Devialet Mania review: The high-end portable speaker that's big on bass

High-end audio specialist Devialet has entered the portable speaker market with a go-anywhere wireless speaker aimed at quality audio fans. This being a product from Devialet, though, you're going to need pretty deep pockets. 

That said, given the company's hi-fi credentials, the Devialet Mania is no ordinary portable speaker and employs considerable audio know-how to achieve spacious stereo sound from all directions via the eye-catching ball-shaped cabinet.  

As with the Devialet Dione soundbar, which ranks top in our best Dolby Atmos soundbars round up, the French maker is known for its cutting-edge speaker designs and amplification technology aimed at luxury lifestyle buyers with audiophile sensibilities, and the new Mania follows suit. I confess, I am a fan of the company's larger Phantom series speakers, but despite the temptation to own a pair, I could never afford to stretch to the high-end price tag. 

As the entry-level model into the company's luxury speaker range, the Devialet Mania looks very attractive and the price tag is more within my reach, although admittedly it's still pricey compared to many of the best Bluetooth speakers out there. While I love the styling and  acknowledge the reputation the company has for producing one of the world's most powerful wireless speakers, does the portable Mania speaker live up to expectations?

Keep scrolling to read my full review and to discover whether the Devialet Mania takes a big step forward in sound quality expectations from a portable speaker.

Devialet Mania review: Price and availability

• High price for portable speaker design
• Docking station costs extra

The Devialet Mania launched in November 2022 and has an MSRP of $900 / £690 / AU$1,400. It's on sale at Devialet retailers as well as the Devialet website, and online retailers including Amazon, and Best Buy. 

It's available in black and light gray options, and a docking station is available separately priced at $100 / £89 / AU$180. 

Alternatively, there are sunset rose and sandstorm color options. Both come packaged with a docking station and cost $1,000 / £790 / AU$1,550.    

Those seeking even more bling should consider the Mania Paris Opéra edition embellished with 24-carat 'moon gold' and comes with a docking station included. The Mania Paris Opéra costs $1,100 / £890 / AU$1,700.

A cloth bag is supplied, but a soft thermo-formed felt carry case called Cocoon is available for an additional $100 / £89 / AU$180. 

Devialet Mania review: Design

• High-quality build and styling
• Weighs 5 pounds

The first thing that struck me about the ball-shaped speaker was its finessed styling. Portable speakers are usually lightweight and rugged designs built for a life on the road, but the Devialet Mania appears to shun such matters and the orb-shaped design has a highly covetable air about it. I'm not suggesting the speaker isn't durable, just that it looks so well dressed and so darn cute that I almost felt like petting it and giving it a stroke when I saw it for the first time. 

The Mania exudes an air of sophistication that made me feel that I would really want to take good care of it, and would carefully consider whether I should risk scuffing the stylish exterior by taking it on my travels. 

The Mania sits at just 6.6 inches tall and weighs around 5 pounds, which will add a significant amount to any travel bag. Despite being IPX4-rated (meaning it's splash and moisture resistant), this is not the kind of portable speaker I'd personally look to carry into the bathroom or outside to the garden, although I am assured that this is exactly the Mania's intended purpose, and the sturdy handle aids easy transportation.

Anyone familiar with the company's speaker designs will recognize the Mania's heritage. It's an ode to the Devialet Phantom speaker range with a polished design and high-quality woven fabric that reflects the company's commitment to luxury and innovation, and the Paris Opéra edition with 24-carat 'moon gold' brings some welcome bling to the portable speaker market.

Devialet Mania review: Features

• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect compatible
• Adaptive stereo sound

Devialet Mania employs four full range speakers divers and two sub-bass drivers working in a 'push-push' configuration with real-time acoustic technology to achieve a stereo sound listening experience wherever you're located in the room. Frequency range is said to span 30Hz to 20kHz, while ASC (Active Stereo Calibration) uses four microphones and real-time adaptive technology to adjust the sound output to fit the surroundings. 

