enceinte devialet phantom reactor 900

Devialet Phantom Reactor 900 review

Space-age speaker gets hit by a shrink ray.

TechRadar Verdict

With a unique look and room-filling power, the Devialet Phantom Reactor 900 comes close to justifying its big price tag.

Powerful output

Solid connectivity

Very expensive

Can sound cramped

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Devialet's Phantom speaker line screams opulence. From their sci-fi stylings to their expressively wild side-firing bass reflex ports, they look unlike anything else on the market – but the speakers have also been big, heavy, and intimidatingly expensive, too.

The company is now looking to make its wares a little more approachable with two new speakers, the Devialet Phantom Reactor 900 and Devialet Phantom Reactor 600. We’re looking at the former of the two, with its 900W output compared to the latter’s 600W. Smaller and more affordable than the full-size Phantom speakers, the Phantom Reactor 900 still packs a punch, and still looks like a prop from Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey – and that’s no bad thing.

But by pointing the shrink ray at the full-size Phantom has any compromise been made? And is that sleek design worth the premium price tag?

[Update: The Devialet Phantom Reactor 900 has been given a name change – it's now known as the Phantom II. And, it's currently available in another color – Sage Green. There are only 1000 units, so it's pretty exclusive.]

Price and availability

The Phantom Reactor line up is available to buy now. Prices start at $999/ £990 / AU$1990 for the Phantom Reactor 600 and go up to $1299 / £1290 / AU$2490 for the Phantom Reactor 900, which is reviewed here. 

It's still not cheap, but it is uniquely designed, offering superior audio quality over the majority of single standalone Bluetooth speakers, though not quite the audio performance you’d get from less lavishly-designed stereo systems of a similar price. 

Keep that in mind if audio performance is your absolute priority, though to all but the most highly tuned ears, it’s a very pleasing unit.

You'll find it in stores including Selfridges, JohnLewis.com, Amazon UK and Harrods in the UK, and Corso Como, B8ta, Nordstrom, Microsoft Store, Barneys and Amazon in the US, as well as Mr Porter worldwide.

Design and connectivity

You won’t find a speaker that looks anything like the Phantom Reactor from any manufacturer other than Devialet – it’s a truly unique design.

Coming in either a gloss white finish or matte black, it looks a bit like some sort of space-aged vitamin pill, being broadly ovaloid in shape. The Devialet logo, cut from the chassis itself, sits like an eye on the front of the speaker, with ventilation grills curving down from the back.

Given its 219mm (length) x 157 mm (width) x 168 mm (height) size, it's an astonishingly loud system – comparable to a symphony orchestra in your living room if blasting at full volume. 

Likewise, the 18Hz infra-bass would lead you to believe there's a dedicated subwoofer in the room – made all the more dramatic by the way the bass-reflex ports on either side of the Phantom Reactor pump air rhythmically and forcefully in time with the beat. 

However, don’t confuse this for a portable speaker – you’re going to need a mains supply to power that mad output, and it remains deceptively heavy at 4.3kg.

Along the top of the speaker you’ll find five touch-sensitive capacitive buttons – volume up, volume down, play/pause, Bluetooth pairing / input selection and the link button that’s used when setting up the device with its accompanying control app. 

They’re a welcome addition, given how all control of the Phantom line was determined by app alone in previous models.

Physical inputs now include a hybrid minijack and optical point for TVs, as well as an Ethernet connection if that’s your best bet for stable broadband. Wireless connectivity includes Bluetooth, AirPlay, UPnP and Spotify Connect, but you don’t get any support for voice assistants, be that Amazon ’s Alexa, the Google Assistant or Apple’s Siri. 

For the price, it feels like an oversight, given as they’re in basically everything these days. You’ll have to jump into the app to control the speaker from afar then, but it’s at least mercifully simple, with just playback controls and source options taking up the majority of the application.

All in, it’s a fantastic-looking speaker. If you like your tech to be as much talking point as gadget, the Phantom Reactor 900 will set tongues wagging.

Performance

Thankfully, the Phantom Reactor 900 is more than just a pretty face too – it sounds phenomenal, if falling just a little short of the price-to-performance ratio we’d hope for in a more-than-a-grand speaker.

Despite the small package and extreme volume levels, the Phantom Reactor 900 is able to deliver its output without as much as a hint of distortion as it approaches louder peaks. 

Its Analog Digital Hybrid (ADH) amp delivers the quality of an analogue amp in a digital-sized package, while the company's Speaker Active Matching signal processing system retains detail even at the Phantom Reactor 900's 98db max volume. 

Thanks to its 24bit/192kHz hi-res DAC and Wi-Fi connection, you’ve room to play around with high-resolution audio sources, too.

Bass impact will be a big draw here. Primal Scream’s Kill All Hippies from the XTRMNTR album is awash with processed guitars and samples, but when its bass line crunches in, the Phantom Reactor delivers it with weight, and taut energy.

It’s even more pronounced during the percussive ‘Why So Serious?’ element of Hans Zimmer’s Dark Knight soundtrack, where an intense sub bass movement holds its integrity immaculately, while still allowing the sharp stopwatch-like clicks to be present.

It doesn’t lack in detail with softer moments either. James Rhodes’ take on Claude Debussy’s Clair de Lune saw the Phantom Reactor 900 beautifully represent the piano piece’s twinkling highs and comforting mids, without smothering either section. There’s a dynamism present that can reveal details at both the most soft and dramatic moments.

But there is the sensation of everything feeling a bit narrow – bands crammed onto a soapbox rather than a stage. It remains a heartily enjoyable listen, but the design here does little to provide a more natural, wider sense of space.

Final verdict

Devialet’s Phantom Reactor 900 is a marvel to witness in action. There’s no other speaker out there (other than another Phantom, that is) that, through its design, can give the sense of kinetic action your music delivers. It’s futuristic, detailed, and fun.

It suffers in its soundstage though, lacking the width you’d hope to find in such a pricey speaker.

It makes the Devialet Phantom Reactor 900 difficult to wholeheartedly recommend on pure audio quality alone – but it’s a single black mark against its name, rather than one that sullies the whole. 

It’s overall a marvelous piece of engineering, and an enjoyable audio device in its own right even when taking its striking looks out of the equation.

• The best wireless speaker 2019: find the best connected speakers for your home

Gerald is Editor-in-Chief of iMore.com. Previously he was the Executive Editor for TechRadar, taking care of the site's home cinema, gaming, smart home, entertainment and audio output. He loves gaming, but don't expect him to play with you unless your console is hooked up to a 4K HDR screen and a 7.1 surround system. Before TechRadar, Gerald was Editor of Gizmodo UK. He is also the author of 'Get Technology: Upgrade Your Future', published by Aurum Press.

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Devialet Phantom Reactor 900 review: a bass-heavy speaker with dramatic looks

Looks dramatic even before it starts making a sound; prodigious bass response; dynamic and really detailed; wide frequency response

Can sound congested; quite a lot of money

Devialet is a company that is never knowingly understated. It’s no stranger to hyperbole and is more than happy to loudly blow its own trumpet. Founded in 2007 in Paris, the company’s first product (2015’s Phantom wireless speaker) breezily promised “the best sound in the world” – and ever since, Devialet has been making big claims, quoting big figures and generally bigging itself up.

All of this self-aggrandisement (and, it must be said, some startlingly original thinking) led to 2016’s Gold Phantom speaker. It’s packing 4,500 watts of power, and the company blithely bandied about terms like “obliterates all existing home sound systems” and “like nothing you’ve ever encountered” on its release.

