Quick Specs
| Drivers | 10mm Custom Titanium Coated Driver |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.2 with Fast Pair and Multipoint |
| Codecs | SBC / AAC / Qualcomm AptX |
| Materials and Durability | ABS Plastic with Aluminum ABS Plastic with 24-Carat Gold Plating (Opera de Paris Edition) IPX4 Waterproofing |
| Colors | Matte Black | Iconic White | Gold (Opera de Paris Edition) |
| Price | RM 2190 RM 3190 (Opera de Paris Edition) |
Design
The Devialet Gemini II Opéra de Paris Edition are true wireless earbuds that epitomizes elegance and sonic excellence. It is a collaboration between Devialet, an audiophile brand renowned for its high-fidelity speakers, and the Palais Garnier, the iconic opera house in Paris. This limited-edition collection embodies the artistry and innovation that both entities represent.
Available Colors
Case
Design and Build Quality
The Devialet Gemini II Opéra de Paris Edition exudes sophistication from the very first glance. It’s sleek and compact, adorned with a gleaming 24-carat gold finish that bears the Palais Garnier’s emblem, adding a touch of prestige to the overall aesthetic.
The pairing button at the back gets the gold treatment too, and the USB-C port is located right at the bottom. For sure you’d first think that that’s a weird position to place the port, and my best guess is that the company did not really want to cut more of that gold plating out since it’s a thin layer of it and exposing it even more would make the wear-down process faster.
Buds
The earbuds are crafted from high-grade ABS Plastic, ensuring durability and a comfortable fit. The ear tips, available in four sizes, provide a secure seal that blocks out ambient noise and enhances the listening experience. The overall design is both stylish and functional, perfectly mirroring the blend of art and technology that the collaboration aimed to achieve.
In real world use, the fit for me was initially a little loose so I had to mix the sizes between S and XS for the most secure fit. They really have a good seal, but they’re extremely sensitive to your placement, and the slightest movement made a smush sound that rubber tips make since they’re in immediate proximity of your ear canal and there’s probably air trapped in there, so especially for these buds, make sure you really have a sit down during your setup to really pick the right fit and positioning. Rotate each unit to perfectly fit your ear canal!
With the tips being so squishy and comfortable, you’ll find long wears to be easy to do, and you might even forget they’re there! Navigation and playback control is done on the touch sensitive case of the earbuds, which I will get into right below!
Devialet Gemini App
The Devialet Gemini app is a companion app for the Devialet Gemini II wireless earbuds. It allows you to control various aspects of your earbuds, including:
- Equalizer (EQ): The app provides a six-band EQ, allowing you to fine-tune the sound to your liking. You can also choose from six preset EQ profiles or create your own custom EQ.
- Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): You can adjust the level of ANC or switch between ANC and transparency mode. Transparency mode allows you to hear your surroundings while still listening to music.
Earbuds Settings:
- Touch Controls: You can customize the touch controls on your earbuds, so you can easily control playback, volume, and other functions.
- Voice Assistant: You can choose which voice assistant you want to use with your earbuds (Siri or Google Assistant).
- Firmware Updates: The app will notify you when there are firmware updates available for your earbuds. You can install the updates directly through the app.
Gestures (Default & Customizable)
Other Features:
- Battery Level Monitoring: You can view the battery level of each earbud and the charging case.
- Find My Earbuds: If you lose your earbuds, you can use the app to try to find them. The app will emit a sound to help you locate them.
- User Guide: The app includes a user guide that provides information on how to use the earbuds and the app.
Overall, the Devialet Gemini app is a well-designed and easy-to-use app that provides a range of features to customize your listening experience with the Devialet Gemini II wireless earbuds. I particularly like that the EQ customization is six-band, it really allows me to fine-tune my listening experience with precision, though I think just using Bass or Flat would be more than enough if you’re trying to train your ears towards an audiophile level.
Supported Codecs and Protocol
- Bluetooth 5.2 (can even use one at a time using Single Mode)
- AAC
- SBC
- Qualcomm aptX
The Listen
The Devialet Gemini II delivers exceptional sound quality, producing a rich, detailed soundscape that brings music to life. The earbuds are known for their powerful bass, which is both punchy and controlled, thanks to the 10mm high-excursion drivers, coated with titanium for enhanced precision. The midrange is clear and well-defined, while the highs are crisp and airy, extending the sonic range to deliver a truly immersive audio experience.
Coupled with Devialet’s proprietary acoustic technology, the star of the show is a rich, textured bass that extends down to an impressive 5Hz. This means that you’ll feel the rumble of powerful basslines and the deep sub-bass frequencies that add weight and impact to your music.
