Devialet Gemini II Review: I Wasn’t Ready for How Good These Sound
I’ll admit- I went into this with a bit of scepticism.
Devialet makes the Phantom. If you’ve heard a Phantom in a proper listening room, you know what I mean when I say it’s a religious experience. It fills the entire space. It makes your chest vibrate. It sounds alive in a way that most speakers simply don’t.
So when someone handed me the Gemini II and said “same brand, same DNA, now in earbud form” – my first instinct was to roll my eyes a little. That’s a big claim. Brands say things like that all the time and then deliver something that’s just… fine.
The Gemini II is not fine. It’s genuinely, surprisingly, almost annoyingly good.
Let me explain.
The build and the feel- first impressions matter
The moment you pick these up, something feels different. Each earbud weighs 6 grams. The case is 49 grams. They’re light, but not in a cheap, hollow way in a deliberate, precision-engineered way. The Matte Black and Iconic White finishes are clean and understated. The Gold (Opéra de Paris) edition is something else entirely a collaboration with the Paris Opera, and it looks the part.
Getting them in your ears takes a second to figure out there’s a slight twist-and-lock mechanism. Once you get it, it becomes second nature. And the fit is genuinely secure. I shook my head around, walked briskly, moved around while listening. They didn’t budge.
Devialet added XS ear tips this time around, which is a quiet but meaningful upgrade. A lot of people, especially those with smaller ears have always struggled to find a good seal with TWS earbuds. A poor seal kills bass. It also kills noise cancellation. The fit test in the app helps you confirm you’ve got it right, and I’d actually recommend doing that before you judge anything else about the sound.
Okay, the sound. Let’s actually talk about it.
I put on a track I know extremely well- one I’ve heard on everything from budget earbuds to proper planar headphones. Something with layers: good bass, clear mids, detailed highs.
The first thing I noticed wasn’t the bass, surprisingly. It was space. The soundstage on these is wide for earbuds. Things felt separated. The kick drum was in one place, the guitar in another, the vocal sitting clearly in the centre. That kind of imaging is something you usually need a good pair of over-ear headphones to experience. Getting it from something that sits in your ear canal is genuinely impressive.
Then the bass hit. And yeah, I get the hype now.
The 10mm drivers are coated in titanium, which lets them move faster and snap back more cleanly than standard drivers. What that means in real life is bass that feels tight and physical without getting sloppy. It doesn’t just thud it has texture. You can hear the difference between a plucked bass guitar and a synthesised sub-bass. That distinction matters if you care about music the way you probably do if you’re reading this.
The default EQ is called “Flat” and it’s honest and accurate. Great for vocals, acoustic instruments, anything detail-heavy. But if you want bass that makes you involuntarily nod your head switch to the Bass profile in the app. I’m not going to oversell it. Just try it once and see what happens.
The noise cancellation- 40dB is a real number, not a marketing number
I tested this on a crowded street. On a flight. In a café where someone was playing music too loud and having a phone conversation even louder.
The ANC on the Gemini II is not background-noise-reduction. It’s actual silence. The outside world just… recedes. Devialet’s Adaptive ANC uses dual mics and reacts continuously to whatever’s around you, rather than applying a fixed filter. That means it handles sudden noise changes better than a passing auto-rickshaw, a loud announcement, someone dropping something nearby.
Press and hold either earbud to cycle through ANC on, Transparency, and off. Transparency mode is useful when you need to have a quick conversation without taking the earbuds out. The app lets you fine-tune how much ambient sound you want, which is a nice touch.
There’s also Automatic Wind Reduction that kicks in when you’re outdoors. If you walk or run with earbuds and you’re used to that whooshing wind noise drowning everything out that’s gone here. It works.
Battery- enough, and then some
5 hours per charge on the earbuds. 22 hours total with the case.
Honestly, 5 hours with ANC on is reasonable. Most people aren’t doing uninterrupted 6-hour listening sessions. You pop them in the case during lunch, and you’re fine. The case charges wirelessly via Qi or USB-C, which means it plays nice with the charging pad on your desk or bedside table. No special cable to carry around.
