So I made an appointment in the afternoon to go listen to the O96s at a local dealer -- Audio Concepts in Dallas. First of all, a big shout out to them. They were super helpful, courteous and allowed me to listen to as long as I wanted to without any pressure or the typical sales tactics. Excellent experience!
After listening to the speakers for about an hour or so, I have to say that my impressions are very much in line with @aj523 -- great dynamics, good presence, but a little too ’in your face’ for my taste. I also felt that the upper midrange was a bit too pronounced. I was definitely feeling listener fatigue after about 30 mins or so. I also felt that they were lacking a bit in finesse. The bass was there but not as tight or punchy as I thought it would be. I’m very much aware of the fact that it might have been the room, although it was pretty well treated.
I had a brief listen to Sonus Faber Olympica Nova III which the same dealer also carries. Now these babies are very, very impressive. I had heard the previous version of Olympica III about 2-3 years ago at the same dealer, but these are definitely a step up. I felt emotionally connected to the Novas, they just had that little something that was missing in the Devores. More refined and laid back but not in a boring way. I’m now seriously considering the SF Olympica Nova as another option to explore.
After listening to the speakers for about an hour or so, I have to say that my impressions are very much in line with @aj523 -- great dynamics, good presence, but a little too ’in your face’ for my taste. I also felt that the upper midrange was a bit too pronounced. I was definitely feeling listener fatigue after about 30 mins or so. I also felt that they were lacking a bit in finesse. The bass was there but not as tight or punchy as I thought it would be. I’m very much aware of the fact that it might have been the room, although it was pretty well treated.
I had a brief listen to Sonus Faber Olympica Nova III which the same dealer also carries. Now these babies are very, very impressive. I had heard the previous version of Olympica III about 2-3 years ago at the same dealer, but these are definitely a step up. I felt emotionally connected to the Novas, they just had that little something that was missing in the Devores. More refined and laid back but not in a boring way. I’m now seriously considering the SF Olympica Nova as another option to explore.