[Hubb]

Very interesting read, the Decware/Omega post because Friday a pair of Outlaw Super 3 High Output XRSs arrived at Mikey's house.  As Steve said there are two of the world's finest 4 inch drivers in each 35 x 11x 8 1/2 Antique Cherry cabinet complete with R compound.  These replaced Martin Logan hybrid electrostatics that stood six foot tall.  On Monday a Prairie Chicken showed up from Alberta CA.  This replaced a 65 pound 90 watt tube amp from Binghamton NY with potted transformers the size of coffee cans.  To date I have approximately 50 hours on the speaks and 30 on the Kitoki.  I have only this to say - the musical pleasure this combo produces just keeps getting Better and BETTER!! And neither of them is broken in yet..

[HiFiJeff]

Pictures, pictures?   

[Hubb]

Here it Is.  Off to the right is a Martin Logan Depth i sub.  Michael

[Jazzaudio]

Nice set-up Hubb!  I was wondering about the Omega speakers Steve was referring to and assumed it was these:
http://omegaloudspeakers.com/omegaoutlaw1.5w1.html

[guillaume bougard]

I like the rack on which you have your amp, turntable, etc... which one is it?

[Hubb]

Funny you should mention that, guillaume, I was thinking it looked a little dated.  It is a thirty year old CWD (Custom Woodwork Design) which came in a flat pak.  I like the turntable well best.

michael

[Hubb]

Thank you Jazz.  I've tried twice to reply to your post and it doesn't seem to want to take.  Those speaks in your link were actually the genesis for mine.  Mine are level 2 finish and those are 3. Louis also moved the drivers closer together.  Louis also sent me some pics of a narrow baffle 1.5 RS5 tower similar to the monitor he posted pics of a few weeks back.  At his advice, I opted for the wider baffle cause soon I will be in a smaller room listening in hyper near field mode  I am very glad I took Louis' advice cause instruments like baritone sax, trombone and especially piano have much for natural heft/growl and body. 

michael

[HiFiJeff]

That is such a sweet set up.  I am jealous.  What pre-amp are you using and what is the CD player?  Also, how do you like the integration between the Omega's and the Martin Logan sub?  I am having Louis build me the dual RS5 driver speakers but without the built in 8 inch subs like I have on my current 3XRS's.  I wanted to do the subs but it for sure pushed me over my budget so will be getting subs down the way.

[HiFiJeff]

Thank you Jazz.  I've tried twice to reply to your post and it doesn't seem to want to take.  Those speaks in your link were actually the genesis for mine.  Mine are level 2 finish and those are 3. Louis also moved the drivers closer together.  Louis also sent me some pics of a narrow baffle 1.5 RS5 tower similar to the monitor he posted pics of a few weeks back.  At his advice, I opted for the wider baffle cause soon I will be in a smaller room listening in hyper near field mode  I am very glad I took Louis' advice cause instruments like baritone sax, trombone and especially piano have much for natural heft/growl and body. 

michael

Two things.  What does moving the drivers closer together do and what does having a wider baffle do?

[Hubb]

Thank you HiFi Jeff.  The preamp is a Rogue Audio 99 Super Magnum.  The CD is a Swedish brand, Primare.  Superb integration between the M/L sub and the Omegas.  As far as the two questions re the speakers - I believe moving the drivers closer together is an improvement in performance Louis discovered after doing quite a bit more work with 1.5 way RS5 speakers subsequent to building the outlaws in Jazz's post.  A wider baffle will reflect/reinforce lower frequencies rather than letting them radiate around the enclosure as a narrower baffle would.  So the wider baffle along with the dual drivers produces more body, weight, presence, energy (whatever you want to call it) in the lower midrange/upper bass.  In my many conversations/emails with Louis I commented that a frustration I had with my Martin Logans is they seemed "thin", the left hand of the piano player never had enough impact.  I assume that was the effect of the crossover and its job of mating a dynamic woofer with a stat panel. Louis's immediate response was - 1.5 RS5's and wide baffle. 

Shifting subjects I would like to say thank you to some folks that helped me make the amplifier decision after I had made the speaker decision.  Canada Rob - thank you for introducing Wolf Ear Audio, Andrew Rintoul and his Kitoki to the Omega audio circle.  Thank you Andrew for organizing the Kitoki tour.  And thank you Kitoki tour participants for sharing your impressions and observations.  Without all of this I would not be basking in the musical glory that is the combination of Super 3 High Output XRS and Wolf Ear Audio Kitoki.  Michael

[Canada Rob]

Shifting subjects I would like to say thank you to some folks that helped me make the amplifier decision after I had made the speaker decision.  Canada Rob - thank you for introducing Wolf Ear Audio, Andrew Rintoul and his Kitoki to the Omega audio circle.  Thank you Andrew for organizing the Kitoki tour.  And thank you Kitoki tour participants for sharing your impressions and observations.  Without all of this I would not be basking in the musical glory that is the combination of Super 3 High Output XRS and Wolf Ear Audio Kitoki.  Michael

You are most welcome Michael.  You have a lovely system and I'm glad you are enjoying it. 

[Hubb]

This am I headed up to my listening room with my industrial tape measure and a bigass cup of coffee with intent of adding more separation between my new Omegas.  I selected some music I thought appropriate for assessing scale.  Rosanne Cash's disc "10 Song Demo". The story behind this disc is that Rosanne handed a tape to her husband musician and producer John Leventhal to listen to and evaluate.  He went straight to production of a CD directly from that demo tape.  Hence the title.  Over the years I've listened to this CD at least a bazillion times.  And used it for demo on flagship B & W, Sonus Faber and Martin Logan speakers driven by thousands of dollars of McIntosh tube and SS gear. I have never experienced the crystalline nature of Rosanne's voice, the raw emotion of her lyrics and the beauty of the accompanying instruments like I did this am.  I did Not touch the speakers.  All this from little three foot tall Super 3 High Output XRSs and a 17 pound, five tube Kitoki SET amplifier.

[Jazzaudio]

Hubb,
I'll check into the messaging problem!

[mrvco]

Thanks Hubb, listening to "10 Song Demo" now on Tidal through headphones at work, will check it out tonight on my Omegas.  I love finding recordings like this that aren't overproduced and really highlight the talents of the artist (just listened to Neil Young: Live at Massey Hall 1971 this weekend.. wow!).  The recent PBS documentary "Soundbreaking" had a segment with Yusuf (Cat Stevens) talking about how he quit Phil Spector due to his "Wall of Sound" production and went the 'less is more' route to great effect.

[Hubb]

For you audio history buffs that foot stool just to the right of the cabinet has an interesting piece of equipment.  The black box on the right side of the stool is an Energizer for a 60's vintage pair of Koss ESP-9 electrostatic headphones.  That is connected to a modified Dyna ST70 that you can see just to the right of the right speaker.  When I want to listed to headphones I disconnect the inputs to the sub and plug them into the ST70 then plug the phones into the black box and Viola I'm in bidness.

Michael

[Hubb]

mrvco glad you're enjoying Miss Cash.  I've played the heck out of that cd in the almost 20 years I've had it.  And, speaking of simpler is better, I've never heard/experienced it sounding like it did this am.  Another cd that is like that but with a bit more production is Lianne La Havis disc "Blood".  Her voice will send chills up and down your spine. 

Michael

[roscoe65]

Hubb,

If you don't mind sharing, how much were the Outlaw 1.5 towers?

R