Devore O/96 vs Stenheim Alumine 2

Big picture, the Stenheims are much easier to place than Devores (I've heard one audiophile joke that "Devore" is a Dutch word meaning "space from walls"...lot of truth in that). 

The Devores have an overt personality (warmth and texture), whereas the Stenheims are more neutral and transparent to recordings and electronics. If consistent warmth/texture is the goal, can definitely achieve that in a system featuring either speaker.

(PM'ed you if you have more questions)

I've heard the Stenheims are easier to place.  Can you plug the ports on the Devores?  Wife likes the look of the Devores over the Stenheims.  

Devore loves space. Mine had two ports and didn’t come with plugs. I’ve auditioned the Stenheim 5 and 2 for a friend - the 2 is bass shy to me. I’d try and step up to the 3 in the line. 

If you really have Devores on the brain, the o/baby is what might work in that room. Easier to place than 96 obviously.

On the Stenheim 2 being bass shy — I hear it as a high-resolution (not one note) and linear bass, there’s no artificial bass bump/boost. You can of course increase bass response by bringing the speaker closer to walls (it likes walls, whereas the devores don’t).

A new room is best idea. If not, Larsen 9s are great on the wall. Audio Notes on the wall near corners. Choose appropriate matching amp after deciding on speakers. Totally agree that any rear ported speaker will need >3ft behind it. Cheers,

Spencer

@sbank The Larsen 9 has a sensitivity of 88db with an impedance of 4ohm. The OP said he was looking for a "highly efficient" speaker. Why would you say the Larsen speakers fit that description?
 

I've tried plugging ports on several speakers over the years and never liked the results, changed the bass to more of a one note sound without the definition when left unpluged. Ported speakers ( in back) usually require to be place at least 2-3 feet from wall. In my experience YMMV

@hilde45 because there's little that will sound excellent close to a wall. It's easy to change amps vs. changing rooms for many. If you're stuck with a room setup, you've got to become more flexible to overcome that.

Saw a nice looking pair of vintage Khorns listed yesterday. Those are highly efficient and made to work on a wall in the corners...another worth consideration.

Cheers,

Spencer

@sbank I agree about wall placement, for sure.

I'm confused. I thought speaker efficiency had to do with the speaker-amp relationship and that while placement affects the acoustical picture, overall, placement is a separate issue.

How about Audio Note speakers? High efficiency and designed for near-wall placement I believe.

@hilde45 You don't sound confused, placement is a separate issue. So:

1)OP says he needs a speaker that will work 6" from the wall. - IMHO, that leaves only a few good choices. This is a more impactful limitation than many choose to admit...often resulting in disappointment(e.g. Devores against a wall looking lovely and sounding a fraction of their potential)

2) Of those few good choices, some are efficient and an easy load and would would work well with low powered tubes, etc. (e.g. Audio Note or Khorns). Others like Larsen would sound great if and only if the OP is willing to pair with a higher powered amp in an effort to overcome issue #1. 

Cheers & goodbye,

Spencer

More info.  My main room will have Wilson Alexia V speaker and would be very transparent to every recording so I was thinking the secondary room would be the opposite?  I was thinking Pass Labs INT-25 for the amp.   Mainly used for TV but it's a very cosy warm room where I want very warm sound with texture.  I understand I wouldn't get the best out of the Devores so close to the wall.  When we move into a larger house they would have more room.  I really like the idea of the Stenheims place anywhere great sound I'm worried they would be closer in sound to the Wilsons.  

Sorry I say mainly used for TV as it's our secondary TV room but for music it would be low volume Jazz, female vocalist and when I find a song I love but sounds terrible on the Wilsons because of the recording I would bring it into this room.  

I assume Audio Note will be the closest to Devores?

I can not comment on the Stenheims but if you like the Devore Orangutan sound you should consider the O/93 in that size room. They are not quite as immediately engaging and propulsive as the O/96's but imho are the more neutral and natural speaker that conveys something closer to the recording. I have three tube amps, an ARC Ref 150SE, and ARC Ref 80S and an Ampsandsound Nautilus which put out 150, 80, and 8 (yes, eight) watts respectively and each sound great with the O/93's. 

Make no mistake (as to my op), if I had a much larger room I would get the O/96's. Screw "neutrality", the O/96's flat out boogie! 

@fsonicsmith so if I plan to move in the next few years should I just go with the O/96 now and as I understand it the bass would be a little strong or muddy?  or get O/93 now and then if I move sell them and get something appropriate for that room?

I'd get the right speaker for the room you have now, not some anticipated room that may never happen and if/when it does, may differ from your expectations. If you want the Devore sound, consider the o/baby for that size room. Smaller rear port. Devores are easy to re-sell -- sell them later, if you do move and it doesn't work in the new space. Bear in mind the long lead time for a new pair.

I had Devores that just didn't work in my 12 x 22 room...knew I would eventually move, but didn't want to listen to "off" sound every day until that time. Carpe diem. Stenheims are everything I want, in my current room. YMMV.

I might wait to see if I can get my hands on some used Wilson Audio Duette Series 2 or maybe they will come out with a series 3!