A year ago my goal was to dip a toe into the single-driver loudspeaker world and finally hear for myself what I’d only read about for years. The stellar reputation of Louis, his brand, and the price point of his entry-level Super 3i’s made for an easy choice. Thus began my love affair with these fantastic monitors.
During this year I had fun swapping quite a bit of gear in/out of my system and as of right now this is how it stands:
Bluesound Node 2
Outlaw Audio ICBM-1
Ohm MicroSubwoofer 10 (pair)
APPJ PA0901A integrated
Super 3i Monitors in EKO Ash Tweed
Not very “high end” is it. So why does it sound so good? Synergy? The whole is greater than the sum of its parts? I'm deluded?
This year long swap-fest included 5 amps/integrated amps, a couple DACs, re-clockers, a few power supplies, tone control, and various cables. The subwoofers were also removed/reinserted. The same went for the ICBM-1 electronic crossover (crossing at both 60Hz and 80Hz). Fun, if not a bit obsessive. (If you're interested, a list of the gear I have in storage can be found here:
https://melvinsfoolishthings.blog/2017/03/25/storage-wars/.) Not once during this time have I been tempted to remove the Super 3i’s. With three pairs of speakers in storage this is a bit unusual for me. I like each pair I’ve held on to and enjoy their unique sound qualities and presentations but the Super 3i’s have won me over.
A few months into this journey, having a taste of single-driver goodness, I assumed there would be the inevitable desire to upgrade within the Omega line. Surprisingly, that’s just not the case. The Super 3i’s are just a joy to listen to and do so much right (imaging, coherence, tone) I would be hard-pressed to upgrade. Even sans subwoofers I would be quite happy with the speakers, although I do like what the subs bring to the equation. If I were to change anything I think an Omega subwoofer or two would prove interesting. I suppose an amp upgrade should also be considered but, at least for now, I’m going to enjoy my system as it stands. Such beautiful music it makes.
It's been a wonderful year.