Devore Gibbon X or O/96?


One of these will be my next upgrade. I've had the 9s for about 5 years. Would appreciate any input from those who have heard/own one or the other. I have Shindo separates, the Monbrison and Montille (20-watt version).
128x128ladok

Showing 5 responses by ladok

I'm a little concerned about the physical stability of the 0/96. My room is carpeted with a thin floorboard underneath, and with my Gibbon 9s it takes careful adjustment of the spikes to get the speakers leveled and stable. The 96 has those four wooden legs which can't be adjusted of attached securely to the floor.
An update: I made my decision after having an opportunity to listen to the O/96 at a local dealer, and bought them on the spot. This is indeed a different animal than the Devore 9s. They go louder and are more dynamic with my Shindo gear. The soundstage they present is much more of a an enveloping "wall of sound" than the more delicate, airy presentation of the 9s. The bass is powerful, dynamic, tuneful and detailed, with much more force, presence and slam than the 9s. For those concerned about the "goosebump" factor or PRAT, I can only say you've got to experience them because the music hits you in the gut, both physically and emotionally. Last night I listened to Nick Drake's "Bryter Layter," Rickie Lee Jones' "Traffic From Paradise" and then Heart's "Dog and Butterfly", each one from start to finish. The Dog portion of the Heart CD jumped out of the speakers. I had on a local classical music station (WCPE Raleigh) with my old Yamaha tuner yesterday afternoon, and from the next room, my wife commented on how much more weight there seems to be, and how much more the music seems to fill the entire house compared to the 9s. They have been relatively easy to place in my room and thus far have been a complete joy. 
Oh, and I've completely gotten over my concern about the physical stability of the O/96, which sit on the stands with four legs. They are very stable and so much easier to move and position without having to mess with spiked feet.
I was fortunate in that the 0/96 "demos" I listened to were 2 weeks old and I was able to buy that very pair. The dealer even brought them to my house, help me set them up, and took away my Devore 9s that he accepted in trade. I do remember having to wait about two months when I bought the 9s. I agree that the 0/96 is a very different presentation than many other "audiophile" speakers, and that part of the "magic" comes from a nice integration of tube amp and the benign impedence and the higher sensitivity. I also heard them in demo with a Line Magnetic, the 518, and they mate very nicely with my Shindo 20-watt amp. I would suspect the Magicos are better at focused imaging, "transients" and the like. Even the 9s have a different presentation than the 0/96, which takes some getting used to when you go from one to the other. The 9s floated a more "airy", delicate, focused soundstage but don't create the overall sense of scale and power of the 0/96. And the 0/96 is at a completely higher level when it comes to bass extension, bass slam and detail, midrange detail, and treble detail. I'm having to work a little harder to get them to image the way I want in my room, but I suspect it's because they are much wider, move a lot more air and probably weren't meant to be "imaging" champs anyway. The thing is, when I'm listening, I don't find myself paying much attention to that with these speakers. Rather I find myself enjoying the boogie factor, the myriad of musical details, and the connection with the musicians and their instruments.
No_regrets, I apologize for not responding sooner, I am just now seeing your post. My listening room is 15 by 19, with a ceiling that slopes upward towards the listening seat. The speakers are along the long wall (for some reason, speakers always sound better there in this particular room). They are about 41 inches from the wall behind them to the front inside corner of each speaker (I have them toed in slightly). The distance from the side walls vary for each speaker because there is a door behind the L speaker and so that speaker is further from the side wall than the R speaker. I have heard that doing this actually helps even out the bass response. I am about 8-9 feet from the speakers at my listening position, and they are about 7 1/2 feet apart from center to center. In my humble opinion, I think these speakers would sound even better in a larger room. I auditioned them in a much larger room at the dealer and they were more open sounding there with a larger soundstage, both vertical and horizontal. He was using a Line Magnetic 518 integrated. I have Shindo separates. That being said, these speakers image as well or better than any speakers I've had in my room, and I've had a lot!