These (O/96) have been on my radar for a long time and I’ve been thinking about finally auditioning them at some point this year.

I met John Devore at T.H.E. show last year and he had the O/96 there. I didn’t care for them there, but I’m sure it was the room. I don’t recall what he used to power them. A family member has a pair of O/96’s, powered by Audio Note Ankoru 845 monoblocks and they sound absolutely amazing. It’s been a while since I was over there, but I recall the times I listened to them I always said if they were in my budget, they’d be the speakers of choice for me. Beautiful craftsmanship and sound fantastic. AXPONA is around the corner. Perhaps you can audition them there?

It looks like I will be going to a dealer next week to audition several pairs of DeVore speakers. Just what I need, yet another pair of speakers!
I may have a speaker addiction.

I have the Devore O/96 and I absolutely love them. I took delivery of them in January, and I’m still waiting on the 300B amp I ordered back in 2023, which they were originally purchased to pair with. Right now I’m running them with a Sugden IA4 in the meantime.

I genuinely love what these speakers do with vocals. Human voice reproduction is outstanding, and female vocals in particular are just heavenly through them.

That said, I’m starting to second-guess my original amp plan. I’ve become a little concerned about potential hum issues, and I’m now debating whether I should switch my order to the Anniversary amp instead.

Even though the buying guide suggests the amp can be used with speakers rated 92dB and higher, I’m still unsure if it will be enough headroom or the right match in practice with the O/96.

T said:

That said, I’m starting to second-guess my original amp plan. I’ve become a little concerned about potential hum issues, and I’m now debating whether I should switch my order to the Anniversary amp instead.

T, I understand your concern. I spent 12 months trying to resolve the Decware 300B hum issue without success. I purchased every tube, device, and accessory anyone suggested to address hum, but none worked. Ultimately, I sold the amp and returned to my Decware UFO25, which delivers excellent sound quality and no hum beyond 3 feet. With the 300B, hum was clearly audible at 8 feet and even at 16 feet. Music masked it, but between tracks and during very quiet passages, the hum was prominent and unacceptable.

I now realize that some individuals are particularly sensitive to hum, as I am. In my situation, there was no solution. In 2025, twice as many Decware 300B amps were listed for sale on US Audio Mart compared to UFO25 amps. This year, the ratio is even higher. Some sellers, very honestly, mention in their ads that they could not accept the hum.

I rarely mention this, but whenever someone on the forum raises the Decware 300B hum issue as you did, I feel compelled to give a strong warning.

Tony

I don't know that I would be afraid of of hum from the Sarah in the DeVores.

While they are rated at 96db, DeVore rates their sensitivity different than what is the industry standard. They actually measure around 91db at 2.83 volts.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/devore-fidelity-orangutan-o96-loudspeaker-me...

I've seen the videos where John DeVore pleads his case about using higher impedances (10 ohms) to rate his speakers. His method may be actually right for his speakers, I'm not a EE so I'm probably just barking at the moon.

Anyway I'm going to Stereo Haven outside of Edwardsville Il. to give both the O/93's and O/96's a listen this upcoming Tuesday. My wife kinda choked when I told her how much they cost! I told her to cry while she is on her two week tour of Europe!
I'm cruel!

Thanks everyone for the responses. You’ve all been extremely helpful. I know myself, and it honestly doesn’t take much for little things to get on my nerves, so it’s probably wise for me to change my order to the UFO25.

If for some reason it doesn’t drive my O/96 the way I’d like, I can always keep it for a second system. I’m perfectly happy with the Sugden IA4 - O/96 pairing as it is. I just don’t want to walk away from my 10% deposit, and after waiting three years, I’m definitely going to get my taste of Decware.

This Stereophile review gives me hope though.....


https://www.stereophile.com/content/gramophone-dreams-46-decware-zen-triode-ampl...

T,

Curious how easy/difficult is room and placement for the 0/96? I've heard they need space around them, and others have said they are fine close to walls? What is your experience?
Donnie,

Looking forward to your opinion after hearing them.

