$9000 speaker Orangutan or speaker + amplifier

If you're buying the Devores new, why don't you take advantage of your dealer's expertise? Nobody here owns them, so everyone is basically talking out of their ass. Go to the dealer, try them with a set amp and try them in your home if you need to. Then you'll really know if everything works. When you pay full retail, you should take advantage of the dealer's services. That's a significant part of what you're paying for. I've owned the SHL5 and they are wonderful, so you won't be making a mistake with them either. It's just that if you're buying used, you don't get to hear them before buying. It's a crapshoot at best as to whether they'll work in your room.

As someone who has owned both Harbeths and Coincident speakers, I think a potential buyer has to realize that a speaker designer ususally has absolutely no idea of the room the speaker will be placed in and therefore is faced with tough decisions. Because of the size of my room, I am forced to listen from about 8 feet away, which I really consider pretty nearfield. A speaker like Harbeth works wonderfully in such a situation, while a more "detailed" speaker might tear your head off. I disagree with Kiddman that the Harbeth sound can get old, but that's a matter of taste and use. My friends had the SHL5s in a large room and they didn't work at all. In a boomy room, a brighter speaker with tighter bass might work far better, while Harbeths could become too diffused and soft.

So the upshot is - all this information dispensed may be correct under certain circumstances, depending on the room or whatever. But ultimately, you have to become secure enough in your own taste to make an informed decision without regard for what others think.

IMO, you need to buy something very good and listen to it for a few years until you develop a point of reference. You've listened to every record you own ten times and you know what everything sounds like. Then, you can listen to other speakers and have a solid foundation upon which to determine whether you prefer them to what you have. But it takes time, experimentation and money. But I guarantee you that everyone here who has a system they really love has gone through this process. Good luck.