Devialet Gemini Review

Bundle and Accessories

Inside the box

The Devialet Gemini bundle is made of:

• the Gemini
• their chargin case
• four sets of silicons (extra Small / Small/ Medium / Large)
• a USB-C cable

So yeah, a (very) poor bundle, but nothing surprising nowadays.

Additional accessories

The only accessories you can add with your Gemini will be an AptX compatible source, to get the best sound out of them. Sure you could also get another set of eartips, but honestly, I found the one provided more than sufficient on a daily basis.

Usage and Comfort

 Everyday Use

Long story short, if most people will be happy with how the Devialet Gemini fits, those remain a far cry from Apple’s AirPods Pro 2, which remains king in this regards: none other brand achieved the same ease of use – if you’re using an iPhone/iPad as a source of course.

Let’s begin with the good first: pairing is quite easy, as long as you’ve read the manual first:

• first, open the case with the earbuds inside
• then press the front button for 2 seconds (a white light will blink)
• finally, connect your Gemini through the Bluetooth settings of your phone

In addition to that, Devialet also offers an app – Devialet Gemini on the app store – that allows you to go further with your ears with things like firmware upgrade, additional controls etc…

Once they are connected, just take them out of the box and put them in your ears. The sensor will know that you’re wearing them and will resume your last play.

• 1x press = play/pause
• 2x press (left ear) = previous track // 2x press (right ear) = next track
• long press = Noise Cancelling/Transparency mode, depending on how you configured your buttons
• incoming call = two press to answer, long press to decline

Strangely, Devialet didn’t give the Gemini any volume control, the only option remaining was the phone or your source. I All in all, if not as magical as Apple’s connection, the Devialet remains a good solution here and you should be up and running in a matter of minutes.

Last but not least, Bluetooth connection was quite good with my iPhone, the SBC codec offering an excellent balance between quality and range. Same cannot be said with the aptX – still a lot better than your usual LDAC though – but that was to be expected and if you were to leave your phone for less than 5m, you’d still be okay.

Comfort

I had high hopes for the Gemini in terms of comfort. And if not bad, those aren’t as comfy as the AirPods Pro 2 alas – which remains a mystery to me. 

If insertion goes smoothly, the overall shape and their massive size, make the Gemini quite easy to lose on the go. I do have pretty big ears – or so I think – but there were countless times where those slipped from my ears, with just a tiny bit of sweat easing up the process. Thankfully, the brand added different size of tips and almost everyone should get the fit right… normally.

That said, I lent them to some of my friends, and we found that an odd number of people had issues with them falling out, while the others had no problems at all. So, it would be best for you to try them beforehand.

Battery life

Devialet claims that the Gemini should get you up to 6 hours of continuous listening on a single charge and 24 hours with the case. Full charge takes one and a half hour, which is typical for this kind of ears.

And, I could match the first number, with a full afternoon of listening at moderate volume (around 40-50) with noise-canceling and transparency. Wireless charge is still available, and you can swiftly charge it whenever you come across any Qi charger, which can be found everywhere in my office. 

A good surprise overall.

Isolation

Ok, now we are getting to the good part.

Devialet announced very strong noise-canceling performances for its Gemini thanks to its powerful DSP and various software improvements. In fact, the TWS even comes with three level of protection: low, high and airplane – the later one dedicated to really noisy places like the airplane.

And, quite honestly, those ears really are quite impressive. If Bose offers slightly better noise-canceling with its own TWS, and the AirPods Pro 2 remains a tad above on a daily basis, for a first try those are really good noise blockers. 

If you commute a lot, subway/train/plane/street/open space, the Gemini will create a real comfort zone, that will cut you off the other people.  Even for a simple walk, I ended up activating the noise-canceling to get to my own comfort zone.

Compared to my usual CIEM, it’s a very different experience. The Unique Melody gives more consistent isolation, be it lows and highs, whereas the Gemini work better on low frequencies. Overall, the highs can pierce the noise-block shield as the CPU can’t match those speeds.

And, if noise-cancellation isn’t your thing, sound-transparency is still on the party. A good option if you dislike the close sensation of in-ears, or simply want to be aware of your surroundings. It’s not equally good to the one found on the AirPods Max or AirPods Pro, but it’s still a solid 6 out of ten.

The article continues on Page three, after the click here

Page 1: About the brand, design and build quality 
Page 2: Bundle, comfort, usage
Page 3: Specifications
Page 4: Sound performances