DeVore Fidelity | Dayens | Technics | Ned Clayton SUT | Audio Note UK AN-S1 SUT | Sound Tradition HC-903 SUT | JJ Tubes | Denon DL-103 / Groovetickler mod | Ortofon SPU | Aric Audio | Border Patrol | C.E.C. | Pine Tree Audio | Ojas / Jupiter
Photos updated 10/25.
I live in a one-room old schoolhouse in a hill town in Western Massachusetts.
Sort of an unorthodox approach, and I wouldn't call it source-first (everything is important, no? up to and including your room and your ears and your mind). But I would say the amplification part really sets up a lot of fun with hearing the character of sources and especially analog-signal changes. It's a little goofy but I love it, and I dig that the analog-signal chain is big and bold and on top for the eyes.
Comments and suggestions are welcome.
Brands I’d love to check out include Audio by Van Alstein, Soundsmith, Koetsu, Miyajima, Dynavector, Shelter, Tannoy, Omega, Odyssey, Atoll, Audia Flight, Sugden.
Thanks for sharing! That's an interesting perspective for sure. I still love the Super Nines. And the O/96's are just more the kind of speaker for the kind of listening I find myself doing; lounging, putzing about, having sound radiate or envelope. They are also, weirdly, closer in tone to the Sonus Faber Liuto's that I had before my Super Nines, but of course with a dynamism that's all about the life force, so to speak. I'm smitten. I'm all about a presentation that centers around beauty and fullness.
Very interesting. I had super nines for a spell, and could just not get on with them. Found a distinct forwardness around the 600hz area. They were incredibly detailed and threw a massive wall to wall soundstage and the bass was great. They would have been perfect for me but there was a hot bite I could not get past. Tried tube amps, softer class A amps, warm cables, went nuts with room treatments, finally just threw in the towel, and moved on. I would love to hear the O/96 someday. I’m also into rounder, musical, fluid, but super realistic midrange. Congrats again!
@dpac996 Funny you ask! In late 2020, I auditioned both the Super Nines and the O/96. I greatly preferred the Super Nines then for a cleaner, more ‘contemporary’ take, especially on electronic and experimental music. I JUST auditioned and brought home the O/96’s, and what sold me was that my tastes had changed, and a sense of roundness or fullness, which was once a detriment, was now an asset. I played a PITA cut on the O/96’s, and it absolutely ripped. I guess too I get turned on more and more by tonal fullness, upper bass, and dynamic pop, which these speakers really nail. Hope that helps!
That's so funny! I am a born and raised Leominster boy, and still have family there. My folks are buried in Fitchburg (I secretly think of Leominster/Fitchburg as the same town). And then I ended up in Western Mass for over 20 years. We do have similar paths in more than just audio...
@doyle3433 - Aw thanks! Yeah it’s sort of an odd path I’ve chosen - source equipment easily eclipsing amplification in cost - but I continue to be blown away at the sound I’m getting, and really hearing changes in carts, SUTs, and tubes.
Hi David! Sorry no I didn’t see your comment from a few months back! I’m in the Southern Berkshires, a town called Monterey. I grew up in the Fitchburg / Leominster area - folks are still there - and if and when I leave this area, I’m almost certainly going to try Greenfield / Turners Falls. Slow country MA life, but with weirder shows.
I responded to a comment you had made about my system quite a while ago, on my page. But let me post here as well. That is such a warm, welcoming space with the kind of equipment that emphasizes music over machines. Nice job on the layout, and on the priorities!
Hands down you have the most comfortable and inviting room and system I've seen in a while. I really dig the total uncluttered feel. That's got to be an amazing sounding rig!
Donnedonne. I haven’t tried footers yet. I guess I figure Mr. Devore designed them for those cones, so I’ll stick with the cones. I’ve had more fun dialing them in in the room than anything. Even a few inches can change things. I also just prefer the simplicity of what came with the speakers.
Agree with you on the Devore S9s! In my limited space (small NYC apt...) I don't get much soundstage depth, but I primarily value them for their fleshy tone, texture and overall balance. Their "sheer humanity", as Art Dudley wrote about the original Nines. Haven't experimented with the spikes yet, or with putting rugs beneath them (currently no spikes -- on carpet, atop some 25 cent rubber anti-vibration pads from the hardware store). Have you messed around at all with footers?
Raw-looking--love it! And you have it set up w/o a TV looming over everything, one of my pet peeves. No doubt your system sounds fantastic and I dig the aesthetics.
Steveott - Thanks for the comment. These Super Nines are pretty incredible - I highly recommend demoing them if you can. Like everyone says, the soundstaging huge and the imagining is unreal. I can't speak too much about acoustic instrument timbre as I don't play one. The bass response is pretty insane - one of the reasons I chose these over the O/96s was that they sounded more 'contemporary', and this includes some pretty serious bass. Nothing these things don't do well - jazz, classical, folk, experimental, synths, pop are all brilliant. Hope that helps!
Welcome to the concrete block rack fan club. Curious why you have what looks like paper under your turntable feet. I'd strongly recommend you sit it on a level sheet of glass or maple. The speakers too would benefit from standing on paving slabs.
Nicflight - I had a Bifrost multibit that was my first DAC and I thought it sounded great. I wanted to see if I could hear what 'more' sounded like, as in, what could all that "extra" internal stuff do to digital sound? The Gumby is indeed more - mostly more detail. I think if you're coming from the Modi maybe try the Bifrost first. Love Schiit's schit, generally.
