DeVore Fidelity O/bronze + Komuro K300S Stereo Amplifier + spinning 78s = hifi heaven.
I first ‘met’ Devore Fidelity‘s John DeVore when I called the shop to ask if a 300B-based amp could drive the gibbon Super 8s. Yes, I was once a nervous nellie-phile who spent way too much time putting together virtual systems in my head and imagining how they would bring me sonic bliss.
I first met and interviewed Nori Komuro back in 2005 when I was putting together a review of a Fi amp that included some history of Fi the store at 30 Watts Street in NYC. Since that time, I’ve had the distinct pleasure of hearing a number of Komuro’s amps including a VT-52 based stereo amp, the wild and wonderful 212E Mono Amplifiers and his single-ended and push/pull 845 amps. And every one, every single one shared qualities including uncanny transparency, ultra control, and a rich just rightness that made music come alive as vividly as I’ve heard from any other amplifier.
You’re looking at 1 of 10 Komuro K300S Stereo Amplifiers from the Komuro Amplifier Company, which was “founded by John DeVore in 2020 with the goal of bringing the legendary and unique vacuum tube amplifier designs of Noriyasu Komuro to the public.” Bravo!
The DeVore O/bronze are essentially the production version of the limited edition the Twenty speakers, that were limited to 20, and are built on the O/96, which I own (review), while incorporating a number of upgrades with some trickling down from the flagship DeVore O/Reference.
For Axpona 2024, DeVore put a double-armed EMT 928 II ‘table in charge of spinning vinyl (33rpm) and shellacs (78rpm) with EMT Tondose TMD015 (mono), TND065 (78s), and HSD 006 cartridges (LPs) with everything wired with cables from AudioQuest, Auditorium 23, and Shindo phono cables.
That’s a peek at Mola Mola’s app-based control for their Makua Preamplifier (here with the optional DAC and phono modules) to dial-in the EQ curves when playing 78s. Why 78s? You can find my detailed answer here.
A Box Furniture Heritage Series rack sat atop the new Box ISO.D.S Isolation Base making its world premier. If you gently push that rack, it gently rocks right back.
I had the pleasure of visiting this room more than once so I could hear LPs and 78s and as you might expect, given my history and preferences, my heart nearly sang out loud along with Charlie “Peanut” Faircloth singing “Mississippi River Blues” on 78 delighting in music replay that reaches the deepest recesses of our shared humanness. Perfectly human, more human than human?
System Details:
DeVore Fidelity O/bronze: $30,000/pair
Komuro K300S Stereo Amplifier: $20,000
Mola Mola Makua Preamplifier: $23,700
EMT 928 II turntable w 909 Hi tonearm and Pure Black MC for stereo: $17,995
EMT 912 tonearm: $6995
EMT External Arm Pod: $2795
EMT Tondose TMD015 for mono: $1995
EMT Tondose TND065 for 78s: $1995
A23 Homage T2 & Vintage step-up transformers, A23 & Shindo phono cables
Box Furniture HD3S Heritage Doublewide 3 Shelf in Sapele: $5000
Box Furniture ISO.D.S Isolation Base Doublewide in Sapele: $5500
AudioQuest Thunderbird XLR Interconnects: $3900/1M
AudioQuest Thunderbird Zero Speaker Cables: $5700/8 ft.
AudioQuest Vodka Ethernet cable: $499/.75m
AudioQuest Niagara 3000: $3900
AudioQuest Monsoon Power Cable: $550/2M
