[Guy 13]

Hi Canada Rob.
Thanks for the additional explanation.
I've started to celebrate as soon as the Omega 7F (OEM) drivers let out their first note of music.
By the way, I never really believe in burn-in, especially cables (Speakers and Interconnects) but for drivers,
I was always a little skeptical, well even if the improvement in SQ was not that great to my 66 years old ears,
I have to admit that now after more than 100 hours of vibrating in and out,
the sound seems to be a little better, compare to the first time,
but they are sounding exceptionally good today
and I don't know why there are not more people going that way,
the crossover less way that is.
At less than 500 USD for Louis smallest speaker, what to you have to loose,
try it and if his speaker is not your cup of tea, you can always resell it quite fast,
there is always someone interested in superior sounding speakers.
 
Guy 13

[pstrisik]

Progress report:

The RS7F's have 50+ hours now.  Last night I switched back in the RS7A's.  What I feared turned out to be true; the "liveliness" of the 7F's ended up feeling a bit hard on my ears.  Listening to the 7A's, I turned a corner.  Much easier on the ears and they do in fact have more of that "texture" quality and what I would call, "finesse".  I will probably do one more switch back in a week to make double sure.  But if the 7F's don't sound better to me on the next switch, I will put them on the market and consider my Super 7 XRS with alnico's the final product.

Not to get too hyperbolic (I think that's close to an oxymoron), but listening last night was one of those rare times of letting go of the pursuit and saying to myself, "if changes stopped here, I would be very happy".  But changes do not stop here.    Time for some tube rolling in my Dennis Had Inspire KT150 amp.  Without needing to bias, I can roll among KT150 power tubes (what it came with) and 6550, KT120, KT90, KT88, EL34, 6L6, 6V6, on and on.  I have several of these to start with.  Fortunately, this single ended amp only requires a pair of power tubes, so much less expensive to roll with than push pull amps that use four or more.  Power decreases with other tubes.

Here are my possibilities:
* 5 watts per channel output with 6V6 output tubes and 5Y3 rectifier tube
* 7 watts per channel with 6L6, KT66, 5881 output tubes and 5U4 rectifier tube
* 10 watts output with KT88, EL34, 6550, KT99, KT120, KT150 output tubes with 5U4, 274B rectifier tube
* 12 watts output with KT-88, KT-120 or KT150 output tubes and 5AR4 rectifier tube

I love this amp and the LP-2 pre that matches it.  I'm heading towards loving the Omegas just as much.  My wife is jealous that I feel affection towards these pieces. (NB:  I do consider myself an audiophile, but not an audiophiliac despite these feelings of affection!  )

.      .........Peter

[gab]

The Super 7XRS and Monitor will be offered with either ferrite whizzerless or ferrite whizzer at the same price, and a $300 upcharge per pair for alnico whizzer.  The choice must be made at the original purchase of the speakers.  The drivers are all OEM and not re-cycled DIY drivers.  Omega is not in the DIY business, and not likely to ever be. 
 

So for the benefit of the gentleman who just purchased my DIY Omega 7A drivers (as well as any others out there who currently own them) you are now saying that your latest and greatest Omega speakers are built using this same identical driver, but are now called the RS7A driver. Do I have it right? Very confusing.....

gab

[Canada Rob]

So for the benefit of the gentleman who just purchased my DIY Omega 7A drivers (as well as any others out there who currently own them) you are now saying that your latest and greatest Omega speakers are built using this same identical driver, but are now called the RS7A driver. Do I have it right? Very confusing.....

gab

Correct.  In case you didn't notice, there was an apology for all the confusion.  What are you still confused about, gab?
Whoever (maybe FULLRANGEMAN) got your drivers was the winner.

[Canada Rob]

I just got off the phone with Louis and found out I had misunderstood him - my fault. 

The RS7A is a re-badged 7A.  Same speaker. 

The DIY 7F, both whizzered and whizzerless ARE different drivers than the RS7 both whizzered and whizzerless.  They always have been different right from the beginning.

There is no need to worry that you have an inferior product if you have DIY drivers, because you don't.  They're just different.  In all my years dealing with Louis, he has never made a dud.  Never.

The latest and greatest from Louis will be 12" subwoofers and his Paramount line.  He is one of the very few speaker manufacturers that has his own drivers.

[pstrisik]

I just got off the phone with Louis and found out I had misunderstood him - my fault. 

The RS7A is a re-badged 7A.  Same speaker. 

The DIY 7F, both whizzered and whizzerless ARE different drivers than the RS7 both whizzered and whizzerless.  They always have been different right from the beginning.

There is no need to worry that you have an inferior product if you have DIY drivers, because you don't.  They're just different.  In all my years dealing with Louis, he has never made a dud.  Never.

The latest and greatest from Louis will be 12" subwoofers and his Paramount line.  He is one of the very few speaker manufacturers that has his own drivers.

Rob, Sorry to belabor this.  So, it seems I do have the RS7A, but I am unclear about the F I have that came with the Super 7.  Is it RS7F as the label on the cab says or 7F as Louis and I referred to it during the order?  Either way is ok, I'd just like to know what I have.

Thanks.......Peter

[Canada Rob]

Rob, Sorry to belabor this.  So, it seems I do have the RS7A, but I am unclear about the F I have that came with the Super 7.  Is it RS7F as the label on the cab says or 7F as Louis and I referred to it during the order?  Either way is ok, I'd just like to know what I have.

Thanks.......Peter

You have an RS7V whizzerless.  "V" stands for vintage.

[pstrisik]

You have an RS7V whizzerless.  "V" stands for vintage.

Got it!  Thank you.

[pstrisik]

Last night I discovered the Super 7 XRS with alnico driver is indeed capable of bass.  I tried EL34 tubes for the first time.  Boy do they produce more bass than other tubes I've tried and the Omegas express it. 

I tried KT90(KT99) and wasn't impressed on first try.  I'm moving through my tube on hand options pretty quickly and will then go back and focus in more.

6550 next, then the lower power option (6V6).

........Peter

[DaveC113]

I like EL34s... I have a bunch of them. 

I would go with NOS, new aren't even close imo... I don't have any high $$$ ones but Winged C and Mullard xf3s are great. The new GL kt77 is good too but probably not nearly as reliable.

Hoping to pick up the Sylvania big bottles soon too.

In the next 6 months or so I will be putting an EL34 SET amp on the market with an all-film-cap power supply, copper foil coupling caps and 4 separate high voltage power supplies. It is intended to be a big step up from Decware and the like but still come in reasonably priced. Going for about double the price of Decware's EL34 SET...

[beowulf]

I like EL34s... I have a bunch of them. 

I would go with NOS, new aren't even close imo... I don't have any high $$$ ones but Winged C and Mullard xf3s are great. The new GL kt77 is good too but probably not nearly as reliable.

Hoping to pick up the Sylvania big bottles soon too.

In the next 6 months or so I will be putting an EL34 SET amp on the market with an all-film-cap power supply, copper foil coupling caps and 4 separate high voltage power supplies. It is intended to be a big step up from Decware and the like but still come in reasonably priced. Going for about double the price of Decware's EL34 SET...

Would be interested in hearing more about this, please keep us informed!

[pstrisik]

I like EL34s... I have a bunch of them. 

I would go with NOS, new aren't even close imo... I don't have any high $$$ ones but Winged C and Mullard xf3s are great. The new GL kt77 is good too but probably not nearly as reliable.

It's the Winged C E34 that I have. 

.......Peter

[pstrisik]

Does anyone know, or can Louis or Rob provide, the sensitivity ratings of the RS7A and RS7F?  The 6.5" alnico driver on the website is rated at 93db, but I think it is a different driver.

Thanks......Peter

[opnly bafld]

The back of your speakers say 95dB.

[pstrisik]

The back of your speakers say 95dB.

 

Thank you....   duh!

Though that's for the RS7V.  Still curious about the RS7A.  Same or lower?

Thx .......

[DaveC113]

Lower for the 7A by a couple dB would be my guess.

If you could post your experiences with different tube types that would be cool to hear. I have used KT88/6550 in my amp too and it sounds a little more "hi-fi", I still like the EL34 best, not counting DHTs. I'm not sure I even want to attempt make my amp compatible with other tube types, would be nice to avoid added complexity or compromises.

I am interested in the KT150 as more power is always welcome. 

[Canada Rob]

Thank you....   duh!

Though that's for the RS7V.  Still curious about the RS7A.  Same or lower?

Thx .......

The RS7A is 93dB.  It is also a completely different driver than the 6.5" HempCone alnico driver.

[pstrisik]

The RS7A is 93dB.  It is also a completely different driver than the 6.5" HempCone alnico driver.

Thanks Rob.  I'm running the RS7A's, so it's helpful to have a sense of that variable.

[jorgen]

Hi pstrisik
When I bought my alnicos Louis said they would be a conservative 93db sensitive, and also very effiecient, which also is a factor for how they play- not sure how that is measured though,  but I understood that to be a relevant factor for SPL amd how they would perform.

[pstrisik]

Hi pstrisik
When I bought my alnicos Louis said they would be a conservative 93db sensitive, and also very effiecient, which also is a factor for how they play- not sure how that is measured though,  but I understood that to be a relevant factor for SPL amd how they would perform.

Thanks Jorgen, I don't know how much real world difference there is between the 95 and 93db.  I haven't noticed any change in volume settings when I've switched drivers.  But then, I wasn't looking for any at the time.

Progress report.......

Had been running KT150 power tubes in my Inspire amp for 10wpc.  Also at 10wpc I've tried Winged C EL34, Ei KT90/KT99 and Tung-Sol 6550.  Nothing special experienced with the KT90 and 6550.  The EL34 had exceptional bass.  Went back to KT150's and felt this was still the most natural over all.  But.......

Then I tried the Pope 6V6's for 5wpc and,  , everything has changed.  I hope I don't eat my words later, but this sound was amazing.  I'm still getting confident about the lower power.  I feel vulnerability about the possibility of distortion or breakup, but I think it is psychological since I've never run with less than 10wpc before these.  They compete very well with the EL34's in bass, but out do them everywhere else.  The proverbial hearing things I haven't heard before in familiar recordings while managing to come off smoother and less fatiguing than anything I've had yet.  The Omegas shine all the more when fed a signal like this!  I think this is now the tube to beat (for me).

.......Peter

P.S. - @beowolf,   We watched a show last night (New Girl, if it matters).  As I've said, I have a pre/pro in front of the Inspire amp when watching video and cross over at 70-90db to subs to lessen the demand on the Omegas (2 channel music the Omegas run full range with subs to supplement).  The Omegas did fine with the 5wpc in this setup.  I don't know how it would be running them full range for video though.  And this was with a sitcom type show.  I should try a movie with loud effects to really see how it does.