Living with the DeVore Fidelity O/96 loudspeakers... my review

Thanks man! Did you listen at PDX Hi-fi by chance?
A visit to PDX Hi-fi: Leben CS600, DeVore O/93, EMT, Well Tempered Labs and Acoustic Plan... a motion in sound »

 

They really shine with some breathing room.

 

For M30.1s (M30s?) go with the Acoustic Masterpiece. IME the 22 wpc of Push-Pull power it has will get more out of the Harbeths on the bottom end in particular, which roll off below 50 Hz pretty quickly (also, I perceive PP amps to always have more 'grunt' than SET, and there's multiple reasons for that, from the way the signal is split by the valves, to biased operation in Class A, or Class A/B for PP, etc. This explanation does a far more graceful job of the differences than I ever could). The M30s present an easy load to many amplifiers, so while Alan Shaw gooses solid state for Harbeth all the time, it's the pairings that sound best that will always delight the most (have you read Jeff Day's M30 review? He uses a 3 wpc SET with the M30s!). So, yeah, the Air Tight 201H and the Harbeths should really sing my friend. Go buy one and don't look back. Also, listen to it bone stock for a few months, and then swap the input tubes for some NOS, and let the fun begin.

 

Let me know what you think of the change. I found the sound staging front-to-back in particular, improved the farther out I was able to pull them.

 

Both speakers do many, many things very, very well, and both are on equal footing to me, with more likenesses than differences. Both are two of the best speakers I've heard, regardless of price. The Es just fit into my space and lifestyle because they're best when they're tucked into the corners of the room. I live in Vancouver, and getting a larger space is pretty impossible when a teardown in my neighbourhood is going for more than $1 million.

 

All great speakers, but with very different amplification needs. Be mindful of amp-matching is all I can recommend.

 

Agreed on both fronts. John is one of my favourite people. Period.

 

Thanks Rafe. I'll check out the info you posted and let you know if I decide to pick up the AM201 or just decide to sell the M30s and move forward with the OTO SE / ANJ LX combo.

Cheers.

 

Indeed I did! In fact, that's the same system I heard, minus the 'table. Source was the amazing Line Magnetic 515 CD deck ($2300?), probably the best CD deck I've heard after the Naim CD555 (which is an eye-watering $30k).

All in all, the best system for letting the Music speak I've ever been priveleged to hear. Mike was an absolutely gracious host, particularly given that he knew I was unlikely to be a paying customer for a while. But hearing LM/Leben/Devore/A23 etc. established an aspirational standard for me, if I'm ever so fortunate.

 

Terrific and thoughtful review. EverythingI have read about these speakers makes me think they would be my dream speakers. Someday!

 

The Oto and AN/J combo would be incredibly synergistic.

 

Nice review!

 

Nice review and great photos. Would you care to speculate on the speaker placement with regards to your old Harbeth speakers and how they might have also benefitted from the new room redo? I recall looking at your old room photos and thinking the Harbeths were not ideally placed.

Nice work raferx.

 

No doubt the Harbeths would have definitely benefited from the new placement. The M30.1s really like a lot of space around them too. But space or not, they weren't close to full range like the O/96, the 30.1s roll off pretty quick below 50 Hz.

 

Hi Rafe,

i've read many a hifi review in my time. But your review was simply superb! I really enjoyed it. I spent 6 years of my life in Vancouver so seeing pictures of the Devore speakers in your apartment brings back fond memories. Siegel's Bagels are the best.

Your excellent review has really piqued my interest in the Devore O96 speakers. But I'm wondering whether I have suitable listening spaces in my abode to accommodate these great speakers. I have 2 areas which I could possibly fit the o96 speakers, both are not ideal. One is an enclosed listening space of 4.8m x 3.15 x 3.8m (l x w x h). Rectangular in shape. The other is my living room which measures 7.5m x 4.6m x 3.8m (l x w x h). But the living room opens up to an open staircase on the right which leads to the 2nd floor.

You've lived with these speakers for a while and had mentioned in your review that it requires the necessary breathing space to perform. I'd appreciate your input into whether my two listening spaces could accommodate the O96s.

 

The biggest requirement is the ability to position the speakers off the wall, do you have an idea how far off the wall from front baffle to front wall you could go in each room and also of lesser importance how far apart you can position them? The other aspect is how flexible are you with positioning your listening chair in each room, as sitting right against the back wall could produce boomy bass.

 

I didn't need to read this! I have been jonzing for a pair since first seeing them. Someday, the kids will graduate from college and...

 

In my opinion, b/t the 2 spaces that you have, I think the Living Room would likely be the best choice. This depends a little on where exactly in the room you can place them of course.

 

Sorry can't help with the placement but there's a pair available on Audiogon right now, and I've never seen them for sale before used. I'm tempted to make an offer just in case I ever have a big enough room!

 

I look at them 3-4 times a day....

 

I had the chance to listen to the O96s in my system when Rafe had them. They really are terrific. I prefer my Audio Note AN-E SPE HEs, but I could live happily ever after with the DeVore's as well. I'm sure that in certain rooms with certain gear, my preference might swing the other way to the DeVores.

I think someone is going to get a bargain at that asking price on Audiogon.

 

I meant to add that I really enjoyed the review. Nicely written Rafe.

 

The only reason I'm not considering the AN E's is because they don't have speaker grills and I'll have curious little fingers in the house soon.

 

Have you got a bottom-line summary/impression of the differences between the two speakers? Never heard either but would certainly like to!

 

Those are an interesting color combo for the 96....makes them look like short 93's!