Would be more interested to hear from @metaldetektor . Since he/she did not provide any positive opinion, I would assume they did not like the speakers. If I had to additionally guess from the comments about listening carefully, perhaps because of high frequency and low frequency roll off? Welcome additional thoughts from others as well… Also, am I correct that the speaker stands cannot be leveled? And that the height of the stands was chosen purely for aesthetic reasons? |
what’s jealousy got to do w/it? maybe the guy can’t afford them, (neither can i), but he’d rather have something else he likes the looks of better, even if he could afford them. i happen to think they’re cool looking. but i know a lot of things i’d never want to have in my room, regardless of how they sound, and jealousy has nothing to do w/it. anything made by vivid audio comes to mind. and the b&w nautilus. and i’ve seen some b&o models that are supposed to sound great, but i don't want them in my house! 😉 i’m sure there’s others, but these were the 1st ones that came to mind. i’m certain there’s many who feel the same way about the speaker set up in my room right now. so what? doug s. |
these might be really nice; i dunno, i’ve never heard them. but, it’s hard to imagine there’s not a *lot* of speakers that will sound at least as good for a lot less money, if not quite a bit better, especially at the asking price. but, if you’re into style, and like the style of these, and think they sound good enough, go for it. the way i look it it, style is nice, but i want performance foremost. so, unless i find something truly appalling appearance-wise, i will choose something that i think sounds best, for the money spent. while it’s true that most of what i’ve purchased over the years is used or closeout, all the gear not in the left corner of the below pic, cost about 2/3rds of the retail cost of the base devilles. and that includes the pair of ec aw75dmb amps not in use; and the piega p5 mkii ltd’s, which were recently taken out of the system to set up the horns. (the vmps subs and the marchand x-over were purchased new, a long time ago; i could find nothing used that was a better value.) i’m really enjoying this set-up, but the piega’s are also great as well, even in my large room. the piega’s lean towards accuracy with a bit more of a pinpoint imaging soundstage, while the horn set-up leans toward dynamics, but they both excel at each, imo. ymmv, doug s. |
@metaldetektor very good advice about listening. Dont buy based on hype and carefully understand what your dealer is presenting or where ever you’re auditioning the devilles, or any speaker for that matter. As I mentioned in my impressions in the thread, these speakers give you throw. That said, its so easy to turn up the volume and notice how well and clean they play at high volume at the dealer showroom - surely that’ll bring you a smile but go beyond that and kick the tires more than usual. They are polarizing speakers for every element of our hobby.
@riaa_award_collectors_on_facebook wow, i almost decided on blue too…oh i i just re-read, you got it on the Nenuphar. Thats gotta be neat too…! That Nenuphar in that wood finish is making me drool.
@m-db i think the speakers that were in the apartment were the OMA Minis, not devilles - which to me, is more of an eye-catcher between the two. |
After noticing an unusual pair of speakers on season one, episode 1 of the continuation series of 'Sex In The City,' titled 'Just Like That' in Big's swanky Manhattan apartment. I learned later they were a pair of tube driven Deville's with a turntable source. One of us must be a member of that production staff, nice. As a hack woodworker I was taken by OMA's materials and production methods and delighted to hear of so many glowing opinions of their presentation.
