I have been living with a pair of Omega Super 6 Alnicos for several months. I bought them used from Audiogon however they arrived with one bad driver. Luckily the seller was understanding and Louis even more so. I ended up replacing both drivers with newer ones which are now really starting to hit their stride. I listen to digital files via JRiver from a small headless PC connected to my Wyred4Sound DAC2SE-DSD. Silver Sonic cables go to my current amp, a First Watt J2. BlueJean speaker cables go to the wonderful Omegas.
Until a couple of weeks ago my amps were a Leben 300XS EL84 PP amp and a ClassD Audio 100w class D amp. Both of these amps sound great with the Omegas in their own way. The Leben has tube magic and is particularly good at rhythm and pace. The music has life. The ClassD Audio amp beats it at detail, soundstage, and bass. I found myself becoming lost in the music although it did not have the tone or richness of the tube amp. There was always a trade-off between the two: tube soul or remarkable detail.
About this same time I took the plunge to update my W4S DAC2 to the DSD capable and parts upgraded version. Big difference. Huge difference. Better right out of the box. Still getting better as it logs some hours.
Now to the point. A couple of weeks ago I decided to buy a Pass Labs First Watt J2. This is a single ended 25 watt pure class A j-fet amp made by Nelson Pass. I was enamored by the write-ups online, especially on 6Moons so I decided I would buy it and then sell whichever of my amps was the lesser. Sound familiar?
OMG. This is most certainly my dream amp. It seems to combine the best of solid state and tube-like attributes. It has remarkable detail, beautiful tone, and is in no way fatiguing. It seems to mate perfectly with the single driver crossover-less Omegas. The highest compliment that I can make is that I now just want to listen to music rather than fussing over the equipment or planning the next purchase. The Omegas disappear and then you just have music…
I highly recommend the First Watt J2 with the Omegas.
Thanks Louis for your wonderful speakers which have brought me so much enjoyment.
PS. One of the cheapest tweaks you can make if you have your speakers on each side of your TV is to cover it with a heavy blanket when listening to music. It makes a BIG difference!
I call this picture Victory and de Feet...
Best,
Paul