Everyone has slightly different sonic priorities, and that’s cool. So mine is but one opinion.
I have lived with O/93s for 8 years now and don’t have any desire to replace them, even though I can see how some might prefer something else. Same with the A23 cabling.
I originally had them paired with a Leben 600, but was never quite happy with it. Tried tube rolling, cables, tweaks — ‘just didn’t do it for me. I think the smaller 300 has a bit more character and appeal.
I’ve heard multiple Devores with the LM 845. I can see why people love the combo. For me, 845 amps are a bit limiting — everything is presented with burning intensity.
I quite liked the LM 300b integrated into O/96s at brief listen, but the LM integrated doesn’t have the purity of some higher priced 300b amps. (That Air Tight 300b mentioned above is wonderful, for example.) Unfortunately, really good iron costs.
For the past four years I’ve run the apes with a push-pull class A 300b amp by New Audio Frontiers. (I got them from Jeff Catalano, along with a NAF phono stage, a turntable, two tonearms, three cartridges, and a partridge in a pear tree.) I spoke briefly to John Devore a while back; when I told him what I had upstream he remarked that a good push-pull 300b amp provides subtlety, finesse *and* a certain confidence and freedom that SE 300b amps don’t always have — a good summary of what I appreciate.
Good luck with the quest.
Ping
I have lived with O/93s for 8 years now and don’t have any desire to replace them, even though I can see how some might prefer something else. Same with the A23 cabling.
I originally had them paired with a Leben 600, but was never quite happy with it. Tried tube rolling, cables, tweaks — ‘just didn’t do it for me. I think the smaller 300 has a bit more character and appeal.
I’ve heard multiple Devores with the LM 845. I can see why people love the combo. For me, 845 amps are a bit limiting — everything is presented with burning intensity.
I quite liked the LM 300b integrated into O/96s at brief listen, but the LM integrated doesn’t have the purity of some higher priced 300b amps. (That Air Tight 300b mentioned above is wonderful, for example.) Unfortunately, really good iron costs.
For the past four years I’ve run the apes with a push-pull class A 300b amp by New Audio Frontiers. (I got them from Jeff Catalano, along with a NAF phono stage, a turntable, two tonearms, three cartridges, and a partridge in a pear tree.) I spoke briefly to John Devore a while back; when I told him what I had upstream he remarked that a good push-pull 300b amp provides subtlety, finesse *and* a certain confidence and freedom that SE 300b amps don’t always have — a good summary of what I appreciate.
Good luck with the quest.
Ping