Connectivity that just works
Bluetooth 5.2 with Multipoint means you stay connected to two devices at once- phone and laptop, the classic combo. You’re on a video call on your laptop, your phone rings, you tap to switch. No re-pairing, no going into settings. It just handles it.
The Qualcomm aptX Adaptive codec automatically adjusts between prioritising audio quality or connection stability based on your wireless environment. In a crowded place it keeps the connection solid. At home with fewer competing signals it pushes sound quality higher. You don’t manage any of this, it happens in the background.
Android users also get Google Fast Pair to open the case near your phone and it pairs in one tap.
Call quality- better than you’d expect
I made calls from a busy road, from an office, from outdoors on a windy day. The consistent feedback from the other end: they couldn’t tell I wasn’t in a quiet room.
The beamforming mics focus on your voice and ignore what’s around it. Combined with wind suppression, calls come through clean. If you’re working hybrid and taking calls on the move, this actually matters.
The app- one of the better ones out there
Companion apps for earbuds are usually an afterthought. Not here.
The Devialet Gemini app gives you a real EQ with six presets that are meaningfully different from each other. You can reassign touch gestures. There’s a battery readout for both earbuds and case. There’s a fit test. Firmware updates come through it too. It’s the kind of app that makes you feel like the product is still being actively worked on, not just something that shipped and was forgotten.
So should you buy it?
Rs. 41,999 is a real amount of money. I’m not going to pretend otherwise.
But here’s how I’d think about it: if you listen to music for an hour or more a day, you’re spending somewhere between 365 and 730 hours a year in your earbuds. The difference between average sound and genuinely great sound across every single one of those hours is not a small thing. It accumulates.
The Gemini II is for people who’ve bought “good enough” earbuds before and felt that quiet dissatisfaction. The ones who knew something was missing but couldn’t quite put a finger on it. Put these on and you’ll know immediately what was missing.
If your budget is under Rs. 20,000, this isn’t your pair right now and that’s okay. But if you’re deciding between the Gemini II and the usual suspects like Sony, Bose, or Apple, spend some time with these first. The bass alone might settle it.
Verdict: 9.4 / 10. One of the best TWS earbuds we’ve had in the store, full stop.
Matte Black and Iconic White at Rs. 41,999. Gold Opéra de Paris Edition at Rs. 62,999. Official manufacturer warranty. GST-compliant invoice. Ships across India.
FAQ
Is Devialet Gemini II worth buying in India?
If you take your music seriously, yes, absolutely. The Gemini II delivers audiophile-level sound, up to 40dB of Adaptive ANC, Bluetooth 5.2 Multipoint, and a bass performance that’s unlike most earbuds at any price. For anyone spending over an hour a day listening to music, it’s one of the best investments you can make.
How is the noise cancellation on Devialet Gemini II?
The Devialet Adaptive ANC™ delivers up to 40dB of noise reduction. It uses dual microphones and reacts continuously to your environment rather than applying a fixed filter. It handles real-world noise- traffic, office chatter, aircraft cabin noise extremely well. There’s also a Transparency Mode to let in ambient sound when needed.
How long does the Devialet Gemini II battery last?
Each earbud gives up to 5 hours of playback with ANC on. The charging case adds another 17 hours, bringing the total to 22 hours. The case supports both wireless Qi charging and USB-C, so you’re never hunting for a specific cable.
Does Devialet Gemini II support wireless charging?
Yes. The charging case is compatible with any Qi-certified wireless charging pad. It also charges via USB-C. You can top it up on your desk pad, in your car, or at a hotel no proprietary charger needed.
What colors does the Devialet Gemini II come in?
Three options: Matte Black, Iconic White, and the limited Gold edition (Opéra de Paris), which is a special collaboration with the Paris Opera. The Gold edition is priced at Rs. 62,999 and includes an exclusive product pouch.