[happyrabbit]

Another possible solution.  the 25i. 

http://www.clonesaudio.com/#!product/prd1/327205861/25i

[doggie]

The Class D Audio SDS-224 or SDS-254 would do  a great job.  Also, I'd recommend you hear a gainclone LM3886 chip amp.  Should sound great with the Omega's.  The new Red Wine tube amp Signature 15 would likely be another good choice.  All of Vinnie's amps sound great with Omega's.

I had a Class D Audio 254 that sounded great with my Omegas. Then I got a First Watt J2 which was significantly better. A very synergistic coupling!

[Joe Frances]

I was musing about the sweet new McIntosh headphone amp (which is also a 50 Watts of integrated) for one or the other of the Super Alnicos (or maybe the Paramount); although for the present, once I get some Omegas, I will stick with my old Copland hybrid 60Watt integrated until I find the right thing.  I want something with a good headphone jack, however, as my "listening room" might interfere with others in the late hours.

[beowulf]

I was musing about the sweet new McIntosh headphone amp (which is also a 50 Watts of integrated) for one or the other of the Super Alnicos (or maybe the Paramount); although for the present, once I get some Omegas, I will stick with my old Copland hybrid 60Watt integrated until I find the right thing.  I want something with a good headphone jack, however, as my "listening room" might interfere with others in the late hours.

I'm a McIntosh fan too and I think that would be a great amp to drive a set of Omegas.  Also consider a vintage Mac piece such as the MAC 5100 Integrated which you can get off eBay for $300 - $700 depending on condition.  These are revered as very musical integrated amps in the Mac circles.

[sugbob21]

hi all,
its been a while since i have been on. I had started this thread 3+ years ago and have been through numerous amps along the way. Just a quick list: RWA 30.2,Prima Luna Prologue, Virtue sensation< Decware Mini Torii, TBI Millenia and Rega . Some sounded better than others (Decware and Virtue if i could pick a tube and solid state). Currently i have returned to a Decware SE84CKC and Virtue one.3 with battery power. . the Omegas have outlasted even a pair of Harbeth PSe3 s along the way. Now i just occasionally switch back and forth between the 2 . Virtue has tighter base but Decware has that tube sweetness in the trble that the Virue seems to turn a bit harsh . I,m happy with both.

[beowulf]

hi all,
its been a while since i have been on. I had started this thread 3+ years ago and have been through numerous amps along the way. Just a quick list: RWA 30.2,Prima Luna Prologue, Virtue sensation< Decware Mini Torii, TBI Millenia and Rega . Some sounded better than others (Decware and Virtue if i could pick a tube and solid state). Currently i have returned to a Decware SE84CKC and Virtue one.3 with battery power. . the Omegas have outlasted even a pair of Harbeth PSe3 s along the way. Now i just occasionally switch back and forth between the 2 . Virtue has tighter base but Decware has that tube sweetness in the trble that the Virue seems to turn a bit harsh . I,m happy with both.

You're not the first person I've read making the statement about choosing Omega over Harbeth ... since the Harbeths are fairly revered by audiophiles IMO that's saying a lot about Louis' designs.  Can you give us a brief description of the differences and why you chose the Omegas over them?

Thanks and sounds like your journey has been a lot of fun!

[mnilan]

hi all,
its been a while since i have been on. I had started this thread 3+ years ago and have been through numerous amps along the way. Just a quick list: RWA 30.2,Prima Luna Prologue, Virtue sensation< Decware Mini Torii, TBI Millenia and Rega . Some sounded better than others (Decware and Virtue if i could pick a tube and solid state). Currently i have returned to a Decware SE84CKC and Virtue one.3 with battery power. . the Omegas have outlasted even a pair of Harbeth PSe3 s along the way. Now i just occasionally switch back and forth between the 2 . Virtue has tighter base but Decware has that tube sweetness in the trble that the Virue seems to turn a bit harsh . I,m happy with both.

sugbob21:
Did you ever try a subwoofer with the Omegas?  If so, what was your reaction to adding the subwoofer(s)?

