Although officially launched in November, Devialet’s True Wireless Gemini headphones had a somewhat chaotic first release, marked by a software glitch on some models. Obviously succeeding in making up for this blunder, the French manufacturer corrected the problem and reintroduced the Gemini ” as it should be ” on the market.
General
| Devialet Gemini | |
| $ | CHECK PRICE |
| Brand | Devialet |
| Release date | Nov 25, 2020 |
| Type | In-Ear |
| Colors | Black |
| Battery life | Up to 6 hours |
| Weight | 76 g |
| Connectivity | Wireless, Bluetooth |
While some manufacturers offer almost total control of the sound from the headphones, the Devialet Gemini is, in what is done, more refined in the high-end (Airpods Pro way). Basically, the touchscreen area of the headphones, not very responsive (fairly high latency) but wide enough, only allows you to start the pause of a track (one press), to switch between noise reduction modes (long press), and go to the next track or go back to the beginning of the previous track/track (two taps, respectively to the right and the left). No volume adjustment or default assistant call.
Design
| Type | In-Ear |
| Wireless | Yes |
| Driver | 10 mm |
| ANC mode | Yes |
| Case Size | 73.8 x 58 x 31.4 mm |
| Dimensions | 33 x 18 x 15 mm |
The Devialet Gemini benefits from a certain formal and technical refinement, even if not everything is perfect. The shape of the Gemini is quite original and recalls some specific features of the manufacturer.
Without being innovative, the shape of the Gemini is quite original and recalls some specific features of the manufacturer.
Unlike most products on the market, the opening is done here by a sliding system. We could have feared a slightly too loose or even squeaky side of the mechanism (which could open by itself in the pocket), but Devialet has done a careful job on this point. The rendering is not ultra-luxurious and does not give the feeling of solidity that emanates from the case of the Klipsch T5 II, but the result is still perfect.
And unsurprisingly, the relatively large size of the case gives the impression that the headphones, however far from microscopic, get lost in such a large space. Finally, it should be noted that the inside of the case is coated with aluminum.
Features
| OS Support | Android, iOS |
| Instant one-touch pairing | Yes |
| Microphone | Yes |
| Music Controls | Yes |
| Water resistance | IPX4 |
| Quick Charge | Yes |
| Speakers | No |
Devialet is based on a so-called intra-auricular architecture, with a system of cannula and tips coming to be placed in the ear canal. A solution used by almost all manufacturers on the market. Here, like Jabra or Samsung, the cannula is very short, which avoids having the feeling of an overly intrusive earpiece, as can be felt with the Klipsch (although correct) or the Shure Aonic 215. So the comfort is perfect, and the presence of four sizes of silicone tips allows the Gemini to correspond to almost all ears.
However, the system of “screwing” in the ear of the Devialet Gemini is a little less well thought out than that of the Jabra models. Above all, the inside of the headphones does not fit the inside of the ears as well.
This does not pose a crippling problem for office use, but as soon as the jaw starts to move or a slightly abrupt movement occurs, one or the other headphones can quickly drop. In other words, the Gemini is definitely not headphones designed for athletes, and the use of well-adapted tips is essential.
Ergonomics
The Devialet Gemini earphones are sufficiently protruding to protrude from the case and ensure a good grip; Taking them out of the box is, therefore, easier than with rounded headphones such as Airpods Pro or Galaxy Buds Pro.
Aesthetically speaking, the finding is more or less the same as with the case. In-ear with a short cannula, the Devialet Gemini is not the least bulky of their kind. Still, it fully relies on their rather elegant matte appearance, contrasted with a metallic back somewhat reminiscent of the surface of the brand’s first-class D amplifiers.
The construction is not luxurious strictly speaking, not as worked like that of the Master & Dynamics MW07. Still, Devialet places itself a little above the average of the headphones of this price range. Too bad the manufacturer did not go further than an IPX4 certification, this unspoken standard that brands like Samsung have largely exceeded (IP67 on the Buds Pro).
Battery
| Battery Type | Lithium-Ion |
| Battery Life | Up to 6 hours |
| Charge Time | 1.5 hours |
| Charging Port | USB-C wireless charging |
| Additional Runtime | 20 Hours |
| Wireless charging case | Yes |
Devialet Gemini battery life is announced: “up to 6 hours”. In fact, in ANC use with AptX codec, we barely reached 3 hours 50 minutes before recharging, which is low, to say the least. Without ANC, the autonomy increases to about 4 hours 30 minutes.
The 6 hours of battery life are undoubtedly achievable without ANC, with AAC codec. Technically, such battery life is in the vein of Airpods Pro (blocked in AAC) guarantees, but it remains low for high-end headphones from 2020-2021.
Connectivity
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Sensor | – |
| Multi-Device Connection | No |
| Connection | Wireless |
| Range | 10 m |
The dedicated application, soberly called Devialet Gemini, makes it possible to modify the control of the two stages in a call for an assistant, at the cost of the next/previous track,
Let’s talk about the application: rather interesting, it is undoubtedly a little too simplistic for the options. Nevertheless, the Devialet Gemini application remains fairly clear, allows a little finer adjustment of the noise reduction modes, and includes a fairly advanced and precise equalizer in its settings. It is also possible to perform a small right / left balance, quite convenient for some users or some tracks.
No other advanced function to note. If we have seen worse in this area, such a premium product could have afforded to go further.
Pairing is fairly standard since the headphones do not include a Google Fast Pair function. A small press on the single button on the box thus allows the Devialet Gemini to be switched to pairing profile.
Without offering a flood of functions, Devialet ensures a fairly efficient experience. The Bluetooth 5 chip used supports SBC and AAC codecs and AptX (probably Qualcomm chip).
The range is correct, even if the limits of the AptX (more demanding in bandwidth) are felt. At least we haven’t experienced many signal dropouts.
Conclusion!
Well designed, extremely insulating, and endowed with a very expressive and technical sound, testifying to the sound mastery of the brand, the Devialet Gemini is not necessarily the best of their kind, the fault of a little weak autonomy and perfectible ergonomics. They nevertheless have their place in the high-end True Wireless segment.
Somewhat atypical and certainly high-end, the Devialet Gemini is certainly expensive True Wireless but benefiting from a mastered technology.
