Well, let me start by saying the Grand Veenas are one of the few hi-end speakers I've had the privilege to spend some time with. As always, I listened to the system which was all Mac tube based gear.
The GVs, to me, did everything right tonally and excelled at all the audiophile qualities of sound. The perfect imaging and soundstage jumped out first. I could virtually locate all the performers and instruments on the sound stage. Voices were simply awesome, male and female. Patricia Barber sounded sweet and life like. Another CD we tried consisted of African music, where the raspiness of the vocals came through with emotion, the sound of hands banging on drums had me convinced there was an African percussionist in the room. We rocked out to some Dire Straits, again I felt the performers were in the room. Excellent rhythm, tonality, dynamics. Totally musical and jaw-droppingly good in the audiophile aspects. Everything I could ever want in a speaker.
Undoubtedly, if my listening room were bigger I would have purchased the GVs by now. As it is, I think they may overpower my room. When I first demo'ed them it was in a large room, the GVs were placed almost in the middle with a good 8 feet to the left and right and another 8 feet between them, and about 10 ft behind them. Lots of breathing room. In my room I would only have 3 feet to the left and right, and about 7 feet between, with almost 4 feet behind. Very different listening rooms.
Enter the Devore Nines, which are supposedly room friendly unlike the GVs and probably won't overpower my room. They are smaller with less amount of drivers, and supposedly they sound great. I have never heard them, but I read that a good system can be built around them using Leben/Shindo gear, which I am planning to purchase regardless of speakers.