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The story behind a product -- what's the design idea, who built it and where, etc. -- is part of why many people buy a product. Along with the aesthetics. Fleetwood certainly has a compelling story behind it. It certainly has an aesthetic that some people like. I've heard the speakers on a few occasions, with electronics both familiar and unfamiliar. I'll just emphasize that these are definitely speakers to listen to, very carefully, before buying. My impressions did not line up at all with what the reviews say. |
@riaa_award_collectors_on_facebook Would love to see a pic of the Ford Mustang Blue Devilles! |
@riaa_award_collectors_on_facebook that's looking better... just need a grill to cover up that orange and grey driver! |
@grislybutter are you referring to the Cube Audio Nenuphar, the Fleetwood Deville, or both? I find them both unusual, particularly the Nenuphar, as I prefer wood finishes and grills in most cases. I think I could live with the looks of the Fleetwood, but they seem pricey at full retail, especially the newer version @ almost $20K. |
I may be able to demo the Cube Audio soon. Maybe not in their own native enclosure but in one that used to house a fostex driver. Totally different room and gear, and wont be back to back since i have to travel over an ocean to hear it. I’m only ever interested in hearing the Nenuphar/Cube driver is because of the folks who give praise with it paired with a Bakoon. Bakoon with Deville SQ = 😍 |
I just came from a 2 hour audition of these speakers. Speculating without hearing them first means you'll miss out on something really good. The source was an Aqua steamer with the matching DAC. The preamp was a Backert rhythm. Amps were some little class Ds that I didn't really regard (just got a new amp). The sound at low levels was excellent. Piano, vocals, strings all sounded as they should. I found the session very engaging and could have sat there for hours more. My only hesitation is the price and the high price of the stands. I'd be over 20k on these and it's making me pause to decide if I want to go there. |
I see the new interest audiophiles have in horns as a positive thing. I'm sure it will lead a few to experiment with larger fully horn-loaded systems and that's where a horn truly reaches its peak in performance. To me, some of the small entry-level audiophile horns are greatly overpriced but audiophiles generally consider pricing as much as performance and many will not consider lower prices as worthy of investigation.
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Thanks @joeinid ! Definitely something to keep in the back of your mind to grab a quick listen. The Standard has so much of the DNA already, its such a touch, albeit a sweet one in sonic ‘differences’. I say differences because it approaches that ‘P’ word again — Preference. I can see, actually, from experience - “know”, where the sonic signature of the standards actually could apply to a very good number of music genres and/or music types and even be preferred.
I’ll continue to share progress reports.…. |
Congratulations @low325
Now I’m jealous. Love my standard Deville but would love to have the SQ version. Please keep your updates coming. Thank you. |
Thought I’d share some details on this thread…though maybe I should’ve created a new one…?? Anyhoot, I took a leap and went and grabbed the SQ version. Sharing my experience for those who are interested. Deville SQ There have been a couple of reviews done with the SQs already, both on YouTube and Stereophile, but I wanted to share a normal ole bloke’s experience with them. Right off the back this speaker walks the listener down the path of it being closer to a truth speaker. But I wouldn’t call it a truth or neutral speaker. It definitely lends to itself more ‘hifi’ sounding than the standard versions.
Whats different now? Check the site or the videos, all I can say, if you really thought these were conversation starters, then the SQ just steps it up in color tones…so it becomes visually striking and adept. I chose the dyed color and not the roasted option. None of the natural wood finish is exposed where as the standard, you have more of the natural wood options lest the body is black (not worth mentioning the other color options since I owned the standard black). You can argue and say my colorway takes away from the reason to adore the look of natural woods in your home…but it matches my decor more…to each their own, its all personal anyway.
Sonics: (the good parts, eh? ….where everyone gets bent out of shape? :)) Topend The Standard Deville had this noticeable slight rolloff at 16k or a steeper one at 18k - give or take. God bless you if you can hear this, some people think I’m crazy lol! The SQ has more of a flatter response from 16k and beyond. There is information up here folks, and in some ways, can give the illusion to an extended ‘open-ness’ with the sparkle or the airiness of an instrument(s). In music, your brain will process together the topend with the frequencies just below it and you achieve this sense of top end extension and naturalness. I cant get over the fact when folks say they they dont want a detailed speaker - that it translates to a brighter sounding speaker. Well not if those freqs are flat and well controlled. What you’re hearing on brighter sounding speakers are a boost or untamed FR. *face palm* Dont be afraid of the details :)
The upper range sounds more open and airy. It’s difficult to EQ for this characteristic, I speculate (will be doing this a lot) that this translates to the silver wire they are using…I also notice a greater sense of holographic-ness in the sound stage - again, silver wire influencing it…? Maybe not the only factor….
The decay….Ohhhh the decay! - I absolutely adore this sonic characteristic…! One thing that is so memorable are the edges of instruments sound more delicate and softer. They remind me of very good Be drivers but without the distortion at high levels. Without knowing all the change in parts, this also might attribute to the upgraded crossover delivering the upgraded sound quality in this department. I also suspect an adjustment in the crossover points - see speculation below.
The mids and the midrange: (this might get a little technical) Compared to the Standard, I sense a ‘clean up’ in the region from 500hz to 1.6k. My ears are sensitive to the nastiness that can happen around 1k. When this is troubled, then 500hz-800hz can also sound cloudy almost muddy in my opinion. Vocals start to sound too forward and shouty. Second order harmonics can become a tad overwhelming.
