[DBC]

I've been watching this thread with a strange fascination as to the reaction it has invoked from Louis and Rob. I've communicated with both men and each has graciously provided useful guidance in selecting the Omega loudspeaker that best meets my needs.

I've owned & operated my own small business for over 15 years. I understand the challenges and frustrations associated with the many hats a small business owner must wear. There is always some Yahoo out there that claims to be able to do the same for a fraction of the cost. It just comes with the territory so I never pay it any mind.

As a business owner myself, I will be the first in line to fight for Omega's right to conduct business any way they see fit. Having said that I can't see how having this type of "Censorship Policy" promotes their Forum and or Product's in a positive light to new comers?

Rob, your restaurant analogy comes from a Company Ownership perspective which is understandable. I would like to submit however my own, and I would argue just as valid analogy from a customer perspective:


You walk to the front door of a restaurant for the first time and a prominently placed sign on the front door reads:

RESTAURANT RULES: NEW PATRONS PLEASE READ BEFORE ENTERING:

This restaurant is privately owned & operated. We don't want any other restaurant or pop stand to be discussed or recommended while you are dining with us.

Discussion of all other subjects is encouraged.

Thanks & enjoy your meal.


As a business owner that doesn't sound like a warm & fuzzy invitation, not something I would post on the front door of my business. My guess is some potential customers will keep walking where otherwise they may have entered. That would be a shame because Omega seems to have developed a Great Product & Reputation as the result of hard work.

I have a pair of Super 6 Monitors on order and am anxiously awaiting their arrival. Based on many very positive third party reviews published over a long period of time I fully expect to like & enjoy these speakers. I don't believe Omega's forum policies in any way diminish their ability to design and build an excellent product.

I plan to post my impressions to assist others considering a single driver loudspeaker. I would not be able to provide a full analysis without including how they integrate with my Subs by another brand name. I'ts clear that would not be welcome on this forum and am glad I know that up front. You did me a favor by making the forum rules abundantly clear.

For anyone interested I will post a fair, objective and I expect positive review on another site where they embrace Free Speech and promote the free exchange of all audio related ideas.

[pstrisik]

I've been watching this thread with a strange fascination as to the reaction it has invoked from Louis and Rob. I've communicated with both men and each has graciously provided useful guidance in selecting the Omega loudspeaker that best meets my needs.

I've owned & operated my own small business for over 15 years. I understand the challenges and frustrations associated with the many hats a small business owner must wear. There is always some Yahoo out there that claims to be able to do the same for a fraction of the cost. It just comes with the territory so I never pay it any mind.

As a business owner myself, I will be the first in line to fight for Omega's right to conduct business any way they see fit. Having said that I can't see how having this type of "Censorship Policy" promotes their Forum and or Product's in a positive light to new comers?

Rob, your restaurant analogy comes from a Company Ownership perspective which is understandable. I would like to submit however my own, and I would argue just as valid analogy from a customer perspective:


You walk to the front door of a restaurant for the first time and a prominently placed sign on the front door reads:

RESTAURANT RULES: NEW PATRONS PLEASE READ BEFORE ENTERING:

This restaurant is privately owned & operated. We don't want any other restaurant or pop stand to be discussed or recommended while you are dining with us.

Discussion of all other subjects is encouraged.

Thanks & enjoy your meal.


As a business owner that doesn't sound like a warm & fuzzy invitation, not something I would post on the front door of my business. My guess is some potential customers will keep walking where otherwise they may have entered. That would be a shame because Omega seems to have developed a Great Product & Reputation as the result of hard work.

I have a pair of Super 6 Monitors on order and am anxiously awaiting their arrival. Based on many very positive third party reviews published over a long period of time I fully expect to like & enjoy these speakers. I don't believe Omega's forum policies in any way diminish their ability to design and build an excellent product.

