DeVore Fidelity O/Reference Speaker System at Vinyl Sound Toronto Canada

The O/Reference is a four-piece flagship speaker system from DeVore Fidelity (Brooklyn, New York, USA), available at Vinyl Sound in Toronto, Canada. Representing the pinnacle of the Orangutan Series, this statement system delivers an eleven-octave bandwidth from 15Hz to 50kHz, a 98 dB/W/m sensitivity, and a 12-ohm impedance that makes it exceptionally easy to drive with virtually any amplifier. Developed over nearly a decade by designer John DeVore, the O/Reference integrates cast and machined bronze driver chassis and horns, pure AlNiCo magnets, and a dedicated 700-watt Bassmachine per channel into a system that competes with the most ambitious loudspeakers in the world.

O/Reference A: The Main Speakers

Each O/Reference A cabinet is a three-way design built around a 10-inch paper-cone woofer mounted in a cast bronze chassis. The woofer motor has been entirely redesigned around a pure AlNiCo (Aluminum Nickel Cobalt) magnet, copper Faraday rings positioned both above and below the gap, a titanium former, and a machined bronze phase plug. Together these elements deliver markedly better magnetic and inductive linearity, increased sensitivity, and distortion that is an order of magnitude lower throughout most of the frequency range compared to conventional motor designs. Above the woofer, a 1-inch silk dome tweeter is loaded by a cast and machined bronze horn, driven by a new motor with a large rare-earth magnet and an underhung voice-coil that improves linearity at lower treble frequencies. A 0.75-inch silk dome super-tweeter, also horn-loaded with a cast and machined bronze horn and rare-earth magnet, extends the top end to 50kHz. Solid machined bronze port tubes and a machined brass input plate are mechanically decoupled from the cabinet to minimize vibration coloration.

O/Reference B: The Bassmachine

Each O/Reference B Bassmachine is an active bass module engineered to reproduce the lowest octave below 20Hz without equalization or porting artifacts. An 11-inch reinforced aluminum woofer with an entirely new motor system capable of 2.25-inch peak excursion works in concert with an 11-inch reinforced aluminum passive radiator, naturally tuned in-cabinet to below 20Hz. The rigid two-inch thick birch plywood front baffle and machined brass input plate are decoupled to control vibration. A dedicated 700-watt state-of-the-art amplifier drives the Bassmachine, fed from a fully analog signal path that includes an adjustable low-pass crossover, variable phase, subsonic filter, and equalization at both 20Hz and 35Hz. The Bassmachine takes its input signal from the same amplifier chain driving the O/Reference A speakers, ensuring a unified tonal signature and texture across the entire frequency range.

Key Features

• AlNiCo Woofer Motor: The 10-inch woofer uses a pure AlNiCo magnet, copper Faraday rings above and below the gap, a titanium former, and a machined bronze phase plug for dramatically reduced harmonic distortion throughout the midrange and improved magnetic linearity.
• Cast and Machined Bronze Driver Chassis: All main driver chassis, horn bodies, and port tubes are cast in Indiana and machined in Virginia from bronze alloy, reducing resonance while adding structural rigidity and a distinctive aesthetic character.
• Three-Way Main Speaker Design: Each O/Reference A cabinet combines a 10-inch paper-cone woofer, a 1-inch silk dome tweeter with bronze horn, and a 0.75-inch silk dome super-tweeter with bronze horn for seamless coverage from 40Hz to 50kHz.
• Passive Radiator Bass Loading: The Bassmachine uses an 11-inch aluminum passive radiator naturally tuned below 20Hz in-cabinet, avoiding the dynamic limitations and colorations of ported enclosure tuning at very low frequencies.
• 700-Watt Analog-Controlled Amplifier: Each Bassmachine includes a dedicated 700-watt class-D amplifier with a fully analog control circuit providing adjustable low-pass crossover, variable phase, subsonic filter, and two-band EQ at 20Hz and 35Hz.
• 98 dB Sensitivity: The O/Reference A's 98 dB/W/m sensitivity enables exceptional performance with low-power amplifiers, including single-ended triode designs, while maintaining full dynamic authority at all volumes.
• Eleven-Octave Bandwidth: The complete O/Reference system covers 15Hz to 50kHz, capturing the full spectrum of musical information on any source.
• Vibration-Isolated Hardware: Bronze port tubes and brass input plates on both cabinet types are mechanically decoupled from the enclosure to prevent vibration from coloring the sound.
• Flexible Room Installation: The four-piece configuration can be adapted to nearly any room size, and the system is also available in a three-piece configuration using a single Bassmachine summed to mono for smaller spaces.
• Handbuilt in Brooklyn, New York: Every O/Reference system is assembled by hand at the DeVore Fidelity workshop at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Technical Specifications

Press and Critical Recognition

• Myles Astor, Audio Nirvana: "John DeVore unveiled his first attack on state-of-the-art sound and hit out of the park. An immersive musical experience rarely experienced with most audio systems. Extraordinary dynamic ease."
• Michael Lavorgna, Twittering Machines: "The level of refinement and power embodied in the O/Ref System is a thing to behold."
• Waldemar Nowa, Info Audio: "O/Reference: heaven on earth. If you're done chasing the rabbit and want to finally catch it, you've come to the right place."
• Jack Roberts, The Audio Beatnik: "They take up a whole lot less space than any of the other statement systems I know of, but don't think for a minute that the DeVore Fidelity's Orangutan Reference Speaker System isn't in that league. I promise you they compete with any speaker system."
• Rafe Arnott, Audiostream: "In the end this was a showstopper of a room where time and space seemed at odds and had me low-whistling a few times at what I was hearing."

