K—December 20, 2025
phantom ultimate 108db This is an amazing speaker with an equally amazing amplifier and digital to analog converter built in. The sound is incredibly musical and accurate though the tuning is a little bass heavy for my tastes it's never muddy but crisp and clear and easily adjustable in the app. You’re not going to get great stereo imaging unless you buy two but on it’s own it can fill a huge space with amazing crisp clean and lovely music with bass that you can actually feel in a unique way that’s very different than any other speaker or subwoofer I’ve ever experienced. I just don’t know how to explain it but it’s not muddy or boomy but clear and tactile. I’ll go into more detail below but this is really an amazing sounding speaker system that’s easy to setup and use just DON’T use bluetooth because it can’t deliver to the level this speaker deserves. Sound: The sound is amazingly crisp, clear, and full while maintaining a fantastic musicality not often found in speakers today. The Phantom Ultimate 108db is a three way design with a tweeter and a midrange driver. I also have the Phantom Ultimate 98db in my cabin and the one complaint I had was that the midrange was a little lacking. The Phantom 108db solves that problem and you can hear it. The music is full and complete from the bass to the highs and through the midrange allowing you to hear every detail and nuance especially on a high resolution recording. That being said your source material is going to really show through not this speaker. If it’s a poor recording you’re going to hear it. Just like the 98db listening to steaming audio (like NPR) is kind of terrible. You hear the buzzing or wheezing sound is hard to describe but it’s distracting. It’s not something I plan on using this for or I would figure out a sound profile for it as I’m sure it can be adjusted to make it sound okay but just be aware. Music This is a musical instrument as far as a speaker can be. Music comes alive and depending on what you’re used to I think it could be truly shocking all that you’ve been missing. I listen to opera, jazz, classical, hip-hop, rock, and everything in-between and each genre produces joy and surprise when using the 108db. Listening to Dvořák’s Symphony No 9 aka New World Symphony in Dolby Atmos creates a space where every instrument is clear and positioned on a stage (though still two speakers would open up the stage it’s amazing for one speaker). Copland’s Theme for a Common Man starts with sharp hard hitting timpani and the Devialet delivers with an openness and fullness of sound that can be shocking in the best of ways. The brass kicks in with crisp sharp notes just like in real life. You don’t just hear the music but you feel it even on the high notes. One of my favorite tests for modern music is Jay Z’s Empire State of Mind and the Devialet does not disappoint. I actually think it would literally blow you away if you don’t turn the bass down. It will for sure shake whatever room you’re in because it’s huge. The amazing thing is there is no distortion it is clear, loud, heavy bass that sounds amazing. When Alicia Keyes comes in the experience is truly remarkable with clear highs and mids as well. Setup: Expect some burn-in time. I don’t know the reason this works or if it’s something in my head but listening for a few hours seems to open up the speaker and allow it to really shine. I also have the Phantom Ultimate 98dB which is about half the price of this in my cabin. I use a hotspot there and the setup was a little challenging. This is for the house where I use a traditional WiFi and router setup. The setup was super easy and all handled within the app. It took less than five minutes to have it up and running. Then simply select the output you would like to use and you're done. Connectivity: I tried both AirPlay and Tidal Connect. Tidal Connect allows for the ultimate resolution and was super easy and allowed for the control within the app. I also used Amazon Music via AirPlay and though some of the connectivity was standard definition the rest was 24 Bit / 48 kHz instead of the highest 24 Bit / 96 kHz that was available but that is a limitation of AirPlay rather than the Devialet. There are a tone of other options to connect the speaker to your phone, computer or other audio sources as well as bluetooth and a physical optical connection. Connecting to this speaker via bluetooth should be a last resort. The speaker is so clear that using bluetooth exposes all of the problems with bluetooth connections but again this is a limitation of bluetooth not the Devialet. I’ll update my review after spending more time with the Ultimate 108db but the hours I’ve spent with it so far have truly amazed me. It’s crazy that this all in one system can perform as well as my carefully selected amplifiers, DAC, wires, and bi-wired speakers and competes in all but soundstage. Adding a second speaker would solve that problem and the cost would be about the same. That makes this speaker a great value for the money and the Devialet would still trounce my complicated system on connectivity and ease of use though so I would recommend giving the Devialet Phantom Ultimate 108db serious consideration and two I’d recomend selling your first born. Read more
A. Strong—December 22, 2025