And having secured spaces on the shelves in Harrods, Selfridges and Apple stores, you’d be forgiven for thinking the only way for Devialet would be upwards, with ever-higher prices and evermore eye-catching power ratings. But last year’s partnership with Sky for the Soundbox soundbar showed the company is humble enough to engage with the mass market. And now we’ve this, the Phantom Reactor 900 – small, affordable (by Devialet standards) and with a peak power output that doesn’t even break four figures.

So, has Devialet become just another home technology brand?

As far as design is concerned, the answer is a resounding “no”. Phantom Reactor looks very similar to the other Phantom speakers in Devialet’s range – just on a much smaller scale.

By Matt Kamen

At 16 x 17 x 22cm and a "mere" 4.3kg, it’s roughly a quarter of the size of its bigger, more powerful and more pricier siblings. As a consequence it’s a much more room-friendly proposition. That isn’t to say it’s lost any of its visual drama, though.

The all-white, vaguely ovoid cabinet is smoothly finished – unlike its big brothers, the Reactor is a single-piece unit – with heat-sink fins at one end and the company’s uniquely decorative driver grille covering a 3cm full-range aluminium driver at the other. On either side sit the equally distinctive covered woofers, each a 10cm aluminium dome and arranged in a push/push configuration. They’re guaranteed to add some visual pizzaz and excitement – as if any more were needed.

The overall impression is halfway between old-fashioned hair-dryer and futuristic toaster. It’s safe to say you can’t buy an alternative product from an alternative brand that has anything like the individuality of the Phantom Reactor.

On the outside, there’s not much going on at all. The top of the cabinet features five discreet touch-sensitive controls: play/pause, volume up, volume down, Bluetooth pairing/input selection and a ‘link’ control for use when setting up the speaker via the Devialet app.

Above them there’s a tiny light which lights up with different colours depending on what the Phantom Reactor is up to. And towards the bottom of the rear of the cabinet are the physical sockets: ethernet for ultimate network stability, mains power and a 3.5mm hybrid analogue/optical input for hard-wiring external sources. There’s also a power/standby/reset button.

On the inside, though, well, that’s a very different matter. Devialet says it has taken everything it’s learned from the bigger Phantoms in its range and applied all those lessons here - just on a smaller scale. Which means acronyms galore. Power is supplied by Devialet’s patented ADH technology. It clocks in at 900 watts in the case of the Reactor 900 we’re testing here, but if that sounds a bit excessive and you’re interested in keeping your spend to less than a grand, the £990 Reactor 600 can be yours. It has - you guessed it - 600 watts of power.

Analogue Digital Hybrid amplification combines Class A’s acknowledged superiority of sound with Class D’s compact, energy-efficient characteristics, and it allows Devialet to keep dimensions down to a minimum. And Devialet has embedded a 24bit/192kHz hi-res DAC into its ADH architecture too, meaning high-resolution audio (via ethernet and DLNA or the digital optical input) is on the menu.

Perhaps the most overt example of Devialet’s unblinking commitment to hyperbole is its Heart Bass Implosion technology. Like its bigger siblings, the Phantom Reactor’s opposing woofers are hermetically sealed under tremendous pressure – 200kg, in this instance. This HBI methodology is a big part of both the aural impact and visual drama of the Reactor when it’s doing its thing. However, Heart Bass Implosion is the sort of phrase one should only utter when wearing a cape and a domino mask whilst engaged either in crime or crime-fighting.

On top of ADH and HBI, the Phantom Reactor boasts ACE (Active Cospherical Engine, which optimises the spread of sound from the Reactor’s unusually shaped enclosure) and SAM (Speaker Active Matching, a hifalutin way of explaining the Reactor’s signal processing).

In short, Devialet has gone to an awful lot of trouble with some of the technologies incorporated into the Phantom Reactor (as evidence by the 160 patents it includes), and it’s not about to understate them.

As mentioned, the most basic controls are integrated into the Phantom Reactor’s chassis, but for anything beyond volume up/down and play/pause, you’ll need the Devialet app.

It’s a clean and logical app, utterly unremarkable in appearance – which means it’s most unlike the device it controls. It’s dominated by a large rotary volume dial, with input selection across the bottom of the screen. ‘Online’ allows you choose between Spotify, AirPlay and UPnP, ‘Aux’ awakes the hybrid 3.5mm input and ‘Bluetooth’... well, you get the picture.

There’s quite enough going on with the Phantom Reactor itself without saddling it with an eccentric app. Stability and convenience are all anyone wants from a control app, and the iOS/Android Devialet app has both.

Performance

There’s a peculiar dichotomy between the way the Phantom Reactor presents itself and the sound it makes. On the one hand, Devialet badly wants you to be impressed by its blue-sky thinking, its lavish use of expensive and complicated technologies, its absolute commitment to individualism and its unmistakable looks. On the other hand, its audio priorities are basic: bass, and plenty of it.

That’s not to say it’s a one-trick pony. Devialet is claiming a frequency response of 18Hz all the way up to 21kHz, and there’s no doubt every area of the frequency range gets a fair crack. The rattling treble sounds of Miles Davis’ Concierto de Aranjeuz (Adagio) are crisply and accurately rendered, the textural and tonal differences between castanets and tambourine made absolutely explicit.

Further down, the Phantom Reactor does fine midrage work with vocalists, and the more characterful the better. Massive Attack’s Mezzanine , for example, features the likes of Horace Andy and Elizabeth Fraser – and there are few more idiosyncratic singers around. The Devialet gives full rein to their quirks, delivering the former’s mighty vibrato and the latter’s breathy hiccupping in full. There is an opulent amount of fine detail on display here, and it helps make the Reactor among the most communicative and explicit wireless speakers around.

But ultimately, the Devialet – just like the song goes – is all about that bass. Fire up OutKast’s Ms. Jackson and it’s apparent from the off – the Phantom Reactor digs remarkably deep and hits implacably hard. It’s far from a blunt instrument, though – the differences in timbre between processed bass drum and slapped bass guitar couldn’t be any more obvious. The solidity and assertiveness of the bass reproduction here is remarkable.

Read more: These are the best wireless speakers in 2021

All of this bass presence is accompanied by a hectic flurry of movement from the drivers on either side of the cabinet. This startlingly obvious driver excursion would be a cause for alarm in any other speaker, a visual signal of excessive volume and imminent driver damage. But disquieting thought it is at first acquaintance, this is simply what the Devialet does. Your music has never been so visible.

Despite this bass-happy emphasis, though, integration throughout the frequency range is pretty smooth. The Devialet’s a dynamic listen, too, with more than enough oomph to put decent distance between the quietest and loudest parts of a recording. Where the Phantom Reactor struggles is in describing a stage and, particularly, generating an idea of space.

Ironically, the Phantom Reactor’s sound is as hermetically sealed as its cabinet. No matter if you’re listening to a song as complex and involved as Talk Talk’s Desire or as bone-headedly straightforward as Fat White Family’s Whitest Boy on the Beach , there’s a sense of congestion to the presentation, of sounds piled on top of one another. It’s not so much that the Devialet has a problem spreading sound – it’s more than capable of room-filling volumes, and the ACE technology distributes sound evenly and in all directions – but rather that the audio information is piled up like a wedding cake. There’s very little elbow-room on the stage the Reactor describes, very little space between instruments and, as a consequence, a slightly claustrophobic quality to the sound.

It’s not a ruinous trait, but it’s a trait nevertheless – and, when one is considering spending this sort of money on this sort of product, it leaves the door open to some very capable alternatives. But no nominal alternative to the Phantom Reactor 900 can create anything like this visual impression, nor deliver this sort of sinus-troubling bass response. Daft and deadly serious all at once, the Devialet is number one in a field of one.

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Pocket-lint

Devialet phantom reactor review: the sound of the future.

It sounds as good as it looks...

