spatial Audio & Dolby Atmos content available, you really owe it to yourself to have a look at what’s streaming on Apple’s movie service. At AXPONA 2022, the Devialet team was actually using the first season of  “Foundation” to demonstrate DIONE, which is a new science fiction series based on the novels by Isaac Asimov.

Set in the distant future, this TV series is very rich in high-quality sound effects and Dolby Atmos immersion. From beginning to end, everything from Atmos special effects to voices to deep bass with impact and slam and even orchestral music in the soundtrack simply came to life with just DIONE sitting in its default desktop orientation.

In the second episode, dialogue coming out of DIONE’s dedicated center-channel sphere was effortless and clear. The dialogue never sounded hissy nor harsh, but more like what you would expect sitting in a commercial movie theater. We could even hear voices that were mixed to sound far away or distant in DIONE’s presentation, clearly. Mid-range special effects like high-tech devices being activated or metallic sound effects were also presented with rich-sounding, immersive detail.

For example, if you fast-forward to about 10 minutes into the second episode, you will hear the sound of drilling inside a subterranean cavern. As soon as the drills cut through the rocky terrain, we could even hear the sound of tiny rocky debris spraying up into the cavern above our heads and then falling back down to the ground like the experience of sleet falling down from the sky!

Overall Recommendation

It’s important to note — Devialet DIONE is not a replacement for a full-sized home theater system. DIONE is a totally self-contained Dolby Atmos solution for someone who wants to replace the sound coming out of their TV with something that sounds substantially better — while also taking up as little room as possible.

The performance benefits you get from having a dedicated subwoofer and surround speakers all around the room will always deliver better immersion compared to a totally self-contained solution like this — but in a small to medium-sized room, this bar throws out fantastic sound quality with crystal-clear mid-range and seriously impressive bass.

Whether wall-mounted or placed on a piece of furniture — DIONE sounded fantastic — but, it was the special wall-mounted mode that made our sample look more like a work of art compared to the average run-of-the-mill soundbar. Mounted to the wall makes this a really eye-catching entertainment piece that lets people see how serious you are about immersive sound and high-end design.

We felt the presentation coming out could go just a tad bit louder to really deliver the immersive Atmos effects of other bars. But, when we explained this to Devialet, they confirmed an update is coming that will increase loudness, so it’s nice to know your investment will keep getting better and better.

For anyone who simply wants to add a Dolby Atmos soundbar in a small to medium-sized room, DIONE is a statement piece that takes up as little space as possible. Its slim design was a perfect fit in our master bedroom just sitting on a piece of furniture under a TV.  It’s also really cool that this integrates with Devialet’s multi-room platform to completely cover your whole house with Phantom smart speakers!