DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/93 loudspeaker

John DeVore names his speakers after primates—apes, to be specific. Something to do with a family member being a zoologist.

John once worked at a hi-fi retailer in lower Manhattan. Now, as president and chief designer of DeVore Fidelity, he manufactures loudspeakers across the bridge, in the former Brooklyn Navy Yard. I talked with John the other day about his new speaker, the Orangutan O/93.

John makes two Orangutans, both floorstanders: the O/96, with a sensitivity specified as 96dB, over which Art Dudley went ape, in the December 2012 issue. Artie has made the O/96 his reference loudspeaker. It goes for $12,000/pair, stands included.

Now there's the new, smaller Orangutan O/93, specified at 93dB. It retails for $8400/pair with a front baffle in fiddleback mahogany veneer (other veneers are available).

Fiddleback?

Like the veneers used on violins and other stringed instruments, John explained. I'd quote him, but my interview tape got tangled in my RadioShack TCR-100 telephone cassette recorder—the same model Linda Tripp used to tape and trip up Monica Lewinsky (footnote 1). Fortunately, I was able to dig up the gist of what John had said.

Both Orangutan models are for those who like little amps but don't like giant speakers; eg, the horns favored by many fans of single-ended-triode (SET) tube amps. But sensitivity is only the half of it, John told me on that tangled tape. High impedance matters just as much. It hovers around 10–12 ohms, DeVore said, or something close to it; nor does it drop below 8 ohms. That makes the speakers very tube-friendly.

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It could also make the speakers more friendly to some smaller solid-state amps. One manufacturer of solid-state electronics told me that when you optimize an amp to drive 8 ohm speakers, it might not do so well into a 4 ohm load. And vice versa. Tube amplifiers typically solve the problem by offering both 8 and 4 ohm taps off the secondary winding of the output transformers. Another approach is to optimize an amplifier into a 5 or 6 ohm load, the idea being that many, if not most, speakers with a nominal impedance of 8 ohms do drop that low at certain frequencies.

Yet another match for the Orangutans—the great ape and his little brother—might be an OTL amplifier from Atma-Sphere (OTL stands for output-transformerless).

During the 1950s and '60s, John DeVore reminded me, there was more variation in speaker impedances. There were 10 and 12 ohm speakers, 15 and 16 ohm speakers.

Making loudspeakers tube-friendly hasn't been on the agenda of most speaker makers since the mid-1960s. Speakers have become increasingly tube-unfriendly. I recall several respectable speaker makers telling me, in the 1980s and '90s, that amplifiers didn't matter very much—just buy the biggest bang for the buck. More watts = more wallop. The mantra of many loudspeaker manufacturers became—and still is—"Power is cheap."

I remember one loudspeaker manufacturer who showed off his new crossover at a press conference at the Consumer Electronics Show. That was the high point of his presentation: a crossover so big, so complex that it sounded its best only when strapped to a monster Mark Levinson or Krell amp. Surveying the situation, the late Paul Klipsch famously said, "What this country needs is a good 5W amplifier."

If you own a good 5W amp, it might drive the larger, more sensitive Orangutan O/96. I'm less sure about 3.5W.

My Sun Audio SV-2A3 tubed amplifier was less than an ideal match for the Orangutan O/93: the beast needed more power for its 10" paper-cone woofer to deliver its promised outstanding bass response—down to 30Hz, according to zookeeper DeVore (and up to 31kHz).

How much power could the DeVores devour? I tried my Unison Research Simply Italy integrated tube amplifier. This well-named amp has just two tubes per channel: a 12AU7 (ECC82) input/driver tube, and an EL34 output tube running in single-ended pentode. Part of why single-ended tube amps sound so good is that most of them use only a single output tube per channel.

Anyway, back to progress.

Speaker crossovers became more complicated. So what if they devoured power? What mattered was a flat frequency response on Julian Hirsch's or Len Feldman's test bench. Speaker manufacturers aped one another: Complex crossovers. Metal-dome tweeters. Metal-cone midranges. As Stephen Mejias likes to say, "Yikes!" I named a new audiophile disease: metal-dome tweeteritis.

The Orangutan O/93 measures 35.5" high by 15" wide by only 10" deep. No stands needed. No spikes, either—just small wooden feet, like a chair. John DeVore likens his speakers to fine furniture. My wife, Marina, loves their appearance. I do, too.

Almost all of my favorite speakers have been two-way, with a single crossover frequency where the bass/midrange driver hands over to the tweeter. The late Henry Kloss (of AR, KLH, Advent) said that it was tough enough to get one crossover point right, never mind two.

Back in the 1960s, many speakers had a 10" or even a 12" woofer. Then manufacturers began to narrow the cabinets and wire in parallel two, three, even four smaller woofers. Speaker cabinets became less squat, more skinny, better suited to nearfield listening. The idea was to spread a wide soundstage by placing the speakers well out into the room. I enjoy nearfield listening when the room permits it, but our living room doesn't. And it's a very good room for sound.

