DeVore gibbon X

Recenzje

Recenzja DeVore Gibbon X w Stereophile

The Gibbon X is a different animal. It did not sound reticent or especially warm. I heard the X as a bid for neutrality. It had considerably more energy in the higher frequencies than other DeVore speakers I've listened to, and though its bass went deeper, it was leaner. It gave up some, if not quite all, of that special DeVore character, but gave back much in return.

The X's dynamics could literally startle. I watched that happen twice to visitors while the Xes were here, and experienced it myself on several occasions with loud, especially percussive sounds in quiet passages of orchestral music: a bass drum's whomp, a wood block's thwack. I've found this pretty rare; for whatever technical reason, many loudspeakers seem to compress such extreme dynamics, which makes listening more comfortable but not as exciting.

The X also demonstrated startling realism well beyond what my Nines, for all their musicality, are capable of—indeed, at certain moments with very good recordings, beyond what I'd previously experienced in my home.

On her new album, The Window (16-bit/44.1kHz FLAC from CD, Mack Avenue MAC 1132), Salvant sings with intimacy in intimate moments, humor in funny moments, and always with absolute command—with the young Sullivan Fortner as technically and musically accomplished partner on piano and organ. Through the Xes, McLorin's voice was unhooded and lifelike, and Fortner's piano was crisp and percussive, with an appropriate balance of body and transient attack.

The most arresting experience I had with the Gibbon X, though—and where that startling realism came in—was with another, earlier Salvant album: For One to Love (16/44.1 FLAC from CD, Mack Avenue MAC 1095). At some point during "The Trolley Song," when I wasn't paying close attention, Salvant paid me a visit. She was inside the recording, as usual—then, without warning, she stepped out into my room, between and just behind the speakers. I looked up, startled by the realism, and finding that she wasn't actually physically there, smiled, shook my head, and went on with whatever I was doing.

Link do recenzji: DeVore Gibbon X – Stereophile

Recenzja DeVore Gibbon X w The Audio Beatnik

The Xs are the most neutral of all the DeVore speakers that I have heard in my home. They also have more energy in the top-end. This is also true of the bass, which goes deeper with more power but is tighter than the bass of either the SuperNines or the QUADs. The X’s have dynamics and startle factor in spades.

Even if you are like me and the soundstage is not the most important thing about reproducing a performance, it is impossible not to enjoy the huge soundstage of the Xs. It spread wall to wall, it was very deep, and the reproduction of the vertical portion of the soundstage was exceptional.

I listened to so much music over the Xs that I’m not going to try to list it all. If voices are your thing, these speakers color voices less than I have heard before. It reproduces small jazz groups with exceptional aliveness. A classical orchestra was as realistically reproduced as you can get in a 14’ room. I did not find that these speakers favored one genre of music over another. I enjoyed all my music over the Xs.

These are not inexpensive speakers. In fact, they are expensive. Having said that, for those of you who love the sound of big reference speakers, the Xs are probably the best value you will find in high-end speakers. This is true, especially if you are looking for a speaker under $100K with a neutral sound, real-life frequency extension, and incredible dynamics. Before you spend more, you should give the Xs a serious listen with electronics that are worthy to drive them!

Link do recenzji: DeVore Gibbon X – The Audio Beatnik

Recenzja DeVore Gibbon X w Resistor Magazine

Listening to the X, two of the qualities noticed first are the scale of the reproduced recording and an effortlessness support quality to the foundation on which the music is layered. Whether playing dense/complex multi-instrument passages or solo acoustic pieces, there is a solidity to the placement of performers which sets everything on concrete pilings: seemingly immovable. This footing allowed deep, realistic projection of every performance into the room.

The air and space reverberating around Holly Lapsley Fletcher’s voice on the opening track “Heartless” and follow-up “Hurt Me” of her 2016 album Long Way Home seems to envelope the various melodic keyboard/synth/piano flourishes and vocodered/sampled background vocals supporting her in a convincing reproduction of a cavernous auditorium through 3D-imaging. This sense of spatial scale allowed the recording to project past the seating position into the room setting up a ‘sonic wrap’ encompassing the listener. Programmed drums, electronic effects and vocals are mixed seamlessly on the album, and while sparse in it’s presentation at times, there is a lot of subtle complexity to the layering of instrument tracks taking place. This, the DeVore unravels effortlessly, with nuance, harmonic texture, and without artifice or fatigue, easily delineating the various instruments from one another in the X, Y and Z axis of the sound stage. It does this while removing itself from the equation: all you are aware of hearing is the recording, not the box freeing the analog signal from its hi-fi confines.