Back in 2016 we tested out some of the very finest all-in-one speakers we've ever heard - and, frankly, seen - in a pair of Devialet Phantom Gold . Which, at £2,190 each made for a very expensive living room setup. But it was one that saw us shed a tear when they had to be returned (our then neighbours probably didn't mind, though, given the 4,500W of power delivered from each).

Our bank balance never permitted us to buy one (nor two, funnily enough) but now, come 2019, the proverbial offspring of those fine Devialet speakers has visited Pocket-lint towers for a number of weeks. Say hello to the smaller yet still ultra-powerful and great-sounding Phantom Reactor.

The obvious benefit of the Reactor is that it's about half the price (and about half the size) of its parent full-size Phantom models. Yes, yes, so it's still around a grand to buy just one. But given the sound quality there's a strong argument that you would find little better or more stylised in the all-in-one audio world.

Our quick take

Sound quality is the Reactor's forte, with incredible low-end bass that will make people think you're hiding a dedicated subwoofer elsewhere in the room. The connectivity is strong, although minor hiccups with the Devialet app, the lack of equaliser adjustment, and UPnP's slowness in response are slight drawbacks. But if you're streaming via AirPlay or Spotify Connect then none of this is likely to matter.

Most people will baulk at the Phantom Reactor's price and cross it off their speaker shopping lists. But you really shouldn't because this is an incredible sounding speaker, delivered with space-age styling, that's better sounding than anything we've heard at this scale. And when a mobile phone costs just as much and will be half way to the trash within less than 24 months, surely an investment such as this is worthwhile for the years of musical joy it'll bring?

Devialet Phantom Reactor - 5.0 / 5

Devialet phantom reactor 900.

Amazon Best Buy Best Buy

Design and setup

• Glass fibre-filled polycabonate interior, aluminium core, stainless steel white exterior
• AirPlay, UPnP Renderer, Bluetooth, Spotify Connect, 3.5mm jack input (AUX)
• Touch contols: play/pause, volume up/down, pairing, link
• Dedicated Devialet app (iOS / Android) for control
• Dimensions: 157 x 168 x 219mm; Weighs: 4.3kg

Devialet isn't shy to make bold claims about its "immense" product (as it says boldly on the company's website). Its self-confidence is evident beyond just words though: just look at this thing - it's an outlandish yet wonderful design like nothing else out there.

If you're a Destiny video game fan then this spaceship-like orb style might remind you of Ghost (a similar-looking floating robot, rather than audiophile speaker). If you're not a fan then, well, let your eyes do the work and decide whether this distinctive design is going to suit your tastes and your living space or not.

The Reactor has an aluminium core, which explains its near-4.5kg weight, along with stainless steel white exterior (slightly pompous Pantone provided: RAL 9016). It's not light, but that's not a problem as you're unlikely to move it around often. After all, it needs mains power. Problem is the provided power cable is frustratingly short for no apparent reason. Please, Devialet, we need longer cables.

Setting up the speaker is delightfully easy once plugged in. You can use it like a Bluetooth speaker. Or you can use it synched, via local network, to play using Spotify Connect, AirPlay or UPnP (here there's access to a variety of other sources: Google Music, Tidal, along with local and online storage (Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Amazon Cloud Drive and more)). There's a physical 3.5mm input too.

Getting the app to sync with UPnP isn't an issue, although in our use it sometimes has forgotten the speaker pairing (despite still being paired and playing) which has required an app reset. UPnP, which is a separate app to download (mobile or desktop) can also be glitchy with playback and the delay in actioning track skip, play/pause is a bit of a nuisance.

The Reactor has physical touch-sensitive controls on top too, which you'll need to use during setup and to Bluetooth pair on the fly, but the volume up/down controls can come in handy if you're not the Devialet app user or you're just nearby the product and want to adjust the volume from there. There are no track skip functions on the speaker itself though.

Sound quality

• Supports: MP3, HE-AAC/AAC, Apple Lossless, WMA, AIFF, WAV, FLAC, Vorbis, Opus
• 1x aluminum full-range driver, 2x aluminium bass drivers
• Frequency response: 18Hz - 21kHz
• Up to 900W peak power

Looks are one thing, but how the Phantom Reactor sounds is enough to forgive the minor playback issues within the apps. It's really hard to believe that this speaker can output such loud and exquisite sound from its relatively small dimensions.

The main strike is the bass response. With a low-end capable down to 18Hz - which really is really lower than anyone masters to, even Reggae subs hit in and around 40Hz - the low-frequency output from this speaker is second to none.

If you're into underground music then watching in fascination as those bass drivers wobble madly as if they're going to spend the speaker into orbit is quite something to behold. The bass is smooth and impactful beyond anything else we've ever heard at this size, with true sub levels put into play.

What's particularly interesting about this design is that the bass drivers are contained in a way that causes no vibration to the speaker and its surroundings. Place a hand on top of the speaker and you won't feel it vibrating - the output is very controlled horizontally - which is really impressive.

It's not all about bass, though, that's just one of the Reactor's greatest successes. There's another full-range driver that handles the mid-to-high frequencies, using that front grille to disperse sound in a three-dimensional form. Yep, that snowflake-like design to the front isn't just a pretty face, it has purpose too.

We find there's ample snap and sparkle from this driver, dispersing sound in a convincing way. Sure, it's not fully 360 degrees like many speakers these days, but position the Reactor carefully within the room and everything sounds crisp and rich.

In the ner future you will also be able to pair Devialet devices. When we had the Phantom Gold the two took the sound up a notch from great to amazing as a stereo pair. While two Reactor units can't be synched in stereo just yet, when this feature comes online (due "first semester 2019") we're sure that the effect will be much the same... if you can afford a pair, that is.

If you want your music to sound as space-age awesome as the Reactor looks, this ‘mini Phantom’ from Devialet is a sure-fire way to acquire exquisite audio. The obvious problem is its four-figure price tag - but given it outputs low-end bass well beyond anything we’ve ever seen at this scale, for some that asking price will be fully worth it.

Review: Devialet Phantom Reactor 900

Breaks the sound barrier.

Devialet Phantom Reactor is a nuclear power plant in tiny packaging.

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Some people might make the mistake of rejecting the Phantom Reactor as a dinky little designer piece best suited for showing off in a trendy home. But Devialet is the company behind some of the most technologically advanced hi-fi products on the market; with their first Phantom speaker they pushed the limits of what we believed possible when it came to squeezing sound out of a small speaker cabinet. We were awestruck by the Silver Phantom, a compact 12-litre speaker that played like a large floor speaker – with true deep bass and higher sound pressure level than most floor speakers with a 100-watt amplifier. Of course, the Silver Phantom also boasts 3,000 watts of peak power per speaker! This was pushed even further by the Gold Phantom , increasing a further 3 dB and approaching the feeling of standing right up against the stage at a rock concert.

When we look at the Phantom Reactor, it’s almost Lilliputian alongside its already compacted siblings. The cabinet volume is just three litres – one quarter that of Silver and Gold. Into this limited space they’ve managed to cram two 4.5 inch bass drivers with an extensive reach and a coaxial driver in front with a 3.5 inch midrange and treble in the centre. A true three-way speaker, in other words. The cabinet also houses an amplifier of 900 watts! If you think this might be over the top, there’s also the Reactor 600 with corresponding power output. Its small size notwithstanding, the speaker squeezes out the entire audible frequency range, all the way down to 25 Hz! That’s quite a depth even for an external subwoofer and it’s only possible with the assistance of sophisticated internal digital technology.

