Belkin SoundForm Elite Speaker Makes High Quality Bass -

20 Minutes

  •  Manufacturer of accessories for smartphones, the American brand Belkin launched its first connected speaker six months ago, called SoundForm Elite.

  • The French audio specialist Devialet has brought its sound signature to the device, which has just seen its price drop from 300 to 200 euros.

  • The opportunity to offer a good connected speaker with a muscular and bassy sound that characterizes the device.

Let's marry them!

The American accessories brand Belkin has entered into an agreement with the French sound specialist Devialet for its SoundForm Elite speaker, now available at 199 euros (instead of 299 when it was launched last July).

A few months after Huawei and its Sound X speaker, Devialet once again brings its expertise to a connected speaker.

Is this signature a guarantee of quality for a risk-free purchase?

The SoundForm Elite speaker also available in white.

- BELKIN

A speaker with QI charger

Belkin's first steps in the world of audio.

Recognized for the quality of its accessories around telephony (charging stations, adapters, docking stations, etc.), the American manufacturer has joined forces with Devialet, the French creator of the iconic Phantom speaker, to create its SoundForm Elite.

In its approach, the device's philosophy is reminiscent of that of some of its illustrious elders, such as the Zeppelin speaker from Bowers & Wilkins, which more than 10 years ago was equipped with an iPhone charging dock.

Technical developments require, the SoundForm Elite has an induction charging support.

With a power of 10 W (which is still quite low), it is QI standard and can be used with most smartphones with wireless charging, including the Apple iPhone.

You just have to place your terminal (even in its protective shell) on the top of the speaker for it to fill up with energy.

Set up in 3 minutes

Placed on a desk, a small piece of furniture, or even in a kitchen (away from splashes), the whole looks rather good and does not take up too much space (162 x 162 x 168.5 mm for 1.25 kg ).

Apple's HomePod speaker occupies more or less the same volume.

We can salute a careful construction.

Considering the price of the machine, we would have appreciated that the sensor keys on the front were backlit.

Moreover, the space reserved for these controls delights in fingerprints ... Under the base of the SoundForm, a non-slip coating prevents the object from falling if someone inadvertently pulls on its power cable.

The sensitive keys on the front deserve to be backlit.

- BELKIN

Integrating Google Assistant, the SoundForm Elite is set up in just three minutes using the Google Home app.

It is, alas, a necessary step before proceeding to the first listening.

We can then ask "OK Google, activate Bluetooth" so that the speaker can be used without going through the services of the Mountain View firm.

The two microphones on the front can be deactivated.

Round and smooth bass

No sooner is the music started than the speaker reveals what it has under the hood.

From the outset, the sound sounds "good".

Confirmation after several hours of use by listening to the radio, podcasts, and obviously some playlists contained in our smartphone.

The SoundForm Elite speaker remains very discreet (162 x 162 x 168.5 mm).

- CHRISTOPHE SEFRIN / 20 MINUTES

The SoundForm Elite incorporates two 70mm woofers mounted back to back (to avoid vibrations), as well as a third speaker (35mm).

The announced input powers are 2 x 60 W + 35 W, or 155 W RMS all the same.

And it gets along.

If the speaker can listen to music loudly enough, without perceptible degradation of quality, it also surprises at more moderate volume.

Because it is on the ground of basses that Devialet plays its best repertoire: at high volume, they are devastating;

at low volume, they still surprisingly occupy the sound space.

Counterpart: highs that often lack finesse.

Thus, roundness and smoothness dominate the listening and we can delight in jazz, pop-rock, rap obviously, but less repertoires with more demanding high frequencies, such as classical.

Arthur H's rocky voice is much better rendered than the crystalline one of the Callas ... If the Google Home application has an equalizer in order to slightly move the sliders to modulate bass and treble, the SoundForm Elite does not offer its own app to customize sound.

The controls are quite messy on the black version of the speaker.

- CHRISTOPHE SEFRIN / 20 MINUTES

Remains a product of beautiful craftsmanship and beautiful sound signature.

If we could consider it too expensive when it was launched at 300 euros in the summer of 2020, its recent repositioning at less than 200 euros make it a safe bet against competitors called Marshall Acton II (including the price has just gone from 300 euros to 200 euros), Harman Kardon Citation One (199 euros), Sonos One (169 euros) or Google Home Max (289 euros).

So many serious rivals which, although without an integrated induction charger, frankly do not disappoint.

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