Devialet told me that when Mania is placed in the center of a room, 360° stereo mode is automatically activated. If positioned near a wall, two full-range speakers at the rear launch into action to seamlessly reinforce the two speakers at the front, creating an expansive, powerful soundstage.

Wireless connectivity runs to Bluetooth 5.0, but there was no mention of codec support at the time of writing, Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect. Amazon Alexa is built in. The Mania runs on the same ecosystem as the Devialet Phantom and Dione soundbar with set up and control handled by the freely available Devialet app that can be downloaded to iOS and Android devices.

Battery runs to 10 hours, which is on par with the Sonos Roam, but significantly lower than several of the best portable Bluetooth speakers I've seen.

Devialet Mania review: Sound quality

• Bass output defies expectations
• Audiophile sound

Although a newcomer to the portable speaker market, Devialet has a considerable reputation in the Hi-Fi world. So after the demo at the launch event, I was keen to get some time with the speaker at home and build on my first impressions.

During the demo, Devialet placed the Mania on a coffee table in front of me, and although the stereo effect was subtle, it was there all the same. Percussion sounds from a piece of music chosen by Devialet to show off the small speaker's stereo prowess conjured up a sonic aura around the speaker that was very effective with elements bouncing around like table tennis balls being dropped on the floor. This isn't quite to the scale of stereo sound I'd expect from dedicated Hi-Fi speaker arrangements with speakers placed several meters apart to recreate the sonic soundstage with musicians performing in a space directly in front of you, but I recall it being effective at the time.

I had a similar experience trying out the Mania at home, and it was pretty difficult to decipher much in the way of a meaningful sense of stereo image with most of the material I tried. Despite the small speaker dimensions, though, I've been impressed by the sphere of sound around the orb that projects soundwaves outwards.

I particularly enjoyed the naturalness the Mania brings to vocals. Playing Kate Bush's "Dream of Sheep" brought a real sense of naturalness to her voice, and the decay of the accompanying piano notes had a level of detail and delicacy to them that highlighted the recording's acoustic setting beautifully. I had a similar experience with "Easy Money" by Rickie Lee Jones, and the space around the percussive instruments is really expansive, stretching beyond the confines of the speaker.          

Placement options are effective, and moving the Mania speaker to different rooms and positions around my house achieved consistently impressive results. The tonal balance of the audio output remained consistent even when placed against a wall. I tended to prefer the speaker placed on a shelf at ear height, but it is impressively effective in all kinds of situations including outdoors in free space.

Bass levels are off the chart for a portable speaker, and Devialet has done tremendous work of employing its SAM (Speaker Active Matching) tech to its dedicated bass drivers. To try out the company's renowned bass speaker performance I choose to play an excerpt of "Dangerous" by Big Data — perhaps not the most audiophile recording ever, but if you ever need to assess a speaker's bass handling capabilities quickly, this is a useful go-to track.

Despite the pulsating bass drivers visibly showing they were being put through their paces by the amount of bass energy they were being asked to deliver, the Devialet Mania handled it with total composure. Even when I increased the volume level, there was no sign of strain, and best of all the Mania's energetic sound delivery made listening to the track a whole lot of fun.

The fun continued with other bass-laden tracks over AirPlay via Tidal, and listening to "Tilted" by Christine and the Queens, and "Livewire" by Oh Wonder confirms Devialet's status as the bass king when it comes to amount of oomph it manages to get out of a portable speaker.

What I like about Devialet's bass energy is that it's not the one note bass that many small speakers produce, and why it ranks as one of the best portable speakers I've tested. And it's not just about the level of bass depth, but the level of bass detail that's on offer too.     

Devialet Mania review: Verdict

Based on my demo and review time at home with the exceptionally elegant Devialet Mania portable speaker, I've been seriously impressed by the big sound such a small speaker can achieve. Battery life isn't the longest and the price is undeniably high, but the Devialet Mania redefines expectations when it comes to high-quality audio and the amount of bass energy you can expect from today's portable speakers. 

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