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Both of the O/93's drivers—that 10" paper-cone bass/midrange driver and parts of the 1" soft-dome tweeter—are made by SEAS, of Norway, and customized for DeVore Fidelity. John DeVore describes the tweeter as "gently horn-loaded." He remains cagey about the crossover, and at which frequency the tweeter takes over. He does say that the crossover is "minimal," and that the interior of each cabinet is not overstuffed.

The O/93's fiddleback mahogany veneer covers plywood that comprises "about a dozen layers" of Baltic birch." The veneers of the left and right speakers are mirror images of each another. The sides, back, and top are veneered in maple and finished in high-gloss, piano-black lacquer. They are made from a combination of Baltic birch plywood and MDF.

It's rare to see cabinetry this professional and this beautiful in any loudspeaker, even those selling for ridiculously high prices. I recall the great floorstanding radios of my childhood—the RCA, Philco, and Westinghouse models of the 1930s that were still working into the '40s and '50s.

I asked John about the cabinet, with its wide front and shallow depth. (Drat! I wish that tape hadn't tangled. Here's the gist.)

The wide front baffle is dictated by the 10" woofer, he said.

But doesn't that degrade imaging? Don't you need a narrow baffle to focus?

It's good for projecting sound out into the room, John shot back. It's true—a narrow front baffle can stifle the sound. It's equivalent to a loss of speaker sensitivity.

The speaker is designed to work well in real-world listening rooms, John told me; it needs enough room for the sound to project and the drivers' outputs to blend. John doesn't recommend nearfield listening—which is great for our living room, where I have to listen from 12' away, with the speakers slightly toed in. These speakers are not meant to be pushed back into room corners.

Listening
I used a Musical Fidelity M1CDT CD transport into MF's new V90-DAC. For "serious" streaming, I used my MacBook Air (2013) into the V90-DAC's asynchronous USB input via a Cardas Clear USB cable. For background listening, I used a Bluetooth connection from my laptop or iPhone via the Arcam rBlink Bluetooth receiver's S/PDIF output into the V90-DAC. Either way, I got superlative results.

I love it! Free audio streams, on demand, from BBC Radio 3 and the Boston Symphony Channel, which you can find at Classical New England (WCRB). The BSO archives broadcast concerts going back more than a year. BBC 3 makes concerts available for a week.

I began with my Sun Audio SV-2A3 amplifier and a Purest Sound Systems passive "preamp." The midrange tonality was ravishing, but there wasn't enough bass. And this speaker does do bass. Different 2A3 output tubes might have helped. Maybe the ape's drive-units weren't fully run in. More likely, 3.5W just isn't enough.

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I switched over to my LFD LE IV solid-state integrated and got solider sound. Along the way, I tried the NAD D 3020 integrated and the Croft Phono Integrated, which, respectively, so delighted SM and AD but rattled John Atkinson's cage. Me? I'm being cagey about the Croft, like John DeVore with his secret crossover.

My results with the Unison Research Simply Italy integrated amp were so superb that I didn't try anything else after it. The Simply Italy is rated to deliver "approximately" 12W into 6 ohms. But the O/93 presents an amp with 10 ohms. John DeVore told me not to worry—a dozen watts was more than enough to satisfy the Orangutan's appetite and deliver strong, tight bass. (I preferred the Unison's higher, 5dB feedback setting.) Roll out those kettle drums. Turn up Tchaikovsky.

More than most loudspeakers, the Orangutan O/93s brought me closer to live, especially with concert recordings, and even over the Internet. Other speakers sound, er, too tame in comparison. Not that I'm suggesting that the Orangutans lacked humanity or that they were savage. But they were savage when the music demanded it. Few other speakers, in my experience, are as great at reproducing brass instruments.

The treble was sweet and extended, as you might expect with a soft-dome tweeter from SEAS. The sound wasn't edgy or etched.

In our living room, the O/93s created a deep, wide soundstage with excellent center fill. But, yes, I've heard more soundstage depth and image specificity. Do you worry about these when you attend a concert? I don't. I'm happy when the music blends, when it projects to fills the whole room, not half of it.

I asked John about which amplifiers his customers were using. Mostly low-powered tube jobs, he told me, including some SETs. (He conceded that, yes, 3.5W might not be enough.) Other customers are using solid-state, which reminds me that there are some very fine low-powered solid-state amps out there, some of them running in pure class-A.

I wish I had a Sugden integrated to reach for. Or a Bedini 25/25 power amp. Or one of Nelson Pass's designs. I wish I had my Advent receiver!

Meanwhile, the Orangutan O/93s thrived on tubed amps, and on SETs in particular. I thrived, too. I enjoyed the full weight of orchestral music. I also enjoyed the immediacy of various instruments, especially the brass. This Orangutan wasn't afraid to bite . . . when he should. But I don't mean to suggest that his sound was in any way uncivilized.—Sam Tellig



Footnote 1: Check out this story to bone up on what went down.
COMPANY INFO
DeVore Fidelity
Brooklyn Navy Yard, 63 Flushing Avenue, Unit 259
Brooklyn, NY 11205
(718) 855-9999
ARTICLE CONTENTS

COMMENTS
Bruceov's picture

Why is this just a B rated speaker?

John Atkinson's picture
Bruceov wrote:
Why is this just a B rated speaker?