A full-range reference loudspeaker that delivers upon the design précis of imaging, sound-stage depth and scale. The DeVore X easily energizes a large room with exceedingly powerful midrange and bass, and the transducer speed necessary to deliver startling stop-and-go dynamics, all the while giving up none of its delicate, wide-open top end and exquisite resolution throughout the frequency range. When paired with transparent sources and insightful, refined amplification the X breathes the real tonal colours of human life into recordings without a hint of effort, edge or fatigue. Despite a somewhat imposing, angular and muscular aesthetic, it performs that most satisfying trick of completely disappearing from the room once the music starts. Fans of the Orangutan series will find a lot to be happy about with the voicing of the X, with its wide-open sonic signature, timbral realism, authoritative bottom end, and articulate translation abilities.

Link do recenzji: DeVore Gibbon X – Resistor Magazine

Recenzja DeVore Gibbon X w Part-Time Audiophile

First thing to notice, did I mention that they are full range? And by that, I mean, hammer-of-God stuff is now perfectly in-bounds: PLAY BALL! All of you electronic dance music fans can rejoice. And yes, pop music – like Lorde, for example – can be faithfully presented in its full artificially subsonic majesty. Quite frankly, it’s kinda breathtaking — very few speakers (at least at, or near, this price point) can really do sub-30Hz bass with authority and slam (at least, not without powered woofer cabinets). Call me names, if you must, but this kind of bass grip really gets me upright in the chair, eyes wide, hands sweaty, and attention riveted.

The midrange presentation is “not forward.” I have a pair of Living Voice OBX-RW loudspeakers, and those suckers pulled the midrange out far enough for it take a seat in your lap and lick your neck. This monkey isn’t that kind of cuddly. Instead, think: seamless. I think others may opt for the term “coherent,” and I’m not going to quibble with them. Given the nomenclature, I tend to think of these new DeVore’s as far more “gorilla” than “chimpanzee,” though I think that’s perhaps pushing the analogy. The point is, they’re muscular … if, and when necessary.

The Gibbon X is also a bit more modern than horn-fans will be used to, but I think it fair to say that the goal with the DeVore was “accuracy” not “wet,” so I find this too, completely reasonable. That said, detail is exceptional.

Anyway, the point, DeVore’s new leading man ape is made for tubes. Okay, not really, but it’s as if. So, if you have a wee-bitty amp, you will be surprised at how friendly this new DeVore is. Like I said, seven watts from a 300b tube and the sound was flat, linear, coherent and kaboom powerful. Me likey.

The Gibbon X and the O/96 perhaps share more than you might think. The high-end presentation is quite similar – extended and not-reticent, with excellent air, sparkle and detail. The mids, however, are not rather similar. As I’ve mentioned, the Gibbon is more linearly coherent; the O/96 is more fulsome.

Down low, it’s very different. Power and control, with a chest-thumping room-grip, versus a more … liberal … approach. Again, in terms of linearizing these four, we’d get a bass prowess lineup looking more like this: Gibbon X (holy crap) –> O/96 (woo hoo!) –> Druid (solid) –> OBX-RW (light). Again, do note that these are the results I got with my BorderPatrol single-ended amp.

Link do recenzji: DeVore Gibbon X – Part-Time Audiophile

DeVore gibbon X

Nagrody

DeVore Giggon X – Part-Time Audiophile – Best of 2014

I’ve been a fan of John DeVore for as long as I’ve been writing, with my favorite being the 3XL — that was (and is) an astonishingly great stand-mount. When the Orangutan came out, I schemed and plotted until I was able to get my own. But with the new Gibbon, John has completely outdone himself — this is the best he’s yet released, and by a fair margin. A truly incredible loudspeaker.

Link: DeVore Gibbon X – Part-Time Audiophile – Best of 2014

DeVore Gibbon X – Stereophile – Recommended Components 2022

In JCA's large (32' × 24') listening room, the Xes "did not sound reticent or especially warm. I heard the X as a bid for neutrality. It had considerably more energy in the higher frequencies than other DeVore speakers I've listened to, and though its bass went deeper, it was leaner."

Link: DeVore Gibbon X – Stereophile – Recommended Components 2022

DeVore Gibbon X – Stereophile – Recommended Components 2022