Pictures of my rig with Omega Speakers

guf · « **Reply #220 on:** 30 Jun 2018, 02:04 pm »

Quote from: timind on 30 Jun 2018, 10:55 am

Lookin good. What is the amp below the desk?

Its a 45 Korneff, built by sonic_oil. It's perfect for my situation.

Delta77 · « **Reply #221 on:** 30 Jun 2018, 03:43 pm »

Which model of Omega speakers would you pair with my equipment.??
I have Tekton speakers, but will be changing / upgrading my speakers next year..(hopefully)..?
Having purchased some Decware equipment, it would be silly of me not to consider Omega speakers..
I’m still new to Tubes and enjoy seeing everyone’s systems, learning a lot..Thanks for posting your pics.!
Here is where I’m at :

OPPO 205 / Decware (CPS3) / Decware (Zen Mystery Amp) / Omega’s (?) / Cullencable Loom..

jmolsberg and pursuitornow :
I Totally dig your systems ..!!

jmolsberg · « **Reply #222 on:** 30 Jun 2018, 06:38 pm »

^ call Louis
I am very pleased with his recommendation for me

RDavidson · « **Reply #223 on:** 30 Jun 2018, 09:14 pm »

Quote from: uncola on 30 Jun 2018, 08:43 am

I too had the f7 and it was the best amp I had for mids and treble.. so sweet sounding. but something about the bass or Dynamics was missing.. I'm used to more powerful class ab or class d amps.. but my speakers were only 85 db sensitive. I assumed a more sensitive speaker like the SAM wouldn't have that issue with it. Maybe it's a class a or low power amp issue in general.. if only I had unlimited funds to experiment and find out for sure. Just need to borrow a 100 watt fully class a pass labs or krell amp to know for sure

As Omegas are so easy to drive, they can also be easy to over damp. Tube amps, especially small SET / SEP types, have very little damping factor if any at all. This can help allow the lower mid-range and bass to fill out. It's all about finding the best electrical / mechanical synergy between amp and speakers (regardless of brand or type) to suit your sonic preferences, listening room, etc. etc. In one case you were likely running out of steam with the F7. In the other case you likely had too much steam. It's definitely a balancing act that can be difficult to dial-in...and yes, trial and error can be expensive. If you can afford some trial and error, you will be rewarded with a better understanding of what works for you and what doesn't. Otherwise, it may be safest to stick to time tested revolving themes that seem to work well for many, such as Decware + Omega, Inspire / Dennis Had + Omega, and a few others.

roscoe65 · « **Reply #224 on:** 30 Jun 2018, 10:54 pm »

Quote from: guf on 30 Jun 2018, 02:04 pm

Its a 45 Korneff, built by sonic_oil. It's perfect for my situation.

Hey Guf,

I may have almost bought that amp in the past. Instead I bought one of Oliver’s other amps: A 421A SET built on the Don Garber (FI) circuit. It has Hashomoto outputs, vintage Jensen PIO coupling caps, and an Alps Blue Velvet input pot. I could upgrade a couple of parts but it sounds so great with such tremendous bass with my Super 3 HO monitors I don’t want to change anything. This amp is also so sensitive (0.65V input sensitivity) I can run Tidal right off the MQA DAC in my phone. I’m embarrassed to say how little I paid for the amp.

Broadway90 · « **Reply #225 on:** 9 Sep 2018, 07:05 pm »

My SAM’s driven by Sophia Electric 91-01-300b’s

Folsom · « **Reply #226 on:** 9 Sep 2018, 09:55 pm »

What is that turntable?

Broadway90 · « **Reply #227 on:** 9 Sep 2018, 11:03 pm »

That’s a vpi TNT HR5 with 3D arm, rim drive and custom brass cone feet. Grado statement 2 cartridge.

Slam · « **Reply #228 on:** 15 Nov 2018, 03:14 pm »

Omega Super 3 XRS Multipoint with a pair of open baffle Eminence 15” subwoofers. Amps are Sonic Oli 45 and Crown XLS 1000, Belles preamp, Marantz CD player, and Clearaudio Concept turntable.

Getting a very nice sound from this setup

Folsom · « **Reply #229 on:** 15 Nov 2018, 05:41 pm »

That is a nice little setup, will it ever get to unfold its wrings into a room so it's setup a bit more? I know, I know... easier said than done.

