Devialet has never struggled to make the Phantom loud, compact, visually distinctive, or unmistakably French. Making it behave like a professionally managed network loudspeaker across a large custom installation was another matter.
The new Devialet Phantom Ultimate CI line addresses that problem by replacing the consumer-focused wireless architecture with native Audinate Dante audio over IP connectivity, wired network control, and tools designed specifically for integrators.
Available in 108 dB and more compact 98 dB models, Phantom Ultimate CI will make its public debut at CEDIA Expo 2026, taking place September 1-4 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver.
Devialet has not announced pricing, ordering information, or a firm delivery date.
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Native Dante Is the Real Upgrade
This is not another Phantom with a different finish and a “professional” badge attached to the side.
Devialet has re-engineered the network hardware around Dante and wired Ethernet, removing the dependence on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth that makes sense in a living room but becomes far less appealing across a luxury residence, private theater, hospitality project, or commercial installation.
Each Phantom Ultimate CI connects directly to the network switch using standard Ethernet, allowing integrators to route uncompressed audio without external Dante converters, adapters, or the inevitable dongle dangling behind an otherwise immaculate installation.
No Wi-Fi roulette. No Bluetooth pairing. No separate Dante box consuming rack space and project budget.
The two Phantom Ultimate CI models can also be mixed within the same system. An integrator could deploy the larger 108 dB model in a theater or main listening space and use the smaller 98 dB version in secondary rooms without moving outside the same Dante ecosystem.
The underlying Dante Embedded Platform supports systems with up to 128 input and 128 output channels, providing sufficient scale for far more than a simple two-channel installation.
“Integrators no longer have to choose between the sound our engineers are known for and the stability their projects require,” said Rodrigo Arrambide, Devialet General Manager for the Americas.
Built for Integrators Rather Than App Tapping Homeowners
Devialet has also equipped Phantom Ultimate CI with an open native IP control API and a browser-based administration interface.
Integrators can configure each speaker, restrict access, set maximum volume levels, and manage important operating parameters without relying on the consumer Devialet app.
Official certified drivers for Crestron, Crestron Home, Savant, Control4, RTI, and NICE/ELAN are scheduled to arrive this fall. That timing matters: the drivers are coming, but Devialet is not suggesting that every control platform will be fully supported on the first day units reach the channel.
The open API should still give experienced integration firms a path forward while those certified drivers are completed.
One unanswered question is power. Devialet has not announced Power over Ethernet support, so integrators should not assume that Ethernet will provide both signal and power through a single cable. The available information describes Ethernet as the audio, network, and control connection.
The Phantom Ultimate Acoustic Platform Remains Intact
The CI models retain the same core acoustic architecture and patented technologies found in the consumer Phantom Ultimate line.
That includes:
- ADH New Gen amplification, combining Devialet’s analog Class A and digital Class D technologies
- SAM real-time driver management
- HBI bass technology
- 32-bit/96 kHz internal audio processing
The flagship Phantom Ultimate CI 108 dB delivers 1,100 watts of total amplification with a claimed frequency response of 14 Hz to 35 kHz, plus or minus 6 dB.
The smaller Phantom Ultimate CI 98 dB uses 400 watts of amplification and covers a claimed 18 Hz to 25 kHz, plus or minus 6 dB.
Devialet specifies total system latency at 18 milliseconds. That is the complete loudspeaker system figure, including the Phantom’s internal DSP and processing, rather than Dante network transport latency alone. It should be manageable for home theater and synchronized multiroom installations, although live-performance applications will require more careful evaluation.
Both models ship in Monitoring Mode, which Devialet describes as a neutral, flat response. Room correction, tonal adjustments, channel management, and system tuning are intended to be performed upstream through a Dante matrix or external DSP.
That approach makes sense. Integrators working on theaters and larger multiroom systems are already likely to use centralized processing, and they probably do not need another proprietary EQ layer fighting for control.
Designed to Stand Out or Get Out of the Way
The Phantom Ultimate CI will be offered in the same three finishes as the residential collection:
- Light Pearl
- Deep Forest
- Opéra de Paris, hand-finished with 22-karat gold leaf
Calling the Opéra de Paris version “invisible architectural audio” would require a fairly adventurous definition of invisible, but the standard finishes should integrate into a broad range of contemporary spaces.
Compatible accessories include the Treepod for the 108 dB model, along with the Tree and Gecko mounting solutions. Every Phantom Ultimate CI will include a five-year Devialet Care professional warranty as standard, an important upgrade over the shorter warranty supplied with the consumer Phantom models.
Specifications at a Glance
Phantom Ultimate CI 108 dB
- 1,100 watts total amplification
- 14 Hz to 35 kHz frequency response, plus or minus 6 dB
- Native Dante audio over IP
- 32-bit/96 kHz processing
- 18 ms system latency
Phantom Ultimate CI 98 dB
- 400 watts total amplification
- 18 Hz to 25 kHz frequency response, plus or minus 6 dB
- Native Dante audio over IP
- 32-bit/96 kHz processing
- 18 ms system latency
Shared Features
- Dante Embedded Platform supporting systems up to 128×128 channels
- Open native IP control API
- Browser-based administration
- Crestron, Savant, Control4, RTI, and NICE/ELAN drivers coming this fall
- Light Pearl, Deep Forest, and Opéra de Paris finishes
- Treepod, Tree, and Gecko accessories
- Five-year professional warranty
The Bottom Line
We recently reviewed the consumer Phantom Ultimate 108 dB and found it to be one of the most convincing high-end wireless loudspeakers currently available. Its weakness was never output, bass extension, industrial design, or its ability to fill a large room. For integrators, the bigger questions involved network reliability, centralized control, system scaling, and compatibility with professional installation platforms.
Phantom Ultimate CI directly addresses those concerns without watering down the acoustic platform. Native Dante, wired Ethernet, open IP control, mixed-model deployment, and forthcoming control drivers make this considerably more than another Phantom variation.
Pricing and final availability will determine how frequently it appears outside the most ambitious luxury projects. Devialet also needs to deliver its promised control drivers on schedule. The hardware, however, now speaks the language of the CI trade rather than expecting the CI trade to adapt to Devialet.
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