The media could not be loaded. The Devialet Phantom Ultimate 108bd might just be the best home speaker I’ve ever experienced. Not only does it look great, but it also sounds great. The music actually comes alive on this speaker, and you can hear nuance and tone that other speakers lose. Right out of the box it was delivering stunning, crystal-clear sound that filled the room and took the listening experience to a whole new level. It is simply excellent. First things first. The setup. Unboxing this speaker was an experience in its own right. It’s more of an event than simply opening a box. After sitting the unit upright and slipping off the outer sleeve, the box pivots open from the middle like a clamshell to reveal the speaker in all its glory. It’s almost theatrical in its presentation. And setup is a breeze. Just plug the speaker in, download the Devialet app, select the Phantom Ultimate 108DB, and follow the instructions. The unit connected to my home network right away, updated its software, and I was streaming music within a few minutes of the speaker emerging from the box. The speaker has WIFI connections for a range of technologies, like GoogleCast, AirPlay Tidal Connect and Roon, alongside Bluetooth, making it very versatile. And what a good job it does with that music. I have tried it on both Bluetooth and AirPlay, and they both worked flawlessly. The speaker features Devialet ADH, which is an analog/digital hybrid technology, and it really works. You get the purity and warmth of analog sound alongside the clarity and power of digital. It’s a combination that can’t be beaten and Devialet pulls it off flawlessly in this speaker. There is no background noise or distortion. Just pure, gorgeous sound. And the reason for that sound is the combination of what they call a ‘new gen tweeter’, a midrange driver, and two woofers for a truly powerful bass sound that makes you almost think you’re in a concert hall and not your living room. Those woofers, which work in opposition deliver what Devialet calls ‘Heart Bass Implosion’, a sound that fills the room with immersive deep bass that I’ve never heard from such a compact speaker. It really does almost sound like a beating heart. You can actually feel the bass, the air vibrating, if you put your hand close to the woofers. The combination of all four speakers creates an experience larger than the sum of its parts, and with the six-band equalizer that features three audio modes (Music, Movie, and Podcast) you hear even the most subtle harmonic nuances of the content you are streaming. Pop and rock come alive on this speaker in breathtaking fashion. Jazz and classical are clear, crisp and bright, delivering a full, robust sound that captures the individual characteristics of each instrument. Spoken word (audiobooks and podcasts etc.) is clear and easy to understand. I haven’t tried this speaker with movies or TV, but I’m sure it would do just as great a job. The speaker can also operate in stereo with the addition of a second Phantom Ultimate, and I can only imagine what that would be like. But unfortunately my budget doesn’t run to a matching pair of these beauties, or I would be reveling in pure stereophonic sound as I type this. But even with the one speaker, I’m more than impressed. If I ever add a second unit, I’ll update this review. As for design, this speaker looks like something that might have landed from a galaxy far far away. The rounded pod shaped design feels classic and at the same time futuristic. It’s like no other speaker I’ve ever seen and is certainly going to be a talking point when we have company. There are no sharp edges, just flowing lines that have an almost artistic quality. This could be a sculpture, and in some ways it is. The designers at Devialet have done an outstanding job creating a speaker that lives in both the functional and artistic world. But those curves are not just cosmetic. The shape is meant to optimize the performance of the speaker and deliver the best sound possible. The front grill is ornate, with an almost floral design that definitely echoes the Parisian roots of this speaker. The unit comes in two colors, deep forest and light pearl. I got the light pearl, and it looks great, especially with the subtle golden tone of the side panels. Interacting with this speaker is also a breeze. The unit has a tactile interface on the top with four touch sensitive sensors that control volume, play/pause, and Bluetooth. There is also an LED status indicator. The companion app provides the ability to control network settings and audio connections, adjust volume, update the unit’s firmware, and control the sound of your speaker (EQ, latency, change listening modes, etc.) There is even a night mode with reduced bass, although I haven’t tried this. On a side note, there is no remote control with this speaker, although I believe that Devialet makes one as an add on. A few last thoughts. The speaker is fairly heavy. I was surprised at the weight when it arrived, so I made sure to place it on a sturdy surface. The outer case is plastic, but I’m not worried about that. It’s the inner workings and performance we’re paying for. I’ve spent a few days enjoying this speaker now, and all I can say is that the bar has been raised for every other speaker I might ever listen to. The pure, rich sound and stunning design take the Phantom Ultimate to a whole other level. I am truly impressed. Is it a splurge? Yes. The $4,800 price tag at time of review is steep, for sure, but in my opinion it is a superb value for money given the outrageous sound quality. It’s a no brainer for the audiophile (not that I count myself in that category by any means) or those looking for studio quality performance. I highly recommend, and couldn’t be happier with my new favorite speaker. Read more
