French maker of high-end audio technology Devialet opened a flagship store in Dubai Mall last month and it echoes the brand’s well-loved minimalist ethos. But the one thing that isn’t minimalist about Devialet is how it sounds. Users can experience this in the Listening Room, an acoustically optimised space where the full impact of the Phantom speakers can be felt in a controlled, immersive setting.
I’m there to interview Devialet chief executive Jacques Demont. When we’re in the room, he noticed my Kiss T-shirt. “I have to play something for you,” he says before queuing up the glam metal band’s 1979 classic, I Was Made for Lovin’ You.
As the song starts, the sound is loud – but not in a way it feels like it is piercing through my ear. “Listen to how clean the sound is,” says Demont excitedly, as the bass fills the space. The clarity of the instruments and vocals makes me feel like I’m standing in the front row at a concert, but in a refined and controlled way.
That isn’t a coincidence. The Devialet Phantom series, much-loved for its compact size yet powerful sound output, reaches up to 108 decibels – which is as loud as a live rock concert. As the song played, I had only one thought: If I owned one of these speakers, my neighbours would hate me.
Devialet, which brands itself as an “acoustical engineering company”, has been transforming the world of high-end audio since it launched in 2007 and has been backed by everyone from Jay Z’s Roc Nation to the Renault group.
Now with its first flagship store in the Middle East, opened in partnership with Chalhoub Group, it is looking to plant its flag firmly in a region that is obsessed with luxury and innovation. The launch follows the success of Devialet’s pop-up store in the Mall of the Emirates, which resulted in strong consumer interest and reaffirmed the brand’s decision to establish a permanent presence in Dubai.
“The customers here love nice products, brands and luxury. They love technology products and this mix confirmed that we need to be there,” says Demont. With high consumer purchasing power and a strong demand for cutting-edge technology, Dubai provides an ideal environment for Devialet to thrive.
Devialet’s collaboration with Chalhoub Group signals a broader push across the Middle East. The company plans to open five additional regional stores. “We are talking with different locations, like Riyadh and Qatar, but the idea is always to be in the right place because it’s crucial. If you are not in the right place, you will never be successful and we are working on this with Chalhoub,” says Demont.
A local partner like Chalhoub Group makes sense for the French brand. The group has been introducing high-end brands to the Middle East for more than six decades. Chalhoub Group has been instrumental in introducing prestigious global brands to the Middle East, including Tom Ford and Swarovski.
The timing also makes sense. Demand for premium audio products is rising, fuelled by rapid urbanisation, a growing number of high-net-worth individuals and a surging appreciation for high-fidelity sound.
Devialet was set up in response to technological innovation, their Analogue Digital Hybrid amplification, which combines the best of analog and digital amplifiers. It was developed by co-founder Pierre-Emmanuel Calmel and underpins all their products – two decades on, the innovation doesn’t show any sign of waning.
The company’s latest release, the Devialet Mania, features artificial intelligence-powered 360-degree sound optimisation, which adjusts its output based on room acoustics. “If you put it near a wall, the AI will analyse the impact of the wall, and it will put back the music in the right direction so that you get the perfect sound,” Demont explains.
AI is set to play an even more significant role in Devialet’s product line-up. “AI will be in every product in the future of this company because it will bring more technology, and we need to be at this level,” Demont adds.
Devialet has become more than just an audio brand in recent years, building a strong lifestyle pedigree through collaborations with everyone from Louis Vuitton to the Opera de Paris.
Its partnership with Opera de Paris started in 2017 when Devialet introduced a special edition of its Phantom speakers inspired by the historic opera house. “When the product launched, I had the chief executive of Opera de Paris talking about my brand because it’s a revolution for him. He has like three Phantoms on his desk. He loved the product, and especially for opera, it’s amazing,” Demont says.
A new collaboration with Opera de Paris is set to be unveiled later this year to celebrate the institution’s 150th anniversary.
“This anniversary is very important to keep developing new products with them because this is the perfect positioning for us, because they have the same expectation – the love for music and artists, we need to keep this kind of development,” says Demont.