If I were to describe the sonic differences through a tangible example, I would explain it as if I were using a PEQ…I’d visualize that the XO points are tuned differently (from the Standard Deville). The difference could be in the HP of the horn and the LP of the woofer. They either adjusted this by using a shallower slope, for example -6db to -12db at both f(0)’s. Or…they adjusted the f(0)’s to play a lesser range…? Lets say for example, the horn would play 2k-20k on the Standard Devilles with a -6db slope on the HP, now the SQ would be at 3.2K-20k. So essentially you have the drivers playing less of the spectrum but at the same time, finding a better coherent balance between the two drivers. The same adjustment would apply to the woofer - affecting its performance cause it does have to not work as hard, so energy is ‘better’ spent on the lower mids from 63hz to 125hz. When this region plays cleaner, your male voices from 400hz-800hz sound GREAT and realistic! (250hz is tamed, no muddiness here). And then your vocals start to open up and sound more isolated, clear and prominent, hearing more lips smack and the tiny breaths in between. But also with the mids playing less of the spectrum, the bass sounds more articulate, denser and are now floating in space between those speakers, more so than ever before…you get to hear the depth and placement of the instruments playing in this region. Hearing a more profound initial bass attack up to 4K and resonating at 100hz is an eye racing experience!
That said, another speculative point, the woofer now plays more in-tune with the solid wood enclosure which is why its noted to have a certain tonal quality? I can attest to the bass notes really sounding lit up in space and not trapped in a box.
I also think there is a pull or cut at around 1k, cause now you have voices and instruments sounding like they extend further back into the stage adding to that creepy but crazy cool holographic-ness. A vocalist still is up close but there is this depth to how far the illusion appears. One would have to be careful cutting too much in this region with a wide Q or else it’ll sound like a huge hole in the reproduction. The SQs do this really beautifully without sacrificing much…
This step up in speaker seems to be playing at ‘friendlier’ frequencies so now you get this (more) obvious sense of ease as you listen to music. And this is what translates into a (more) calming experience but can easily excite you without the annoying eye blink during powerful and dynamic material. Bring it all together and you’re connecting to the music; this takes me beyond foot tapping…I’m air drumming or playing an invisible guitar/violin/piano, to body swaying with performers whom magically appear in the room with an intimate performance. (Dare I say tearing up, goosebumping and singing/acting along? Hey I listen to musicals! Okay I’ll dial the BS meter down a notch - NOT!)
This isnt something new or magical thats happening here. The DIY crowd, folks have been doing this for ages…the quality of the XO makes that much of a difference…subtle enough but so much there to appreciate! And thats where I could say the SQs has that extra pep in its step, notch up the “je ne sais quoi” touch from the standard ones. There is a YT channel that takes in speakers and upgrades the xo and internal treatments. This is exactly what is happening here (with the exception of the solid wood body)…the DIY crowd has been sourcing top parts since the beginning. Those amp and sound guys have been doing speaker builds for quite some time. Ojas also has some kit speakers that are probably worth opening up and playing with the XO. Hmm don’t give me ideas I just bought the SQs!!
So is there anything you dont want in the SQs? Well, thats tricky, I referenced at the beginning, it lends itself to sounding more hifi. It means, more detail, and it might, just might mean more annoying frequencies that bother some folks. Also, when its hifi sounding, maybe your preferred music/genres (say like symphonic) may not sound so immediate. I’ve played my usual genres (just about everything under the sun) through the SQs and to me, it all sounds gorgeous. I did get a little tickle on the higher frequencies I’ll be honest there….! So ymmv.
There is something to say here about what this company is doing and why they are so proud. They have a focus and are on a mission to share a formula on what it takes to reproduce good sound but also deliver in a non-me-too (whimsical) design. They take pride in the materials they use, are passionate in the manufacturing process, and stand tall in the labor and abilities to making a domestic product. The design….? Well thats very subjective, but I like it…its not even just the design but the overall function of the speaker/stand combination. The lack of it being a 100lb + monster makes it so practical to move them into a session for critical listening, and then just as easily tucked away so the missus won’t have a cow. The price? All subjective and relative right? :). The standard version is still crazy good. If I were to speak more nonsense and in fictitious percentages, I would say the SQs are that last 11%-17.5%, (until you get to the next class performer) depending on how resolving your system might be. I’ll say this, maybe I spent ‘enough’ for me to realize I reached my end speaker…a fool and his money? But this is a damn good one for me.
