Devialet Phantom Ultimate Pulse Blue launched in India

Devialet's Phantom has always been as much a design object as a speaker, and the French audio company is leaning into that with its latest India release. The Phantom Ultimate 98 dB Pulse Blue, a new finish of its current-generation Phantom, is now open for pre-order in India through authorised retailers at Rs 2,40,000.

A matching Tree Phantom Ultimate 98 dB Pulse Blue floor stand costs Rs 37,999. The launch comes about a year after Devialet introduced the latest-generation Phantom.

The finish is the headline

This is a styling edition, not new hardware. The speaker body is painted in a deep ultra-matte RAL 5011 blue, while redesigned side panels in RAL 5003 move from matte to gloss with a mirror-polished surface under a clear varnish. Devialet has also refined its logo to match. The company says the blue draws on a shade it has used before in its visual identity.

The campaign features Formula 1 driver Isack Hadjar, Devialet's global brand ambassador.

What is under the shell

Inside, it is the same Phantom Ultimate 98 dB. Devialet quotes a maximum sound level of 98 dB SPL at one metre and a frequency response from 18Hz to 25kHz (plus or minus 6 dB), driven by 400W of total amplification. There is one full-range aluminium dome and two aluminium dome woofers in the company's Cospherical layout, meant to spread sound more widely.

The processing chain rests on Devialet's patented technologies. ADH combines Class A analogue and Class D digital amplification. SAM adapts the signal to the drivers in real time. HBI is the acoustic design behind bass down to 18Hz, and AVL levels out volume swings across content. The DAC handles files up to 24-bit/192kHz. An NXP i.MX 8M Nano chip runs the show.

Connectivity is broad. The speaker supports AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect (lossless), Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, UPnP and Roon Ready, plus Bluetooth 5.2 with SBC and AAC, dual-band Wi-Fi 5 and Ethernet. Two units can be paired in stereo, or several spread across rooms. The Devialet app offers Music, Podcast, Cinema and Neutral modes, a six-band equaliser, Bass Reducer and Loudness controls, and handles software updates.

It weighs 4.3kg and measures 157 x 219 x 168mm.

Who it is for

At Rs 2.4 lakh for a single speaker, the Pulse Blue edition is a luxury purchase aimed at a small audience that buys on design as well as sound. Devialet has not said how many units are coming to India or whether the edition is limited.

Henri Herve, Devialet's Partner Manager for India and Technical Solutions Ambassador for APAC, said India has become an increasingly important market for the company, citing "a growing appreciation for innovation, design and exceptional sound". He called the edition a celebration of that journey.

For buyers who already own a Phantom Ultimate 98 dB, there is no functional reason to switch. For those shopping at the very top of the wireless speaker market, a price gap of this size over mainstream smart speakers is about materials, finish and brand as much as audio. Pre-orders are being taken through Devialet's authorised retail partners in India.