Re: Zu Omen - cheap or cheerful or both?

doug s. · « **Reply #540 on:** 12 Apr 2011, 11:33 am »

i wonder if anyone has tried this amp w/the zu's? i have had good results w/it w/efficient speakers, not zu, tho. and lotsa others have had good experience as well. and, they're not big heat makers. a great amp at a great price, even when new, imo:

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=93444.msg930623;topicseen#new

doug s.

Bugs · « **Reply #541 on:** 12 Apr 2011, 01:36 pm »

Quote from: doug s. on 12 Apr 2011, 11:33 am

i wonder if anyone has tried this amp w/the zu's? i have had good results w/it w/efficient speakers, not zu, tho. and lotsa others have had good experience as well. and, they're not big heat makers. a great amp at a great price, even when new, imo:

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=93444.msg930623;topicseen#new
doug s.

I've been using an Almarro A205A MkII just like this one and I'm very happy with it. These amps do much better when you get rid of the stock tubes and roll in something better. I'm alternating between NOS Mllard and Telefunken EL 84s with h Telefunken AT 7 on the driver tube. The Mullards are warmer and the Telfukens more detailed, This amp has an amazing amount of bass for an amp this size. Be sure to read the 6 Moons reports. Looks like a good price too.

jsamp05 · « **Reply #542 on:** 14 Apr 2011, 12:09 am »

Does anyone have experience with the Omen Bookshelfs? I need some stand-mountable speakers and I'm considering the bookshelfs.

Thanks in advance....

rjbond3rd · « **Reply #543 on:** 14 Apr 2011, 01:07 am »

Poultrygeist, great build! I also have the Dared MP-2A3C and like it very much. Still searching for some interesting tubes to try aside from the Shuguang black treasure 2A3Z's (which are pricey and I've yet to hear some solid comparisons to other 2A3's).

sebrof · « **Reply #544 on:** 14 Apr 2011, 02:53 am »

Quote from: rjbond3rd on 14 Apr 2011, 01:07 am

Poultrygeist, great build! I also have the Dared MP-2A3C and like it very much. Still searching for some interesting tubes to try aside from the Shuguang black treasure 2A3Z's (which are pricey and I've yet to hear some solid comparisons to other 2A3's).

The JJ 2A3-40s look interesting. I almost bought a pair a few times but never pulled the trigger. Same with the TJ Meshplates. One of these days I'll probably buy one or the other.

Poultrygeist · « **Reply #545 on:** 14 Apr 2011, 10:19 am »

Yesterday I replaced the GE JAN 5670W's with four Tung-Sol 2C51's and the Dared sounds even better. I really love this amp with the Omens as well as with the Frugal Horns I built. As far as 2a3's go it's cheap and cheerful.

Would the JJ's be an upgrade over the Shuguang's?

sebrof · « **Reply #546 on:** 14 Apr 2011, 01:14 pm »

Quote from: Poultrygeist on 14 Apr 2011, 10:19 am

Would the JJ's be an upgrade over the Shuguang's?

Well, upgrade is in the ear of the beholder I guess. And the rest of the system makes a big difference, too.
Having said that I believe the JJ's would be a step up from the Shuguang 2A3C, maybe not from the Shuguang Black Treasures though. Maybe one day I'll find out.

Poultrygeist · « **Reply #547 on:** 24 Apr 2011, 09:58 pm »

I went from the Chinese 6N3 to the GE 5670 to the Tung Sol 2C51 and finally to the WE 396A and now the Dared sounds about as good as it's gonna get.

Yall this 2a3c is just stupid good with the Omens.

Gopher · « **Reply #548 on:** 25 Apr 2011, 03:03 am »

The 2a3c is a very good tube. I owned a pair of custom Fi 2a3 monoblocks for several years and had the opportunity to use it with some mucho dinereo NOS RCAs, the Shuguang 2a3cs and the Sovtec 2a3s--depending on the rectifier/input being used I went back and forth between prefering the Shuguang to the RCA (both far ahead of Sov).

I'd be careful assuming the Black Treasure is an upgrade. It very well may be, but I just moved from a pair of Shuguang 845Bs to Shuguang Pavane 845-Ts and ended up selling them for a slight loss and going back to Bs.

