Matthew DeCarlo
Who says smart speakers can’t sound great? Belkin has teamed up with premium audio company Devialet to develop a new Google Assistant smart speaker with hi-fi audio and a cradle where you can wirelessly charge your smartphone.
Currently available for pre-order at $299.99, the “Soundform Elite Hi-Fi Smart Speaker + Wireless Charger” (whew that’s a mouthful) is said to be the first of its kind, marrying Belkin’s fast wireless charging technology with Devialet’s high-end acoustics.
The product page is littered with marketing speak, but parsing through some of that still makes for a device that sounds pretty sweet on paper. Devialet’s audio expertise enables up to 90dB SPL of max volume with resonant bass that is clear at any volume, while the company’s patented “Speaker Active Matching” can reportedly make music sound the way that artists intended.
For times when you’re listening to loud music with explosive bass, the Soundform Elite speaker is equipped with vibration-cancelling technology so your phone remains seated in the wireless charging cradle. Along with producing “room-filling” sound, the speaker can be paired with another Soundform Elite or Google Assistant-enabled smart speaker to pump your jams out through the whole house. And because Google Assistant is supported, you can use this device to control your smart home.
Belkin says this is just the beginning of more products to come from its new partnership with Devialet. This first-generation device is expected to ship in March and comes in black or white versions depending on what better suits your décor.
