Duevel Venus

The Duevel Venus is a hexagonal floorstanding speaker designed to diffuse sound at 360°, with no privileged listening point. It is aimed at those who wish to fill a room with sound evenly rather than aim for a strict listening triangle facing the speakers.

At the top of the column, a 21-centimetre woofer facing upwards sits opposite a tweeter placed above it and pointing downwards. Between the two transducers, a spinning-top-shaped diffuser projects sound over 360° while avoiding the acoustic short-circuit that this direct face-to-face arrangement would otherwise cause. This diffuser rests on six cylindrical metal struts, while the impregnated fabric dome tweeter is held in place by four similar rods.

The woofer, fitted with a carbon fibre diaphragm and a high-power motor, makes use of the entire internal volume of the hexagonal column. This hexagonal shape limits the occurrence of standing waves inside the cabinet, resulting in more controlled bass. Loading is of the bass-reflex type, with a circular port located at the base of the column, just above the pair of connection terminals. Decoupling from the floor is provided by dedicated cylindrical feet.

This type of design is aimed at listening in living rooms where several people enjoy the sound at the same time, or at installations where the speaker is not necessarily positioned facing the listener. Omnidirectional diffusion noticeably changes how the sound space is perceived compared with a conventional forward-firing column.

When buying used, it is worth checking the condition of the spinning-top diffuser and its mounting struts, as well as the sturdiness of the rods supporting the tweeter, as these elements are specific to the Venus's design. It is also useful to check the condition of the woofer's carbon fibre diaphragm and to make sure there is no deformation or play in the bass-reflex port at the base of the column. The pair of connection terminals, located just above the port, also deserves careful inspection.

The Venus is available in several finishes: White, Black, Rosewood, Cherry, natural maple and black ash, allowing it to be adapted to different interiors.