$9000 speaker Orangutan or speaker + amplifier

Essrand,
I wouldn`t give up the idea of using a SET so quickly. If the Devore is truly 96 db sensitive and has an easy load(said to be 8- 10 ohms) a good 300b or 845 SET amp would be quite a fine match. Just go to the dealer and ask to hear it with an SET amp as Chayro wisely suggested. It seems to me the chances are very good for a successful pairing. Just go and listen.Essrand for an example, my speaker is 94db -14 ohm load(Coincident) and Chayro`s speaker is 92 db -8 ohm load(Trenner-Friedl). Both of these speakers are driven effortlessly and beautifully with our respective SET amps.These are speakers meant to be very easy loads and mate well with SET amps. Give it a try first before you reach any conclusions.
Good Luck,
Charles,

Esstrand,
Food for thought, the Trenner-Friedl Pharaoh compares favorably to the Orangutan in both price and design objectives.

Esstrand,
the Trenner-Friedl Pharaoh I believe is 12,500.00 currently. I heard the T.-Friedl RA Box driven by the Viva Verona at CES a few years ago and it totally outclassed the vast majority of the high power amps driving the typical moderate efficiency(85-88 db)/4 ohm types that were in abundance there.That combination was very impressively natural, involving emotionally, simply realistic.

All SET amps aren`t created equally, get one with excellent transformers and power supply and paired with an appropriate speaker and I think you`d be very happy.

Good and interesting impressions of various speakers. I'd suggest Coincident speakers as another easy to drive and very balanced and honest sounding speaker.Zu seems to be very polarizing brand, there doesn't appear to be a middle ground. There are people who's judgements I respect that say the new Druid V and the Definition IV models are excellent, I've heard neither.

Tonian Labs and Ocellia are two other considerations to mate with lower powered amplifiers. I agree wholeheartedly with Kiddman regarding listening to live acoustic instruments, there's no substitute for hearing the real thing. Live jazz (and also my own trumpet and our piano) are unbeatable templates. There's more full body and warmth of tone with live instruments that many speakers/components tend to thin out and sound artificially lean and colorless. Live is very vibrant with harmonics, tonal and timbral color
Good Luck,
Charles,

Essrand,
The various higher efficiency speakers mentioned so far would all work very well with a SET amp. There may be no looking back.

Essrand,
Congratulations on your Coincident Dragon mono blocks! I believe that they'll keep you very happy and enhance your system for much long term enjoyment.
Charles,