[RoadTripper]

I recently installed a pair of Grande 8R speakers in my bedroom system. When they get broken in, which should be in about a month, I will report a somewhat detailed analysis of the sound and setup.

In the meantime,  let it be said that they sound very good and they hold their own against VMPS RM-40s which are fed by a bi-amped all digital Panasonic XR45 - fully modded with Virtual Dynamics cabling through-out.  That's a very good system (the VMPS ) and my bedroom system has got me sucked in completely.  What is lost in impact is gained in character among other things.

Stay tuned.

[rosypup]

I got my grande 8's back after selling them to my friend.  When I sold them they were not broken in. He put about 100 hours on them and they sound alot better now.

I had picked up some radian 12 inch drivers on e-bay and he became fascinated by them so he wanted them and I got my grande 8's back.

I did listening comparisons between the grande 8's, the radians, and he had two klipsch's there:  the cornwalls and the la scalas.

I prefered the single driver omegas to the other stuff.  The radians were smoother but I prefer the gutsier sound and the more immediate sound of the single driver omegas.  So we were both happy with the trade.

I moved them right into a very small room and I am listening to them very nearfield.  Thge fostex's are easy that way to listen too.

[rosypup]

Getting back to the other issue in your post, I also had vmps's before I got into sets.

I has the rm2's and I had many hours of listening pleasure with my first audiophile quality speakers.

I had the opportunity here in nj to pick up some rm40's at a really great price, but after weighing all the factors decided not to. The sets and the set type of speakers interest me much more.

Fostex single drivers, and Louis has some great models (I have the super 3's and the grande 8's), are really good sounding speakers.  

I have a great variety of set friendly speaker systems in my house for comparison and interest.  This has been going on for about 6 months or so. I'm beginning to realize that in situation where a singler driver will do, that's the way to go.  With larger rooms, then othe types of speaker systems can come into play.

[Inscrutable]

I have a great variety of set friendly speaker systems in my house for comparison and interest. This has been going on for about 6 months or so. I'm beginning to realize that in situation where a singler driver will do, that's the way to go

Rosypup,
Interesting, as I am about to embark on a quest for a new sound in a new room.  I'll be going from big room, big dynamic speakers, big SS power to a much smaller room.  I am going to experiment with hi-eff and/or single driver with SET amplification.  I'd love to hear more of your experiences and the things you've tried.  I'm debating whether I start now while I have my current rig for comparison, or just wait til I'm in the new place to give me something to do  

[rosypup]

Maybe I can write more later, but I'll put some thoughts down now.

I've been exploring the world of high effeciency speakers as much as I can.  I have not been able to, or perhaps I have not wanted to reach any conclusions up to this point. Your mind has to be ready to tackle a listening task or problem like this.

First consider the comparison I just did at my friend's house.  These vintage Klipsch speakers are hot right now.  And the radian drivers are extremely good.  They have an engineering  connection to some of the original altecs.  They are co-axials with good effeciency.  They are the drivers in the galante speakers.  My friend likes these drivers alot.  I already have a pair so I could afford to part with the pair for him.

The single driver fostex's have the coherence,  immediacy, and stereo layout (soundstaging) that surpasses all the others.  There is a certain EASE  and REALISM to the sound.  The radians come in at a deeper richer tone and they may be preferred by some.  But there is a cetain edgy quality in the single driver that Klipsch has to some extent too, and that I kind of crave when I listen. It 's an avenue to a certain emotionality in the music.  A little bite, a little edge.  (I think that characteristic is also part of the "klipsch sound".)

These speaker systems would also be way better than most regular 3 way 90-92 db speakers on the market.

SET systems are relatively inexpensive and they can spring up in various locations in the house.  They are best suited for maybe small personal listening situations.  But they can be adapted to almost concert level situations too.

It's all about the right sets to me.  Most sets you will only get you a piece of what the set action is all about, but with the right set, simply paired with one of these fostex systems, or any of the other high effeciency speakers, and you really have some type of inspirational sound.

I know for sure that it's a sound that no amount of money into othe types of audio can reach.

[JLM]

The Omega speakers are a wonderful balance between size, simplicity of cabinet, cost, quality, and the advantages of extended range Fostex drivers.  They are an extension of where Fostex lives, in a higher efficiency, lower cost, and highly musical world.

Most speakers aimed at the SET crowd push efficiency so hard that colorations are created.  And most push horn designs that can sound very "forward" and become very large.  Klipsch is a prime example of all this, but so is every Lowther based speaker I've heard.  Not that those are bad speakers, in fact Klipsch are typically marketed in solid state stores, where they match up very poorly and Lowthers are really an extended midrange driver forced into reaching too wide a frequency range.

Fostex drivers tend to sound better on tube amps, chip amps, or digital amps.  The Norh SE-9, Cayin TA-30, Channel Island Audio monoblocks, a host of small digital amps, or a variety of the inexpensive digital receivers are all good candidates to drive Omega speakers at reasonable prices.

[rosypup]

Good post.  

I'm very enthusiastic about the sets I have, but other stuff can work fine.

I don't know if the problem with lowthers is what you say as much as their "shout".

Someone I know has a pair of WE speakers with a limited frequency range and they are the best speakers I know.  

I don't understand the concept of frequency range yet and how important it might be. My ears are not trained in that direction yet.  They "live" in the midrange where the sax's, trumpets, and voices play.  Where it is soulfully sweet.

[RoadTripper]

The promised review of the Omega Grande 8R is overdue. I intend to frame the report around a comparison of the Omegas to my VMPS RM40s. But I realized a while back that the VMPS setup is not fighting on a level playing field due to being in a really bad room.

To rectify that situation, I am moving into a new house. The move will be complete by Dec. 1. At that time, my big VMPS system will be in a good room and I can more fairly compare systems.

Both systems use digital amps. One system uses a cheap CD player, the other the Norh CD-1.

It should be fun.

[cjr888]

But I realized a while back that the VMPS setup is not fighting on a level playing field due to being in a really bad room.   To rectify that situation, I am moving into a new house.

Now that's a dedicated listener.  Someone willing to move to a completely new house simply to facilitate a proper equipment comparison.  

Look forward to your comments and good luck with the move.

[JLM]

cjr888,

More and more audiophiles are developing dedicated listening rooms as they realize that the room is the second most important component in any audio system (behind speakers).  Beyond the acoustical benefits, having a room that you can optimize, perhaps the bigger advantage is not having to compete with other interests (schedule, volume, other functions).

If you have the space needed to obtain the proper dimensional ratios, the cost of the room itself is quite reasonable (very high bang for the buck)compared to almost any other audio component.  I'm building a house that will include such a room in the basement (otherwise wasted space).  The estimated additional cost to turn it from an "ordinary room" into an "audiophile listening room" are:

1.  $300 for dedicated circuits/grounding

2.  $200 for double stud wall construction

3.  $200 for metal "Z" furring strips and loose insulation for ceiling

Some items such as exterior doors (weather sealed and insulated) versus interior doors or lined fiberglass ductwork versus sheet metal ductwork,  doesn't really cost extra.  And eliminating dimmers or fluorescent lighting could save money.

[cjr888]

Certainly understand...  Was sarcasm, though it rarely translates well..

[JLM]

cjr888,

No problem.  Not the right forum to preach on room acoustics, but it's an important message to get out.

Thanks for the foot in the door.