Audio Note AN/E vs. DeVore O/96

@tinear123,

You may want to look at my (long) thread comparing various speakers I auditioned.  It's heavy on the Devore 0/96 and 0/93 audition notes, but I also mention my reaction to auditioning the Audio Note speakers.

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/contemplating-devore-speakers-and-others-long-audition-report...

In the end I definitely preferred the Devores, but that's definitely a subjective conclusion, obviously.   As I mentioned in my thread, I found myself a bit too aware of the corner-loading nature of the Audio Note speakers (in their typical set up), and I have some issues with speakers that use the room that way.

The Devores gave to me a similar type of presentation, though richer and since they didn't require close to wall placement for rich base, they could be pulled out in to the room for closer listening/less room reaction and to me a more pure sound.

@fsconicsmith

I was also entranced by some small Audio Note speakers at the last Toronto Audio show. With some acapella vocals, a track with sax, another with drums, the combination of body, clarity and believable organic timbral warmth was just outstanding. Probably the most impressive I heard at the show.



I’d auditioned Audio Note speakers in my big speaker audition journey and liked them, but ultimately decided the corner-loading style wasn’t for me. Still, I do sometimes hanker for being able to try them in my set up.
And I still find myself wishing I’d been able to hear the Devore O/96 in my room! You still like the O/93s it seems?


And I can relate: I also switch between my main two pairs of speakers - Thiel 2.7s and Joseph Audio Perspectives, to keep things fresh. Both great in their own way.

fsonicsmith,


Please let me know how it goes when you put the Devores back in the system.  I wonder if you will welcome them with open arms, or perhaps be less forgiving of their lack of soundstaging prowess.



One of the things I like about the Joseph Perspective speakers that I ultimately bought is that they do the soundstaging/imaging/disappearing thing with world class, tonally beauty,  but also have the rich, punchy fun factor in the mid to lower bass that makes music grab you, more like the Devore speakers.


My Thiel 2.7s sometimes seem like an in-between of the Joseph and the Devore speakers:  killer soundstaging and imaging like the Josephs, but bigger and richer and "organic" like the Devores.   Naturally this means sometimes they sound like the perfect speaker to me, combining the best of all the things I like, and other times more like a neither here nor there between what the Josephs and Devores do well.   I'd say that for the vast majority of the time the Thiels split that difference beautifully.Who'd ever thought Thiels would be described as rich and lush?  But they did make a break-through in their final design, and the richness is no doubt helped along by my CJ tube amps :)



Anyway, regarding Audio Note, I hope to hear them again some time, (pandemic allowing...)

I would LOVE to hear the latest Spendor Classic 100!

I own the Spendor S3/5s, the little guys, and they make me swoon over how beautiful they sound, so I was curious about a bigger classic version.  (I used to hear the BC1 regularly, but it's been a while).

I searched around for some Spendor 1/2s and 2/3s, which are about as big as I'd go for that kind of thing, but unfortunately even Spendor dealers never had them in for audition.   You just had to order them.

I had the Harbeth SuperHL5Plus which I really liked, but sold them because my Thiels were close enough to them in good ways, and other ways better.   But my Spendor 3/5s are magical - for their size rich, with a fullness and roundness and organic quality to voices that rival the Harbeths.

Excellent "review" fsonicsmith!   Thanks!  Having heard the D7s and O/93s they certainly are very different sounding speakers.

@essrand 
How long have you owned the O/96 speakers and how do you like them?