Countingbackwards makes in important point in that for SSI, the manufacturers are guests in the Coup de Foudre room. That said, I like the Leben amps very much, and think they make a nice system with my speakers.
I'd also like to comment on the similarity between this year's sound and last year's sound. Both years we were in the same room and the only difference in the two systems was the O/96 speakers this year and a pair of gibbon 3XLs last year. I showed the Nines two years ago at SSI, but that was in a different hotel. Both models are rear-ported, paper-coned two-way speakers, one using a 5.5 inch woofer, one using a 10 inch woofer. Doclamb rightly expects a house sound between my designs--keep in mind that I am responsible for everything in a DeVore Fidelity speaker, from the drive units and crossovers to the cabinets and packaging. It's a good example of how much of a speaker's sound is influenced by the designer, rather than the individual components.
That said, the speakers are quite different, and a side-by-side listen would make that clear. The gibbon series designs are better at disappearing into a room, and throw a deep soundstage with well-defined and realistic images. The Orangutan series designs are more punchy, and put a great deal more energy into a room. They have more projection and "snap."
Most importantly, the room was set-up both years by Jonathan Halpern and me, and the system differed only in the speaker model. It's no surprise to me that they had a similar sound. The room and set-up is a very important element of any good system, and both years it reflected our preferences.
For those in the Montreal area, Coup de Foudre has the O/96 speaker on loan for a couple of weeks, so comparisons can be made between models quite easily.
Cheers,
John DeVore
