I heard that Air Tight with DeVore 0/96s in a closed session at the Warsaw Audio Show a couple of years ago. That was something I will never forget and I hope to be able to afford that setup one day.
I myself possess a German made Amp from Octave v70 with a pair of merlins mxe. I find the combination superb, but I'll like to hear some comments. Thank you for your response in advance. 🎶🎼🎵
That was quite interesting to see all the amps you use in developing. From megawatt to single digit watt. Great video. I was so please as well to see my old Solen/Ensemble B50 Tiger that I sold you back in the early 2000's. That amp was one of my all time favorites and made great music with my Vandy 2CI's and Alon Model 1's for over 10 years in my system. I regret selling that but I am happy it's found a place in your amp museum. I'm hoping to get a pair of O/93s sometime in the near future which makes this a small world.
Wow John, what an amazing collection of amplifiers that you have collected. I too would have a few more amplifiers if my wife could could cope with it and if I had deeper pockets. I am however very happy with the sound of the amplifiers that I do have.. I’m saving up for a pair of 0/96 speakers and also a Denafrips DAC for the digital side of my main system. I very much enjoy watching your UA-cam videos, so thanks for making them.
All beautiful amplifiers, John. Thanks for showing some of your collection. I’m glad to see one of them is a Parasound, as I’m going to be picking up an A23+ soon. I really dig John Curl’s designs. Like the Billy beer between the monoblocks, btw!
I'm with you on the A21 - I have one as my main amp and it's a great all-rounder - very nicely controlled and pretty transparent. Pre is the Moon 390 with the Martin Logan CLS11A's and REL Storm sub. I love that amp - it's been a joy to live with. I've also got a pair of Lumley Reference M120 tube monoblocks which are also 4x 6550's per channel but they have been pretty flakey during the years that I've owned them but do sound nice. The plate voltage is slightly over the design limits for the 6550's so a long-term project is to replace them with KT90's.
Thanks for this video. I think I'm sold on the Devore Fidelity Orangutan 0/96 - Airtight ATM 300B combo. I would love to see a similar video like this, but about your favorite preamps.
Interesting. I also mess around with loudspeakers and have a 300b, 211 SET, and a 300 wpc McCormack dna 2.0…..and today- bought a mint pass aleph 3! Had the Aleph back in 1997 sold it for my 211 SET so it will be nice to welcome back into the fold. My 300 b amp is the Fi X3 which is a stunning example of industrial design along with the aleph 3.
@@TipoF129B bro im out here making my own stuff cuz I can't afford anything plus I live in a 3rd world country you got any gear you can sell for a reasonable price , I actually sell speakers here for ht mostly but I have 2 channel ones as well but shipping would be too much , im out here in India , anyways im looking for a streamer and pre amp together or if not just a streamer and dac everything else I can build myself
Some terrific amps! Have you had the chance to have any more recent pass labs amp in monkeyhouse? Like any of the first watt models: j2, f6, f7 aleph j, sit models, or the newer xa25 (also recently have a integrated version since you like integrateds). Thanks for the tour!
Great video! I see a Music Reference RM-10 on the shelf towards the end as well... not part of your normal rotation? I bet it would sound brilliant with your high sensitivity speakers. I have the later mk II version and will never part with it.
Hi, John. I am looking to buy my first ever speaker in my life. I audiotioned tons of speakers so far and have decided on either 96 or 93 from my local dealer. If I decide to go for the 93, would 8watt 300b monoblock amp(which I already bought on a whim) be enough for the 93 for a medium to large size room?
Does the Airtight have any problem in powering the O/96's? I absolutely love Airtight, but that one is definitely low powered. Thanks, John. Your videos and, of course, your speakers are wonderful!
hello, i am a lowly stereo tube amp builder and seller. i specialize in the low powered, low dollar se console ironed type amps. i source darn near everything online. i abide by the minimalist philosophy of building, less is more in dealing with tube amps. meaning the simpler the circuit, the more "pure" the sound is. i like many a console amp. zenith is great, imo the best of the affordable american console amps. anything european is fabulous, which can be found for very little money. i build all my own cables, ac cords, etc. ive found anything ive made generally sounds better than anything that can be bought. the hi end audio market is such a scam, it really dosent take expensive stuff to sound great. all my console type amps are right around 400$. i cant bring myself to sell a name. i sell it for what it is. i hope to maybe of gained a correspondent and a friend. thanks Nick B.
Hi John, can we have the Stax SR-Gamma headphone as the next video in this series? I saw it on Jana's Orangutan Reference video a couple years ago. Do you use them regularly? Thank you..
