Anyone at the Devore Fidelity Event?

But anyone who can say they truly evaluated this speaker in that kind of environment is kidding themselves.

I was not at the event, but I visited Common Wave a few months ago while visiting LA.  The owner Wes was extremely nice, and he has a mouthwatering selection of gear.  That said, I agree that the warehouse/loft layout that he has in the store isn't really ideal for auditioning.

In that space, I thought the (original) O/96 sounded a bit dry and sterile.  I'm not sure if it was the listening space or the Nagra electronics, or both.  In his shop I thought the Marten speakers powered by EAR electronics sounded better.  But that's getting a bit off topic.  

WCat I’ve never heard Marten speakers but I have heard Verity Parsifal Anniversary speakers driven by both Nagra and EAR electronics.  The Nagra was clean and vibrant and engaging, the EAR was detailed, smoother and more charismatic to my ears.  

@keithr 

Hi Keith, wish I still lived on the west coast, I would have been there. Did you hear enough to make you want to hear more?

Absolutely, despite being a loud event not an audition - although an $85k speaker will never be in the cards for me. I do think the trickle-down tech could be very interesting and wonder what the next Orangutan might be like.