[DaveC113]

If your SET is loose in the bass, then drop it. If your SS does not give you midrange magic, then throw it out. Don't compromise, if possible be prepared to pay the money to obtain what you crave for . Use cheap/mid-priced equipments and you'll get mediocre performance - because that's what you've paid for. Theres nothing wrong with it, but move around, seek to hear the better of rigs and open up your eyes/ear.

It seems most Omega Speakers owners seek to the cheapest possible way to partner their speakers. Too bad as the speakers deserve better even though they can give satisfactory results with lesser partners as well.

Go design a SET with the low output impedance of a good SS amp and you will sell many of them. Otherwise we are left with reality where some compromises must be made no matter how much money you spend.

[vinagunner]

v

[Canada Rob]

If your SET is loose in the bass, then drop it. If your SS does not give you midrange magic, then throw it out. Don't compromise, if possible be prepared to pay the money to obtain what you crave for . Use cheap/mid-priced equipments and you'll get mediocre performance - because that's what you've paid for. Theres nothing wrong with it, but move around, seek to hear the better of rigs and open up your eyes/ear.

It seems most Omega Speakers owners seek to the cheapest possible way to partner their speakers. Too bad as the speakers deserve better even though they can give satisfactory results with lesser partners as well.

No doubt there are incredible amplifiers out there that cost big bucks, but there is the law of diminishing returns that comes into play here, and once you reach a certain price point the curve begins to flatten out and you end up paying huge dollars for tiny incremental returns.  Home audio is one of those consumer areas where the playing field is VERY uneven.  One can spend big bucks and get poor sound, or spend relatively little and get great sound, and one doesn't need to go to Asia to do it. 

The beauty of Omega speakers is their ability to mate well with low powered amps which are usually very clean sounding due to low parts count and short signal paths.  Such amps can be be built to the same quality (often better quality) standards that many mega buck, more complex and powerful amps are.  Being on this circle for years the trend that most Omega owners seek for is system synergy, and if low cost amps do it for them, that's great, they can use the money saved for other things.  I've heard many amps in my life, and some very expensive, but when I got my first Decware SE84C+ about six years ago, I never looked back.  Beat everything I had heard up to that time.  Also, it was simple and as well made as any amp I've seen, just no bling. 

The Temple Bantam Gold is a UK built jewel of an amp, sort of the Decware of Class D.  Along with the Audio Zone Amp STi, I think the Temple mates beautifully with the Omegas and for solid state probably my two favourites.

Matched to the right speakers, a good SET needn't sound sloppy in the bass or syrupy in the highs.  I run a Super Zen on Alnicos without sub and have the best bass I've had in my life (YMMV).  You are totally correct in saying Omegas deserving the best, but the best needn't cost a ton of $$$.

[RDavidson]

You have it all wrong vinagunner. One of the beauties of Omegas is that one doesn't need a lot of power nor the complexities (expense) involved with such. I can completely see how one might need to spend $2-$3k to get as good or better performance than something like a Decware Zen with Omegas. The first few watts (or fractions of) are SUPER important. The rest are mostly sitting idle.

It isn't that Omega owners seek out the least expensive amplification, it's that it is easily possible to do more with less with Omegas. Of course they'd sound better with a First Watt amp than a Dayton T-amp, but for those who can't afford a First Watt, that Dayton T-amp may be surprisingly more enjoyable than what one would get when pairing it with conventional speaker systems.

I like that Omegas are "inclusive" in nature. Don't we want more people to be able to experience very good sound (and perhaps ENTIRELY high-end sound via amps like a Decware Zen) without thinking they HAVE to spend a lot?

[DaveC113]

I exaggerated  . Of course will there always be compromise somewhere. But it's naive to think your $700 amp is as good as the best in the $2000 range, or your $3000 amp can better the best in the $6000 range and so on....

Owners of most other speaker brands tend to invest money in amplification (and source) to give their speakers be best possible environment. I think Omega Speakers deserve that kind of approach as well  - not only the "how cheap can I do it"-route.

My DIY amp and preamp would be in the $5k range each if sold new, I have a $2k digital source and several grand into cables and power conditioning. I have compared my DIY efforts to some very expensive tube gear and my gear was competitive if not better. One guy liked my amp better than his Fi 2a3 monos. But despite that the lowly Crown amp sounds darn good. There was a big thread on these amps and it's been preferred to some really great amps 10x their price.

I completely agree that the Omegas have the fidelity to do the best gear justice, but in this case the Crown amp won't be embarrassed by anything at any sane price.

[vinagunner]

v

[DaveC113]

but it's just wishful thinking that the cheaper amps can match any of the more expensive ones.

Unless you've actually tried the Crown amp yourself you're just guessing.

[vinagunner]

v

[Quiet Earth]

There was a big thread on these amps and it's been preferred to some really great amps 10x their price.

