Devores and Omegas - input please


Thought I would poll the group here... I am reading up on higher sensitvity speakers once again (I have taken many a trip to these grounds over the years, but always deterred by trip’s end due to what I perceived as horn-like or paper cone type distortions and proportionally weak bass), and would like to solicit input from happy owners of better Devore (0/93 or 0/96) and Omega speakers... these are of course known to be with higher sensitivity and higher/benign impedance (and decent 'accuracy'!), thus well matched for sweet lower powered tube amps...

Comments and comparisons would be especially welcome to other well known, well regarded, leading speaker makes known for their natural sound such as Harbeth, ProAc, Vandersteen, etc etc.

Thank you.
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Showing 3 responses by bjesien

Prof The region that caused  fatigue for me was somewhere in the 1-3k I think. I'd be curious to know what happens directly after that "suck out" and if somehow that reintroduction is what caught my ear and made it perceive a hardness or brightness. I experimented with equalization at -3.2 db at 2k and feathered it, with some results, but whatever it was just became an obstacle to connecting with them.

  
 
I've owned Devore speakers since 2009, most recently the O/93. I was hoping it would be my last speaker but for me there was something awry in the upper mids (presence region that prof mentioned above) that led me sell them. I loved this speaker in every other regard, and spent 5 months trying to figure this out. I even tried a different room with no change. 
I know several people that are bothered by this particular frequency and several that can't fathom what I'm talking about, regardless of components or placement. For those that hear it, volumes over around 80db become the threshold to turn the volume down. At first I attributed it to recordings, room, dac, cables, tried to EQ it with no success. Over time and speaking with people in the industry, I came to find that this is one of the only reasons people sell them. IMO these people are obviously the minority of listeners. It wasn't the tweeter, but the upper range of the 10 inch driver, or possible a resonance at that range, as some have stated to me.  
That said, I've never heard a speaker that has so many other strengths. Presence, bass, dynamics, all off the charts. It kind of ridiculous to follow that statement with- I just could enjoy them at anything but low volume levels. If that particular frequency didn't cause fatigue I would be done with my speaker search. I've spent some time with the O/96 but years ago and can't comment.        
  
I experience more wall of sound than spatial 3D image.  They did move lots of air. That’s not easy to find when combined with all the attributes mentioned by Prof.