Controls the driver

The electronics constantly monitor the speaker driver and prevent it from going beyond its reach. This means that music with deep and heavy bass is reproduced as from a large speaker at a moderate sound level. As you crank it up more and more, the bass area is held relative to the other frequencies to give the speakers the latitude to increase volume. In other words, it’ll sound slightly more slender when you play loudly, depending on the amount of bass in the recording.

Playing music wirelessly

While the larger Phantom speakers stream music via Devialet’s Spark app, with a selection of music services built in, the Reactor has no proprietary streaming app. On the other hand, it does have Spotify Connect built in, which can be managed directly from your phone’s Spotify app. You can also play music with lossless quality via AirPlay for Apple users and UPnP for Android. Alternatively, you can use Bluetooth, though with compressed sound quality.

There is just one physical audio connection, a combined optical digital input and 3.5 mm analog input. There’s an Ethernet connector if you want a more stable internet connection than using Wi-Fi.

Unlike the larger models, at the time we tested it wasn’t possible to connect two Phantom Reactors in stereo. The larger siblings are linked together thanks to the Conductor link, which keeps the speakers in sync and also allows multiple speakers around the home to play in unison. With Reactor, Devialet aimed for a simpler speaker and removed the entire Conductor unit. Efforts are underway to resolve these issues and stereo pairing and a multiroom option will be rolled out sometime in 2019. So you can buy one Reactor now and get another one when the option is available to connect two in stereo.

Beyond sound

iPhone music is up and running quickly using AirPlay or Tidal as source. Android also works fine; I used the mconnect app that sent music over UPnP. However Bluetooth is still the simplest, and the sound, in compressed AAC audio format, is almost as good.

And what a sound! Lily Allen’s Trigger Bang from the No Shame album has a hefty beat, and Lily’s voice sounds very airy and transparent. The dynamics are exemplary, with a brilliant crack on the snare drum, and the tone from the piano is natural and true.

And just hear that bass! The bass guitar goes as deep as many floor standing speakers. The bass keeps up pretty well as you raise the volume but, as expected, flattens out if you push it to excess. This is also a weakness with both the Silver and Gold Phantoms, and is even more evident with Reactor. All the same the distance it travels is very impressive, and I’ve definitely heard larger speakers flatten out earlier than the Reactor 900.

If you listen mostly to acoustic music, ballads and jazz, the bass driver will calm down and the speaker impresses hugely on Melody Gardot’s live version of Our Love Is Easy . The bass breathes, the guitar has great dynamism, and the voice of Melody is clear as day. For fun I compared this to a pair of XTZ 99.25 Beryllium, connected to a McIntosh MA7000. Although the Phantom Reactor doesn’t have stereo broadness, it has plenty more besides. Not quite the same airiness at the very top, but the midrange area sparkles.

Too expensive for one speaker?

1400 euros for one speaker would be a lot, if you didn’t remember this is a complete system with everything you need in user-friendly packaging. We may as well mention the KEF LSX, which can do all the Phantom Reactor can and then some – albeit with less power – plus you get two speakers and thus a much larger soundscape.

When Devialet introduces the possibility of pairing in stereo, this will open up a new world for people who want a bigger soundscape and are willing to pay for it.

The Devialet Phantom Reactor 900 sounds tight, open and good, and with a fabulous reproduction of the bass right down at levels where substantially larger floor speakers give up. And all that from a cabinet of just three litres! The Reactor 900 pulls off a feat of audio engineering we never even thought possible. Sure, the bass gradually fades out when you push the volume, but you’d have to play really loudly before the bass began to sound anaemic.

Its ease of use is liberatingly simple, nevertheless you can play almost everything. If you find the 900 too expensive, the slightly weaker Phantom 600 costs three thousand kroner less. This might make sense if you plan on having two speakers in stereo. That option should be available in the latter half of 2019.

Specifications

Type: Active, wireless compact speaker Network: Wi-Fi, Ethernet Wireless: Spotify Connect, AirPlay, UPnP, Bluetooth (AAC, SBC) Frequency response: 25 Hz – 20 kHz (+/-1dB) DAC: 24-bit/96khz Drivers: 2 x 4.5” bass, 3.5” coaxial driver Sound pressure level: 98 dB (1 m) Amplifier power output: 900 watts peak Cabinet volume: 3 litres Weight: 4.3 kg Colour: White Web: audionord.se

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Two steps forward and one step back for move 2, astonishing bass qualities, is that really the price for two, stunning improvement, amazing portable speaker makes summer even more expensive.

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Home / Reviews / Audio / Hi-Fi & Streaming / Devialet Phantom Reactor 900 review

Devialet Phantom Reactor 900 review

Devialet's wireless speaker combines distinct style with dynamic sound

Cinema. The parachute. Aspirin. Denim. All these world-changing, life-enhancing innovations are French.

And since 2015 (when the first Devialet Phantom was launched), it’s been possible to add “wildly over-powerful wireless speakers that look like they’re trying to take flight” to the list of French initiatives the world would be poorer without.

Until recently, Devialet’s modus operandi seemed as simple as its products are complicated. Its Phantom speakers, for example, are uniquely styled, staggeringly muscular and are tuned to generate enough bass to crack the plaster on your walls. They’re also witheringly expensive.

Lately, though, there seems to have been an outbreak of normalcy at the company’s Paris headquarters. The 2017 collaboration with Sky for the Soundbox soundbar, for example, brought the Devialet brand within reach of the mainstream.

And now there’s this, the Phantom Reactor 900. By Devialet’s standards it’s compact, affordable and modestly powered. By anyone else’s standards it’s reasonably compact, quite expensive and, with 900 watts on tap, ludicrously brawny.

But nevertheless, it brings the possibility of Devialet ownership to those who previously had only been able to press their faces against the glass of the company’s Selfridges and Harrods displays.

Design and build: distinctly different

Look at it. It could only be a Devialet. Even though at 16 x 17 x 22cm it’s roughly a quarter of the size of the full-on Phantoms, there’s no mistaking this glossy, vaguely Dyson-shaped speaker for anyone else’s product.

Unlike the bigger Phantoms in Devialet’s range, the Reactor is a single-piece cabinet, with the company’s uniquely decorative grille (covering a 3cm aluminium midrange/treble driver) at one end and heat-dispersing fins at the other. On either side are equally distinctive covered woofers (each a 10cm aluminium dome).

At 4.3kg the unit feels as sturdy as it looks, and the construction is flawless. You’ll have to get on with the idea of Shiny White, though, because the Phantom Reactor isn’t available in any other finish.

Features: acronyms galore

Under its skin, the Reactor 900 is bristling with technology and racy-sounding abbreviations – 160 patents gives some idea of the brow-furrowing thinking that’s gone in to extracting 900 watts of music power from an enclosure of this size.

All that oomph is delivered by what Devialet calls ADH architecture. In practice it’s a hybrid amplification arrangement: Class A (which engineers will tell you always sounds best) and Class D (which is compact as well as energy- and heat-efficient) mashed together in an attempt to get all the pros and none of the cons.

Into this already fiendishly complicated circuitry Devialet has embedded an 24bit/192kHz DAC. You may think 900 watts and £1290 is a bit excessive, and you may well be onto something. If so, Devialet has you covered: the Reactor 600 costs a mere £990 and kicks out a slightly less apocalyptic 600 watts.

Elsewhere, there’s the Active Cospherical Engine (which is definitely a thing and not just a way of getting the acronym ACE onto the spec-sheet) – it manages the distribution of sound from this oddly shaped cabinet.

And SAM (Speaker Active Matching) is an unnecessarily complicated way of describing the way the Reactor goes about processing incoming audio signals.

The pièce de résistance where abbreviations is concerned, though, is HBI. Without any apparent sense of hyperbole, Devialet is calling its method of hermetically sealing the opposing woofers under enormous pressure – over 200kg, in fact – Heart Bass Implosion.

