Future owner needs advices

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GBouillon

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Re: Future owner needs advices
« Reply #60 on: 6 Apr 2017, 02:45 pm »
Hello,  I will try to give some input on decware stuff and omega

I have decware speaker cables and their interconnects and I have mini torii, torii MKIV, which i am selling, and omega HO monitors rs5 speakers.  I really like decware cables and felt they gave a good improvement so much that I have not looked for any other cables since i got theirs.  A cheap alternative is CUllen Cable i just got some of his speakers cables for my HT and find them to sound really good.

I would suggest wait till you get your amp and then as the sound develops see if you think you need the zrock or just call decware Steve is always great to ask questiosn. 

hope this helps.

Thanks for your input Nocturne! Much appreciated.

Canada Rob

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Re: Future owner needs advices
« Reply #61 on: 7 Apr 2017, 06:31 am »
Thank you very much for confirming what I was thinking about the SE84UFO2. I will start with one and then see if the monoblocks option is needed.

I did not considered the Junior 8 at all when I looked at my options with Omega speakers. But I think it is a very interesting alternative to the Super 8. Less expansive, of course, but also a smaller cabinet and footprint with the same driver. My room is not that big after all. I was now leaning towards the regular SAM because of the price (I am done with spending lots of money into HiFi) and the option to add a sub later. If it is true that the new 8'' driver can handle more complex music and is better suited for rock, punk, metal, electronica, etc., than the Junior 8 would be a better choice for me.

Do you think something like the ZROCK could be beneficial in that kind of setup? Or should I first try the SE84UFO2 alone? I listen to a lot of average to poor recordings (underground and lo-fi stuff, 70's, 80's, 90's rock, glam, punk, metal, experimental, post-whatever) on vinyl, Tidal and digital support.

And what about Decware's speaker cable and interconnect (DSG)? Are they good for the price (I assume)? I am about to place an order and I would like to do it all at once.

Thanks again, Rob. As you know, it is difficult for people in remote places of the world to buy that kind of product based on manufacturers' websites, reviews, forums' posts, etc. At least I know that the Omega speakers are excellent since I heard them in Montreal!

When I mentioned Decware monoblocks, I meant the UFO3 which are monoblocks from the ground up.  Taking 2 UFOs or UFO2s and "monoblocking" them gives more power, but now you have 2 output tubes per channel which will not sound quite as clean as 1 tube per channel.  If you can spring for a UFO3, you're done.  It's probably the greatest expression of the EL84/6P15P SET I know of and will work well with any Omega.  Other than that, go with a single UFO or UFO2.  I agree with Nocturne79 in staying away from the ZROCK for now.

The SAM or either 8 will work with your music.

The Decware Silver reference IC is excellent and so is his speaker wire.  The Decware speaker wire is very pricey though, and for 95% of it's sound one can get away with alot less $$.  QED Profile 79 Strand is excellent wire and cost a fraction of the Decware.  Also talk to Dave at Zenwave.  His excellent cabling is voiced on Omega speakers and SET amp.

GBouillon

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Re: Future owner needs advices
« Reply #62 on: 7 Apr 2017, 07:40 pm »
When I mentioned Decware monoblocks, I meant the UFO3 which are monoblocks from the ground up.  Taking 2 UFOs or UFO2s and "monoblocking" them gives more power, but now you have 2 output tubes per channel which will not sound quite as clean as 1 tube per channel.  If you can spring for a UFO3, you're done.  It's probably the greatest expression of the EL84/6P15P SET I know of and will work well with any Omega.  Other than that, go with a single UFO or UFO2.  I agree with Nocturne79 in staying away from the ZROCK for now.

The SAM or either 8 will work with your music.

The Decware Silver reference IC is excellent and so is his speaker wire.  The Decware speaker wire is very pricey though, and for 95% of it's sound one can get away with alot less $$.  QED Profile 79 Strand is excellent wire and cost a fraction of the Decware.  Also talk to Dave at Zenwave.  His excellent cabling is voiced on Omega speakers and SET amp.

Thanks again, Rob!

I will probably go for a single UFO2 and the Junior 8. The UFO3 is tempting, though.

As for the cables, I was thinking about going with Madisound. I will look at QED and Cullen too. Zenwave is in the same price range as Decware.

roscoe65

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Re: Future owner needs advices
« Reply #63 on: 7 Apr 2017, 08:00 pm »
Thanks again, Rob!

I will probably go for a single UFO2 and the Junior 8. The UFO3 is tempting, though.

As for the cables, I was thinking about going with Madisound. I will look at QED and Cullen too. Zenwave is in the same price range as Decware.