I have a new set of Hoyt Bedford speakers that I am going to put in my system and I think I will try one and then two REL subwoofers with them to see what happens...  I have had good luck with the REL subwoofers with my Nola Boxers driven by a Rogue Sphinx. 
Mike

[doggie]

sugbob21:
Did you ever try a subwoofer with the Omegas?  If so, what was your reaction to adding the subwoofer(s)?

I have a new set of Hoyt Bedford speakers that I am going to put in my system and I think I will try one and then two REL subwoofers with them to see what happens...  I have had good luck with the REL subwoofers with my Nola Boxers driven by a Rogue Sphinx. 
Mike

I added a SVS SB2000 to my pair of Omega Super 6 Alnicos and have been exceedingly pleased. Based on my research I chose the sealed box version as it is supposedly "faster" which is important for those of us who have music only systems and enjoy the Omega's very responsive and sensitive drivers. The sub integrates well. I do have the provided nerf ball blocking/dampening the bottom firing port on the Omegas to relieve them of some heavy lifting. It improved their resolution and dynamics.

I may still add a second SB2000 but for now I am very pleased.

[sugbob21]

Yes ..i actually have one of Louis's subwoofers.

Tha Alnicos are able to play louder and are more dynamic than the Harbeths were. i occasionally enjoy some 70s prog rock etc along with jazz and acoustic music. The harbeths exclelled at jazz, female vocals  at moderate levels but werent able to play very loud or had much bass (but what mid bass they had was well defined). The omegas to me imaged better and were just more fun to listen too . I got to hate sitting ther and analyzing everything i heard. i just wanted to enjoy music , sometimes at loud levels. The omegas were just better.  The Harbeths werent able to be used with all the amps..Just prima Luna ,  Rega and TBI . Decware forget...only a few watts.  I listen about 7 feet away from the Omegas and they are about 5.5 feet apart with slight toe in ..BTW.    Hope that describes my review of differences.

Bob

[beowulf]

Yes ..i actually have one of Louis's subwoofers.

Tha Alnicos are able to play louder and are more dynamic than the Harbeths were. i occasionally enjoy some 70s prog rock etc along with jazz and acoustic music. The harbeths exclelled at jazz, female vocals  at moderate levels but werent able to play very loud or had much bass (but what mid bass they had was well defined). The omegas to me imaged better and were just more fun to listen too . I got to hate sitting ther and analyzing everything i heard. i just wanted to enjoy music , sometimes at loud levels. The omegas were just better.  The Harbeths werent able to be used with all the amps..Just prima Luna ,  Rega and TBI . Decware forget...only a few watts.  I listen about 7 feet away from the Omegas and they are about 5.5 feet apart with slight toe in ..BTW.    Hope that describes my review of differences.

Bob

Thanks for your insights Bob, much appreciated!

[Joe Frances]

Interesting that this thread on recommendations for solid state amplification for Omegas moved into a discussion of Omega versus Harbeths.  The Harbeth 30.1 is just about my favorite speaker that I have actually had the pleasure of auditioning at any length.  If Omegas weren't around, I would probably have settled on the 30.1 but something has moved me toward the Omegas, even though I have never heard them as yet.  I am in no great hurray, and I am planning to put together my long term system.  I would have to say that the Harbeth 30.1 is a champ at large sonic presentation and it has good midrange and bass.  It can play the immense Saint-Saens Third Symphony with the awesome organ sections with no trouble.  It is great with classical and jazz which is where I live.  When I think about the Harbeths I am reminded of the description of the sound of a Mullard tube-- it's a little dark; a little sweet, and very clear.  Harbeth is in the running for me, too bad I have yet to be able to sample the Super Alnico Omegas at a relatively close price point.