Sam-fi · « **Reply #549 on:** 25 Apr 2011, 02:03 pm »

I just bought Morganc's Melody I2a3. I look forward to giving it a listen

Poultrygeist · « **Reply #550 on:** 25 Apr 2011, 03:14 pm »

Sam-fi,

Please let us know how the 2a3 and 300B compare when driving the Omens.

Gopher · « **Reply #551 on:** 25 Apr 2011, 03:47 pm »

If I'm not mistaken, the I2a3 is a push pull rather than SET, albeit a very good one. I'm sure it will sound amazing with Zus and its one of the amps they recommended for the very similar Souls, but I'm not sure it will be representative of 2a3 vs. 300b.

Sam-fi · « **Reply #552 on:** 25 Apr 2011, 04:55 pm »

I agree, according to the 6 moons review the I2a3 does not sound like a 2a3 SET at all. It is a zero feedback pp and the circuit seems to have it's own signature.
The 6 moons was a glowing review though and it seemed to compete with a Yamamoto A-08. I am excited - that's all I can say.

Sam.

Sam-fi · « **Reply #553 on:** 29 Apr 2011, 10:07 pm »

Listening to the I2a3 right now. What a phenomenal piece of equipment. It pairs perfectly with the zu omens.

Bugs · « **Reply #554 on:** 30 Apr 2011, 04:22 am »

I've been listening CDs on my Omens with a modified Dynaco ST70 and a sub woofer in a less than optimal listening space and I'm really happy with what I am hearing. I'm using the CDP as a transport into a DAC Magic with the DAC running straight to the amp and sub woofer. Both the amp and the subwoofer have there own volume control.

Seems to me Omen owners are very happy with the speaker. I'm not seeing many come up on the secondary market. And they do seem to keep getting better and better!

morganc · « **Reply #555 on:** 30 Apr 2011, 04:46 am »

Quote from: Sam-fi on 29 Apr 2011, 10:07 pm

Listening to the I2a3 right now. What a phenomenal piece of equipment. It pairs perfectly with the zu omens.

Sweeet man

I am so glad that she has found a good home and love is in the air

morganc · « **Reply #556 on:** 30 Apr 2011, 04:49 am »

Quote from: Bugs on 30 Apr 2011, 04:22 am

I've been listening CDs on my Omens with a modified Dynaco ST70 and a sub woofer in a less than optimal listening space and I'm really happy with what I am hearing. I'm using the CDP as a transport into a DAC Magic with the DAC running straight to the amp and sub woofer. Both the amp and the subwoofer have there own volume control.

Seems to me Omen owners are very happy with the speaker. I'm not seeing
many come up on the secondary market. And they do seem to keep getting better and better!

I had a friend bring over an Onkyo AVR with his Ipod and it sounded pretty good.....now that is cheap and cheerful

No tweaks...no DAC, Mac Mini, etc.....

Poultrygeist · « **Reply #557 on:** 30 Apr 2011, 01:34 pm »

Below is a link to the Dared 2a3c I'm using with the Omens.

I listen primarily to small group jazz and the 2a3c/Omen is giving the best reproduction of the tenor sax I've heard. Listening to the tenor's big throaty and guttural sound brings back memories of the years I played in a college big band and my trombone section sat next to the sax section. I'm a sucker for all the nasty detail of great jazz and this combo is giving me that in spades. Right now I'm listening to Ben Webster's big lush and soulful tones on "Danny Boy" and the spit laden air that's leaking from his reed and trailing off above the Omens is just stunning. The wonder of full rangers and SETs is that you get to hear it all!

http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cl_sold.pl?ampstube&1304893777

woofersus · « **Reply #558 on:** 4 May 2011, 01:12 am »

Quote from: Sam-fi on 29 Apr 2011, 10:07 pm

Listening to the I2a3 right now. What a phenomenal piece of equipment. It pairs perfectly with the zu omens.

Glad to hear you like the I2A3! If anybody else want's to get the same combo there's a barely used one for sale over on audionervosa.com for a crazy good price right now.

Zu and Melody products seem to get along quite well. Adam Labarge of Audioreview.com borrowed one of our AN211's (single ended 16wpc) to try with some Omen Definitions he was reviewing and he raved about the combo. We should do a joint demo tour or something.

Poultrygeist · « **Reply #559 on:** 4 Jun 2011, 02:13 am »

Here is a picture of the Omens with the Dared MP-2a3c amp and MHZS 66F tube CDP.