The Supra Cable from Madisound is what Louis uses for internal wiring.  He has recommended the Rondo 2 x 2.5 for speaker cable.  https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/speaker-wire/supra-rondo-2x2.5mm-speaker-wire-per-foot-13-awg/

thetakeout

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Re: Future owner needs advices
« Reply #64 on: 23 Sep 2018, 03:26 am »

Roscoe,

you mention that Dennis's amps sound more like a Mac than a Dynaco.  For the uninitiated.  What is the difference in the sonic presentation of Mac vs. Dynaco, I would love to know!

Thanks,

John





Dennis sells his amps directly on Ebay under the username Radioman731.  You can contact him via Ebay for information.  The Audioaficianado thread I posted earlier is the single biggest repository of information about these amps on the Internet.  There are a number of Audiocircle members who also post over there.  Dennis is the former owner and chief designer of Cary Audio.  He "retired" a few years ago and started fixing up old Magnavox console amps a few years ago before selling scratch amps under the Inspire Fire Bottle name.


Dennis has two basic amps:  a SEP amp with one tube, driven by a 6SN7 (earlier versions such as my own use a 6DJ8 or 6CG7).  The amp will run any pentode or tetrode you can plug into it, from an EL84 with socket adapter to a KT150.  It will put out about 5wpc with a 6V6 or 12wpc with a KT88 or KT150.  His other basic amp is the PSE - parallel single ended power amp (I have one of these as well).  It is largely the same as the previously described amp, but uses uses 6SN7 > parallel output tubes.  It runs from 10wpc (6v6) to about 20-24wpc (KT88 or KT150).  It is pretty easy on output tubes.  According to Dennis the KT77 is the killer tube with this amp.  The amps are all handwired point to point and looks professionally done in the small volume manufacturer sort of way.  He chooses parts he likes that that he thinks are worth the money.  He does not use uber expensive boutique parts, though he will substitute if you like (to a degree).  Currently he likes the Jantzen Silver film coupling caps.  The output transformers can drive anything from 2-16 ohms.

Pricing for the amps run about $1,300 for the single SEP amp and $2,300 for the PSE amp.  If you buy an amp, you can also get the insider price on a killer tube line stage as well.  He sells the LP-27a preamp (type 80 rectifier, 27 or 56 tube > 6SN7).  It has three inputs and two outputs.  It comes stock with an ALPS pot but he will upgrade to a DACT stepped attenuator if you wish at cost.  I think I paid about $1,400 for mine with the DACT.

The filler setup would be an LP-27a with a KT-77 PSE for about $4,000 total.  This combo would drive any speaker with a sensitivity over 90dB.  The sound can be tweaked by rolling 6SN7 tubes and the output tubes.  There are owners who have spent as much on tubes as they have on their amp, experimenting with as many as 20 or 30 different tube types and brands.

The sound of the Inspire amps is more McIntosh than Dynaco.  The PSE amp reminds me as much of a McIntosh MC225 as any other amp I've heard.  Keep in mind that these amps are two stage and like to be driven by a preamp (or high output source).  The LP-27a is a perfect match for them.

He also will do some special versions such as a triode wired SEP amp or even a SET 45 amp, but most of his amps are the SEP or PSE amps I described.




Kw6

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Re: Future owner needs advices
« Reply #65 on: 13 Oct 2022, 03:05 am »
I spoke with a dealer yesterday, who sells Falcon LS3/5a speakers and was trying to sell them to me. When I told him about my choice of Omega speakers, he told me that he got a lot of criticism from his customers regarding their lack of performance in the highs and espacially the lows. He said that the Falcon were much more clear and detailed, better in every way than the Omegas, even in the midrange. I took it with a big grain of salt, as I didn't notice anything missing when I first listened to the SAM (with a sub) and the Super Alnico HO XRS.

What is your opinion on that?

And I need some advices regardind a good tube amplifier to go with either the Super 8XRS or the SAM HO (with sub). Budget is around 3000-4000$ US. Something cheaper would be welcome too, of course. Best value for money kind of thing.

I really liked the EL34 based, single-ended ultralinear Unison Simply Italy. Maybe a little more power and dynamics would be great. The Cayin CS-55a (KT88, UL push-pull) was good too, but less magical. Same thing with the Line Magnetic 216ia (KT88, UL push-pull).

Right now, I am considering the usual suspects : Leben CS-300XS, Unison Research Triode 25 (the S6 is too big) and Prima Luna Dialogue Premium. I am also considering the Line Magnetic 218ia (845 tubes) and the 217ia (300B tubes).

Any other single-ended, EL34 ou EL84 based amplifiers to recommend? Something that I could easily listen too in Canada or order factory direct.

I am thinking about the Decware TORII, but I don't like the look and how the cables are plugged in. And my girlfriend would hate it even more than me. I know that the sound is more important, but hey, I am the one looking at it every single day.  8)

What amp did you end up getting? I'm thinking of Simply Italy.