I plan to post my impressions to assist others considering a single driver loudspeaker. I would not be able to provide a full analysis without including how they integrate with my Subs by another brand name. I'ts clear that would not be welcome on this forum and am glad I know that up front. You did me a favor by making the forum rules abundantly clear.

For anyone interested I will post a fair, objective and I expect positive review on another site where they embrace Free Speech and promote the free exchange of all audio related ideas.

Good points DBC.... 

I guess, strictly speaking, my thread, http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=130033.0, is against the new rules (I think they were put forward after I started that thread), though super tweeters do not compete with Omega products.  However, there is a large DIY element there.  'Twould be sad to me if this is not ok.  I have updates, but am refraining from bringing the thread to the top.

I also have a pair of subs that are other than Omega.  I may have mentioned them somewhere along the line.  I am considering going over the top with a pair of dual 8" driver sub/mid-bass pieces from the same manufacturer that go up to 250Hz with my existing pair of 12" subs doing the under 50Hz duty.  There would be fairly complicated setup here as I have my two channel and HT integrated with a switch to go between two channel preamp and HT pre/pro.  I suppose I can talk about this in the abstract without mentioning the brand.

Seems to me the policy is about not promoting/recommending other speaker brands here.  Prohibiting discussion involving other brands, particularly when already in one's system, seems too strong to me.  Rob, I suspect you tend to agree with this as you were encouraging to DBC during his discussion, this past week and earlier in this thread, involving Klipsch and HSU that he already owns.  I also wonder if discouraging DIY is intended to limit talk about DIY with Omega drivers.

Clarification?

Thanks...........

[Canada Rob]

DBC,
Great post, and points well taken.  Your posts have been excellent, and we look forward to more.

Peter,
You have been a positive and supportive addition to the Omega Audio Circle.  You also know what Louis and myself have been up against over the last year or so.  Hence the perhaps over the top sign at the front door of our "restaurant".

The "rules" will be deleted, as it seems to be causing more controversy than continuing with the status quo.  We just want a positive and supportive forum.

[mresseguie]

Rob,

I'm curious about " You also know what Louis and myself have been up against over the last year or so." Can you discuss this here? I recall several AC members getting pretty hot in the collar over the cancellation of DIY, but I thought that had died down. Has there been mischief that I'm not aware of? 

If this should be a private conversation, I'll follow up in pm.

Michael

[pstrisik]

Michael,  The only thing I am aware of that Rob may be referring to is about DIY.  I don't know more than anything that has been posted here.

Rob, thanks for your words.  I do think it may be best to take a softer approach and shape culture here gently.  It's fairly easy to nudge posters if they are getting into Omega DIY or recommending competing products.  Maybe even change the sticky post to express the forum approach or philosophy in positive terms rather than as rules.  Glad to help with that if it sounds useful.

I see the Omega Forum as a positive and supportive one.  There have been a very small number of protest type posters, but they seem to retreat when not indulged.  Small spikes in an overall smooth graph!   

[Canada Rob]

Lets just move on and try to enjoy each others input and output, and enjoy one of the best hobbies ever invented.

[pstrisik]

Lets just move on and try to enjoy each others input and output, and enjoy one of the best hobbies ever invented.

Roger that!

[DaveC113]

Both Louis and Rob are some of the nicest folks I have met in the audio world and I do not think the intention is to come off as being too controlling or limiting discussion... for the new folks I would not worry, the Omega circle has always been very fair and I think it's fairly obvious that in a manufacturer's forum that promotion of the competition is not fair to them. It's never been a problem to mention other brands of subs and speakers that we use or have experience with, that is very different from promoting the purchase of the competition over Omega.

Further, I don't really see Omega as having any significant competition anyway, it's a unique product that goes above and beyond the performance of any other affordable single driver I have heard and the subs are not exactly conventional either, they focus on speed and detail rather than low frequency special effects... they are for music!

Most folks have enough common sense and have respect for the forum and Omega, so there really is no issue... there was some craziness with the DIY drivers and I totally understand not wanting to deal with these kind of threads. Since that has passed I think the Omega forum is back to it's usual calm and respectful atmosphere. 

