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DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/96 Floorstanding Speaker (Pair) at Vinyl Sound Buffalo, NY USA

The Orangutan O/96 is a two-way floorstanding loudspeaker from DeVore Fidelity (Brooklyn, New York, USA), available at Vinyl Sound in Buffalo, NY, USA. The award-winning flagship of the original Orangutan series, it uses a 10-inch paper cone woofer with phase plug and a motor adapted from the Silverback Reference driver, alongside a 1-inch silk dome tweeter with double-magnet motor system and gentle horn loading. Sensitivity is 96 dB/W/M, impedance is 10 ohms, and frequency response extends from 26 Hz to 31 kHz. Dimensions are 12 inches deep, 18 inches wide, and 35.5 inches tall including integrated solid hardwood stands. Reviewed and purchased by Stereophile's Art Dudley as a personal reference, and reviewed in HiFi News, Stereophile, Part-Time Audiophile, Audiophilia, and Dagogo. Handmade in Brooklyn, New York. Sold as a pair.

Silverback Reference-Derived Woofer Motor and Horn-Loaded Tweeter

The O/96's 10-inch paper cone woofer uses a motor system adapted directly from DeVore Fidelity's Silverback Reference driver, a significant upgrade from what would be expected in a speaker of this size and sensitivity class. The motor adaptation involves the magnet system, pole piece geometry, and voice coil design that give the Silverback Reference its control and linearity, reengineered into a 10-inch paper cone driver optimised for the Orangutan cabinet volume and tuning. A phase plug at the centre of the cone controls midrange radiation pattern and extends the woofer's usable bandwidth upward, improving integration with the tweeter. The 1-inch silk dome tweeter uses a powerful double-magnet motor system and is gently horn-loaded, the horn providing controlled directivity in the critical lower treble octave where a bare dome tweeter's directivity pattern begins to narrow. The horn loading also contributes to the 96 dB/W/M sensitivity, directing more acoustic energy toward the listener per watt of input power. Integrated solid hardwood stands are included with each pair at the standard 35.5-inch total height.

Orangutan Series Philosophy: Designed for Low-Powered Tube Amplification

The O/96 was created specifically for low-powered tube amplification, a design brief that shapes every aspect of its specification. The 96 dB/W/M sensitivity allows a single-ended triode amplifier producing 1 to 2 watts to drive the O/96 to realistic listening levels in a medium-sized room, with dynamic peaks handled by the headroom built into the speaker's motor and port systems rather than amplifier power reserves. The 10-ohm impedance is chosen for optimal compatibility with the output transformers of common tube amplifier designs, which present their most linear and lowest-distortion output into loads near their transformer's secondary impedance. DeVore Fidelity's published crossover design for the O/96 is described as phase-friendly, minimising the reactive phase angle that many speakers introduce and which makes driving them more demanding for output-transformer-limited tube amplifiers. The O/96 was the first Orangutan speaker to establish this design approach as a commercially available product in 2012, generating the critical recognition that led to the O/93, O/Bronze, and O/Reference.

Key Features

• Silverback Reference-Derived 10-Inch Woofer: A paper cone woofer with a motor adapted from DeVore Fidelity's Silverback Reference driver, with phase plug and Orangutan-tuned port system extending bass response to 26 Hz.
• Horn-Loaded 1-Inch Silk Dome Tweeter: Double-magnet motor tweeter with gentle horn loading for controlled directivity, improved sensitivity, and natural integration with the woofer through the critical lower treble region.
• 96 dB/W/M Sensitivity: Sufficient for single-ended triode amplifiers from 1 watt upward, enabling the most resolving low-powered tube amplification to drive the O/96 at full dynamic range.
• 10-Ohm Impedance: Optimised for output transformer-coupled tube amplifiers, with a phase-friendly crossover that minimises reactive load demands across the audio band.
• Integrated Solid Hardwood Stands: Solid hardwood stands included with each pair at 35.5 inches total height, with grilles included.
• Stereophile Long-Term Reference: Purchased and used as a personal reference speaker by Stereophile's Art Dudley following his review.
• Handmade in Brooklyn: Each pair is hand-built at DeVore Fidelity's Brooklyn workshop by John DeVore and his team.

Technical Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/96?

The DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/96 is a two-way floorstanding loudspeaker handmade in Brooklyn, New York, designed for low-powered tube amplification. It uses a 10-inch paper cone woofer with Silverback Reference-derived motor and phase plug, and a 1-inch gently horn-loaded silk dome tweeter with double-magnet motor. Sensitivity is 96 dB/W/M, impedance is 10 ohms, frequency response is 26 Hz to 31 kHz, and integrated solid hardwood stands are included. Sold as a pair.

How does the O/96 compare to the O/Bronze?

The O/Bronze is the newer model positioned between the O/96 and the flagship O/Reference. Both use the same cabinet dimensions at 12 x 18 x 35.5 inches including stands. The O/96 uses its original woofer motor and 1-inch silk dome tweeter with gentle horn loading. The O/Bronze upgrades both drivers to cast and machined bronze chassis, uses the O/Reference tweeter with bronze horn loading, and adds bronze port tubes isolated from the cabinet. The O/Bronze achieves a higher level of driver linearity, dynamic coherence, and sonic refinement than the O/96, reflected in its higher price. The O/96 remains the reference value proposition in the Orangutan line for buyers entering the series.

Can the O/96 be driven by solid-state amplification?

Yes, the O/96's 96 dB/W/M sensitivity and 10-ohm impedance are compatible with solid-state amplification across a wide power range. The speaker was designed primarily for low-powered tube amplifiers but performs well with solid-state designs including Class A amplifiers from Pass Labs, integrated amplifiers from Luxman, and others. The choice between tube and solid-state amplification significantly affects the O/96's tonal presentation, with tube amplifiers generally producing more of the harmonic density and warmth the speaker is associated with.

Where can I buy the DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/96 in Buffalo, NY or the USA?

The DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/96 is available at Vinyl Sound in Buffalo, NY, USA. Vinyl Sound is an authorized DeVore Fidelity dealer serving customers in Buffalo, Western New York, and across the United States. Contact Vinyl Sound Buffalo to arrange a listening demonstration or to discuss amplifier pairing for your system.

Learn more about this product in our detailed video review: