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Help: Devore O/96 Integrated Amp + DAC suggestion

Hello Devore O/96 owners.

I was very fortunate to be able to purchase a set of O/96s earlier this year, and I'm trying to build out the rest of my system to truly complement these speakers the way they deserve.  I've read many of the posts and reviews across the standard sites and forums, and, while I've found some great information, I could really use some custom opinions based on your experience.  I greatly appreciate any and all thoughts, and my apologies for the long winded setup, but I want to be as specific as possible

I'm all digital via Tidal and FLAC through Audirvana+, and my system currently consists of an Audio Note Oto SE Signature with an Arcam IRDAC and Zu Audio Mission MK1 cables throughout.  My room is approximately 14x22ft. with 12ft. ceilings.

When I'd originally heard the O's in the store, they were driven by a Nagra Classic w/ Nagra DAC.  The sound was literally the most engaging thing I've ever heard...It was electric, punch-you-in-the-gut amazing and had warmth and depth into the music.  The drum reproduction and snap alone had me, and, while I had no intention of spending that much on speakers, after hearing them, I couldn't not buy them.

Bringing them home, I'd originally paired them with a Naim Nait 5i as a holdover from my original Neat Acoustics system, and it was a poor fit.  The sound was incredibly flat...It felt as though the musicians could not have been further away from my listening room.  After reading Rafe's review in Part-Time Audiophile and his thoughts on the AN OTO SE as a match, the fates aligned and I received an incredible deal on a used Signature version.  After plugging into the system, the sound instantly became more engaging.  A richness is present in both the voices and the strings that was missing, and I would say there is definitely more in the way of dynamics.  That said, I feel like (1) I'm still missing significant drum dynamics/snap, (2) when volume increases to approx noon, the sound almost flattens (pushing a 10 w amp too far?), and (3) in complex pieces - orchestral and rock, there is a bit of muddling.

I have a $5k budget for tweaking/replacing, and I'm a huge proponent of used components.  Ideally, with consideration for both space and the budget, I'd like to stay with an integrated amp.  My targeted questions would be:

(1) Is the AN OTO SE Sig sufficient and the DAC the culprit, and, if so, which DAC makes the most sense to achieve what I'm looking for.  Would a AN 3.1, Lampizator, or Border Patrol be the "final" piece? 

(2) While I like the AN, would I be better off replacing both the amp and DAC, and what would marry well? LM 518ia or 508ia/Leben/Shindo Appetite, etc. with one of the above? (several articles on amps with O/96, but none I've seen on amp + dac synergy)

Unfortunately, while Chicago has a tremendous amount of great shops, there's nowhere to listen to any of the aforementioned brands, so I'm heavily reliant on outside opinion.

Again, thank you for taking the time to read this and for your thoughts and consideration.  


wallace79
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,236 posts
 
Hi Wallace,
The AN OTO is a very good quality amplifier but it’s possible that the 10 watts may not be enough with this speaker for every conceivable genre and listening situation. I agree with those who suggest Leben push pull tube amplifiers. I strongly recommend that you consider the terrific Line Magnetic 508ia that uses the 805 tube in SET. It provides 48 watt of genuine class A power . This will yield beautiful and natural music reproduction in your home. If possible, compare the LM 508ia with the Parasound and determine which suits your particular preference more closely. These are two very different sounding amplifiers.

I think this amplifier with your speakers wound make an excellent sounding match. I personally don’t believe that you’ll achieve this level of sound quality with the Parasound (or similar type amplifier) suggested above. This is just my observation given your satisfaction with the OTO sound quality (although lower power).

I would also suggest that the AN 3.1 DAC, Border Patrol DAC or say the SWIX DAC will be very noticeable upgrades in sound quality vs your current DAC.
Best of luck,
Charles
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,236 posts
 
Wallace,
If you go the non tube route I'd look into the Pass Labs XA 25 (Very simple high quality circuit pure class A). Very likely an exceptionally natural sounding transistor amplifier. 

The Lyngdorf mentioned above by Kenny is a one box DAC, preamplifier and amplifier and includes room correction. I've been told by 2 listeners that it was okay sounding but others have told me it's superb (I haven't heard it) but certainly worth exploring in my opinion. 
Charles 
fsonicsmith's avatar
fsonicsmith
938 posts
 
Lemme ax yu sumtin'. How many hours do you have on the O/96's? While it is fairly obvious that you would benefit from a good tube amp with at least 30 watts, be aware that placement and break-in are vital with the O series, and we're talking 600 hours before those cones loosen up and are able to give you the sound you heard in the showroom. And again, spend plenty of time carefully moving the speakers a few inches at a time using something like the XLO test CD and then once you get them roughly in place, you need to spend another couple hours moving them a half inch at time and then a quarter inch until things snap into focus. Also, speaker cables make a huge difference with this speaker. I tried a bunch with my O/93's and settled on Cardas Clear. What speaker cables were they using at the showroom where you bought them?
david_ten
5,480 posts
 
@wallace79  Another way to approach this is to come at it from another angle, something along the lines of:

What two components would bring you closest to what the Nagra Classic + Nagra DAC do for / bring to a system? Irrespective of speakers and given your budget....

On a separate line of thought, do you remember which cabling / power supply etc was used with your demo O/96s? I don't know your position on cabling...but it may have been a factor in what you heard at the demo. Mentioning this in case it is relevant.

All the best!
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,236 posts
 
I agree with fsonicsmith and David regarding proper speaker break-in, placement and cable comparability. I just believe that amplifier and speaker matching is both fundamental and foundational. You have to establish what type of sound you are seeking.

With this speaker you'll hear that the Bryston will differ from Pass Labs and Leben will differ from the Line Magnetic. Each and every amplifier brings along its innate sonic signature. Determine which signature you find most acceptable. They all have distinct colorations.
Charles
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