It was a big thread, but the take-away I got from it was that the crown is a killer value, not a giant killer.

I think I would like to try the crown for myself, as that is really the only way to really know what it is (or isn't). How loud is the fan in a dead-quiet room, sitting 10 feet away from it? Can you hear it at all?

[dspringham]

I've had mine Omegas for almost two years now. During that time I've it run with five amps at between 500-7k USD in my home (they were all mine, so I knew them well. Two SETs, two class D and a 20w PP).

For context would you mind listing the makes & models of these particular amps with accompanying comments on their (subjective) performance with the Omega's (was it the Alnico monitor you have?). How about an amp ranking.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

[vinagunner]

v

[DaveC113]

It was a big thread, but the take-away I got from it was that the crown is a killer value, not a giant killer.

I think I would like to try the crown for myself, as that is really the only way to really know what it is (or isn't). How loud is the fan in a dead-quiet room, sitting 10 feet away from it? Can you hear it at all?

Depends on what you consider giant killer. At the current price of $209 shipped it was preferred over amps 10x it's current price. It also depended on what speakers it was paired with and it seemed to do exceptionally well on single drivers, both Ozark Tom and his friend preferred it over the Job 225 amp on their Zellatons. Tommy had the same amp and it seemed he liked the pair of Crown 1500s he had to the Job 225 on his SoundScapes.

So it's certainly possible to spend a couple grand and not do any better... Oh yeah, I also tried it on a set of Lamhorns in place of Fi 2a3 monoblocks and had about the same results as with my Omegas.

And saying it doesn't have the "midrange magic" is being nitpicky, it sounds amazing. The fact is class D amps have sucked for decades and now seem to be making some headway and performing up there with conventional amps. The upside is D amps can be manufactured cheaply, the XLS amps are all on a single circuitboard with no internal wiring at all. They have SMPS and do not require heavy and expensive trafo or chokes.

I totally understand the skepticism as there is a lot of hype and exaggeration that rarely pans out in audio, but I'll maintain the XLS amps will be hard to beat unless you want to spend a lot of cash. The only issue imo is a cheap chassis that could use some vibration control and cheap connectors that can be swapped out easily enough.

You can't hear the fan at all sitting right next to the amp.

[vinagunner]

v

[Quiet Earth]

Thanks for the info Dave. I just saw a YouTube video on the crown and apparently the fan doesn't even turn on until music is playing.

Class D is certainly getting better. I heard a few Class D amps at the Newport show and thought some of them were pretty good. My favorite was the Red Dragon Audio S500. It's definitely a technology to keep your eye on. I will probably get one sooner or later.

[vinagunner]

v

[steve f]

Deleted. Getting too far off topic.

[vinagunner]

v

[mcgsxr]

My Crown XLS 1500 fan cannot be heard unless my ear is to the case.  From 1 foot away it is silent.  It is pushing inefficient 2 way speakers. 

Good amp guys.  Worth a try for sure. 

[steve f]

Vin,

I accept science. I try to be polite and helpful to my fellow audiophiles. I have many years of experience, both inside the industry, and as an end user of products. I don't own Omega products anymore, but tried to suggest an amplifier that answered the original question at a price affordable to most Omega members. They can spend much more if they choose, or put the cash saved to better use.

Steve

[InfernoSTi]

I don't know if I am allowed to comment on the question given that I use a different speaker...but my experience may be helpful in that it mirrors some of the comments earlier.   

I started with a Bottlehead 2A3 Stereomour SET amp and I found it to be very engaging and musical...I was always drawn in.  I moved up to the Bottlehead Paramount both as a 300B and a 2A3 SET monoblocks...really detailed and still musical.  I tried a unique amp after that, the Quicksilver Silver 88s, and they were really nice, perhaps a bit of a combination of the best of the two Bottlehead amps but not as extreme in either.   All three of these amps were outstanding and really enjoyable.

Then I switched gears and put a Pass Labs XA-30.5 amp in the system and it was, for me, everything I liked about each of the previous three amps was there x2.  I have to say that everything I had read about Nelson Pass and his amps was true and very pleasurable.  I am saying this without detracting from the three other amps, one at $750, one at $1,500, and one at $4,500 price points, respectively.  Each is a gem in their own way but the Pass Labs XA-30.5 is that exceptional, to me.

If I had under a $1,000 to spend, I get the new Bottlehead Stereomour 2A3 amp without hesitation, however.  I wouldn't have become so consumed by my stereo if it hadn't been for the BH Stereomour...for the first time I was staying up late nights just to hear one more song, it was so engaging. 

If I had to buy a solid state amp to replace it, I would strongly consider the First Watt Amp Camp mono blocks if I could find a set.

http://hasafraker.com/post/70644286644/nelson-pass-amp-camp-amp-full-class-a-monoblocks

John