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What is best tweeter height for the Devore O/96?

On the Devore Orangutan O/96 with the supplied stands from Devore Fidelity, the tweeter height is approximately 31.5 inches from the floor.  By comparison the tweeter height on the Devore Gibbon X is much higher at approximately 36 inches from the floor.  As a general rule, I always thought that it was more ideal to have tweeter height at approximately 36 inches, with the goal of having the tweeter at or near ear level, while in a seated listening position.  Why does the O/96 have such a low tweeter height?  What would be the effect of raising the O/96 to elevate the tweeter height to ear level?  John Devore could have made these stands any height he wanted for optimal sound, so why have the tweeter height so low?  Thanks for your comments.
bayreuth
keithr
1,304 posts
 
sunnyjim, you're welcome to your opinion but unfortunately you are offering speculation. John's cabinets are made by a furniture maker in the same building - he designs fully custom drivers with Seas (which take several years to get right). yes, he has some unique design elements including controlling resonance in the bass. hardly any manufacturers have anechoic chambers while computer modeling is ubiquitous in the industry. 

i'm sure we'd all like to hear the better speakers at half the price, but to demean a manufacturer when you haven't heard the speaker based on a measurement in stereophile is pretty weak. No, his speakers aren't cheap but they aren't made in China either.

ps. John responded to the measurement police at part-time audiophile which is more than most manufacturers do - feel free to read

sunnyjim
927 posts
 

To Keithr,  I am not demeaning Devore as a person or speaker designer I would say almost the same thing and ask the same question about pricing about the $14,999 Harbeth's 40.2 speakers designed by Alan Shaw and touted as his "Masterpiece" by  the TAS  review in January, 2017 issue.  Or that matter, the Magico S1 MK II reviewed this month in Stereophile which sells for a cool $16,500, the YG Carmel Mk II retailing for $24,999 ( I heard the first version at the retail  $18000 and was very impressed, but not enough to buy them even at half the price) and  also several models from Wilson Audio over the last 15 years.

I am NOT campaigning for a line titled the "People's Speakers"  Maybe, the current line of  Elac speakers designed by Andrew Jones is it. However, I am just questioning the price versus performance ratio.  I don't think manufacturer's should get "carte blanche" when it comes to pricing their speakers, or for that matter any other audio components.

To answer one responder's question at my comment about speakers that  cost half the price of the Devore's O-96,. or more specially the lower priced )  0-93  speaker. I owned a used pair of Acoustic Zen Adagios for 6 years. They retailed at $4500, not including the outrigger stands ($220) which the buyer threw in to close the sale. I paid $1850 plus $550 shipping to Honolulu, Hawaii. from Wisconsin.  They were amazing from A to Z (no pun intended) clean,. detailed, with volcanic dynamics, and tight bass to at least to 37Hz.  My only complaint o them, they could be a bit edgy, but not fatiguing, and  they weighed 78 lbs each. Not easy to move around for a progressively aging back. I decided to sell  them when I returned to southern California. I could not find a buyer in  the Islands. I bought then unheard, but read several positive reviews about their performance.  They are the best sounding speakers I owned so far,. and grossly underrated by many reviewers and  a mix of internet audio bloggers

BTW, I heard the Devore's Gibbon 8 when they first came on the market.  The AZ Adagios blow them away from top to bottom..   SJ         

roncagg
61 posts
 
Back to First Watt and DeVore pairings: I have the F7 driving Gibbon Super 8s ($2k used these days), great imaging and soundstage, excellent tonality. The speakers are tilted back and footers fully extended, they may still be a little low but I prefer not to put them on my mapleshade bases which would add another 6". I use Jim Smith's (get better sound book) recommendation and the distance betweeen the speakers is about 80% of the distance of each to my listening position. 

ptss
1,959 posts
 
An interesting question --- with an incredibly simple answer. "Dialing in" the final placement of each individual pair of speakers--by ear-- is the only valid answer. This tried and true method allows for the accommodation of all the inevitable minor differences in crossover,dispersion,beaming and lobing from even highly matched pairs. Create a way of adjusting height,roe in and angle and spend time listening to some well recorded music,I'd suggest solo instruments to start. This is an invaluable exercise which we lead you greater musical enjoyment --and appreciation of the value of the painstaking precision some of our leading high end manufacturers strive for. You don't need a "good luck" wish; just do the work and reap the rewards. If you know a woman who would be a listener with you give it a try.
rothwea
45 posts
 

I'm another who is disappointed by sunnyjim's posts. Two observations I made after listening to a range of 'tube -friendly' speakers, at different price points, over a 2 year period... (i) you generally get what you pay for (ii) the law of diminishing returns kicks in - so if a 'bit of edginess' doesn't worry you, enjoy, save your money and buy some music.

Bayreuth - you asked early on in this thread about the tweeter positioning in the Audio Note ANE's. I have listened to both the AN's and the Devore O96's, but not at the same time and not in exactly the same system. It needs to be remembered that the AN's load a room in a very different way to the O96's, and they sounded quite different to my ear. I found that the O96's needed far more room to breathe. However, the need to tweak tweeter height was not a noticeable issue with either speaker in my room.   Can you tell me what differences you noticed between the Pass J2 and the XA30.8 with your O96's?

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