Slam · « **Reply #230 on:** 15 Nov 2018, 07:24 pm »

Quote from: Folsom on 15 Nov 2018, 05:41 pm

That is a nice little setup, will it ever get to unfold its wrings into a room so it's setup a bit more? I know, I know... easier said than done.

Probably not. This is about the best I can do in this room. Still sounds very musical though

Folsom · « **Reply #231 on:** 15 Nov 2018, 11:51 pm »

I'm not a strict audiophile placement person. It's nice to have a room dominated by a stereo setup "perfect", but if you're enjoying it then that's enough for me, too. I listen a lot not in-room, myself. I don't know how long you planned your setup, but it sure seems like you did it smart.

odonata · « **Reply #232 on:** 2 Dec 2018, 05:28 pm »

A system for a small one-bedroom apartment:

Furman Elite-15 PFI
Teddy Pardo 19/3 Linear PSU
Intel NUC with Ubuntu 18.04 & Roon Server
Mojo Audio Mystique V2 SE DAC
Pass Labs HPA-1 headphone preamp
First Watt SIT-3 amplifier
Omega Super Alnico High Output Monitors
Audio rack & speaker stands built by me

A work in progress but it's nice to finally have everything in place to start configuring, improving & tweaking. It was getting old having everything sitting on top of the boxes it shipped in and using bar stools to block me from doing something stupid like tripping over a speaker cable & ripping out a binding post.

Cheese-burger · « **Reply #233 on:** 3 Dec 2018, 03:27 am »

Quote from: odonata on 2 Dec 2018, 05:28 pm

A system for a small one-bedroom apartment:

Furman Elite-15 PFI
Teddy Pardo 19/3 Linear PSU
Intel NUC with Ubuntu 18.04 & Roon Server
Mojo Audio Mystique V2 SE DAC
Pass Labs HPA-1 headphone preamp
First Watt SIT-3 amplifier
Omega Super Alnico High Output Monitors
Audio rack & speaker stands built by me

A work in progress but it's nice to finally have everything in place to start configuring, improving & tweaking. It was getting old having everything sitting on top of the boxes it shipped in and using bar stools to block me from doing something stupid like tripping over a speaker cable & ripping out a binding post.

Hi! Your setup looks gorgeous. May I know how the SIT-3 pairs with your HO?

dburna · « **Reply #234 on:** 3 Dec 2018, 04:09 am »

Quote from: odonata on 2 Dec 2018, 05:28 pm

A system for a small one-bedroom apartment:

Furman Elite-15 PFI
Teddy Pardo 19/3 Linear PSU
Intel NUC with Ubuntu 18.04 & Roon Server
Mojo Audio Mystique V2 SE DAC
Pass Labs HPA-1 headphone preamp
First Watt SIT-3 amplifier
Omega Super Alnico High Output Monitors
Audio rack & speaker stands built by me

A work in progress but it's nice to finally have everything in place to start configuring, improving & tweaking. It was getting old having everything sitting on top of the boxes it shipped in and using bar stools to block me from doing something stupid like tripping over a speaker cable & ripping out a binding post.

Seriously nice set-up. Clean, well-appointed, top-notch gear, and nice decor to match. Well done.

Bet it sounds as good as it looks.

-dGB

odonata · « **Reply #235 on:** 3 Dec 2018, 01:37 pm »

Quote from: Cheese-burger on 3 Dec 2018, 03:27 am

Hi! Your setup looks gorgeous. May I know how the SIT-3 pairs with your HO?

The short answer to your question is I think it's a great pairing. On a lot of the music I listen to it simply sounds outstanding. Obviously anything that favors the midrange is especially good.

I took this picture a few minutes after getting it into place because I was so glad to finally have everything where I wanted it. This has been a fun slow project that started back in May when I decided to buy a nice stereo. My daughter had gone off to college and I gave her the four chairs in my living room intending to replace them. After thinking about it for a while, I decided I'd rather have a stereo than too many places for one guy to sit. So I flipped the couch out into the room and put the wall to better use. I'm just beginning to get it configured and to see what it's capable of.

