[milkplus]

Hello there. Just joined the group, living in snowy Norway and am interested in Omega as I'm looking to find some sensitive speakers to match my Decware Zen Triode.

I'll probably have a lot of daft questions, so I hope the Omega hivemind will go gentle!

[pstrisik]

Hi milkplus, and welcome from across the globe in Washington State, US! 

Fire away with questions you have.  I may not know the answers, but someone here likely will. 

I've not had Decware amps, but have had Dennis Had Inspire amps that have similar designs.  Mine were 6-15 watts, depending on the power tubes.  My SAM's were a great match at 95db sensitivity.  I've tried a range of amps and found Class A designs are a better match than the others.  I currently run a ~1978, Japanese made, Pioneer M-22.  All Class A, 30 wpc.  Best I've had, ever. 

[milkplus]

Cheers for the warm welcome! That amp looks like a beaut!

Pleased to hear that you've had success with the SAMs at such low wattage. Everything I've read seems to indicate as much, but it's always tough when you can't hear firsthand for yourself.

I actually emailed Louis to ask which speakers he recommended for my situation and he said the SAMs were the best bang for the buck compared to the CAMs or the Junior 8's. Unfortunately, the SAMs are a little too large for the space I want to put them in - from a WAF/aesthetics perspective at least. Although, I wonder if I put them on those low stands like in my other post that they might pass muster...

[js1955]

A local buddy had the SAM's paired with an Almarro 318B amp.  Heard them many times, fantastic speakers.  He has owned many speakers, and the SAM's struck me as the best in his setup.     

[stylerb]

that Pioneer is a beautiful piece of kit! is it all orig? has it required repair/restoration?

OP, I too am looking at Omegas and have a Decware Zen Torii on order. i did see a couple used Omegas for sale on usaudiomart... but in general it seems like the Omega owners keep them, obviously a good sign. the cabinetry is truly beautiful.

cheers

[pstrisik]

It is all original cosmetically.  I had a tech go through cleaning and replacing components as needed.

[stylerb]

cool, its a great amp. i need to find one.

[pstrisik]

https://www.hifishark.com/model/pioneer-m-22

There is advantage to making sure it is a 120v model.  Japan uses 110, I think, and you need a transformer.  No biggie, but it is a small unit outside of the amp that costs about $100.  Though, you may need one in Norway anyway depending on your power there.

Get one that is cosmetically clean and plan to have it restored electronically.  Unless already done, those 50 year old parts can be tired.  It is harder to restore well cosmetically.

Plan on ~$900 USD for the amp and $1000-$1500 for restoring.  Occasionally, you can find a restored one that will go for ~$1200+.

Here's the tech I used:  www.scottfrankland.com.  He has great familiarity with this amp in particular.

[opnly bafld]

Japan - 100V

[stylerb]

I looked and saw several listings from Japan... pondering. hate to have to buy a transformer, not because of cost but i've got a full rack as it it. i'm keeping my eyes open and thanks for the heads up!

[pstrisik]

Japan - 100V

Thanks

The transformer is a smallish cube and would likely sit on the floor behind or at the back of a shelf.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017HA3P2

[dgmono]

Hello There! I'm new too. I've seen the Decware amps, they are gorgeous! I noticed that it's been a couple months since you joined, where do things stand with you getting Omegas? I'm looking to purchase Super Alnico Monitors soon.

[milkplus]

Hello There! I'm new too. I've seen the Decware amps, they are gorgeous! I noticed that it's been a couple months since you joined, where do things stand with you getting Omegas? I'm looking to purchase Super Alnico Monitors soon.

Hey there! My Omega's actually showed up yesterday! I settled on a pair of Junior 8 XRS' and a KSub because I love the aesthetic of Louis'' floorstanders. Something about a not-too-deep cabinet really does it for me haha.

The process of purchasing was great and Louis is helpful, seemingly always available and a gentleman. However, my speakers did show up with a ding in one of the drivers which is unfortunate considering they came all the way to Norway. I've reached out to Louis to see what he says and whether it might effect sound quality. Waiting to hear back

Now that the speakers are here, I can also confirm that break-in is a real thing! Some tracks sound sublime while others a bit congested. It seems to morph as a record goes along, too. It's fascinating to behold but has me excited for when they finally settle in because when theyre on, they sound fantastic. Not sure what other speakers you'd be coming from but these are replacing a pair of Zu Audio DW mkII's for me - it's still a little too early to tell which speaker I like more tbh. And a bit unfair to the Omega's because of break-in and my familiarity with the Zu's, which are pretty special themselves.

The SAM's look great too, btw. They're in fact what Louis recommended for me, but I loved the look of the XRS's more (and the WAF factor is higher in our family haha).

Feel free to ask any other questions you might have!