Gaming fans might think the Devialet Phantom looks like a real-life replica of Ghost from smash-hit title Destiny, but audiophiles will know the high-end French manufacturer doesn't speak in vocoded Peter Dinklage, but instead top-end, crystal clear audio.

We'll still draw on that Hollywood star comparison though: like the futuristic floating orb from the game and the small-yet-mighty man behind its voice, the Phantom delivers futuristic funk from its space-age design with greater aplomb than its small scale might otherwise suggest.

Available in 750W and 3,000W versions, the latter coining the Silver namesake, the Phantom costs £1,390 and £1,690 respectively - so no small scale price tag to be seen here. Plus you'll need the £249 Dialog to create a home network that can communicate to the Phantom in a stereo setup. Or go wild and buy 24 of them, which can be arranged in individually controlled multi-room zones, assuming you have the financial capital and space.

But the price is no reason to shun this little star because it sounds, quite simply, sublime. We got to experience the Devialet Silver Phantom experience at a private session in the company's space at London's Harrods store, arranged as a pair in true 2.0 stereo setup.

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Although there's no subwoofer option within the arrangement it's of zero consequence: the Silver Phantom delivers burbling bass; so much that its two side cones pulse manically, but without causing the unit itself to vibrate.

That's true engineering put to point. Even with Beyonce's Partition pushing bass to the max - and to true subwoofer levels thanks to a 16Hz low-end output - a hand atop the unit could barely feel any motion. We even rested a phone on it where it happily balanced (and there we were half hoping it would shake it like Lady B).

But it's not all just about the bassiest of bass. Sat on a sofa with the Silver Phantom units at roughly ear level, the clarity we could hear throughout the range - which is capable of delivering through to 20,000Hz at the top-end - is truly impressive. From the mid-level gospel harmonies in Fairfield Four's These Bones, to the twinkling guitar in Stevie Ray Vaughan's cover of Hendrix's Little Wing, nothing put the system amiss.

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Other testing tracks performed superbly at near eye-watering volume levels. We never quite dared max out the 105dB top-end output, which would be a bit like introducing your ears to the exhaust of a superbike turning over about 5,000rpm, but even at 80 per cent volume it was, in a word, epic.

The church organ in The Cranberries' No Need To Argue avoids the kind of resonant flapping and distortion that lesser systems might exhibit. But it was the emotive qualities of singer Dolores O'Riordan's vocal that really stood out. And let's face it music fans, that's the most important thing: feeling the music.

At present the French company has taken a home-grown approach to its music service options, with Qobuz, the high-res streaming service, functioning through Devialet's own Spark software. Makes sense, of course, as 24-bit/192kHz high-resolution compatibility makes the most of the speaker's capabilities. In the near future Tidal will join the service too (27 April).

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Spark will also happily source your own music from network attached storage, other drives or home cinema sources too (Ethernet and optical are the only two ports tucked away to the underside of the unit), with updates for 5.0, 7.0 and 9.0 setup arrangements due from September.

The Devialet Silver Phantom combines futuristic design with chic audio. This is the French audio maker turning a corner, its eye on a new audience, but its heart still firmly fixed on producing elegant, thumping audio without compromise. If, that is, you can afford to buy a pair rather than just one, because that's when the true stereo magic happens - and the Phantom really is magic to both the ears and the eyes.