One thing to note - Synergy. I have to mention my 51R is a wonderful match for the Devilles. It never gets in the way of the music no matter how loud I turn it up. It has a fluid, lit up, see-through-the-window characteristic, along with what was mentioned in another (23R) review…when music elements come at the listener and then recoil back into the stage in a very controlled fashion. This creates such an engaging experience. Keeping my Deville SQs, if my 51R ever takes a dump, I would grab the 23R in a heartbeat. Current system details: Deville SQ Bakoon AMP 51R (can’t stress enough how good these amps are…!! YMMV) Dual REL Carbon Special (no longer in use…could be on the chopping block!) Lumin X1 (Nothing too special on cabling at the time of this writing) |
Update to my setup. I now use a Bakoon AMP-51R and with this amp in the chain brought the synergy. At this point, with horns or even to venture to other high efficiency/types of speakers, I have no desire to run any other high power SS, tube or other new-kid-on-the-block amp. Enleum is the new company now so I am excited to see what else is coming from them. In no way affiliated with these any of the brands mentioned in this entire thread. Just found something I like. And to reiterate, these Fleetwood Deville have been delightful to play with in this journey. |
It's been a while since anyone posted in this thread so I thought an update might be in order. I have a pair of Volti Audio Rival SEs paired with a Linear Tube Audio Z40 integrated amp in the main part of my basement that I absolutely love, but I also have a dedicated listening room that I have been upgrading over the last year. The big decision was whether I wanted another "horn-based" based speaker or wanted a contrast from the Voltis. I seriously thought about keeping it more reasonable with a pair of Harbeth 30.2s but when I had the opportunity to buy the demo pair of Devilles from my local dealer I jumped at the opportunity. Long story short, as others have said, they are just a wonderfully engaging speaker. They share some similarities with the Voltis but are very much their own thing. I've been playing around and rotating my integrated amp collection through the system starting with a Naim Supernait 3 (meh), my trusty Manley Stingray (a little too bloated and unfocused) and then my LTA Z40 (fabulous). I'll also try the Gold Note IS-1000 that's upstairs over the weekend. I'm going to borrow some of the other LTA amps to find which one I like best with them and will also try and in-house demo the McGarry SA-1 (with either an LTA or Backert Labs preamp) and maybe the AGD Audion monoblocks (with the same two preamps). I've read what some of you have tried and would love to see any updates on where you are now. I may also try to borrow the :Luxman integrated that was mentioned in this thread. In my room, these speakers like some toe-in. I started with them straight out into the room (my dealer's recommendation) but things lacked focus, especially when I was playing records. A little three inch move on both speakers and everything just became more immediate, visceral and completely immersive. My bottom line is always "is this engaging" and "do I want to just keep listening". So far, yes to both in spades. |
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I am sure the Fleetwoods are wonderful speakers but Huff is really a flip flopper. Reminds me of my 21 year old son falls in love every week with a new girl... @ghasley you summed it up well! Steve Huff is a gear polygamist and tends to fall head over heels in love with what he is currently reviewing |
Steve Huff is a gear polygamist and tends to fall head over heels in love with what he is currently reviewing. No judgement though and besides, his review chronology from somewhat average gear into the entry level to the high end is informative to those on the same journey. Oswald Mills builds some cool gear and its nice that the pricepoint of the Fleetwood is within reach of most audiophiles. Aesthetically?....maybe the Fleetwood’s should be described as "she is smart as heck, loyal, forgiving, will write your term papers to a very high standard, has rich parents, loves football and jello shots and has a great personality". |
I happy you secure. That most important thing in life and why I make such comment above. It seem like some thread everyone must try justify action. Like guy that review speaker write over and over that he not get speaker at discount. I just say be bold say what you like have ball. Maybe I write lately out of little frustration because my wife cancel circus performer party because one of close girlfriend got “it”. I just looking forward to crazy pool party weekend but never happen. |
