Devialet - Mania Portable Smart Speaker Light Grey- Premium Compact Sound - High-Fidelity Audio in Compact Design - Deep Bass, Smooth Connectivity, Adaptive Sound, Durable Design

The media could not be loaded. As an audiophile who attended audio engineering school who is picky on audio quality, I can say this is the most portable bluetooth speaker to get the party jumping in your dorm, studio apartment, or hotel room.With that being said the listed 30hz frequency response on the low end on the Mania isn’t the best but you can’t find another portable bluetooth speaker this small giving you 30hz. There is no perfect Bluetooth speaker. You have to compromise on sound or portability. The more expensive Devialet phantom gives 20hz response but is a lot heavier and a lot more expensive and is not bluetooth. There is always a trade off with quality and portability.Portability: 5/5 starsSuper light and easy to carry around and you can buy the case with strap.Sound Quality: 3/5 starsThe Mania compromises on mid frequencies to give you the bass on the low frequencies. If you listen to music that focuses on mid range like folk and classical music, you will be disappointed with the Mania. The mid frequencies sound suppressed even when you use the equalizer in the app. I listen to mainly, hip hop, reggaeton, and EDM. This captures most of the bass in those songs but not the 20hz deep 808 bass. Overall it gets the job done of what I’m after. Something super portable and has some kick ass bass to get the party started in my hotel or studio apartment.Battery Life: 1/5 starsYou get 20-25 minutes of play time on a full charge unplugged before it dies.Who the Mania is for:Understand why you are paying a premium for the Mania. You are paying for portability and 30hz frequency response for bass. All those JBL Bluetooth speakers go only as low as 40hz. They are not playing back the bass frequencies that makes you wanna dance. The Mania does.You are going to feel Mania is underwhelming and overpriced with the sound quality if you place it on a counter top or table.If you use this outdoors or on the beach it will sound like overpriced trash.You have to use the acoustics of the room and place it in a corner between two walls where bass frequencies linger to increase the amplitude of those low frequencies. This thing is tiny but when you place it in the corner of the room, the 30hz frequency response will have your apartment/hotel neighbors complaining of disturbing the peace if you listen to rap and edm.

Price:First off, this is a very expensive speaker! I would say that this speaker should be priced around $600 - $700, but I AM KEEPING it absolutely!Comparison: I did a side by side with my Harmon Kardon Studio 7; which is a great speaker. The Mania made the HK sound thin in regard to the mids and highs. That HK is very focused and directional sounding as well. The bass seemed very muddy in comparison to the Mania as well.Highs and Mids: I was very skeptical about the Mania having full range drivers with no tweeters. The highs are silky smooth which creates this bubble of sound that is breathtaking and very hard to articulate. These full range drivers are next level performance and are not fatiguing and can beautifully present acoustic music, as well as electric guitars with depth and authority. You get full range buttery highs with beautiful midrange that projects voices with clarity and competence!Bass: It will take a couple of hours for the bass to really start to present itself. I am sure that this speaker needs proper break-in time since I have only had this running for about 2 and 1/2 hours. Yes, break-in time is real. The bass has depth and texture which is quite surprising how effortless the Mania does its magic! The bass is absolutely presented with authority and is impressive sounding. The Mania's bass defies physics at times. I placed my Mania on my dresser a bit closer to the back wall. I was just amazed at the entire spectrum of sound that was produced from such a small speaker. I had no idea what I was missing from my music with other speakers. This certainly sounds like a high-end speakerHarmon Kardon Studio 7 vs Mania overall take: FOR SURE! My Harmon Kardon speakers were my go-to for years - and they ARE GREAT speakers!! This Mania is on a completely different level; hands down NO comparison! I am keeping this speaker because listening to music is on a different level now; I did not even know this type of experience existed. I have the Gray Mania, but that color does not show well in the photo. This speaker is amazing, if you can afford it, get it! The sound from this small speaker just does not make sense. I hope this helps someone. This was my present for getting a really good raise at work. Money well spent! I can excuse the high price because it is THAT good.Update - 1-7-2025 - I had to send back the Mania, as I had problems getting it to turn on. I am ordering another speaker to see if mine had a software glitch..Update - 1-10-2025Purchased a new speaker in black, and it works great. There was some sort of software issue with the last speaker - absolutely.