[Wind Chaser]

Rob,

Thanks again for your input. Your comment: "One thing, your HSU sub and mid need to be very fast to keep up with any Omega" is well taken. For the past 20 years I have had multiple high quality subs from Velodyne, SVS and others. None of these compare to the LIVE type Bass I have been able to achieve with the HSU ULS-15 Sub and Mid Bass Module. These Sub's and MBM's never call attention to themselves.

I run my Mans full range and use the Sub's and MBM's to augment the low end. The Mid Bass Modules have very light 12" drivers for speed and augment the 50hz - 150hz range. The 15" Subs are sealed and very tight running 50hz and below. No Bass Boom from this setup and my Peachtree 220se seems to really excel as far as detail on the lower frequencies compared to my Decware Super Zen. My Gut tells me the HSU would be a good match for the Omega's ???

Hey DBC,

First, a very big thank you for the detailed write up on the MBM on the Decware site. I took delivery of one last November, and  WOW!  It is everything you said it was. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I'll tell you more  later in a private message when I'm at a real computer.

As far as your bass system goes, I am of the opinion that it will integrate seamlessly with Omegas. I'll explain why in the forth coming PM.

[DBC]

I want to be respectful to Louis and Rob. I hope they will be patient as I get to my point.

I think many here will appreciate that individually we don't know what we don't know. There was a time when I couldn't begin to wrap my brain around a 2 watt amp being capable of anything worth listening to. There was also a time when I thought a pair of speakers with a single puny 4-1/2" full range drive in each cabinet was incapable of producing anything more than boom box level sound. There was also a time when I thought a Mid Bass Module was just another name for a cheap sub with a smallish 12" driver that didn't have any balls to go below 50hz. With time my curiosity, love of music and interest in this hobby, I overcame these mental blocks and had my eyes opened.

I have to credit Hsu for my recent decision to purchase Omega Alnico Monitors. Sounds weird, how could an Omega competitor influence me to purchase an Omega product. Quite simply my experience with the Mid Bass Module gave me confidence that I could reinforce the all important 50-150hz frequency range to my liking. Without that experience and confidence I likely never would have ordered Omega Monitors.

Also without the Mid Bass Module experience I would have looked at the deepOMEGA 12 sub specifications (12" driver, 150 watt amplifier) and thought that's a lot of coin given the small driver and amp power. But since I have experienced something along somewhat similar lines I read the specifications with Great Interest. Noting especially the upper frequency range of 160hz. I thought to myself "This guy Louis really gets it". It's not about Low & Loud when you are listening to music and integrating a sub. Unfortunately many of us (myself included) have succumbed to the temptation of the 18" 120 pound beast of a sub.

I've not actually heard the deepOMEGA 12 but I intend to at some point. If it outperforms the MBM which is actually a Home Theater product that I have re-purposed, then that would be impressive. Two deepOMEGA 12's would be less than I have invested in my twin MBM's & twin Subs. It's also 100% handcrafted here in America.

Now if a guy has a wife, two kids and limited resources are we going to Flog him for purchasing a cheap non Omega sub if it means he enjoys his Omega loudspeakers more. I hope not. I also hope if a guy with Omega speakers say's "I've only got 400 bucks, can you guys recommend a sub in that price range" that a recommendation of something other than Omega will not cause a problem.  We all wish Omega great success. The tactful mention of a competitive product from time to time can be a good thing for Omega sales.

[guillaume bougard]

wait a while and save till you can afford Omega's sub

you're not in a hurry

believe me

trust me

this is a great piece of advice

[DBC]

guillaume bougard,

Glad to hear you are so impressed with your deepOMEGA sub. These are so new there is not much feedback on them yet which is understandable. Did you purchase the deepOMEGA 8 or 12, are you running one or two? What loudspeakers are you using? Thanks in advance for any added input you can provide.