No, we’ve no idea what that actually means in practice, but there’s no denying it’s an arresting-looking collection of words.

On the outside, features are kept to a minimum. There are five touch-sensitive controls along the spine of the Reactor: play/pause, volume up, volume down, set-up (for use with the control app) and Bluetooth pairing.

At the rear, beneath those hard-to-dust heat-sinks, there are a few physical inputs: ethernet (because everyone loves a stable network connection), a hybrid 3.5mm socket that’s switchable between analogue and digital optical, and mains power. There’s also a power/standby/reset button.

Interface: Clean and logical

Devialet may be proudly single-minded about the look and specification of its products, but it’s not so rash that it messes with the sanctity of the control app.

The Devialet app (for iOS and Android) is by far the least remarkable thing about the Phantom Reactor 900 – and for that we’re very grateful.

It’s clean, logical and, crucially, stable – which is just how we like it. There’s a great big volume control in the middle of the screen, with input selection (Spotify, UPnP, AirPlay, aux, network, Bluetooth) beneath, and options for software updates and the like hidden in a drop-down menu.

Performance: oomph

As we suspected might be the case from our encounters with previous Phantoms, Devialet has gone straight for the jugular with the Phantom Reactor 900 – and it’s a jugular that’s composed entirely of bass. Fast, deep, hard-hitting and alarmingly visual bass.

Ordinarily, the ‘performance’ section of a wireless speaker review would concern itself solely with sound. But this is no ordinary wireless speaker, and no ordinary performance.

Wind the volume up beyond ‘tentative’ and the Reactor’s prodigious low-frequency presence is illustrated by frenzied movement from the side-mounted bass drivers.

In any other speaker, you’d react by reducing volume in hurry, to save the drivers from possible terminal damage. But this is just what a Devialet Phantom does. It flaps its little wings like it’s determined to take flight, or at least make its way to the edge of the shelf.

There’s just no arguing with the Reactor’s low-end authority. No matter whether you indulge it with Daniel Avery’s Diminuendo, or challenge it with Tim Buckley’s The Dolphins, the result is the same: any low frequencies emerge at speed, in full and with absolute solidity.

Though there’s more to the Reactor than just bass, you know (but not much more, as The Smiths nearly sang). It’s tonally very faithful, and genuinely communicative through the midrange – it reveals lots of detail in a singer’s voice or the nuances of timbre and harmonics in instruments.

In terms of fluency, the Phantom Reactor is among the best of the (admittedly pretty small) group of wireless speakers at this sort of money.

It’s equally adept at the top of the frequency range, if slightly more circumspect than at the bottom. The treble sounds in The 1975’s A Brief Enquiry Into Online Relationships attack crisply and are integrated smoothly into all the information seething below.

Dynamism is impressive too, as it really should with this amount of oomph on tap. It switches from thunder to silence quickly and cleanly, so a stop/start quiet/loud classic such as Smells Like Teen Spirit is brimming with the necessary excitement.

Sound is distributed evenly from the Reactor, and it has no problems filling even a largish room without getting stressed or ragged.

What it can’t do, however, is generate a convincing soundstage. For all of its powers of resolution and broad spread, the stage sounds cramped and confined.

There’s very little breathing-space for instruments, an impression that gets stronger the more complex the music you listen to, and the overall presentation sounds vertical and squashed rather than horizontal and spacious.

The inability to open up a recording and give some room to individual sounds is what ultimately makes the Phantom Reactor seem, at first, like a bit of a blunt instrument. It isn’t – it’s much too deft and insightful – but its presentation is congested and, when you add that to the fearsome bass presence, it can too easily sound oppressive.

Devialet Phantom Reactor 900 Verdict

The Devialet Phantom Reactor has an awful lot going for it. In broad terms it sounds impressive, it looks a sight more impressive and dramatic when it’s working than anyone else’s wireless speaker, and it’s impressively well made.

But it doesn’t have the all-court sonic game a speaker of this cost really should have, and that makes it easier to admire than to love.

Stuff Says…

Score: 4 /5

An idiosyncratic wireless speaker that sounds a lot less bonkers than it looks

Distinct, compact design

Dynamic audio with plenty of oomph

Logical easy-to-use controls

On the expensive side

Luxury content of the audio/video variety. Adept at going on and on. European.

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Devialet Phantom Reactor 900

Devialet Phantom Reactor 900 review: specs and price

Why is devialet phantom reactor 900 better than the average.

• Lowest frequency ? 18Hz vs 73.83Hz
• Highest frequency ? 21000Hz vs 19658.51Hz
• Warranty period ? 2 years vs 1.19 years
• Sound pressure level ? 98dB/mW vs 88.28dB/mW

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Devialet Phantom Reactor 900 Bluetooth speaker review: tiny egg, huge sound

Devialet is a French audio company that made a name for itself in the audiophile community for its unique amplifiers. But its real claim to fame is the Phantom: a twenty five pound, egg-shaped speaker that blows the mind of almost everyone who hears it.

This original Phantom uses an aluminum core to create up to 1.2 tons of pressure to emulate a large cabinet size in a small package. With side firing woofers that move like crazy and some serious and interesting tech going on inside, as well as up to 4,500 watts pumping through the high end Gold model, dropping $1,800 up to $3,000 per speaker suddenly makes sense once you hear it.

We reviewed the mid-range Phantom Silver , and we absolutely loved it. There’s nothing like it on the market. But now Devialet has renamed the Phantom to the Phantom Premier and introduced a baby brother to the speaker called the Phantom Reactor. At one quarter the total volume and under two fifths of the weight, it’s one tiny speaker. But it’s Devialet, so you know it won’t disappoint.

• Price: $1,350 ( $1,090 for the 600W version )
• Wattage: 900W
• Frequency response: 18Hz to 21kHz
• Sound level: 98 dB at 1 meter
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, combo 3.5mm/optical jack, Airplay, UPnP, Spotify Connect
• Dimensions: 219mm x 168mm x 157mm
• Weight: 9.5 lbs
• Where to buy: Devialet , Amazon

The Phantom Reactor closely follows the design of the original Phantom, though it’s much smaller and substantially sleeker. That perfectly round look is replaced with flatter sides, and it’s a solid improvement over the egg-like shape of the previous model. At the very least, it looks more normal. It’s still striking, and while some may disagree, really nice looking.

On the front you’ll find an aluminum full-range driver situated under the flower grill. The ring around it isn’t a driver like on the Phantom; instead of a separate mid-range driver and tweeter, Devialet went for a single full-range driver. On the sides, enveloped by two stainless panels, are the aluminum bass drivers. These are the star of the show, moving like crazy when playing music.

On top you’ll find something new on Devialet speakers: a touch control panel. The Phantom had no controls whatsoever, so this is a welcome change. You can play/pause, change volume, enable Bluetooth, and link to a phone running the Devialet app.

On the back under the heatsink are the ports and a single button. You’ll find an Ethernet port (for a better streaming connection), a combo 3.5mm analog/optical jack, and a power in port. The power button allows you to force the speaker to sleep, but it’s really stiff and squishy. It’s uncharacteristically low quality for Devialet. The good news is that the massive yellow power cable of the full size speaker is gone, replaced with a slim white cable.

Overall the design is awesome, and very heavy. At 10 pounds it’s surprisingly heavy for its size. But all of the materials are solid and, with a $269 Cocoon case , you can even travel with it.

If you’re not willing to drop the $1,350 on the Reactor 900, you can pick up the more budget-friendly Reactor 600 for $1,090 . You’ll sacrifice 300W and a bit of sound pressure level, but you’re still getting the same design and same drivers.