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DeVore Fidelity O/Reference?

The DeVore Fidelity O/Reference is a four-piece flagship loudspeaker system, handbuilt in Brooklyn, New York, and representing the absolute top of the Orangutan Series. The complete system consists of two O/Reference A three-way main speakers with a 98 dB/W/m sensitivity and a 12-ohm impedance, paired with two O/Reference B Bassmachines each housing an 11-inch aluminum woofer, a matching passive radiator, and a 700-watt dedicated amplifier. Together the system achieves an eleven-octave bandwidth of 15Hz to 50kHz.

How does the O/Reference compare to the Wilson Audio Alexx V or the Magico M9?

The DeVore Fidelity O/Reference takes a fundamentally different approach to reference-level performance than competitors such as the Wilson Audio Alexx V or the Magico M9. Where those designs use rigid metal enclosures and beryllium or carbon-fiber drivers in sealed or ported configurations, the O/Reference prioritizes naturally tuned enclosures, cast bronze chassis, AlNiCo magnets, and a passive-radiator Bassmachine tuned below 20Hz without equalization. The 98 dB/W/m sensitivity of the O/Reference A also sets it apart: it can be driven to its full potential by low-power tube amplifiers, including single-ended triode designs, which is not practical with the much lower sensitivity of either the Alexx V or M9.

Can the O/Reference be driven by a low-power tube amplifier?

Yes, the O/Reference A is well suited to low-power tube amplifiers. Its 98 dB/W/m sensitivity and 12-ohm impedance make it one of the most amplifier-friendly speaker designs at reference level, compatible with single-ended triode amplifiers using output tubes such as the 300B or 845. The Bassmachine handles the lowest octave independently with its own 700-watt amplifier, so the main amplifier driving the O/Reference A is relieved entirely of deep bass duty.

What is an AlNiCo magnet and why does DeVore Fidelity use it?

AlNiCo is an alloy of Aluminum, Nickel, and Cobalt used to make high-performance permanent magnets for loudspeaker motors. AlNiCo magnets were the industry standard in audio for decades before lower-cost ferrite magnets became dominant. DeVore Fidelity specifies AlNiCo in the O/Reference A woofer motor because it produces significantly lower harmonic distortion through the midrange compared to ferrite alternatives. Unlike ferrite magnets, AlNiCo magnets for the O/Reference must be manufactured to order, and all steel motor parts are individually machined rather than mass-stamped, contributing to the system's extended development timeline and elevated craftsmanship.

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

Vinyl Sound in Toronto, Canada is an authorised dealer for DeVore Fidelity and carries the O/Reference system. Located in Toronto, Ontario, Vinyl Sound provides expert consultation, in-store listening opportunities, and full after-sales support for the O/Reference and the complete DeVore Fidelity Orangutan and Gibbon speaker lines.

Why does the O/Reference use four separate cabinets?

The four-cabinet layout was chosen by John DeVore to resolve an engineering conflict between transparency and bass extension. Separating the lowest octave into a dedicated Bassmachine cabinet allows the 10-inch main woofer in the O/Reference A to be optimized specifically for 40Hz and upward, dramatically reducing cabinet vibration and driver excursion in the main enclosure. The Bassmachine is then free to be optimized entirely for infrasonic bass reproduction below 20Hz. This division also allows the Bassmachine's 700-watt amplifier to match the 98 dB/W/m sensitivity of the main speakers without any dynamic compression.

What amplifier does the O/Reference Bassmachine use to receive its signal?

The O/Reference B Bassmachine receives its input signal from the same amplifier that drives the O/Reference A main speakers, not from a preamplifier output or a separate source. This means the Bassmachine's internal 700-watt amplifier and analog control circuitry process a signal that has already passed through the same components as the midrange and treble, preserving a unified tonal quality, texture, and color across the entire frequency range from 15Hz to 50kHz.

Is a three-piece version of the O/Reference available?

Yes, a three-piece configuration is available using both O/Reference A main speakers paired with a single O/Reference B Bassmachine summed to mono for the lowest octave. This option is suited to smaller rooms or installations where a full four-piece setup is impractical, and it retains the fundamental character and most of the performance of the full system. The four-piece version adds benefits including improved ambience retrieval, greater low-bass dynamic impact, and more flexible room response optimization through independent left and right Bassmachine adjustment.