The sound quality is top class, but ...?
Speaking of speakers from French audio maker Devialet, you may have an image that the sound quality, price, and explosive sound are outstanding. It seems that the same thing can be said about the wireless earphone "Gemini" that appeared from such Devialet.
According to the real review of Gizmodo in the US, Gemini's strength is noise canceling, but there are some weaknesses. Let's check what it is like!
First of all, about the price you care about most. For example, BOSE's "QuietComfort Earbuds" and SONY's "WF-1000XM4" are both 33,000 yen. Apple's "AirPods Pro" costs 30,580 yen. Huami's "Amazfit Powerbuds Pro" and Samsung's "Galaxy Buds 2", which have a good reputation for noise canceling, are also about 17,000 yen. However, Devialet's Gemini is showing a very high price of 41,800 yen.
Originally, Bose and Sony were good at active noise canceling (ANC), but is it okay to think that such a price difference can be obtained more than that?
Devialet Gemini
What is this: Expensive active noise canceling earphones.
How much: The domestic price in Japan is 41,800 yen.
Favorite place: Active noise canceling (ANC) and sound quality are super good. Long battery life. It's large, but it's comfortable to wear.
What I don't like: Connection, external sound capture mode, price.
Bold price and design!
Not only the price but also the design of Devialet products is unique. This is also the case with this Gemini, but it may be clear from the company's speakers such as "Phantom", "Phantom Reactor", and "Phantom I".
The Gemini measures 38 x 18 x 15 mm and weighs 6 g. It has the same size as Sony's WF-1000XM4, but slightly larger than Bose's QuietComfort. However, thanks to its flat shape, it doesn't seem to pop out of your ears, and it feels better than the Jabra Elite 65t.
Regarding the fit, 4 types of silicon chips (XS to L size) are included. It seems that it is made a little smaller, I use M on other models, but L is just right for Gemini.
If you use it for desk work, it is comfortable in both size and fit. However, I personally don't recommend wearing it while exercising. After using it several times while running, I felt that it might fall off even though it stayed in my ears. In addition, the waterproof and sweatproof performance is IPX4, so it seems that it can not withstand sweat and heavy rain during exercise.
Also, not only the earphones but also the case is quite large, about twice as thick as the AirPods Pro (even for me who can use the iPhone 12 Pro Max with one hand), this case is big enough to cover the entire palm. For this reason, it can be difficult to carry around in your pants pocket.
The sound quality is super good, but noise canceling must always be on!
I was a little worried about the appearance, but what about the contents? Gemini's left and right earphones are equipped with a 10mm driver, and the company says that the playback frequency band is 5Hz to 20kHz.
It is said that it has its own algorithm and design for the active noise canceling function. There are three modes, "Low", "High", and "Plane", and when the "High" setting is set, the sound of the air conditioner and the sound of the refrigerator, which I usually heard, are when my husband is typing. The sound was almost inaudible. It may not be as good as the over-ear type active noise canceling headphones (or any earphones can't win), but it seems that Gemini wins compared to AirPods Pro.
On the other hand, there is also an external sound capture mode, but this one picks up white noise quite a bit, so I felt that it was more annoying than convenient. You can set "Low" and "High" in two stages, but both are easily affected by the wind outdoors, so it's good for a walk, but I have the impression that it's not suitable for exercising.
There is also a neutral mode (neither noise canceling nor external on-capture), which seems to be okay overall, except when playing music with strong bass. Compared to the noise canceling on, there was a feeling that the sound quality dropped sharply. From the above, I think there is no way not to turn on noise canceling all the time.
By the way, I have tried various things about sound quality, but it can be said that it is the top class among wireless earphones. When I played Exo's "Monster" and Billie Eilish's "Everything I Wanted", it was impressive that the bass was not too tight and smooth. Acoustic songs such as DO's "I'm Gonna Love You" have rich vocals, and songs such as Mitsuki's "Your Best American Girl" have a turbulent volume. The sound quality is so good that it pushes away the speakers and headphones. The localization may not be that wide, but it's still good enough, and I've listened to the same song over and over with the AirPods Pro and it's Gemini's overwhelming victory.
The call quality is also stable. I've used it several times for web conferencing, but my colleagues didn't say it was quiet or misunderstood.
Regarding battery life, it can be played continuously for 6 hours, and it can be used for an additional 24 hours when using case charging. I've been using it for 2 weeks (running, cooking, chores, cleaning, talking, etc.), but for now I don't need to charge the case. There are still 35% left.
There is no extra function, but I'm a little worried about the operation
The app is so simple that you can edit touch controls, adjust preset equalizer options, set active noise canceling and external sound capture modes, and check battery level. What else can I do ... That's it. Personally, this is enough, but it may seem unsatisfactory for those who want to do various things with the app.
There is a part that the operation feeling does not go as expected, so pause (music keeps playing even if you remove the earphones, and when you put it on your ear, it pauses this time) and touch operation ( Even if you tap twice to use the voice assistant, it seems to be a long press and the mode is switched). However, it may not be a big problem because it may work properly. But when I'm in a hurry, I think "properly (sweat)".
You can also connect to multiple devices such as iPhones, iPads and PCs, but the process isn't very smooth. Because, when I put the earphones on my ears and then open the Bluetooth menu and try to connect, it doesn't work (once) ... I put it back in the case, close the lid, open it, press the Bluetooth button, and then go to the Bluetooth menu. I think AirPods Pro, which works automatically, is more encouraging in this regard. For that reason, even if I knew that Gemini was better for sound quality, I often reached out to AirPods Pro.
Also, even after I finished using it and put it back in the case, it was still connected to the computer (when I tried to play the video on the computer, there was no sound and I heard it from the Gemini case. I was surprised). It's not easy to disconnect manually, but I was a little worried.
Is it worth the effort to buy? not?
Looking around, there are a number of earphones worth the money, such as Bose's QuietComfort Earbuds, Sony's WF-1000XM4, and Master & Dynamics' MW08.
After all, depending on what you value, those who like a (slightly) more comfortable and flat shape may be a good match for the Gemini. Regarding the sound quality (although Gemini is also top class), this level of sound seems to be completely divided according to taste. For example, if you are accustomed to the sound quality of Sony and Bose, it is safer to choose the one of your favorite manufacturer.
Overall, Devialet's Gemini seems worth a lot of consideration for those who are a bit expensive but have above average noise canceling and good sound quality (but only if nothing more is okay). is.