Sound quality

Before we talk about actual audio quality, let’s talk about what Devialet has done to make this speaker stand out. Much like its big brother, it uses an ADH (analog digital hybrid) amplifier. It also creates sound below the human hearing threshold, though not much so. Humans can hear down to 20Hz, and this speaker can produce 18Hz audio. This typically causes the impact and “chills” you feel. And instead of a large cabinet, the Reactor uses a sealed chamber inside to produce large amounts of pressure, simulating cabinet size and creating the “unreasonable sound” Devialet claims out of such a small package.

And the sound is unreasonable! This thing gets wildly loud and creates crazy amounts of bass for its size. The two woofers on the sides move like mad and create a surprising amount of air movement around them. It’s truly a spectacle. The bass is definitely the focus of the Reactor, because nothing in this size can create such a physical impact. Sure a Google Home is bassy, but it’s all superfluous low end. This is the kind of bass that you can feel in your chest.

The highs are incredibly clear and detailed as well, bringing out parts of music you may have not previously heard. It’s not a fancy titanium tweeter, but it’s very competent. And even at full volume (and full volume is  very loud), there’s absolutely no distortion. Max volume can easily fill a large room with sound that’s hard to talk over. All this despite not supporting a fancy Bluetooth codec like aptX HD. Where the lack thereof would be very noticeable in headphones, the Reactor doesn’t seem to suffer as much.

The only issue I have with the sound is that it doesn’t feel “full.” It almost sounds like some of the mid-range is subdued. The highs are clear and bright, the bass is sharp and powerful, but in between there isn’t enough. It ends up sounding a bit focused on the highs, contrasting the Phantom Silver’s warm sound signature. It definitely lacks in this department, even compared to cheaper speakers. However, the sound is never harsh or grating. The highs are smooth and easy on the ears even at wild volumes.

I pitted the $1,350 Reactor 900 against the $1,800 Master & Dynamic MA770 and the $2,390 Devialet Phantom Silver (pumping out a whopping 3000W) . This is the cheapest of the bunch, but it’s good to see how it stacks up against others in a high price bracket. It is worth mentioning that both are a lot bigger than the Reactor, with the MA770 towering over the Devialet duo.

The Phantom Silver and MA770 both have a much more “full” sound, with every part of the frequency range well represented. This is the case at all volume levels, the MA770 is delightfully warm and full at all times. The MA770 and Reactor are shockingly similar considering the price and size difference, with the MA770 not being all that much louder. Of course the Master & Dynamic speaker has the far superior highs thanks to that titanium tweeter, and even with a measly 100W of power, pumps out a lot more bass at full volume. But the Reactor holds its ground, and even does boomy, distorted bass (like in Billie Eilish’s “ilomilo”) better and more sharply. The Phantom Silver bests both, but it’s definitely in a league of its own.

But I’d argue that the best part about this speaker isn’t the full volume experience. It’s actually the low volume experience that is truly special. With every other speaker on the market, including the beloved MA770, you don’t get much bass until you turn it up. You really have to get a woofer going to create impact. This isn’t the case with the Devialet lineup. No matter the volume, you’re going to get a decent amount of impact. Even at 40%, a reasonable listening volume you can talk over, the sound is sharp and bassy. This makes the Reactor an extraordinary speaker for low volume listening, and it makes it very special in this regard. While the MA770 sounds better full blast, the Reactor definitely sounds better at one third.

All of this testing was done over the typical Bluetooth connection. The speaker does support 24 bit audio over UPnP ( Universal Plug and Play) , so you can download an app called BubbleUPnP for streaming and you can actually eke out even more sound from this thing. And if you want even better sound, pair two of these together using the app and make yourself a true stereo setup… at double the price. But honestly, you really don’t need it.

My favorite part about the Devialet experience is its handling of the Bluetooth connection. That is, it will not auto connect to your phone as it comes near. A lot of speakers (at least ones that are mainly plugged into a wired source) suffer from this, forcing you to unpair the speaker or get connected to it every time you enter your home. Audioengine bookshelf speakers have this issue, and you simply don’t want to be connected to a Bluetooth device at all times. With the Phantom Reactor (and the bigger Phantom), there is no auto reconnect. You have to head into Bluetooth settings and tap it to reconnect, and that’s just so convenient and forward thinking.

You can use the speaker as a dedicated Bluetooth speaker just by hitting the Bluetooth button at the top, but you’d be doing yourself a disservice. Not only are you skipping out on the software updates available through the app, you’re also streaming music in an inferior way (though it is the easiest way).

The Devialet app is different from the Spark app for the Phantom. Where the Spark app allowed streaming local content via WiFi, as well as advanced controls like multi room setups, this Devialet app lacks WiFi streaming from your phone. However, the app is simple and well designed. You get some basic media controls, a big volume ring around them (and dragging anywhere around this ring adjusts volume rather than being limited to a thin line), and some streaming options at the bottom. You can enable Airplay (if you have Apple products), Spotify Connect, and UPnP streaming.

I do wish the app had more features, like an equalizer or more connections than just Spotify. But Devialet supports its products for a long time, so it’s likely we’ll see more features come in the future via updates. Stereo support is already there, and multi-room support is coming if you want to buy more than one of these things.

If you’re paying over a thousand dollars for a speaker, you can bet that accessories won’t be cheap. In classic Devialet fashion, the company has released a few accessories both with striking design and crazy pricetags.

The aforementioned Cocoon is a $269 carrying case with a waterproof shell and aluminum handles. It comes in Mercury Grey, Jupiter Orange , and Neptune Blue . Almost $300 is crazy for a carrying case, but with its small size and unique shape (and potentially delicate bass drivers), it’s a cool accessory.

The other accessory is called Legs and is just a 19-inch tall stand with three thin white legs. It’s definitely interesting looking and will cost you $169.

Devialet Phantom Reactor Rating: star_full star_full star_full star_full star_50 (4.5 / 5 )

• Amazing sound from a small package
• Bass has actual impact, even at lower volumes
• Simple and easy to use
• Can be wirelessly chained together for stereo
• Price is high
• App lacks streaming options
• Sound could be more full in the mid-range

The Devialet Phantom Reactor takes everything good from its massive, expensive brother and brings it into a small form factor. Not only that, but it also does it at a much more affordable price. From the crazy volume to the wild bass, and even the woofer throw show it puts on, this is an incredible home speaker. It never overwhelms you with bass, it sounds amazing at lower volumes, and it’s relatively easy to use.

Place it anywhere in the house, and it won’t take up much more space than two Google Homes. But it’ll sound absolutely amazing and allow you to enjoy your music like it was meant to be enjoyed. This is Devialet’s take on the everyman’s speaker, something the average person can afford. And despite its flaws, they knocked it out of the park.

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Enceinte connectée Devialet Phantom Reactor : notre test en vidéo

En marge de notre test écrit de l'enceinte connectée Phantom Reactor , nous vous proposons de découvrir avec nous la dernière-née de Devialet en vidéo.

Arrivée sur le marché près de quatre ans après la Phantom originelle, la Phantom Reactor a pour objectif de rendre le “son Devialet” plus accessible au commun des mortels, non seulement par son encombrement très réduit, mais aussi par son prix revu significativement à la baisse.

Comprenons-nous bien : à 990 € l'enceinte pour le modèle 600 W, et même 1 290 € pour le modèle 900 W que nous testons ici (et donc 1 980 € ou 2 580 € pour une paire stéréo), ces charmantes petites bêtes ne font pas non plus dans le grand public. Mais il faut reconnaître qu'elles savent impressionner avec leurs performances sonores proprement sidérantes en rapport à leur taille. Vous voulez en savoir plus ? Nous vous donnons alors rendez-vous dans la vidéo ci-dessus. Bon visionnage !