I'm currently running O/96 with a few amps including a ToriiV and have really enjoyed the combination. I don't have any single ended amps so I can't comment on how low you can go into the flea watt territory but I have never felt them compress with my ToriiV or similarly powered First Watt J2. Devore markets a 300B amp as well (Komoro amp company) and I believe he thinks this is a good combo, and he has said in interviews that the speakers were partially voiced using an Air Tight 300B amp.

The O/96s are a very relaxed presentation and therefore tend to be forgiving with respect to placement and matching etc. I find I can get the deep soundstage if I sit further back and a wider soundstage (at the expense of depth) if I sit closer. Soundstage height is decent/ok either way - definitely not a very high soundstage either way.

I have mine pulled out a couple of feet from the wall (they are rear ported) and have experimented in bringing them out farther, but haven't noticed are large difference in bass response (only the soundstage presentation I discussed above).

And on the topic of the Build List... I bought the ToriiV used about 6 months ago, but  I am on the LIST also with my number likely to come up sometime middle of next year. I'm not sure what to do with that option now. Maybe trying out a single ended amp would be fun, but at this point I'm not sure I need another amplifier since i already run the Torii, the first watt and a McIntosh solid state monster... suggestions appriciated.

Ok folks, I drove a couple hours today to listen to several DeVore speakers, the O/93 and the O/96.
We started with the O/93's powered by a Riviera or Fezz tube amp, I didn't pay that close of attention to the amp for whatever reason.
To tell the truth I've built speakers that sounded better. Not bad, but kinda flat and unassuming, no sparkle at all. I don't see where they are worth $10K.

We then set in the O/96's powered by a Sugden IA4 integrated, Wow is all I can say, very impressive, so smooth, so detailed, soundstage out the ying yang. $5k more than the O/93's and well worth it. My check writing hand started to trimble, but I kept my pin in my pocket, at least for now.

We now placed a pair of JM Reynaud Orfeo Jubile transmission line speakers into the mix, still with the Sugden powering it, big time bass, a little less sparkly on top than I prefer. A $14,500 speaker, fairly impressive.

And for dessert a pair of Graham LS3/5a's were brought out. This $3500 shoebox sized speaker almost swept the O/93's under the rug. They had enough bass and just great articulation. I see why people love these speakers.

So after all of that I didn't buy anything, well yet. I'm wanting to listen to the O/96 Bronze's that Stereo Haven won't have in for a few months. And yes they are $30K speakers, but I'm thinking that the regular O/96's will be more than close enough to the Bronze's that I will be able to talk myself into thinking that they are a bargain. Sometimes you need to use sideways logic on yourself.

JD,

I was truly impressed by the Graham LS3/5a speakers.
When they were putting them out I was thinking that the sound would be small after playing such bigger speakers just beforehand.
Well I was completely wrong, big sound emanated out of them. They filled the room with highly articulate sound, way more bass than I was expecting and imaging that was out of this world.

Several years back I built a pair of Jeff Bagby designed Continuum II speakers that were a modern take on the LS3/5a speakers and was really impressed by them. I gave them to a friend and have regretted that move ever since.

If someone has enough amplifier power to push them, I can't see where you could go wrong with the Graham's.

So I've been watching German YouTube videos showing the insides of the DeVore O/96's and then found a Italian website with complete plans and build lists of them.

I think that I can build a pair of O/96 clones for under $2K. The only hold up right now is the drivers are on backorder at Madisound.

The thing that prompted this research is that I had asked what a Koa wood veneer instead of the standard finish on the $30K O/96 Bronzes would cost?
Well I was quoted $3800 for 2 pieces of 18"X36" of veneer. That is nuts! I can buy a 4'X8' sheet of Koa veneer for $800.

I have tools and skills.

We will see if the drivers come back into availability soon.

I changed the max image width from 750px to 725px when the forum resizes the images so in the future we will no longer see a horizontal scroll bar.

No complaints on depth and imaging, but it didn't appear to have the soundstage scale nor the resolution that I’m accustomed to with the PAPs. Also on certain tracks, I thought the bass was not as tight as it could be. Take that observation as a grain of salt, as it could be the room or the electronics they were using, so hard to be certain.  The speaker by no means sounded bad. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that out of the box speakers I’ve heard, this one easily rises to the top.  I wonder how different it would have sounded if I had it in my room, with my cables and electronics for an Apples to Apples comparison.