Our ratings are the results of a poll of the magazine's reviewers and editors. With some products, there is a greater consensus than with others.

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

a.wayne's picture

Any measured data planned John ..... ?

grantray's picture

It's gotten runner-up for speaker of the year a few times, but I've noticed the way speakers are classified in the Recommended list hasn't been consistent, either. I have a pair of O/93s, and they're amazing. I don't think what a magazine classifies them as is a final judgement on quality by any means. Much like good booze, or fine wine, I treat these kinds of classifications more like guidelines, with a heavy dose of salt. I personally like the Devores better than Magicos, not because the O/93 is inherently better, it's just a very different kind of sound. And one that's well suited to my taste.

Bruceov's picture

Why is the KEF LS 50 speaker an A rated component. I know which one I would rather have.

Staxguy's picture

There's something about the ports of the Devore O/93 Loudspeaker that can't help but get me thinking about the Flamenco Box...

http://www.lpmusic.com/products/cajons/lp/americana-ambrosia-maple-wire-cajon

Not that the box is the same, but take a look at the Graham Audio LS5/9 Loudspeaker.

They talk about BBC Engineering, but don't tell me that those BBC Engineers didn't just take a slighly smaller than 18 1⁄2"H × 11 1⁄4"W × 11 1⁄4"D cajon (talk about cajons) and add drivers to make it a 11" x 18" x 10.75" speaker. :)

Speaking of which, I'd really like to know how these loudspeakers handle some Gypsy Jazz? :)

Cabinet wise, of course the reminiscence of the O/93 is Audio Note UK AN/E, which is a Snell design? :)

Of the Devores, I think the Gibbon X is really charming!

Nice to see the O/93 used with tube amplification. An Audio Note Japan Ongaku would likely make a wonderful compliment.

Herb Reichert's picture

is their speciality

volvic's picture

Have only heard their smaller monitors...years ago at shows and rather liked them. I think the cabinetry is awesome, and always nice to see local guy doing well.

grantray's picture

Is this just an online update on the reviews concerning the O/93 from older articles that were ran in 2014 and 2015? Or is there supposed to be something new that I'm not catching?

John Atkinson's picture
grantray wrote:
Is this just an online update on the reviews concerning the O/93 from older articles that were ran in 2014 and 2015?

Yes, this is Sam's original review, which had not previously been reprinted on our website, plus Herb Reichert's more recent comments so that all our coverage can be found in the same place.

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

RH's picture

John Atkinson,

I wonder if the sense of a suck out or discontinuity Herb mentions might come from sitting closer than ideal to the 0/93s?

I noticed in auditioning them (several times) that they really did alter their character when changing listening distance. They really "snapped in to focus" tonally and imaging-wise once I hit about 8 feet from the speaker, which I believe is the minimum distance recommended by Devore. If I sat closer, the balance started getting somewhat mellow, a bit more discontinuous. In moving closer - e.g. 7 feet or closer - even if the speakers were toed in more toward me to try to maintain the high frequency balance, the speakers still didn't have the focus, air and snap they did once I retreated back to 8 feet and beyond.

Having seen the video of Herb's space, it suggests he must sit fairly close to his speakers.

(BTW, like some of your reviewers, I love the sound of the Devore O series. They have a chunky, rich sound that gives more body to voices and instruments than many other slender designs, IMO).

Anon2's picture

I am glad that our reviewers have discovered free streaming. It's not the highest of hi-rez. But there are no monthly fees, logins, and all the rest.

To boot, there are almost 9 years of archived programs to be had here. I only wish that BBC Radio 3 would not require PC users to turn the volume almost up to the max to hear the "Lunchtime Concert."

http://www.rtve.es/radio/radioclasica/

After trying the BSO and BBC Radio 3, try Radio Clasica, Radio Nacional de Espana. There's more on offer each day than a person could listen to in a 24-hour day. The "Grandes Ciclos" program, hosted by Eva Sandoval, is already into its second week of a survey over the life and works of Satie.

pbarach's picture

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2016/05/boyd-irven-devore-dies-at-79/

When I taught fifth grade social studies long ago, DeVore's work was the basis of a unit on baboon society. The kids and I learned to imitate the various baboon calls. Never try them in a crowded theater!

Marcelo Gustavo's picture

The tweeter used in the O/93 appears to be a Morel soft dome and not a SEAS unit.

anomaly7's picture

Damn, that Fiddelback Mahogany is gooood looking.

johnnythunder's picture

eagerly anticipated revelations. I look forward to them like I used to look forward to Manny Farber's film reviews in The New Republic (and other publications) back in the day. I don't think people really appreciate his artistry of turning the sounds of reproduced music and his feelings about the impact of those sounds into expressive evocations as sublime as the music itself.

rschryer's picture

Stop beating around the bush, man! Do you or don't you like Herb's reviews?? :-)

RH's picture

THANK YOU John Atkinson for publishing these measurements!

I've been in interested in the Devore O speakers, especially the 0/93s, and it's helpful to be able to correlate measurements somewhat with my own impressions.

gpdavis2's picture

JA - did you ever get over to Herb's to listen to confirm the suck-out? Inquiring minds and all that.

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