Are Devore super 8s a lot better than the 8s?

Pal:
I can't answer to compare the 8 to the Super8, but the Super8s are great - I went from a system with dual subs to just the Super8s, and I feel that the bass is improved, as well as everything else...Bottom line is that I do not think you can go wrong with any DeVore speaker...jdk

I've owned the 8's for a couple of years and have listened to the Super 8's at a dealer. Different rooms and very different amplification so it wasn't a direct comparison. The Super 8's are clearly better, about in proportion to their price difference, but the 8's are so good that I don't have any regrets at all about buying them.

For me it was a cost/benefit decision. I had a pair of used 8's available and the new Super 8's were two and half times the price of the 8's.

Over the three or four years before I got the 8's I'd had four pair of speakers at roughly the same price as the 8's, all from very well-regarded builders. For my ears, the 8's are so much better than any of the other speakers I'd owned that I haven't been motivated to move up. When I do, I'm sure it will be to Devore Super 8's or even to the 9's. As Jondkaufman said, I don't think you can go wrong.

Pal: In my opinion, yes, they are a lot better. I agree with the Sfar’s comment that the Gibbon 8s are far better than any speakers in their price range (that I’ve listen to anyway) and I purchased a pair two years ago. Unfortunately, I still was never was quite satisfied, so this past summer I auditioned the Super 8s, Nines, and the new 3XLs. I found all three to be far superior speakers and well worth the extra money. So if you’re debating both (and you can swing it), I’d recommend holding out for the Super 8s -they are truly special speakers.

Hey oldgrey,

Can you tell me a bit more about what you liked about the Super 8s and the 3xls over the 8s? Did you end up moving up the chain?

Tonal quality up and down the scale. Notes with my Gibbon 8s always seemed a bit lean. I listen to a lot of acoustic jazz and I found that sax and cymbals were a bit brash to my ears. Also, the bass never was quite as present as with the the Super 8s or Nines. Again, I'm not bashing the Gibbons, but I just don't think they stack up to the others.

The 3XLs are amazing little speakers, too -but sound much different than the Nines and the Super 8s. The later have a more "woody" feel like you're listening an acoustic instrument, the 3XL's have a cleaner sound.

I wrestled between all three. Since the 3XL's would've required a sub to help on the low end, it became a horse race between the Super8s and the Nines. In the end, I spoiled myself with the Nines.