[SSM]

Dave and Rob, you two are as sinuously persuasive as a good single-ended amp.
I feel for the good-looking 7Mk2. It's like the middle sibling who tends to get overlooked.

I'm the eldest sibling and I'm about primed to go for the big bro monitor. Just need a few more nights of agonising and coming to terms with the Alnico's dimensions. And maybe try for a visit to the Zu dealer this weekend to hear the Omen bookshelf, just to make sure my single-driver destiny rests with Omega.


Regards,
Jin


ps: FullRangeMan, that is a very cool avatar

[Canada Rob]

I'm the eldest sibling and I'm about primed to go for the big bro monitor. Just need a few more nights of agonising and coming to terms with the Alnico's dimensions. And maybe try for a visit to the Zu dealer this weekend to hear the Omen bookshelf, just to make sure my single-driver destiny rests with Omega.

Going to listen to the Omen bookshelf to get some feeling as to how Omega Alnico Monitors sound will be like eating an orange to see what an apple tastes like.  Go for it though, and find out for yourself, I would. 

[SSM]

Going to listen to the two way Omen bookshelf to get some feeling as to what Omega Alnico Monitors might sound like will likely be like eating an orange to see see what an apple tastes like.  Go for it though, and find out for yourself, I would. 

Nah! I'm going to hear it in person to make sure I hate it and won't regret passing it up. Most of my mates at my home base forum have advised against Zu as a match for SET amps, unless I like a garishly bright sound. I've previewed several owners' proud videos at YouTube, and they are all similar in that the Zu super tweeter sounds really scything.

The Zu's ultra-modern look is already too clinical for my tastes.


Jin

[mrvco]

Is there a screw in Alnico driver upgrade for the 7mkii?

Having recently procured a pair of 7mkii floor standers, I'm wondering if the Alnico floor standers could really be twice as awesome.

[DaveC113]

Zu's have gotten more refined over the years but are a very different speaker vs Omega. They will want more power, and they can play LOUD, but at the expense of sorta sounding like a PA speaker... this has gotten better though, as I said, but it's still there in the highs just a bit.

[rebbi]

As a Super Alnico monitor owner for about six weeks now, I think I can offer a little help here.

In a medium/small room (around 9' x 14' of usable space) the Super Alnico has no trouble at all with large-scale, orchestral music. I am using a single-ended 300 B amp putting out around 8 W per channel. I was listening to an excerpt from Pictures at an Exhibition (the final two sections) on a Reference Recordings orchestral sampler CD. This music is full of blaring brass choruses and huge timpani whacks. It was plenty satisfying for me.

I would certainly go for the Super Alnico if you can afford it. I will say that in my experience, these speakers need and deserve a good, solid stand. Skylan is certainly a worthwhile option, but there are others. Without a quality stand, you simply won't hear everything that these speakers are capable of delivering.

I'm currently in the process of upgrading some of the tubes on my amplifier and at that point I think I'll feel comfortable offering some detailed observations about this speaker. Even at this point, though, I would confidently assert that these speakers do things with ambient and spatial information, along with imaging and sound staging, that I have never heard any other speaker do in my listening room (and I've owned quite a few different speakers in my day)! They are stunning in this regard.

[DaveC113]

I'd also consider using a shorter stand than you need by 5" or so, solidly coupling it to your floor, and placing Isoacoustics stands between the speakers and the stands. If you don't have the 4-6" or so the Isoacoustics stands require something like Herbie's Big Fat Dots are worth trying. This will clean up the bass into the midrange and keep the speaker from driving your floor through the stand resulting in a cleaner more detailed presentation and less extraneous vibrations in your house. If you have a subwoofer, Isoacoustics stands are also a large improvement.

[Canada Rob]

If you go with Skylan stands, I recommend their Q-bricks to go between the stand and speaker.  They only add about 1/8" to the height so you can stay with 20" stands.  My Alnicos on Skylan stands are on a laminate floor over concrete.

It would be nice to see Isoacoustics make 18" to 24" stands so monitors can be set up in a conventional way.

[SSM]

The deed is done. I have joined the Alnico club.
Thanks Rob, Dave, rebbi and all other enablers.

I have a couple more questions pending whilst I await the arrival of my Alnicos. Thereafter I'll enter lurker mode here while returning to my home base forum to spread the Omega gospel.

Meanwhile, I am taking leave of this hifi madness for now. Watching the first RWC QFs featuring Wales-South Africa. France vs New Zealand later.


Jin

ps: RD, please put a turbo boost on your Alnico plans. You don't intend to be the eternal bridesmaid here, do you?

[Canada Rob]

Is there a screw in Alnico driver upgrade for the 7mkii?

Having recently procured a pair of 7mkii floor standers, I'm wondering if the Alnico floor standers could really be twice as awesome.

Louis may have some of the DIY 7 Alnicos left.  They are a drop in and would be an improvement over the stock 7.  You'd have to contact Louis on that one. 

No 7 driver, alnico or otherwise is at the level of the 6.5 Alnico Hemp driver.

[Canada Rob]

The deed is done. I have joined the Alnico club.
Thanks Rob, Dave, rebbi and all other enablers.

I have a couple more questions pending whilst I await the arrival of my Alnicos. Thereafter I'll enter lurker mode here while returning to my home base forum to spread the Omega gospel.

Meanwhile, I am taking leave of this hifi madness for now. Watching the first RWC QFs featuring Wales-South Africa. France vs New Zealand later.


Jin

ps: RD, please put a turbo boost on your Alnico plans. You don't intend to be the eternal bridesmaid here, do you?

Congratulations Jin, and you are most welcome.

May you have much pleasure in this club. 

[pstrisik]

Louis may have some of the DIY 7 Alnicos left.  They are a drop in and would be an improvement over the stock 7.  You'd have to contact Louis on that one. 

No 7 driver, alnico or otherwise is at the level of the 6.5 Alnico Hemp driver.

That is good to hear, Rob.  I've been running the 7 XRS with the 7 Alnico and have had increasing love for what it does.  My Alnico Monitors are now on their way  and expected Friday.    So I'll have a chance to compare. 

If the top Alnicos are noticeably better, I will truly be in heaven!   

I have stands that I made for Paradigms I had a while back and then used for rehabbed AR2ax' that I will use until the matching powered woofers come:






        ......Peter