There are a plethora of true wireless earbuds on the market. I mean, we’re REALLY spoiled for choice. But…when it comes to premium TWS earbuds that deliver Hi-Fi sound, well, here’s one to consider, the premium Devialet Gemini True Wireless Earbuds.
But do they live up to the Devialet name? Let’s find out!
Unboxing
But first, let’s go through the unboxing process.
Devialet Gemini’s box is in black, with Devialet Gemini on top, the visuals of the earbuds in the middle, and some of the specs towards the bottom left.
Then at the back, you will find more specs over there and how the earbuds look in the ears.
Opening the box, there is the User Manual, the Safety Instructions, and the social media info.
Underneath there is the USB-A to USB-C cable towards the left side of the box.
Then you will find a set of extra ear tips from XS, S and L, where the one that comes fitted in the earbuds is in M or Medium size.
Finally, in the middle, there is the charging case, together with the earbuds inside as well.
Design & Build
If you’re familiar with the French audio specialist Devialet, you’ll expect an out-of-the-world design.
Now, this is because Devialet is a brand that’s known to have very unique, curvy, helmet-shaped speakers and chrome-finished accents, where their products usually would definitely break any sort of mundanity in any room.
So, Devialet Gemini TWS comes off as a somewhat “restrained” design at first glance. It’s less spectacular than you’d expect from the brand. But I’m NOT actually complaining because they look good, interesting, and just different from other premium earbuds out there.
Now before I go into the earbuds themselves, let’s talk about the case, as it is indeed very unique.
And I have to say that I really love the case where it uses a slide-to-open mechanism, not the usual flip top-type design.
It’s super satisfying to open and close, with strong magnets to lock the earbuds inside. And there are little raised nubs on the cover, so it’s easier to open, which is really sweet.
On the charging case, there is a USB-C port for charging, and if you love the true wireless lifestyle, then you’ll appreciate that the case supports Qi wireless charging as well.
You’ll find a single light on the front to show you the battery status: where it will be Green if it’s more than 50 percent, Orange for less than 50 percent, Red for low battery, and it blinks White when you’re pairing it with a device.
Compared to what’s out there, namely the Apple AirPods Pro or Sony WF-1000XM4, Devialet Gemini’s case is surely bigger where it measures 74 x 58 x 31mm and tips the scales at 76g. So, probably not as compact as you’d like.
But the reason it has a slightly larger form factor is that it was Devialet’s intention to be environmentally conscious and make the rechargeable battery in the case replaceable hence you don’t need to throw out the whole case when the battery’s overall health wears down.
So with this, just put it in your pocket, toss it in your bag or your carry pouch, and you are good to go!
Then as for the earbuds, there’s a large oval shape with a distinctive metal alloy sheen to it with a touch-sensitive surface, with the Devialet logo on it.
Now the earbuds themselves share the similar design cues of the iconic Phantom design, looking very similar to the side view of the Phantom as well.
Like the case, it has a matte black finish, and it is only available in this color; each earbud measures 33 x 18 x 15mm, weighs just 8 grams, and is IPX4-certified, meaning it is splash-proof, NOT waterproof, so don’t go dunking in the water while wearing these!
As seen in the unboxing, the earbuds come with multiple silicone ear tips to ensure a comfortable fit for any size of ears.
For me, because I’ve always preferred a tight fit to get that sort of passive noise cancellation on earbuds too, hence I changed the ear tips to the XS size, and also by changing it, the gap between the ear tips is closer so I did hear a slight increase of volume.
Now, these buds fit my ears comfortably, which is great for working out, but of course, let’s see if it holds well during my usual #SawanMode test.
Do you think it passed the test? Check out the result in my YouTube video!
Hardware & Features
When it comes to features and technology, as you’d expect from a Devialet product, it doesn’t disappoint. There’s a long list but let me touch on the key highlights.
Each bud features a full-range speaker with a custom 10mm speaker driver that offers a frequency response of 5Hz to 20kHz.
It has Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity with SBC, AAC, and Qualcomm aptX support.
Battery life is rated at 24 hours total, broken down to 8 hours (6 hours with ANC) + 3.5x total charges with the case.
Each earpiece has a dedicated mic for voice transmission and calls and two separate mics in each earbud to handle ANC.
And the most impressive Devialet Gemini feature is the Active Noise Cancellation or ANC. Now, Devialet Gemini’s ANC is based on Devialet’s Pressure Balanced Architecture or PBA, which also integrates with the brand’s Internal Delay Compensation (IDC) technology.