Bass
The Devialet Gemini II’s bass is one of its most striking features. It is deep, punchy, and well-controlled, without being overpowering. The bass is present in all genres of music, but it really shines on tracks with heavy basslines. The earbuds are able to deliver a satisfying amount of bass without sacrificing detail or clarity in the other frequencies. It’s not just about power; it’s also remarkably well-controlled and defined.
Each bass note is distinct and punchy, without bleeding into the midrange or obscuring other details in the music. This results in a clear, well-balanced sound that allows you to appreciate all aspects of your favorite tracks, from the subtle nuances of the treble to the powerful rumble of the bass.
Midrange
The midrange is also well-tuned on the Devialet Gemini II. Vocals are clear and present, and instruments are well-defined. The midrange is not overly recessed or emphasized, which results in a balanced and natural sound signature.
Highs
The highs are crisp and airy on the Devialet Gemini II. They extend the sonic range and add detail to the sound. However, the highs are not harsh or fatiguing, even at high volumes.
Whether you’re listening to hip-hop, electronic music, or rock, the Gemini II will provide you with a bass experience that’s both visceral and enjoyable. Their ability to deliver deep, impactful bass without compromising clarity or balance makes them an excellent choice for audiophiles and bass enthusiasts alike. Be sure to manage volume too, as on occassion, during loud volume my right driver tends to have a mild pop. It could either be an air vacuum or I was just playing music too loudly and the bass got too thumpy. It’s not a hardware flaw, but probably volume gain being too high and I admittedly am always on the Bass preset so it might simply be that combination.
Noise Cancelling
The Devialet Gemini II Opéra de Paris Edition comes with active noise cancellation (ANC) capabilities. The earbuds gently block out ambient noise, allowing users to fully immerse themselves in their music or podcasts, even in noisy environments. The ANC potential is semi-hindered because, unlike the first Gemini, you are unable to control the level of ANC strength, which really just leaves you with the mode itself being just ‘one’ level. Thankfully, it dynamically listens to your environment and chooses intensity based on background noise. For example, when I was on the LRT, it felt like a medium as I was still able to faintly pick up rail grinding as well as PA announcements and only a bit of passenger chatter. The peak level was when I was on my electric scooter, going at 45 KM/H, where at least 80% of the wind blowing at my face.
I think the dynamic noise cancelling was executed well, and though I’d prefer to choose my own levels, that’s really a matter of a software update one day so I am not particularly concerned since it works well anyway.
Battery Life
- Per ear buds – 80mAh
- Casing – 500mAH
The Devialet Gemini II earbuds offer just up to 5 hours of continuous listening on a single charge and an additional 22 hours of playback with the charging case, netting a total of 27 hours of playtime. This is on the low side, considering the industry average is at least 7 hours. However, it can be justified that it’s 5 hours of pure ANC listening, and I managed to net about 7 hours when both ANC and transparency were off, so that makes it neutral though I find it redundant to not use those modes since they’re pretty much essential in today’s standard.
As for charging, the earbuds take about 1 hour and 40 minutes from flat, while the charging case takes 10 minutes less of that to full charge. The charging case is also wireless, and based on typical 5W-10W wireless chargers, it should take no more than 2 hours to charge in that environment.
I wish the Gemini II could last longer on a single charge, but with that much power being pushed constantly, I guess this is the better drawback instead of sacrificing audio quality.
Final Thoughts
I love the Devialet Gemini II’s existence, especially the Opera de Paris Edition. It really represents the richness, excess and opulence of French history with some audio engineering in the mix. It can be a solid answer to the question :
But Can Art Engineer?
It definitely delivers way better performance than the Gemini I, complete with a welcome revamp in design. Price however is excessive too, and if you’re looking more to maximize every dollar, the Gemini II does come in Iconic White and Matte Black colorways that’s more affordable by 1/3 at RM 2190, which does make it more competitive in the high end segment.
At the price point however, there’s simply a lot of very capable competition that can outshine the tech side of the Gemini II, offering longer battery life, ANC control and more EQ presets, leaving the Gemini II with just design to be an outstanding aspect of it. No doubt the Gemini II can stand on its own in terms of audio quality, but that is an insanely blur line to cross.
The right customer is someone who really wants an artpiece in their pocket that isn’t jewellery. An icon that represents their status in society without being loud, yet exude enough classiness to imply that. The Gemini II is that said icon, and it establishes Devialet’s committment to meaningful and bold improvements with each generation.
Devialet Gemini II Malaysia