I'd be curious to know what integrated amplifiers would be suggested to pair with the o/96. I love airtight products but they don't make an integrated at the moment. I've looked at the NAT HPS integrated, Modwright KWH225i, circle labs a200, and the octave v70 but not really sure what would pair best
Have a Luxman 509x on order. My dealer also introduced me to DeVore. I love the sound of the O96. Spectacular though I haven’t heard them paired with a class A/B like the 509x. Would you say the Gibbon Super Nine or the O96 is a better pairing for the Luxman?
Thanks so much for sharing a review of your power amps. I am in the market for a new power amp so this is very current for me. I have moved to a bigger room and my current amp is running out of grunt to drive bigger speakers in my room .Could I ask what are the dimensions of your listening room?
Yeeeees Air Tight 300B SE - gourgous amp, and absolutely awesome one of its kind build quality. Air Tight and Shindo are the Japanese amps to own. I think a 845SE is an amp every loudspeaker developer must own, if a speaker does not work with an 845 then there is something fundamentally wrong in the speaker design. If you care about transistor amps and you have the chance then listen to the Cello Encore (the smallest 50 Watts) developed by the real Mark Levinson (not the brand) and the 2nd hot tip if you ever have the chance to hear a FM Acoustic (Swiss former studio developer) FM300A is a 90s power amp somewhere in the 50 Watts area too. They are so good you'll bend your knee. ;-) Oh an both sound more like a tube amp than many modern KT88PP and EL34PP designs ;-)
how do those Komoro amplifiers compare with Uesugi amps like the BROS 30 or a pair of BROS 21s. I personally use a pair of Kenwood L-07m mono blocks and they sound great.
The Komuro is among the very best amps I've ever heard. I haven't much experience with the Uesugi designs, but they are quite different for Komuro's designs.
@@DeVOREFIDELITY My dad had one he got from his parents to commemorate getting his pilots license back in the day, before he had his drivers license in fact!
Hold on a second, I looked up the prices of your picks and ended up in disbelief. The cost is ridiculous for the average audiophile. Are there build it yourself kits to save thousands? I designed and build my own microphones. The quality is up there with Neumann high end quality.
Has anyone or John heard the O/96 or O/93 with a Jadis JA30 MKII? i'd love an Airtight-300R, but would love to save $7500 if the difference is negligible.
I don't know anyone who's heard it. Simply based on the tech--I'd guess they sound quite different. The Air Tight, SET 300B vs KT150 push-pull is a fairly big difference. Not to say the Jadis isn't excellent--it likely is, just not necessarily comparable.
I have heard the JA30 MkII's with the O/96 and it is a great match once the Jadis Output transformers are reconfigured for 16 ohm from their factory 8 ohm settings. Must be done internally per Jadis instructions!
I wish I could find someone to tell me. Buy this amp and speakers using a Dac, turn table or play my reel to reel. Whats a all around setup. Not looking to sell a kidney 😕
That Kimoro amp is to die for. Both of em
I heard that Air Tight with DeVore 0/96s in a closed session at the Warsaw Audio Show a couple of years ago. That was something I will never forget and I hope to be able to afford that setup one day.
I myself possess a German made Amp from Octave v70 with a pair of merlins mxe. I find the combination superb, but I'll like to hear some comments. Thank you for your response in advance. 🎶🎼🎵
I could seriously watch every single video and just keep learning and appreciating John's sensible approach to audio. Such a refreshing approach.
That was quite interesting to see all the amps you use in developing. From megawatt to single digit watt. Great video. I was so please as well to see my old Solen/Ensemble B50 Tiger that I sold you back in the early 2000's. That amp was one of my all time favorites and made great music with my Vandy 2CI's and Alon Model 1's for over 10 years in my system. I regret selling that but I am happy it's found a place in your amp museum. I'm hoping to get a pair of O/93s sometime in the near future which makes this a small world.
Wow--hello Tom! Great to hear from you!
Wow John, what an amazing collection of amplifiers that you have collected. I too would have a few more amplifiers if my wife could could cope with it and if I had deeper pockets. I am however very happy with the sound of the amplifiers that I do have.. I’m saving up for a pair of 0/96 speakers and also a Denafrips DAC for the digital side of my main system.
I very much enjoy watching your UA-cam videos, so thanks for making them.
All beautiful amplifiers, John. Thanks for showing some of your collection. I’m glad to see one of them is a Parasound, as I’m going to be picking up an A23+ soon. I really dig John Curl’s designs. Like the Billy beer between the monoblocks, btw!
Thank you for sharing this. I've always loved the Pass Labs Aleph series. I regret passing up on buying it years ago. one day I'll get one.
I'm with you on the A21 - I have one as my main amp and it's a great all-rounder - very nicely controlled and pretty transparent. Pre is the Moon 390 with the Martin Logan CLS11A's and REL Storm sub. I love that amp - it's been a joy to live with. I've also got a pair of Lumley Reference M120 tube monoblocks which are also 4x 6550's per channel but they have been pretty flakey during the years that I've owned them but do sound nice. The plate voltage is slightly over the design limits for the 6550's so a long-term project is to replace them with KT90's.
Simply stunning collection.........., as are your speakers.
You are so lucky to have such fantastic choice for amps. Love horn speaker
Thanks for this video. I think I'm sold on the Devore Fidelity Orangutan 0/96 - Airtight ATM 300B combo. I would love to see a similar video like this, but about your favorite preamps.
I have the Airtight amp, love it!
Still have it? Does it eat tubes?
@@chiefchunky-muffin4708 yes, I use it daily. Still on my original set of tubes.
Interesting. I also mess around with loudspeakers and have a 300b, 211 SET, and a 300 wpc McCormack dna 2.0…..and today- bought a mint pass aleph 3! Had the Aleph back in 1997 sold it for my 211 SET so it will be nice to welcome back into the fold. My 300 b amp is the Fi X3 which is a stunning example of industrial design along with the aleph 3.
Lucky sob 😭
And I forgot to mention my pass xa25! Since I posted my original comment I sold the McCormack.
@@TipoF129B bro im out here making my own stuff cuz I can't afford anything plus I live in a 3rd world country you got any gear you can sell for a reasonable price , I actually sell speakers here for ht mostly but I have 2 channel ones as well but shipping would be too much , im out here in India , anyways im looking for a streamer and pre amp together or if not just a streamer and dac everything else I can build myself
What a great collection.
Another great video!
Wow! Thanks, JD, that was great. The Air TIght is off the charts gut that Komuro... damn. I'm guessing you run the EMT pre as a reference? I would!
I do!
Some terrific amps! Have you had the chance to have any more recent pass labs amp in monkeyhouse? Like any of the first watt models: j2, f6, f7 aleph j, sit models, or the newer xa25 (also recently have a integrated version since you like integrateds). Thanks for the tour!
Love the Omega Flightmaster!
Favorite combination I've heard was the Leben CS300XS with the O/96. Pure velvet.
Wonderful stuff John, really stunning. Thank you so much for sharing, great video.
Great video! I see a Music Reference RM-10 on the shelf towards the end as well... not part of your normal rotation? I bet it would sound brilliant with your high sensitivity speakers. I have the later mk II version and will never part with it.
Great stuff John.
What 300b's are you running in the Air tight?
OMG, is that an Omega Flightmaster I see on your wrist?
You lucky dog; I had one in the '70s, until it was stolen!
Yes it is, I love it--funky yet sort of beautiful.
Hi, John. I am looking to buy my first ever speaker in my life. I audiotioned tons of speakers so far and have decided on either 96 or 93 from my local dealer. If I decide to go for the 93, would 8watt 300b monoblock amp(which I already bought on a whim) be enough for the 93 for a medium to large size room?
For a larger room the O/96 is a much safer bet with a single 300B
Does the Airtight have any problem in powering the O/96's? I absolutely love Airtight, but that one is definitely low powered. Thanks, John. Your videos and, of course, your speakers are wonderful!
The Air Tight 300B amp is magical on the O/96
@@DeVOREFIDELITY Thanks John!
thank you
hello, i am a lowly stereo tube amp builder and seller. i specialize in the low powered, low dollar se console ironed type amps. i source darn near everything online. i abide by the minimalist philosophy of building, less is more in dealing with tube amps. meaning the simpler the circuit, the more "pure" the sound is. i like many a console amp. zenith is great, imo the best of the affordable american console amps. anything european is fabulous, which can be found for very little money. i build all my own cables, ac cords, etc. ive found anything ive made generally sounds better than anything that can be bought. the hi end audio market is such a scam, it really dosent take expensive stuff to sound great. all my console type amps are right around 400$. i cant bring myself to sell a name. i sell it for what it is. i hope to maybe of gained a correspondent and a friend. thanks Nick B.
Your info. Im ready to purchase
I'm surprised you don't have one of this three Onkyo,. HK or NAD integrated amp.
Hi John and everyone watching this video! Is Airtight one of the best 300b amps?
I love your cat!
Me too!
Hi John, can we have the Stax SR-Gamma headphone as the next video in this series?
I saw it on Jana's Orangutan Reference video a couple years ago. Do you use them regularly?
Thank you..
I'd be curious to know what integrated amplifiers would be suggested to pair with the o/96. I love airtight products but they don't make an integrated at the moment. I've looked at the NAT HPS integrated, Modwright KWH225i, circle labs a200, and the octave v70 but not really sure what would pair best
Have a Luxman 509x on order. My dealer also introduced me to DeVore. I love the sound of the O96. Spectacular though I haven’t heard them paired with a class A/B like the 509x. Would you say the Gibbon Super Nine or the O96 is a better pairing for the Luxman?
That amp will drive either beautifully.
Sounds to me that Halo A21 is your favorite.
Why do you like the Sansui AU9500 John? Just curious as there’s one for sale locally
Just pick and firstwatt or pass labs design and get a nice tube amp and you are set for life.
Thanks so much for sharing a review of your power amps. I am in the market for a new power amp so this is very current for me. I have moved to a bigger room and my current amp is running out of grunt to drive bigger speakers in my room .Could I ask what are the dimensions of your listening room?
Approx 14.5 W x 24 L x 10 H in feet.
Great. Can I come by BNY for a listen sometime?
Yeeeees Air Tight 300B SE - gourgous amp, and absolutely awesome one of its kind build quality. Air Tight and Shindo are the Japanese amps to own. I think a 845SE is an amp every loudspeaker developer must own, if a speaker does not work with an 845 then there is something fundamentally wrong in the speaker design.
If you care about transistor amps and you have the chance then listen to the Cello Encore (the smallest 50 Watts) developed by the real Mark Levinson (not the brand) and the 2nd hot tip if you ever have the chance to hear a FM Acoustic (Swiss former studio developer) FM300A is a 90s power amp somewhere in the 50 Watts area too. They are so good you'll bend your knee. ;-) Oh an both sound more like a tube amp than many modern KT88PP and EL34PP designs ;-)
I find it weird the ATM-2 with KT88’s is only 12 watts?
well i can say i have one of the same pieces in my shelf also! the BILLY Beer can ! un opened lol
Ha! Very cool!
No class D amps, if only for testing?
I do have a pair of Hypex NCORE monos I use occasionally.
how do those Komoro amplifiers compare with Uesugi amps like the BROS 30 or a pair of BROS 21s.
I personally use a pair of Kenwood L-07m mono blocks and they sound great.
I had a pair of L-O7Ms for years, I loved those shoeboxes!
The Komuro is among the very best amps I've ever heard. I haven't much experience with the Uesugi designs, but they are quite different for Komuro's designs.
Nice Omega Flightmaster too :)
It’s one of my favorites.
@@DeVOREFIDELITY My dad had one he got from his parents to commemorate getting his pilots license back in the day, before he had his drivers license in fact!
Hold on a second, I looked up the prices of your picks and ended up in disbelief. The cost is ridiculous for the average audiophile. Are there build it yourself kits to save thousands? I designed and build my own microphones. The quality is up there with Neumann high end quality.
Has anyone or John heard the O/96 or O/93 with a Jadis JA30 MKII? i'd love an Airtight-300R, but would love to save $7500 if the difference is negligible.
I don't know anyone who's heard it. Simply based on the tech--I'd guess they sound quite different. The Air Tight, SET 300B vs KT150 push-pull is a fairly big difference. Not to say the Jadis isn't excellent--it likely is, just not necessarily comparable.
@@DeVOREFIDELITY thank you for the quick response! hopefully i can audition one sometime soon.
I have heard the JA30 MkII's with the O/96 and it is a great match once the Jadis Output transformers are reconfigured for 16 ohm from their factory 8 ohm settings. Must be done internally per Jadis instructions!
HAHA and you got a BILLY Beer... you rule
What does one drive with 15 watts?
I wish I could find someone to tell me. Buy this amp and speakers using a Dac, turn table or play my reel to reel. Whats a all around setup. Not looking to sell a kidney 😕
A little advice for my first home build, Amps, pre amps for a family room slash Ham Radio room? Thanks in advance
Family rooms need ATMOS, they never need these old people gear.
Guess you need a hobby room for yourself, you love the weirdo gear, they?
No Shindo anymore?
I used to have a Shindo preamp in the system, but not for years. Never owned a Shindo amp.
Perfect pitch audio is the one that always pairs Devore with Shindo