I got lucky in Vegas.
No, no… not the way you think.
I got lucky with news from John DeVore of DeVore Fidelity.
He’s working on his new flagship Orangutan-series loudspeaker. A lot of time, and effort is being focused on making this a truly worthy stablemate to the king of the DeVore speaker jungle, and DeVore said that while the price most likely will be north of $20,000 USD for the new model, he is not building to a price point. He’s building it to be the best he is capable of, which is testament to his desire to push his speaker-design limits. Those who’ve heard them are familiar with what DeVore’s transducers are capable of when it comes to playback of the flesh-and-bone variety. His Orangutan line are culpable in the art of sonic seduction: Ditto for his Gibbon X, and 3XL, The Nines… the list goes on. Having had my living room graced with a pair of O/96s for a number of months summer before last, I’m intimately familiar with what these waveform translators are capable of.
But let’s skip ahead a bit in this report. It was at RMAF in October that I first got wind DeVore was monkeying around with larger bass drivers, bigger enclosures, and bronze tweeter horns in an effort to push the limits of his O-series designs. I spoke with him about it then, but getting the whole story has proven to take longer than I initially anticipated. Patience has paid off because when I caught up with him at CES in Las Vegas, and asked what he had going on in his Brooklyn Naval Shipyard production studio/factory, I was rewarded with confirmation that he was indeed hunkered-down with a new tweeter, mid/bass Alnico-magnet prototype drivers, and research into a number of new enclosure materials, and shapes for a sibling to the O/96. He said he’d always envisioned the Orangutan series as a three-speaker lineup. The O/93s followed the 96s in short order as the entry-level model, but it’s taken longer to refine, and expand on the design of the 96 to the point where DeVore is ready to announce another incarnation.
While he’s still hesitant about a firm launch date for a prototype version, have no doubt that this is happening. It could be late 2017, or early 2018 but the O/96 will find itself a middle child at last, sandwiched between the O/93, and its yet unnamed big brother. Watch the video at the drop for the full story.
I apologize for the poor quality of the video, my camera was suffering technical issues that day. Thanks again to John DeVore for his patience in making this happen.
–Rafe Arnott
Hey, I recognize the floor where that top photo was shot! It weren’t Vegas! Hi, Rafe! 😉
“He’s going the wrong way. He needs a $2000+ speaker so I can get in.”
That’s what I was thinking. The whole industry is going this way however – something about the market. Only a few are creatively bucking this trend (such as Andrew Jones, etc.)….
I’m gonna need a bigger penny jar. DeVore continues to nail it, for me. Maybe one day.
The DeVore 3XL is an absolutely outstanding stand-mount, and retails for $3,600 USD including stands… all DeVore Fidelity loudspeakers are designed, and built in Brooklyn, NY, USA. There’s a bit of a premium to keeping well-paying, specialized jobs in the States.
Thanks for the update, Rafe. I wasn’t aware of the 3XL. You never hear, er read about em. It’s all about the orangutan’s, baby. I was thinking more along the lines of $3600 floor standers. Me? I don’t get stand-mount speakers.
Are you able to demo a pair of DeVore 3XL? They may help you “get” stand-mount loudspeakers. Much of the signature effortlessness, organic, and emotionally-engaging sound of the 3XL’s bigger brethren is imbued in this smaller package.
Great news! I will be lining up for the first available pair.
He’s going the wrong way. He needs a $2000+ speaker so I can get in.