Devores and Omegas - input please

A couple of years ago I heard O/93’s in a showroom. They were in a decent-sized room and driven by quality tube equipment. I wasn’t overly impressed; what was lacking was image-specificity and, particularly, soundstaging. Given the many very positive reports about them I was disconcerted; I wanted to blame the set-up, but couldn’t see anything amiss, and the owners of the store had obviously positioned them carefully. I wonder if this correlates with the "wall of sound" comments.

The same day I heard elsewhere Audio Note AN-E speakers, and although they were, naturally enough, close to walls, they were much more to my liking.

twoleftears

Understandable.   The O series is very finicky to set up in particular for soundstaging.  I've heard them sound shallow, but also quite spacious and deep (the 96s, never got tons of depth from the 93s).

As for Audio Note:  I auditioned their speakers in the usual corner-loaded configuration.  They also had wonderful tone, sort of like the Devores.  My only issue is that I found myself a bit too aware of the "trick," that is the corner-loaded bass.  It sounded to me like I was hearing a sort of bass augmentation via room effects rather than "the real thing."

Also, I've found the purest timbre to come when being able to control some room reflections, and the audio notes tend to use the room for their sound.


That said, I HAVE heard the smaller audio notes at a show, pulled out from the room corners more in a normal set up and they blew me awaywith some vocal and jazz tracks.

Prof The region that caused  fatigue for me was somewhere in the 1-3k I think. I'd be curious to know what happens directly after that "suck out" and if somehow that reintroduction is what caught my ear and made it perceive a hardness or brightness. I experimented with equalization at -3.2 db at 2k and feathered it, with some results, but whatever it was just became an obstacle to connecting with them.

  
 

@jayctoy,.
Interesting comments on the Omega speakers. I have not heard them,  but via owner feedback and a friend who’s ears I trust they are said to be very good.(Especially those using the Alnico magnets). Do you find them reasonably natural and realistic in regard to tone and timbre of instruments and voice?
Charles

Charles whatever gear you connect to them , that’s exactly you will hear. Yes the timbre and tone of the instruments on tubes are so naturally balance.When I first heard from Markr1 system, I was shocked how good and naturally balance,are the alnico. I went home I can’t listen to my Andra speakers set up.Omegas thought me. Musicality and palpabilty.