Anyone compare Devore and Harbeth speakers?

Caspermao, I heard the MF A5 with Gallos and big, chocolaty Paradigms at my local dealership, and the sound was grainy in the extreme, so I don't think it's the DeVores.

Actually, I was susprised to hear someone say that the DeVores didn't match well with Naim gear, as I've been hearing the opposite. Besides, the un-named dealership in Seattle is widely held to be one of the more conscientious in the country when it comes to getting things matched right, and apparently they went out of their way to match the DeVores with the Naim stuff (all of this is second-hand info, I've never been there myself).

I've heard Super 8s with Naim stuff at that Seattle dealer twice. The first time was with the entry-level stuff and I thought the sound was delightful. The second time was the Big Naim rig playing vinyl and it was really outstanding.

A friend has them set up with Shindo gear and they really shine in his rig too.

The Devore Super 8s were very fast and detailed with an image that was unreal. The driver coherence is unmatched in my opinion - the sound seems to be coming from a single driver. They lacked the body of the Harbeths and sounded lean by comparison. The Super 8s are very fussy about their positioning / angle etc. When they are not positioned correctly they can sound a bit shut in and trebly. When they are positioned correctly they are spectacular. The Super 8s are not for background music unfortunately. When they are on you sit down and listen - you just cant ignore their musical delivery. As a result I found myself glued on my chair for hours each tine listening to the musical experience.

This description exactly reflects my experience with the Devore Super 8 (I know this thread is a bit older, but I thought it may be worth adding my experience anyway). I had the pleasure to have a friend's Super 8 for a week in my Shindo system and loved the evenhanded and balanced nature of the Devores. Coming from single drivers this is one of the few speakers that had a similar coherence as what I am used to with my Abbys. John has indeed achieved something special with his crossovers and drivers here. The Devore's could be easily overlooked in an audition, especially if their placement and toe-in is off. if everything is set right they completely disappear, the bass is textured and extended, and they nicely open up.

We listened to the Super 8s for a few evenings and each time the Super 8 drew us deeper and deeper into the music with their natural, detailed, and balanced presentation.

Restock, the DeVores you heard have been happy in their new home. Only pair of speakers I own now. When I listen to them (which is not much lately) I find myself rather amazed that they're slated for "2nd system" duties. (And this is the 2nd pair I've owned.)

Lately, I've been driving them with 2W Wright 45 monoblocks, and except for the best in dynamics, the pairing stunningly good. Never have I heard bass with more accurate articulation, for one thing.

There must be some serious magic in this crossover. There are only a handful of two-ways in the world, IME, that are absolutely, completely coherent, truly sounding like a point-source, and this is one of them. (The only other speaker I know that does it as well, perhaps even better, is the Audio Note AN/E.)