Quick Summary
Devialet has made arguably the best-looking amplifier of all time.
It contains proprietary technologies for which the French brand holds 250 patents, and costs from £14,000 / $21,000.
Devialet never fails to impress when it comes to combining its undoubted audiophile knowhow with gallery-style design. The Devialet Phantom I speaker is testament to that, while the portable Devialet Mania is truly something to behold.
But although it has spent the last few years producing some of the best wireless speakers on the planet, there's another side to the French brand that sets it apart from many contemporaries.
Back in 2010, it built is own audio amplifier – the D-Premier. It was the first device to introduce ADH technology and garnered five-stars across the board.
Now we have a follow-up of sorts, an amp that similar adopts ADH (Analogue Digital Hybrid) tech, albeit the latest generation, and combines it with a beautifully crafted aesthetic.
In fact, it's fair to say that the Devialet Astra is arguably the best-looking amp we've ever seen. Sleek and with an art deco-inspired silhouette, the stereo system features a preamp, amp, DAC, streamer and photo stage in the one unit.
It can output 2 x 300 watts (at 4 ohms) in solo mode, 2 x 600 watts in dual configuration. There is also SAM (Speaker Active Matching) tech on board to automatically adapt the signal to your passive speakers. This is taken from a library of 1,200 loudspeaker profiles, to provide the closest match.
Proprietary RAM (Record Active Matching) technology also works its magic, by dynamically adjusting EQ to the characteristics of a turntable or individual vinyl record. While Magic Wire tech ensures the distance an analogue signal travels within the DAC is kept to a minimum to reduce degradation before digital conversion.
The Devialet Astra doesn't just deliver traditional audio, it is also compatible with AirPlay, Google Cast, Roon Ready, Spotify Connect and Tidal. It supports UPnP and features both Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity.
There are two versions of the Astra available. The first is a light bronze edition which costs £14,000 / $21,000 for the solo configuration, £28,000 / $42,000 for the dual (with two Astra's stacked).
The other is a special Opéra de Paris model, which has been crafted is partnership with the Opéra National de Paris. This is finished in 23-carat gold leaf and is priced at £18,000 / $27,000 solo, £36,000 / $54,000 dual.
Orders can be made through Devialet's own website.
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This Devialet Phantom I speaker is literally a work of artArtist collaboration results in one of the best-looking speakers around
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I tried Devialet's new portable speaker – it's a great high-end Sonos Move rivalDevialet Mania is the French high-end audio brand's first portable speaker, and it's a bit of, well, a maniac (in a good way)...
