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Devore Fidelity Orangutan O/96

My neighbor had to move some heavy furniture from one room to another so he asked me for help earlier today. Although, we've been neighbors for almost two years I had never been inside his house up until this afternoon. As I walked through the foyer and into his family room, I saw the speakers hooked up to some McIntosh separates. I have to admit that these were one of the most beautiful speakers I had ever seen. He offered to play some music and of course I was not going to say no. They sounded quite decent, although the sound was not as hefty or lush as I was expecting. Don't know if it was his equipment or room (wood floor, no rug, lots of windows), or maybe the Devore's are not quite going after those big, lush, and slightly warmer sound characteristics.

I'm actually saving up money to buy Harbeth SHL5+, or used 40.1, sometime next year. But boy did the Devore Orangutans caught my attention. And yes I know I shouldn't be basing my decision on looks alone, but if they're comparable to Harbeth in terms of sound quality, I'm definitely interested in exploring.

Just wondering if someone has had a chance to compare them directly to the Harbeth speakers I'm considering. Anyone moved from Harbeth to Devore O/6 or vice versa? This will be a system that I'll be building from scratch so I do have the luxury of building the system around my speakers -- total budget is around $15000. I usually buy used equipment whenever I can.

Please note that I'm not soliciting advice for other speakers at this time. Mostly interested in hearing about real world comparisons between the Devore Fidelity Orangutans and Harbeth SHL5+ or 40.1/2.
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arafiq OP
1,684 posts
 
@big_greg: Thank you for reminding me how great the KEF Ref 1 are. Let me ask you this ... is there anything about the SHL5+ that you miss, any regrets?

I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on SHL5+ but wondering how the might perform in my media room which is 20 W x 25 L x 12 H. The speakers will be placed along the shorter (20W) wall. Do you guys think the speakers, with the possible addition of a sub or two, are enough for this room?
arafiq's avatar
arafiq OP
1,684 posts
 
@bjesien Thank you for the recommendation. I had actually never heard of Verity Audio before this. Went to their website but there's no mention of the price. For now, I'm planning to use Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum II but will be getting another tube integrated down the line -- possibly Line Magnetic or Primaluna.
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jjss49
6,612 posts
 
@arafiq

shl5’s should be fine for that room... just know that no harbeth is a true rock and roll speaker... other makes definitely better suited for very high spl’s super high slam bang music

your room is big but what really matters is your listening triangle and how far you will be from the speakers in your prime listening position

the other option of course is the gigantic monitor 40... it will definitely fill your room, but it has its disadvantages, the main one being its somewhat ridiculous form factor... sound is impeccable though
bjesien
1,314 posts
 
To follow up, the Verity speakers are rather expensive- you can find a used Parsifal Encore for around $6-8k. The new Parsifals are over $20k. 

I'm in the Leben facebook group and the shl5 seems very popular among owners of the CS600 tube integrated. 

My last thought is- speakers that I've always wanted to hear, but there are no dealers anywhere near MA, is the Tannoy Arden and Cheviot- both seem like contenders on the warmish and engaging side.

Best of luck!  
arafiq's avatar
arafiq OP
1,684 posts
 
@jjss49 Thanks, and yes I am quit aware that Harbeth's don't excel at rock and roll, which is absolutely not a requirement for me :)

BTW, I saw a local ad for Proac D48R and figured I should check it out. So I went to his house a few hours ago to see if I'd like them. From what I understand the retail price was $10,900 in 2016, and the buyer is asking for $6200. I don't know if this is a good price for Proac or not. I do like the fact that I don't have to pay for shipping, and the speakers are pretty much in pristine condition.

However, the important point is that the D48R did not bowl me over. Having said that, I don't want to give up on them just yet for various reasons. First of all, the seller's room was far from perfect. The toe-in was a little too extreme, he was driving them with some PS Audio Class D amplification, and the speakers were about 2-3 feet away from the front wall. One of the couches was too close to the right speaker. From what I've heard, these speakers prefer tubes, and can be very picky about upstream components. Now what I did like was the vocals and soundstage. The midrange was not as magical as the Harbeths, but they were also not too 'in your face' like some Focals. I don't want to write them off because of acoustic shortcomings of the room or associated gear. I would love to hear from someone who owns, or has owned, the Proac D48Rs.
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