• Enceinte sans fil Devialet Phantom II 98 dB Iconic White 1 299,00 € Neuf
• Enceinte sans fil Devialet Phantom II 98 dB Matte Black 1 299,00 € Neuf
• Enceinte sans fil Devialet Phantom II 98 dB Opéra de Paris Feuille d'or 1 700,00 € Neuf

• Enceinte résidentielle DEVIALET Phantom II 98db Iconic White 1 299,00 € Neuf
• Enceinte résidentielle DEVIALET Phantom II 98db Matte Black 1 299,00 € Neuf
• Enceinte résidentielle DEVIALET Phantom II 98db Opéra de Paris 1 699,00 € Neuf

• Enceinte sans fil Devialet Phantom II 98db Noir 1 299,00 € Neuf
• Enceinte sans fil Devialet Phantom II 98db Blanc 1 299,00 € Neuf
• Enceinte sans fil Devialet Phantom II 98db Opéra de Paris 1 700,00 € Neuf

• Enceintes connectées Devialet Phantom II 98 dB Blanc 1 299,00 € Neuf
• Enceintes connectées Devialet Phantom II 98 dB Noir 1 299,00 € Neuf
• Enceintes connectées Devialet Phantom II 98 dB Opéra de Paris 1 699,00 € Neuf
• Enceintes sans fil hi-fi Devialet Phantom II 98 dB Stéréo Noir 2 590,00 € Neuf
• Enceintes sans fil hi-fi Devialet Phantom II 98 dB Stéréo Blanc 2 590,00 € Neuf
• Enceintes sans fil hi-fi Devialet Phantom II 98 dB Stéréo Opéra de Paris 3 390,00 € Neuf

• DEVIALET Phantom II 98 dB Iconic White 1 299,00 € Neuf
• DEVIALET Phantom II 98 dB Opéra de Paris 1 699,00 € Neuf

• Devialet Phantom II 98 dB Matte Black - Enceinte sans fil compacte 1 299,00 € Neuf
• Devialet Phantom II 98 dB Iconic White - Enceinte sans fil compacte 1 299,00 € Neuf

• Enceinte sans fil compacte , La révolution Phantom : plus dense que jama... 1 299,00 € Neuf
• Enceinte sans fil compacte R900 BLACK MATTE , La révolution : plus dense... 1 299,00 € Neuf
• Enceinte sans fil compacte , La révolution Phantom REACTOR OPERA DE PARI... 1 699,00 € Neuf

• Devialet phantom ii 98 db iconic white 1 299,00 € Neuf
• Devialet phantom ii 98 db matte black 1 299,00 € Neuf
• Devialet phantom ii 98 db opéra de paris 1 699,00 € Neuf

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Fiche technique Devialet Phantom Reactor 900

La devialet phantom reactor 900 est une enceinte amplifiée haut de gamme. elle fonctionne aussi bien avec que sans fil, en bluetooth ou airplay. elle embarque une connectique ethernet et jack 3,5 mm (analogique ou optique). | lire la suite.

Devialet Phantom Reactor 900

L'avis de 01net.com

Quatre fois plus petite que son aînée, la nouvelle Reactor n’a pas à rougir en termes de puissance de feu. Cela ne nous empêche pas d’avoir beaucoup de choses à lui reprocher.

Lire le test complet

Note de la rédaction

Qualité et puissance audio

Design et finition

Appréciation générale

Fiche technique

Devialet Phantom Reactor 900...

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La Devialet Phantom Reactor 900 est une enceinte amplifiée haut de gamme. Elle fonctionne aussi bien avec que sans fil, en Bluetooth ou AirPlay. Elle embarque une connectique Ethernet et jack 3,5 mm (analogique ou optique).

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Devialet Phantom Reactor 600 review

Innovative wireless speaker with impressive bass tested at £990 / $1090.

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

Stunning and bold in its design, the Phantom Reactor 600 unfortunately makes much less of an aural impact

Exceptional build

Impressive bass

Intuitive app

Timing is an issue

Lacks dynamic expression

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

Until recently, many people might have considered Devialet’s Phantom range of premium wireless speakers too rich for their blood. The entry-level Classic Phantom, for example, boasts 1200 watts of power and comes with a £1590 price tag. 

Now Devialet has introduced two smaller, slightly more affordable models, the Phantom Reactor 600 (£990) and Phantom Reactor 900 (£1290). The Reactors look like scaled-down versions of the existing Phantom models and still pack in a full dose of the range's innovative technologies for that decent saving in cost.

On review here is the Phantom Reactor 600, so-called because of its impressive 600W power amplification. It is similar to its siblings in that it’s completely dissimilar to any wireless speaker you’ve ever seen before.

So, how to describe this sixth member of the Phantom family? Alien bug? Storm Trooper’s lunchbox? Something out of a Bjork music video? That’s as close as we can get. 

It is almost kitten-like in terms of size and personality – just waiting to be scooped up into your hands. Anthropomorphic tendencies abound here; the Reactor 600’s two side-mounted cones pulse outwards, both on alerting you to its readiness and when delivering music. It’s stroke-ably stylish, but still solid.

• Devialet Silver Phantom review

But for all this cuteness, it is a lion when it comes to output. The Phantom Reactor 600 is amplified by 600W of power and good for a claimed maximum 95dB sound pressure level (SPL), which is similar to the noise produced by a chainsaw or motorbike at close range. It’s loud, and also surprisingly heavy, weighing in at 4.3kg.

Set-up is a breeze through Devialet’s app, whether you’re using one Reactor 600 or stereo pairing two of the things. The in-app playback options include Bluetooth, Spotify, AirPlay and UPnP, and for physical inputs, there’s a 3.5mm analogue and optical audio at the back. 

You could always use your phone or tablet to access music from streaming services, but unlike some of its competitors, Devialet doesn’t offer Tidal or Deezer as embedded options here. The Devialet app itself is intuitive, simple to use and features a volume dial, but otherwise there are no EQ functions.

Devialet offers ‘legs’ for the Reactor; three stems screwed into a base that then attaches to the underneath of the unit. A downside is that they’re not adjustable, leaving your Reactor at about hip-height.

• Devialet Gold Phantom review

We load up some tunes via Spotify, and our initial impressions are of a crisp, clear, forward and attacking sound. The heeled footsteps on concrete during the prologue of Coheed And Cambria’s In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3 advance towards the ringing telephone with a piercing clarity. There’s plenty of detail here, even down to Claudio Sanchez’s initial intake of breath before he delivers his opening lines.

It’s a scale of delivery that we wouldn't expect from a speaker of the Phantom Reactor’s compact proportions. The sound is precise, uncluttered and easily fills our room. The bass in particular is even more impressive. 

D’Angelo’s Devil’s Pie is typified by one of the grimiest, funkiest bass-lines in neo soul. Few speakers with these proportions can deliver it, but the Phantom Reactor 600 reaches depths with a responsive rumble that's about as technically flawless as one could hope for in a speaker of this size.

Frequency response 18Hz – 21kHz

Bluetooth Yes

AirPlay Yes

Spotify Yes

Optical/analogue ports Yes

Alexa/Google Assistant enabled No

But while D’Angelo’s bassline is competently represented in terms of register, the head-nodding swing is not. With the bass so exposed, lack of timing is an issue to the point that it’s actually quite an unmusical sound – the artist’s trademark lethargic, lilting interplay between drums and vocals isn’t obvious enough.

We play Beyonce’s Partition and, while her vocals are crisp and forward, there’s little in the way of texture or dynamic variety, making Queen B’s vocal feel louder than it is in the mix. As she commands the crowd to greet her with “Hey, Ms Carter” we hear her clear, bell-like timbre, but the Phantom Reactor 600 cannot quite convey the expressive depth of her voice, nor the playfulness.

