Not sure I can add much more than I have, but I'll try. The O/96's present music much differently than what I'm used to with the other DeVore speakers I'm familiar with (I started out with the 8s, moved to the Nines, and now have the Silverbacks). With the Gibbon series & S'Backs, I find it to be a more intimate listening experience -instruments in the room kinda deal. With the Orangutans, the sound is more projected as if you're listening to a show. I think this is ideal for music that is projected (especially rock, big band, stage music, etc), I find the S'backs excel for smaller scale jazz trios/quartets/quintets etc. which I spend most of my time listening too. If I listened to more rock, the O/96's would be a no brainier.
One other thing to add, they do take forever to break-in. If you don't have one, get an old SS amp and let them play for a couple hundred hours before you even listen to them, otherwise you may find them disappointing out of the gate.
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