Devialet partner with Sky!

[Pim]

What do you think Guillaume, worth a new section on the forum?

Sure. At the moment it's still just news though. 

Will be interesting to see if it outperforms all other soundbars in the market. The Sonos one is allegedly very good.

Guillaume

I installed a Sonos sound bar plus two speakers and a sub for my brother last year. It works a treat. Sounds pretty average. Those who say it's very good haven't heard good. For the same money as that whole set you can get a pair of KEF LS50 Wireless speakers. They ARE very good.

[Pioneer123]

Cant say I'm impressed.

Audiophile brand competing now with the likes of Yamaha / Pioneer sound bars and the like.

Having spent a small fortune on Devialet gear (which I am very happy with) can't help thinking that it its 2nd hand value will drop because "everyday joe bloggs" will associate "cheap" SKY mass market products (which is what they are designed for) with Devialet (which is not a cheap mass market product).

Time will tell I suppose.

[Hifi_swlon]

I honestly struggle to see how any high-end Devialet customer (or any for that matter) could get excited about this. Endorsing a Sky box seems pretty, er, desperate.

[alandbush]

Not made by Devialet but they effectively endorse the sonic output. Design wise, looks like the Sky team leaned hard on Sonos.

I honestly struggle to see how any high-end Devialet customer (or any for that matter) could get excited about this. Endorsing a Sky box seems pretty, er, desperate.

My impression was that Devialet were more involved than simply providing endorsement.

Quote from the Wired piece.

Devialet, who initially approached Sky with a prototype TV sound system, are supplying the internal technology and digital signal processing trickery for the Soundbox, while Sky has taken charge of the industrial design and manufacture, which will be in China.

[Confused]

I honestly struggle to see how any high-end Devialet customer (or any for that matter) could get excited about this. Endorsing a Sky box seems pretty, er, desperate.

This is not a case of Devialet simply 'endorsing' a Sky box, according to the various links it features Devialet technology, for example:

'Devialet’s ground breaking acoustic technology, first developed for its critically acclaimed Phantom Speaker'

OK, very few technical details so far, but I'm guessing it is ADH powered?

[Confused]

Cant say I'm impressed.

Audiophile brand competing now with the likes of Yamaha / Pioneer sound bars and the like.

Having spent a small fortune on Devialet gear (which I am very happy with) can't help thinking that it its 2nd hand value will drop because "everyday joe bloggs" will associate "cheap" SKY mass market products (which is what they are designed for) with Devialet (which is not a cheap mass market product).

Time will tell I suppose.

There is a different way of looking at this.  In the past I have had much loved systems featuring Arcam amplification with JBL (Danish) speakers.  Now JBL have been bought by Harman Kardon, recently it was announced Harman are buying Arcam, and indeed Harmen themselves are now owned by Samsung.

https://www.whathifi.com/news/arcam-acqu...on-Samsung

Then you get companies like KEF, who build nice stuff like the Blade and Reference series speakers in the UK, but make more 'mass market' kit in a purpose built facility China, this is how they survive and can find the R&D budget for the 'good stuff'.

I can also think of a few 'high end' only audio brands who just sell the expensive stuff, some of this kit is indeed very good indeed, but it is always very expensive, and not just high cost, but very often very poor value for money.

So yes, a 'cheap' soundbar will not help second hand values of the 'premium' Devialet kit, on this point I can only agree.  However, taking this overall, it is how Devialet can thrive as an independent brand with R&D cash at the ready, I think this is a good thing.

[BoyScout]

So yes, a 'cheap' soundbar will not help second hand values of the 'premium' Devialet kit, on this point I can only agree.  However, taking this overall, it is how Devialet can thrive as an independent brand with R&D cash at the ready, I think this is a good thing.

That´s my opinion too.
I have nothing against more accessible products as long as they are truly innovative and outperform price in quality.

[thumb5]

I honestly struggle to see how any high-end Devialet customer (or any for that matter) could get excited about this. Endorsing a Sky box seems pretty, er, desperate.

We (collectively) need to get used to the idea that Devialet will be moving ever further towards high volume, mass market, low-priced applications of their technology.  Remember: "one day everyone will own a Devialet"?  So while I agree that it's not exciting news for us, it's business as usual.  I'm quite happy with that so long as it doesn't impinge on support of the Expert series - and Phantom, of course, if I owned some.

[Hifi_swlon]

I honestly struggle to see how any high-end Devialet customer (or any for that matter) could get excited about this. Endorsing a Sky box seems pretty, er, desperate.

This is not a case of Devialet simply 'endorsing' a Sky box, according to the various links it features Devialet technology, for example:

'Devialet’s ground breaking acoustic technology, first developed for its critically acclaimed Phantom Speaker'

Maybe, time will tell I suppose. I mean I'm on much less of an anti-Devialet parade these days, but I just see through the 'Devialet's ground breaking technology' as maybe some adh style ip in a box otherwise made to the lowest costs possible in China. And Sky is hardly a coup as a tech brand to tie up with, sort of a bit 'nasty' imo.

But it is exactly true to their announcement about their future goals and ambitions in the AV marketplace - just a bit lower-end than I was anticipating. So we can definitely see it's the start of things to come....

[Hifi_swlon]

 I'm quite happy with that so long as it doesn't impinge on support of the Expert series - and Phantom, of course, if I owned some.

Which, based on the 'silent' Expert era throughout Phantom rollout, I'd say is an unlikely outcome. Would the streamerboard and odA upgrades have been so late in the year if it weren't for this new box? Very unlikely I'd say.

Once these things start to roll out and eat support time with updates and bug-'fixing', I'm pretty sure we'll see another void in Expert development. Purely based on past performance. Devialet may of course have changed and expanded the company to cover the new areas and put processes in place to keep all lines moving at once, but I'll reserve judgement on that until I see it. Remember, we're still waiting for that promised 'better area for communication on the website' to materialise.