Just auditioned the Nines, and while they do many things nicely, their bass is not real impressive in terms of weight and moving air. The older Proacs that I've heard(i.e. Response 2.5, 3) have a similar style performance. The Sophias sound quite different. I'm guessing that if you love the Sophias, the DeVores won't be your best choice. Cheers,
Spencer
Spencer