One of the priorities I set was I wanted to have great clarity. Because I share a wall, a floor & a ceiling with three other people, deep rumbling bass (while nice) was something I was willing to give up to prevent having the cops knocking on my door. Excessive power and volume were simply not a good idea. Inside the apartment, the music sounds lively & dynamic. Outside in the breezeway or along the front/back sidewalk, it's barely audible. So I think I hit my primary objective about as good as a newbie can. My biggest concern was sound radiating through the floor because the person below me has their bedroom directly below my living room. I don't know if it was necessary but I decided to forgo floor standing speakers and use the monitors on stands to try to minimize it. The stands are white oak filled with 50# of lead & sand. Nobody's complained yet when I've cranked up the volume a bit. We'll see if that holds up when I decide to air guitar "Money for Nothing" after a couple of beers.

Because there are no audio stores where I live and most large cities are 5+ hours away, I don't have a lot of other high end systems to compare this to. All I know is that it sounds way better than anything I've ever had before and I'm really happy with the simplicity of it (basically a big volume knob & a button to toggle from headphones to speakers).

Thanks for the kind words about the setup. I had a lot of fun poring over all of the available options & I think I was able to cobble together a system that works really well for my specific needs.

odonata · « **Reply #236 on:** 3 Dec 2018, 01:49 pm »

Quote from: dburna on 3 Dec 2018, 04:09 am

Seriously nice set-up. Clean, well-appointed, top-notch gear, and nice decor to match. Well done.

Bet it sounds as good as it looks.

-dGB

Thanks a lot. I'm glad you like it. I, like you, enjoy looking at other people's setups. It's interesting how every one of them is different and a reflection of the owner. After years of living in a big rambling Victorian house, I like my small mid century modern apartment much better. Way less effort to maintain and more time to do fun stuff.

I never turn my tv on any more. I just sit and listen to music. What's been interesting is finding out how much more I like some albums after hearing them on this system. A few that I thought were okay-ish are ranked a bit higher now that I can hear a lot of the details better. I'm really pleased with how this turned out.

Come on IRS refund! I need some good headphones (that's what the blank spot on the top shelf is for).

Canada Rob · « **Reply #237 on:** 5 Dec 2018, 04:32 am »

This is my favourite thread on the Omega AC (with over 83,000 views) and I love looking at the cool systems that are posted here. My system is a little off the beaten track, for me at least.

For years I've wanted a "lifestyle" stereo system that could be in our main living area where everyone could enjoy the music, but always ended up with my system(s) in a man cave somewhere else in the house. Don't get me wrong, it would be nice to have both, but tight finances preclude that option for me. When we think of "lifestyle stereo" we think often of something that has tiny plastic satellites and a cheap "subwoofer" that makes background music at best, or a boom box for iPhone/iPod - good enough for most, but not me. I wanted my cake and eat it too, and with this system that's exactly what I got. A near live performance while we sit in the living room or at the dining table, from a system that's totally out of the way with a front end (TPA3116 amp in Hammond case, Schiit Modi 2 DAC, and iPhone) that's just about as simple as it gets. I repurposed an orphan target speaker stand and 2" thick MDF subwoofer base for a stereo stand.

The CAMs sound gorgeous, so much texture and layering to the music, even with this humble front end and unconventional setup; and I fully realize these speakers are probably running at nowhere near their full capacity (think Decware Zen Anniversary and Border Patrol NOS DAC, or the like). The CAMs have no problem filling the 16' x 19' room they're in, which doesn't include the dining area off to the right in the picture. Even with the speakers almost touching the wall behind them imaging is still really good and the bass isn't bloated. As the speakers loosen up (they only have a few hours on them) the bass may get bloated, but so far so good. My setup also shows how versatile and easy to set up Louis' speakers are.

Doodlebum · « **Reply #238 on:** 5 Dec 2018, 09:07 pm »

Nice compact setup. I have a Modi 2 also but never got it to work with my Iphone.

Canada Rob · « **Reply #239 on:** 5 Dec 2018, 11:49 pm »

Thanks Doodlebum,

I'm using an iPhone 5c with Spotify Premium. I go online to download (in their highest resolution possible) a bunch of albums, turn all wireless off, and listen offline.
The Modi 2 needs more power than the iPhone can provide on its own, so I use the USB camera adapter, USB A to Lightning charge cord, and a 5V power block.
If I want higher resolution than Spotify then I can load my own music on to the iPhone or go with Tidal. I like Spotify for their huge selection of Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical.