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DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/96 Loudspeakers at Vinyl Sound Toronto Canada

The Orangutan O/96 is a two-way reflex-loaded loudspeaker from DeVore Fidelity (Brooklyn, New York, USA), available at Vinyl Sound in Toronto, Canada. Introduced in 2011 and one of the most critically celebrated speakers in high-end audio, the O/96 was designed by John DeVore specifically for low-powered tube amplifiers while remaining equally rewarding with solid-state and switching-mode amplification. A 10-inch paper-cone woofer with a phase plug, powered by a motor adapted from the Silverback Reference, pairs with a 1-inch silk dome tweeter gently horn-loaded by a double-magnet motor system, all in a wide-baffle cabinet that ships complete with integrated solid-hardwood stands and grills. With a 96 dB/W/m sensitivity and a stable 10-ohm impedance, the O/96 has earned a Stereophile Class A Recommended Component designation, the Stereophile Loudspeaker of the Year 2017, and sustained critical acclaim from Stereophile, HiFi News, Part-Time Audiophile, Image HiFi, Audiophilia, and Dagogo across more than a decade of continuous production.

Designed for Low-Power Tube Amplifiers, Welcoming to All

The O/96 was conceived from the outset around the requirements of low-power single-ended triode amplification. A 96 dB/W/m sensitivity means a single watt produces concert-capable volume levels in a typical listening room, while the 10-ohm nominal impedance presents a stable, resistive load that is among the most benign of any loudspeaker in this class. John DeVore adapted the woofer motor from the technology developed for the Silverback Reference, DeVore Fidelity's previous cost-no-object flagship, giving the O/96's 10-inch paper-cone woofer a lineage that reaches back to the very top of the company's design history. The 1-inch silk dome tweeter uses a powerful double-magnet motor system and is gently horn-loaded, a geometry that raises sensitivity, reduces distortion at the crossover point, and controls dispersion for more stable off-axis imaging. The O/96 has been used as a long-term reference speaker by reviewers at Twittering Machines, where it served as the benchmark against which more than 25 amplifiers were evaluated over a two-year period.

Cabinet Design: Wide Baffle, Birch Plywood, and Proprietary Crossover

The O/96's cabinet is built around a front baffle of birch plywood, with the remainder of the enclosure using two types of MDF selected by John DeVore for their individual acoustic properties. The wide-baffle geometry reinforces the horn loading of the tweeter and contributes to the speaker's characteristic sense of scale and spatial openness. The crossover network is based on DeVore's proprietary Gibbon circuit, developed over years of refinement and using Cardas copper binding posts at the input terminals. The bass-reflex enclosure uses two rear ports. The entire assembly ships integrated onto purpose-built solid-hardwood stands that bring the tweeter to ear height at a standard listening position, and magnetic grills are included with each pair. The finish is available in Lace Walnut as standard, with custom veneer options available to order.

Key Features

• Silverback Reference-Derived Woofer Motor: The 10-inch paper-cone woofer is powered by a motor adapted from the technology developed for DeVore Fidelity's previous reference flagship, the Silverback Reference, bringing cost-no-object motor lineage to the O/96's woofer design.
• Horn-Loaded Double-Magnet Tweeter: The 1-inch silk dome tweeter uses a double-magnet motor and gentle horn loading to raise sensitivity, reduce distortion, and control dispersion, contributing to the O/96's noted stability of imaging across a wide listening area.
• 96 dB/W/m Sensitivity: One of the highest sensitivity ratings of any full-range floorstanding loudspeaker, enabling the O/96 to reach realistic volumes with amplifiers producing as little as two to three watts of output power.
• 10-Ohm Nominal Impedance: Significantly higher than the industry norm of 4-8 ohms, the 10-ohm impedance is a stable, resistive load that is among the easiest in the category for output transformers in tube amplifiers to drive without compromise.
• Proprietary Gibbon Circuit Crossover: The internal crossover network is built on DeVore Fidelity's proprietary Gibbon circuit topology with Cardas copper binding posts, an in-house design assembled and burned in at the Brooklyn Navy Yard workshop.
• Birch Plywood Front Baffle: A structural birch plywood baffle is used for the front panel, with different grades of MDF selected by John DeVore for the remaining panels, each chosen for acoustic performance in its specific location within the enclosure.
• Integrated Solid-Hardwood Stands Included: Each pair ships with dedicated solid-hardwood stands that position the drivers at the correct listening height and are considered part of the speaker's acoustic system, not an optional accessory.
• Grills Included: Magnetic grills are included with each pair.
• Stereophile Class A Recommended Component: Upgraded from Class B to Class A by Stereophile in April 2015 and maintained in that category across multiple annual editions of the magazine's Recommended Components list.
• Stereophile Loudspeaker of the Year 2017: Named Loudspeaker of the Year by Stereophile magazine in 2017.
• Handbuilt in Brooklyn, New York: Every O/96 is assembled, veneered, and burned in by hand at the DeVore Fidelity workshop at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, New York, USA.

Technical Specifications

Awards and Critical Recognition

• Stereophile Class A Recommended Component, upgraded April 2015, maintained across multiple annual editions
• Stereophile Loudspeaker of the Year 2017
• AudioKey Reviews Diamond Award, Best of the Year Award, and Editor's Choice Award

Press

• Art Dudley, Stereophile Magazine: "Colorful yet uncolored, the DeVore Orangutan O/96 is the loudspeaker many of us have been waiting for. The O/96 is here to stay, as both a commercial product and as a well-loved part of my playback system."
• Paul Miller, HiFi News: "The O/96s truly exhibit transparency. Their touch is so light that the faintest of notes and sounds seem to slip unhindered into the room."
• Rafe Arnott, Part-Time Audiophile: "A transparency to source that will challenge the preconceptions of many listeners, timbral accuracy that often left me shaking my head at its realism, and astoundingly deep, powerful bass."
• Uwe Kirsch, Image HiFi Magazine (Germany): "Making this connection between wild and strong and infinitely delicate and sensitive is so outstandingly successful in the O/96, I would like to award a well-deserved imperial scepter, crown and rule over the high-end landscape."
• Jack Roberts, Dagogo Magazine: "If you listen in the dark or with your eyes closed, with the right recordings you may think and feel the music is coming from musicians and not speakers."
• Anthony Kershaw, Audiophilia Magazine: "My sound was replicated to perfection. Most speakers add something, but the DeVores left me alone. Very impressive."

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/96?

The DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/96 is a two-way reflex-loaded floorstanding loudspeaker, handbuilt in Brooklyn, New York, and the most critically acclaimed model in the Orangutan Series. It uses a 10-inch paper-cone woofer with a Silverback Reference-derived motor and a horn-loaded 1-inch silk dome tweeter with a double-magnet motor system, delivering a 96 dB/W/m sensitivity, a 10-ohm impedance, and a 26Hz to 25kHz frequency response. The O/96 ships with integrated solid-hardwood stands and grills and has earned a Stereophile Class A Recommended Component designation and the Stereophile Loudspeaker of the Year 2017 award.

How does the O/96 compare to the Harbeth SHL5 Plus or the Klipsch Heresy IV?

The DeVore Fidelity O/96, the Harbeth SHL5 Plus, and the Klipsch Heresy IV are all high-sensitivity, musically expressive loudspeakers popular with tube amplifier users, but they differ substantially in design and character. The Harbeth SHL5 Plus uses a Radial2 polymer mid-bass driver and requires stands sold separately; it measures around 86 dB in sensitivity, making it far less efficient than the O/96. The Klipsch Heresy IV uses a tractrix horn midrange and compression driver tweeter in a smaller sealed cabinet, offering 99 dB sensitivity but a different tonal character rooted in Klipsch's horn-loading tradition. The O/96 sits between these two in sensitivity at 96 dB/W/m, combining a larger paper-cone woofer and gentle tweeter horn loading with a 10-ohm impedance that is uniquely friendly to output-transformer-based tube amplifiers.

Can the O/96 be driven by a very low-power single-ended triode amplifier?

Yes, the O/96 was specifically designed for this purpose. Its 96 dB/W/m sensitivity and 10-ohm nominal impedance make it one of the most tube-friendly loudspeakers of its size and bandwidth available anywhere. Amplifiers using 300B, 2A3, 45, and 421A output tubes producing as little as two to four watts have been paired with the O/96 to excellent effect in published reviews, including by Art Dudley in Stereophile. The speaker also accepts moderate and high-powered solid-state and tube push-pull amplifiers without compromise, and Twittering Machines reviewer Michael Lavorgna used the O/96 as his reference for evaluating amplifiers ranging from a few watts to over 400 watts of output power.

What is the Silverback Reference motor, and why does it matter in the O/96?

The Silverback Reference was DeVore Fidelity's previous cost-no-object flagship loudspeaker, discontinued prior to the introduction of the Gibbon X. John DeVore adapted the woofer motor technology developed for the Silverback Reference into the 10-inch driver used in the O/96, bringing reference-level motor design into a speaker positioned well below the Silverback's original tier. The motor adaptation provides the O/96's woofer with lower distortion, better dynamic linearity, and greater bass authority than would typically be associated with a two-way design at this size, which reviewers across multiple publications have cited as one of the most surprising aspects of the speaker's measured and subjective performance.

Where can I buy the DeVore Fidelity O/96 in Toronto or Canada?

Vinyl Sound in Toronto, Ontario is an authorised DeVore Fidelity dealer and carries the Orangutan O/96 loudspeaker. Vinyl Sound Canada provides in-store listening sessions, expert guidance on amplifier pairing, and full after-sales support for the O/96 and the complete DeVore Fidelity Orangutan and Gibbon speaker lines. Contact Vinyl Sound Toronto to discuss current availability and custom veneer options.

What amplifier types work best with the O/96?

The O/96 is compatible with virtually any amplifier topology due to its 96 dB/W/m sensitivity and stable 10-ohm impedance. Single-ended triode amplifiers using 300B, 2A3, or 45 tubes are a natural pairing. Push-pull tube amplifiers from 10 to 100 watts also work extremely well. Solid-state class-A designs such as those from Pass Laboratories and Audio Research have been paired with the O/96 in reviews to excellent results. The speaker is highly revealing of amplifier character, meaning a well-chosen amplifier is clearly audible as an upgrade in a system built around the O/96.

How should the O/96 be positioned in a listening room?

The O/96 is designed to work well without extreme proximity to rear or side walls, unlike some high-efficiency speakers optimized for corner or near-wall placement such as the Audio Note AN-E series. John DeVore recommends some degree of asymmetry in placement to minimize the influence of room modes, and Stereophile reviewer Art Dudley confirmed that moving the speakers further from the side walls improved performance in his follow-up listening notes. The speakers can be used with a small amount of toe-in or aimed straight ahead depending on the room. The integrated hardwood stands handle the height positioning and are considered part of the speaker's acoustic system.

How does the O/96 relate to the O/Bronze and O/Reference in the Orangutan lineup?

The O/96 is the foundation of the Orangutan Series and shares its cabinet dimensions with both the O/Bronze and the O/93. The O/Bronze is a newer design that uses the identical tweeter from the O/Reference flagship along with a new bronze-chassis woofer, and is considered a step above the O/96 in driver technology and overall resolution. The O/Reference is a four-piece statement system with 98 dB sensitivity and a dedicated active Bassmachine per channel. The O/96 remains in continuous production alongside both of these models and is widely considered to offer one of the strongest combinations of musical performance and amplifier compatibility at its level in the entire Orangutan range.

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