Just retired and want to get back to vinyl listening

nothing was bad, but I spent 2 hours listening to various sources and different types of music on the Devore Gibbon X speakers -- as noted they sounded good --  They had devore 0/93s in the shop but not set up. I'll go back and listen to those within the week as they are hooking the up -- they had a lot dynaudio speaker and some others -- some way outside my price range -- I did not bother with -- I did not bother with smallest bookshelfs on stands -- which they had several of these set up for demo at lower price points that the devore speakers

we talked a lot on speaker and equipment recommendations / advice I received -- I was there over 3 hours -- talk to the owner as he had sold Luxman until the distributor change and the main other person who spent the time with me...  both by the discussion and what they related have been in the audio business 30-40+ years... both were positive on luxman 590 -- even though it is hard now find dealers with the distro change

they sell VPI TT but did not have any setup and had several clear audio set ups at a variety of price points and some others that went way up into the 5 digits in cost and I just had a gapped mouth on a 5000-6000 dollar record cleaner from clearaudio -- I likely will not go there - lol

we did talk only a tiny bit on DAC streamer/server as this was a source for some of the demo'ed material and discussed my SONOS set up as additional source to include using a DAC between the ZP80 and the luxman

I did go to a local Magnolia store, but it had nothing of interest and no one with any knowledge to talk with -- so was a waste of time

I have one other high end place to visit prior to my actual drive away to spokane after the 10th of October that has harbeth - audio note - quad speakers

These guys where nice and helpful and I may well buy my starter TT from them as they will spend time - walking me through setup and play the the TT setup with various speakers ( I can then carry to TT with me in my yukon as slowly work through other choices) and if I decide to give the devore speakers a go after listening to other things -- I may buy them from this shop in falls church as there are few devore dealers -- from where I will be living the closest is 8-10+ hours away in Victoria BC or further way down into CA.. I would need to have the shipped - drop shipped etc..

I look forward to your impressions of the DeVore O/93's. I just bought a pair a few weeks ago and though not yet fully broken in, I love them. Things may change, but the plusses are very tuneful bass, good (downright startling at times) dynamics, and gorgeous "tonality". Minuses-well minus in the singular-is a wee bit of deficiency in the midrange purity. 

I'll report on the 0/93s..  fson... did you listen to other models before you bought your 0/93s -- 0/96 or Gibbon X..  I still have several other speakers to listen too before my purchase....  The Gibbon Xs seemed to do well through lows - mids - highs --- seem ed to really well in mids..  highs were good and bass was decent -- but I'm did not really listen to things that were a real "low" bass test -- like some organ music --  but overall the gibbon X did well at moderate to low listening volume -- I 'm not a really loud music listening person -- definitely very little to none of the real pounding rock - heavy metal sound

I only auditioned the O/93’s. I drove to Cleveland from Columbus and visited Don Better. He knew I was coming to audition the O/93’s and had them set up with gear similar to my own after we exchanged some email and he knew that I had a smallish room and knew my ancillary gear. He had set the O/93’s up with similar gear, more or less. I had spent 4-5 years with speakers that had overpowered my room and did not want a repeat. Don assured me the O/96’s would render too much bass for my room. Don is the definition of "a cool jazz cat", being a pro jazz guitarist IIRC who was from Cleveland but spent much of his career in LA. I don’t want to get Don in trouble with John DeVore, but Don told me that although he sells 10 pair of O/96’s for every pair of O/93, he prefers the O/93. This could be for any number of reasons but my guess is that the narrow depth of the O/93's turns people off. You can easily rock the speakers back and forth with one pinky finger which is antithetical to many who think loudspeakers need to be solidly anchored to the floor. I happen to think the overall design of the O/93's bucks many design parameters that are assumed to be valid by the likes of JA when he measures speakers. When Don said he preferred the O/93's, I don’t think this was sales-talk as Don seems to have far better-heeled customers than myself and he seemed to be totally neutral as to whether I would buy or not. In fact, I think he was a bit surprised when I pulled out my credit card. Btw, Don has one of the most amazing arrays of iconic turntables I have ever seen in one place and the DeVores seem to scream for vinyl rather than digital. I have yet to use my Aurender N100H/AMR DP777 with my new O/93’s-I go right to my collection of vinyl.

thanks fson -- I will give the 0/93s a good listen before I move -- If I decide on Devore I may need to have the dealer I’m getting my local in house audtions and reeducation from a nod to selling me the speakers as there will be no dealer anywhere close to me in Spokane.. btw how picky on placement do you find the 0/93s -- how far out from the wall -- how far apart - anything between

I have decided to buy the TT from them as a starter and then can work with them if still needed after the move on speakers.. They are going to take me through setting up the TT and adjusting - measuring things on the concept TT and will use it for more next demo’s in their shop of the devore speakers -- I not that interest in the other speakers they have in house... I’ll basically rebox the TT in the shop with them and haul it with me in my yukon versus having with the stuff handled by the moving company.

I also will be visiting one other dealer here in VA - further away to listen to harbeth and audio note speakers -- I do wish to hear for my legacy memory a set of Klipsch Hersey-Cornwalls just to hear them and have a old memory comparative -- I plan to try to list to a KEF Ref5 and Sonus Faber Olympica IIIs if possible -- maybe legacy audio focus SE -- on a trip to the western WA area shops after I move and settle in spokane - it would roughly be a 3-4 days round trip to get out there and hit some shops in a 2-3 day time frame with the rest being travel time

pretty much decided on the luxman integrated and will buy they after move and paying for the move and getting new bed, etc in new place in spokane - probably a early christmas present for myself --