Switching to psychobilly, we stream King Kurt’s frantic, fiesty Gather Your Limbs . Amongst the cacophony of sound, both the comedic timing and the warmth in lead singer Smeg’s outbursts are lacking. This is a band that demands audience interaction, but the rhythmic goading of the crowd and counterplay between guitars doesn’t quite come across.

The four-star Naim Mu-So Qb now comes in at just over half the price of the Phantom Reactor 600, and while it can’t compete in terms of bass, it delivers a notably more cohesive, musically pleasing sound.

We listen to two 600s configured as a stereo pair, too, and the sound does open up, filling our room with impressive volume and weighty bass that is well-distributed. For many, that meaty delivery coupled with a futuristic look might be ideal, but our issues with a slight dischord in terms of musicality persist. 

To clarify the potential investment, two Phantom Reactor 600s would set you back more or less £2,000 – money that, if it’s excellent wireless standmounts that you’re after, would be better spent on the KEF LS50 speakers. 

The Phantom Reactor 600 looks nothing short of other-worldly. It handles bass admirably and scores high marks for both user-friendliness and connectivity. For many, that will be enough. However, listening to music should be enjoyable, and it does border on academic here.

If a futuristic aesthetic and an impressive volume level are paramount, the Phantom Reactor 600 could be the speaker for you. But the sound feels computerised, and there are more melodic options available for your money.

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Nouvelle enceinte Devialet Phantom Reactor, jusqu’à 900 Watts de son haut de gamme

• Publié le 10 octobre 2018 par Sylvain Pichot dans Actualités Audio

Tags : AirPlay , Bluetooth , Devialet , enceinte , enceinte , Spotify , Wi-Fi

La marque Devialet, spécialiste des enceintes haut de gamme, vient d’annoncer la sortie d’une nouvelle enceinte Bluetooth délivrant jusqu’à 900 Watts de son pour un prix plutôt intéressant de 1000 € environ. Son nom : Phantom Reactor.

Le constructeur Devialet considère que son enceinte Phantom est la meilleure au monde. Désormais, il va aussi falloir compter sur les nouvelles Phantom Reactor 600 et Phantom Reactor 900 capables de délivrer un son de 900 Watts en puissance de crête avec un niveau sonore jusqu’à 98 dB SPL, sans distorsion, sans saturation ni souffle, d’après le constructeur (jusqu’à 600 Watts à 95 dB SPL pour la Reactor 600). Les enceintes occupent un espace d’environ 3 litres pour 5 Kg. A l’intérieur, Devialet a intégré plusieurs technologies d’optimisation dont « ADH (Analog Digital Hybrid), l’innovation majeure de  la marque en matière d’amplification du son, SAM (Speaker Active Matching), le modèle mathématique qui assure à chaque instant un contrôle parfait des haut-parleurs et la grande fidélité acoustique de Phantom REACTOR, HBI (Heart Bass Implosion), le procédé acoustique révolutionnaire qui permet d’émettre des sons graves, avec une profondeur et un impact physique phénoménaux, ACE (Active Cospherical Engine), qui définit la conception sphérique, forme acoustique parfaite pour reproduire un son et diffuser son énergie dans toutes les directions. » Elles mesurent 219x157x168 mm avec un design compact et reprenant celui de l’actuelle gamme Phantom. L’enceinte est Bluetooth ce qui lui permet de jouer de la musique depuis un smartphone ou une tablette tactile et de fournir les contenus de services connectés comme Spotify Connect, Airplay, par exemple. Il est aussi possible de brancher une source externe via l’entrée audio numérique optique ou la connexion jack. L’enceinte est contrôlable à distance via une application disponible pour smartphone, Phantom Reactor.

L’enceinte Devialet Phantom Reactor 600 sera disponible en précommande à partir du 10 octobre à 990 € environ.

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Devialet Phantom Reactor 900

Devialet décline son enceinte Phantom dans une version plus petite, donc plus facile à caser. Avec la Phantom Reactor, le son Devialet devient aussi plus accessible, même si son tarif n’est pas encore à la portée de toutes les bourses. L’idée poursuivie ne change pas : délivrer un son le plus qualitatif possible à partir d’une enceinte qui pourra remplacer tout un système HiFi. À travers ce test, nous allons nous rendre compte que cette éventualité est tout à fait envisageable.

>>> LIRE LE TEST COMPLET

Specifications

• Type : Enceinte sans fil Wi-Fi - Haut-parleurs 1x large bande, 2x woofer - Puissance 900 Watts - Connectivité Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth, UPnP, AirPlay, 1x entrée mixte analogique/optique
• Poids : 4,3 kg
• Dimensions : 157 x 168 x 219 mm (LxPxH)
• Prix officiel : 1290 euros pièce
• Catégorie(s) : Enceintes connectées

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Rosatom Starts Life Tests of Third-Generation VVER-440 Nuclear Fuel

• 16 June, 2020 / 13:00

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TVEL completes development of modified fuel for Paks

13 October 2020

The development and validation of modified fuel for use in the four VVER-440 reactors at the Paks nuclear power plant in Hungary has now been completed, Rosatom's nuclear fuel manufacturer subsidiary TVEL announced today. The first consignment of the modified fuel is scheduled to be delivered to the Paks plant later this year.

TVEL said the full package of documents has been submitted to the Hungarian customer, MVM Paks Ltd, for further licensing of the fuel by the national nuclear power regulator. It said the first fuel assemblies have passed acceptance testing at the Elemash Machine-building plant, a TVEL fuel fabrication facility in Elektrostal, Moscow region.

The engineering contract between TVEL and MVM Paks for development of the new VVER-440 fuel was signed in November 2017.

The new modification of second-generation VVER-440 fuel enables an increase in the coolant volume inside the reactor core and optimisation of the hydro-uranium ratio, which would have a positive impact on both the technical and economic performance of the power unit, TVEL said.

TVEL noted the project has involved the participation of a number of Russian nuclear industry enterprises, such as OKB Gidropress (part of Rosatom's machine-building division Atomenergomash), Bochvar Institute (TVEL's material science research facility), Elemash Machine-building plant and Kurchatov Institute national research centre. The new fuel passed a range of hydraulic, longevity and vibration tests at the site of OKB Gidropress research and experiment facility.

Paks, which has a total installed capacity 1902 MWe, is the only operating nuclear power plant in Hungary. It comprises four VVER-440 reactors that were commissioned between 1982 and 1987. It is currently the only VVER-440 plant in the world operating in extended 15-month fuel cycles. It produces about 15 billion kWh of power annually, which is about half of Hungary's electricity generation.

"TVEL Fuel Company and Paks NPP have a longstanding partnership with a number of successfully accomplished projects. Introduction of the new fuel modification at all four power units of the plant would enable our customer to decrease gradually the fuel share in the power generation cost, giving an essential economic impact," TVEL President Natalia Nikipelova said. "Paks NPP contributes about the half of the whole electricity generation in Hungary and, for us as a nuclear fuel manufacturer, it is a matter of professional pride to provide the Hungarian nuclear power units with reliable supplies of fuel that is both high-quality and commercially attractive."

Russia and Hungary signed an intergovernmental agreement in early 2014 for Russian enterprises and their international sub-contractors to supply two VVER-1200 reactors at Paks, including a Russian state loan of up to EUR10.0 billion (USD11.2 billion) to finance 80% of the project, which is known as Paks II.

Finnish utility Fortum signed a contract with TVEL in March 2018 for the supply of the modified fuel for use at its twin VVER-440 Loviisa plant.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

Related topics

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