Devore 0/96 - Integrated AMP help

@charles1dad and crandell25, the stock Bottlehead offerings are ok out of the box, but they really benefit from substituting higher end pieces. These custom amps are built by one of their lead designers (a friend) who is sourcing some rare iron, and letting me spec the coupling caps and higher end parts. The amp design is not currently from BH’s product offering, so a bit custom, though the preamp (BeePre2) is available - I just specc’d higher end caps and a buffered output, plus upgraded NOS tubes. PM me if interested and I can connect you with him. I’m usually skeptical of custom builds but I compared 3 of his builds to my Leben and was shocked by the performance. It was interesting to compare identical amps where the transformer and caps were different - really huge differences. My build gives all the SET magic but with more flesh and bass slam, something I don’t think about when talking about 300b SETs usually, but clearly they are capable if built properly. Biggest gripe about the BH builds is they cheap out on the cabinets and switch gear, but all of those are easily remedied with custom parts and wood worker friends.
I do like the Leben. - it really does sound very different swapping out various tubes. And it’s built like an heirloom piece.

If I was buying a name brand 300b, the Airtight would be at the top of my list, along with an AudioNote, and some of the Shindos. I wish Leben would do a 300b integrated - I liked my Woo WA5.

@ghasley, I agree the cables and mix make a difference. I think the Leben can sound very saturated in a good way, and even while the Shindo is less “juicy” to my ears, I enjoy it, but I tend to like a sweeter, richer sound even if not technically neutral or accurate. On my Leben I’m using Acoustic Zen Silver Reference RCA and Satori speaker cables, but would like to test out the A23 cables (the dealer used these when I demoed the Leben and O/96 and it was a wonderful pairing).

@davehg, 
"I’m usually skeptical of custom builds but I compared 3 of his builds to my Leben and was shocked by the performance. It was interesting to compare identical amps where the transformer and caps were different - really huge differences. "

Yep! I've never understood why some people are skeptical of the benefit of upgrading to better quality capacitors,  output transformers (Most definitely) and other vital parts.

Many stock parts are often chosen due  to cost considerations/price point targets and   can be improved upon. Just because a part meets"spec" does not mean it cannot be bettered. Thank you for providing the additional information. No doubt that you are enjoying some beautiful sound quality via your audio system. 
Charles 

Three easy payments,

I have heard the Luxman MQ-88c! Has a rich dark sound lacking in air and lifelike tonality. Never heard the 300b one though. Leben will leave it in the dust!

@kw6   Did you hear the MQ-88uC paired with O/96's specifically?  I own a Leben CS-300xs as well and they both sound good but the Luxman does most things better than the Leben in my room with O/96's - including much more lifelike tonality, air, finesse, and neutrality.  Both very enjoyable!

Not to stray too far off topic but has anyone had the opportunity to compare Devore with Coherent Audio speakers from Canada?

Yes, I have had both O/93s and Coherent Model 10’s in my room at the same time. I prefer the Coherents on sound, and factoring in price it was really no contest (for me).

The Coherents have a wide open, see-through clarity in the midrange, whereas the 93 midrange is slightly more rich. They are livelier and more immediate sounding. They are extremely transparent, and if you want to hear the sound of your amp, these speakers will tell it to you. They are perfect if you want to explore low power amps. 

The Devores can dig a touch deeper in the bass (I’d guess the Coherents go to 38-40 hz) but have a bit too much "back of the hall" presentation for my taste compared to the Coherents.

The 93s can be a bit more forgiving and therefore a bit more amp friendly from a tonal perspective, however the Coherents are a bit more sensitive. Mine are rated at 94db but I would not be afraid to try them with any amp. I was able to fill a room with a half a watt from the LTA MZ2 from a high output DAC (I believe Frank at Coherent also uses the MZ2 in his shop to test speakers).

They are more alike than different but those are the differences I noticed.

I’ve had the Coherents now nearly 3 years. I run them mainly with one of the First Watt SIT amps.