Devialet partner with Belkin, new $599 speaker complete with wireless charging

The sound is better than the Sonos One and you get a Google Assistant-powered speaker with a wireless charger thrown in.

As tipped by ChannelNews last year, leading accessory company Belkin is set to launch a cheap Devialet speaker that also doubles as a wireless charger.

The move has shocked specialist dealers who are used to selling $2K+ Devialet speakers from the French sound company, who failed to open a unique shipping container display at Chadstone Shopping Centre prior to Xmas as initially planned.

Belkin, who is a company better known for its cables and wireless chargers, is set to enter the networked sound market using the French company’s drivers in what is tipped to be a $599 speaker when it goes on sale in Australia shortly.

Devialet is known for its highend, ultra-loud speakers and the new offering, which ChannelNews has heard and played with, is a serious competitor to Sonos. The sound is better than the Sonos One and you get a Google Assistant-powered speaker with a wireless charger thrown in.

Called the Soundform Elite Hi-Fi Smart Speaker + Wireless Charger, it incorporates technology from the French speaker company such as their Speaker Active Matching (SAM), which aims to reduce distortion, particularly at higher volumes.

It will also feature the company’s signature woofer configuration, which is designed to cancel vibrations, even when pumping the bass — an important feature, considering that the Soundform Elite is designed to have a phone perched on top.

As for the charger, it’s a standard Qi wireless charger that charges at up to 10W, which is enough for at least some form of fast charging on most devices.

JB Hi-Fi, The Good Guys and Harvey Norman are tipped to sell the new product sometime in 2020.