Apple to feature Phantom speakers in its U.S. stores, giving France’s Devialet a big boost

Paris-based Devialet announced today that Apple has decided to feature the company’s Phantom speakers in its retail stores, giving the French company a major lift in its efforts to break big in the U.S. market.

Released earlier this year after several years of development, the Phantom speakers have caused a sensation among audiophiles for their quality of sound and their slick, egg-shaped design. Still, Devialet is a relatively unknown name in the U.S. market, and the company faces a big challenge in establishing an audience for wireless speakers that cost around $2,000 each.

In the announcement, Devialet said the Phantoms will be in 13 Apple Stores over the holiday season, including New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. They will roll out to the rest of Apple’s stores over the course of 2016.

“Working with Apple has been a long-held dream of Devialet since the company’s inception,” said Devialet CEO Quentin Sannié in a statement. “Like Apple, our products share the same level of category re-invention, premium quality and the acclaim of consumers worldwide.”

Although Devialet has been around for almost a decade, the Phantom marks a new start of sorts for a company that has global ambitions. Earlier this year, Devialet raised $20 million from a consortium of European investors and has plans to eventually open some of its own boutique stores in the U.S.