[mnilan]

Gents:
When I actually set up the Hoyt-Benfords (Type 1), I will be trying several integrated amps with them including a Creek 5350 SE and an Outlaw RR2150 for solid state amps along with an Antique Sound Labs AQ 1005 DT (300 B SET) and an Audio Space Galaxy 34 (EL 34).  I have a pair of REL T3 subwoofers (8" active and 8" passive speakers) and a pair of T2 subwoofers (8" active and a 10" passive).  I had forgotten the port plug which adds another variable to the equation (thanks, doggie).  Should be fun.  It is going to be a couple of months before I can run the series of pairings but I promise I'll come back and provide some reactions. 

Just as an aside, the best integration I have been able to attain with subwoofers is to 1) cut them off with a very small overlap with the main speaker woofer and then 2) have them turned down so far that you really don't hear them on a regular basis (so they aren't obvious).  Then they tend not to interfere with the main speakers yet are there when there is a need. 

Another aside is that I have WAF issues and am constrained to a bookshelf speaker in this room so I fudged that constraint a bit with the Hoyt-Benford instead of one of the Omegas (I was thinking of the 3U).  This was done in consultation with Louis. 
Mike

[Canada Rob]

Hello mnilan,

Not sure whether you own the amps you mentioned, but from personal experience the Ideal Innovations Elite 80 PP would be a superb match.  I had it set up with HB 1.5 towers.  It is a very quick, clear, detailed, lively, punchy sounding amp.  Not "vintage " sounding at all, and yet it ships with NOS output tubes.

[beowulf]

Interesting that this thread on recommendations for solid state amplification for Omegas moved into a discussion of Omega versus Harbeths.  The Harbeth 30.1 is just about my favorite speaker that I have actually had the pleasure of auditioning at any length.  If Omegas weren't around, I would probably have settled on the 30.1 but something has moved me toward the Omegas, even though I have never heard them as yet.  I am in no great hurray, and I am planning to put together my long term system.  I would have to say that the Harbeth 30.1 is a champ at large sonic presentation and it has good midrange and bass.  It can play the immense Saint-Saens Third Symphony with the awesome organ sections with no trouble.  It is great with classical and jazz which is where I live.  When I think about the Harbeths I am reminded of the description of the sound of a Mullard tube-- it's a little dark; a little sweet, and very clear.  Harbeth is in the running for me, too bad I have yet to be able to sample the Super Alnico Omegas at a relatively close price point.

This makes 2 people that I know that have lived with both Harbeth and Omega for a while and chose the Omega's.  So in consideration I think the Omega's should definitely be on your short list.  The other positives are the fact that the Omega's can be driven with only 2 watts, point source coherency and no tone coloring and/or complex crossovers.  If you do get to compare them I hope that you report back with your findings and let us know how they did.

[guillaume bougard]

Ideal Innovations Elite 80 PP

@ 600 bucks, cant fail too hard!!!

[mnilan]

Hello mnilan,

Not sure whether you own the amps you mentioned, but from personal experience the Ideal Innovations Elite 80 PP would be a superb match.  I had it set up with HB 1.5 towers.  It is a very quick, clear, detailed, lively, punchy sounding amp.  Not "vintage " sounding at all, and yet it ships with NOS output tubes.

Rob:
Yes, I own all the integrated amps already but thanks for the recommendation.
Mike

[RDavidson]

Ideal Innovations Elite 80 PP

@ 600 bucks, cant fail too hard!!!

$600? Is that some sort of special price not on the web site? It is listed at $1199

[Canada Rob]

I don't know where $600 came from, maybe an old review, but the current price for the Elite 80 is $1199 which is a steal IMO.
http://www.idealinnovations.biz/elite-models.htm

[beowulf]

@ Canada Rob - I don't mean to derail, but have you heard the Ideal Innovations Elite40SE SET amp and what are your impressions?  This is a great price and good amount of power for an SET.

[guillaume bougard]

I don't know where $600 came from, maybe an old review, but the current price for the Elite 80 is $1199 which is a steal IMO.
http://www.idealinnovations.biz/elite-models.htm

My bad
I saw that on an old review.