Update: Received the Devore 9's late last week and finally got to listen to them at length tonight. They are definitely far more detailed and brighter sounding than my ELAC Uni-Fi B5s. Listening to the new Wilco record it was quite noticeable how much more high-end detail came through the Devores. With the Elacs, the cymbal work was pretty buried in the mix, whereas on the Devores it was extremely audible and up front in the mix. My wife initially preferred the softer tonality of the ELACs, but then went back to the detail wrought by the Devores.
I snagged a Moon 110LP phono stage for $350 new last week, and find it to be an audible step up from the Rega Brio phono stage in terms of stereo imaging and tonality. I'm still running the Rega Brio as my amp...mainly because no one locally carries an amp I'm interested in, and I'm having trouble finding a dealer who will accept returns if the amp isn't a good fit in my system. The new Line Magnetic 508 looks like a perfect fit given its extra power for a SET, but it is a bit out of my price range for the moment. Also considering a used 518 or one of their cheaper models as well, i.e. 211ia EL34 or 216ia KT88. I'm told the Leben amps are a great match for the Devores as well, but they are impossible to find used or even as a demo it would seem. A few Devore dealers have recommended the class-A solid state Sugden A21, but I'm leaning towards tubes for a variety of reasons.
Finally, I also experimented a bit with speaker orientation and acoustic treatment. Running long ways, the room is 13x40' which meant I had to crank the speakers pretty high to load the room. I went back to my original setup with speakers along the long wall and effectively making a 13x13 listening space. Frankly, I don't notice a ton of difference, though I do think it requires less volume. I also removed my corner mounted bass traps to see if that would provide a more balanced low-end and a more realistic live sound. Will need some more time to evaluate those changes.
I snagged a Moon 110LP phono stage for $350 new last week, and find it to be an audible step up from the Rega Brio phono stage in terms of stereo imaging and tonality. I'm still running the Rega Brio as my amp...mainly because no one locally carries an amp I'm interested in, and I'm having trouble finding a dealer who will accept returns if the amp isn't a good fit in my system. The new Line Magnetic 508 looks like a perfect fit given its extra power for a SET, but it is a bit out of my price range for the moment. Also considering a used 518 or one of their cheaper models as well, i.e. 211ia EL34 or 216ia KT88. I'm told the Leben amps are a great match for the Devores as well, but they are impossible to find used or even as a demo it would seem. A few Devore dealers have recommended the class-A solid state Sugden A21, but I'm leaning towards tubes for a variety of reasons.
Finally, I also experimented a bit with speaker orientation and acoustic treatment. Running long ways, the room is 13x40' which meant I had to crank the speakers pretty high to load the room. I went back to my original setup with speakers along the long wall and effectively making a 13x13 listening space. Frankly, I don't notice a ton of difference, though I do think it requires less volume. I also removed my corner mounted bass traps to see if that would provide a more balanced low-end and a more realistic live sound. Will need some more time to evaluate those changes.