Let me briefly explain: In layman’s terms, PBA uses vents that allow air within the ear canal to flow outwards while stopping external noise from entering. This optimizes the low-end frequencies, which delivers better low-frequency performance. Then IDC, on the other hand, is an algorithm that cancels out sounds across the frequency range from high to low.
There’s also the Transparency mode of various degrees, from low to high, an important mode that gives you a sense of what’s around you, especially when you’re commuting.
And all these features and the initial setup of the buds are powered through the Devialet Gemini app, which is available for Android and iOS devices.
Now the app is overall solid and polished where it is the hub for controlling and managing the entire Devialet Gemini experience – from updating the firmware to customizing controls, wear detection, and equalizer presets.
Performance
In terms of soundstage, they’re taller rather than wide where I can describe it as the “Devialet Gemini sound” which is entertaining, energetic, and amazingly balanced. They’re pretty good across the frequency range, with very clear and distinctive high-frequency notes, and full mid-range levels.
As for the volumes and the type of the EQ, based on my daily test for the past one and a half weeks, I found that I really loved two EQ adjustments among all.
First is the Dynamic EQ as it was very close to the V-shaped sound signature where it had the signature elevated bass or low frequency and treble or the higher frequency with a nicely recessed mid-range.
However I wouldn’t recommend putting the volume to the maximum in this EQ because you might get a little distortion based on the type of music that you are listening to, so I usually use this EQ when I am listening to music casually and bring down the volume down a notch or two.
And when you just wanna block out the world for example if you are in the gym or in a noisier environment then I would recommend using my second preferred EQ, which is the Flat EQ as the levels were very balanced and you can go up to a maximum volume in this EQ without any audio distortion.
And coupled with the noise cancellation it had the best of both worlds during my listening experience.
In terms of the exact music listening, I started off with AC/DC’s “Back In Black” and you’ll love the detail and punchy mid-range with decent separation thanks to the strong mid-range and thumpy bass.
Speaking of which, play Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” and Blackpink’s “Pretty Savage”, and you’ll be surprised how well Devialet Gemini handles bass frequencies. They’re impactful and explosive without being overriding.
Switching to a vocal-led track like Adele’s “Easy On Me”, I found Devialet Gemini were very consistent throughout the frequency range with nice separation and on the brighter side of the tonal range.
And finally, testing out heavier metal tracks like Issues’ “Get It Right” had a perfect balance of the musical instruments all around the ears with the vocals sitting perfectly in the middle.
When it comes to active noise cancellation’s performance, I’d say Devialet Gemini is up there with the best and I do prefer it more than Sony’s WF1000-XM4 since it seemed more natural than forcing a “bubble” of frequencies into your ears to cancel out noises.
But, please ensure that you use the right ear tips for you and make sure that the earbuds are sealed properly in your ears for the optimum effect.
Testing it outdoors, Devialet Gemini does an excellent job of cutting down passing vehicles and ambient noise. I would love to see how they fare with drowning airplane engines. Maybe a future video when I have the time to travel since we can finally travel again.
Likewise, in a noisy cafe, it kept me focused if I choose to use them there.
Transparency mode is another department, where I think Devialet Gemini excels, However, regardless of which level of transparency you set in the app, it still delivers good performance for audio whereas Music still sounds good with clarity and naturalness.
I did find the Neutral mode a little odd, with certain frequencies being canceled and output audio coming out distant and small, so I wouldn’t recommend using this mode as I myself am not clear on why the real reason it’s there.
In terms of call quality, it delivers very good call quality from my listening perspective and picks up my voice considerably well.
Do check out my YouTube video for a quick microphone test, for you to hear how it sounds!
Battery
As for the performance of the battery life, Devialet Gemini delivers battery life as promised, and I got more or less of the claimed 6-hour battery life with ANC on.
For those asking, yes, audio is better with ANC on, so I’d recommend keeping that on always.
Conclusion
Now, in conclusion, the Devialet Gemini earbuds brings a certain Devialet pedigree and it shows in terms of audio performance, which ultimately matters the most when making a purchase of a premium earbud. While they are not “crazy cool “in terms of design, they still look good and premium as well.
And if you are thinking of getting premium earbuds that really excel in audio performance then I would recommend for you to get them and with premium quality comes premium price as well, where the Devialet Gemini goes for RM1,190 and can be purchased from Atlas Sound & Vision.
Get the Devialet Gemini earbuds at the link below:-
https://www.atlasestore.my/collections/devialet/products/devialet-geminiCheck out Atlas Sound & Vision Store over here:-
https://www.atlasestore.my/pages/contact-us
