Quick Review - In-Home Test of Devore Gibbon X speakers

Posted by: Bart on 09 October 2018

My local hi fi shop was happy to deliver to me last Friday their demo pair of these Devores.  I own their smaller brother, the Nines.  I love what the Nines bring to sound stage and smooth treble and midrange, but the bass in the lowest octave was wanting for me, and so I've been using a JL Audio subwoofer (which actually integrates into the soundstage very well).

These Gibbon X's sure solve the lack of bass!  I don't 'go by' ratings, but these are rated down to 23 Hz.  And a sensitivity of 91.5 dB. The X's deliver everything I love about the Nines plus bass-I-feel-in-my-gut on tracks that provide it (Lorde Royals is a good one).  They are about 7 inches taller than my Nines, and similarly the Kudos 606's that I want to hear. But they deliver, driven by my 252/250DR.  And where such bass isn't part of the program material, they are perfectly "appropriate."

Will the 606's match them?  707?  I've set a high bar anyway.

I know that Devore is a niche product - he makes rather few speakers in total.  But I live in the right geography for them, as his shop is only 200 or so miles south of me.

Posted on: 09 October 2018 by james n

I rather like the Devore approach - a small range built with passion and great craftsmanship. I'd love a pair of Orangutangs but unfortunately Mrs N doesn't agree.

Posted on: 09 October 2018 by nigelb

Well Mrs James has a point, a pair or Orangutangs could make quite a mess rather dominate the living room.

Edit: Although I guess they could be trained to do some household chores.

Seriously though, I too am interested in Devore.

Bart, I hope you get a chance to compare the Devores to Kudos 606s or 707s. I have heard both (Kudos) with Naim amplification and they are very impressive.

Posted on: 09 October 2018 by Bart
nigelb posted:

 

Bart, I hope you get a chance to compare the Devores to Kudos 606s or 707s. I have heard both (Kudos) with Naim amplification and they are very impressive.

The sole US distributor/dealer of Kudos is outside of Chicago, and that's a fine city to visit with any excuse.  I was going to go solo while my wife is working out of state, but she prefers that we go together.  So that'll be about 5-6 weeks from now.  These Gibbon X set a high bar; I look forward to hearing what the Kudos sound like!

Posted on: 09 October 2018 by MangoMonkey

Maybe ship yoyo speakers to tyler. You'll want to trade them in anyway - and you can do a monkey to kudos comparison...

Too bad I can't make it - other priorities.

I'll get the 606s/707s if you do - since I've also wanted to compare with the devores...

Posted on: 10 October 2018 by Bart

Or he'll ship the Kudos to me for an in-home trial.  If I like them a lot in his shop that'll be the next step.  Just have to wait 'til mid-November when my schedule opens up to travel!

 

Posted on: 10 October 2018 by nigelb

Would be interested to hear more about you comparison between the Gibbons and the Kudos 606s/707s.

Have fun.