[BossaNova31]

Hi everyone,

I recently picked up a set of used Omega Superhemps on Agon and had Louis update them with the latest driver and port modifications (Louis is a great guy BTW). Still going thru the dreaded hemp driver break in....When I first played the Omegas with the brand new drivers they sounded great for about an hour or two and then the sound quality quickly deteriorated to (let's just say not so great....). I know this is to be expected based on reviews I have read, and they are finally sounding a bit better again with roughly 50 hours on them now.

My question is - I am driving the Superhemps with a 8wpc 300b SET amp. I have read postings for other similar speakers (Zu Audio Druids) where people say the best way to quickly break the speakers in is with a 100wpc AV receiver? Should I hook my old AV Denon receiver up to the Omegas for break-in purposes or should I stick with the SET? Cant wait to hear these babies at their full potential again. 

[Oceanfront]

 My suggestion is  pick up a copy of the ISOTEK burn in cd let it play for at least 48hrs cont. According to 6 moons recent review by running this cd to burn in your speakers it is equivalent to 250 hrs of music  for every 24 hr period. If my math is right if you were to play this cd for 48 hrs straight it would be equal to 500 hrs of burn in. I used this highly recommended cd on my Ed Schilling's HORNS and months later on my highly modified DENON 3910 player made by THE UPGRADE COMPANY..FYI  I just played the cd and set it on repeat for 7 days (that was equivalent to 1,750 hrs of burn in) that did the trick all is swell in audio land...
I hope this suggestion helps you..

[BossaNova31]

I'm going to order that ISOTEK cd today! Just want to get these speakers broken in properly so I can finally do some quality listening. Thanks 

[jman66]

But to continue with your original question, yes, use that old receiver instead of burning up the tubes in your SET.
I'm running in a pair of Maxhemps using solid state, no way I'm wasting the precious tube life of my Music Reference amp. I ordered that ISOTEK cd also. Louis says to be aggressive with the break-in and get those those cones moving for 200 hrs.

[JLM]

No, no, no.  The truly best way to break in new speakers is to ship them to me for a 6 month break in.  Of course you'll have to pay insured shipping both ways.   

The standard advice is to wire them out of phase, place them inches apart face to face in an unused room, and throw a heavy blanket over them.

Congrats on scoring some fine speakers.

[gbeard]

Agree with the receiver. Crank it loud! The out of phase, blanket thing works well when you aren't listening.

Even though I still don't have the most current drivers, mine have continued to improve through hundreds of hours of listening. I am currently driving them with 300B SET monoblocks and, well, they sound great. 

Cheers,
Gb

[BossaNova31]

Thanks everyone. I'm breaking in the SuperHemps with the Denon as we speak. 

I just upgraded my system significantly by ordering up a Manley Shrimp preamp / Manley Neoclassic SE/PP 300b monoblock combo (vs. my current Antique Sound Lab 300b integrated). Counting the days until they are delivered 

Has anyone heard the Omegas thru the Manley Monoblocks? Based on what I've read about the Manleys, it seems like this would be a killer combination. They are 300b based monoblocks, but have an uncharacteristic amount of drive and power for a 300b SET. The Manleys are also switchable to push pull on the fly for 25wpc if I want additional juice. I love the 300b midrange but was looking for something with more low frequency punch.

[lcrim]

Since you asked the question, I looked up the gain figures for the Shrimp and the NeoClasic 300B.  The Shrimp is factory set to 11.8 dB gain and the NeoClassic to 18 Db. 
I have a pair of Compact Hemps since January running in in a decent sized room with an Eastern Electric MiniMax preamp factory modded which reduces gain to 18 dB and a Music Reference (Roger Modjeski) EM7 SET amp @ 12 dB gain @ 2.5 watts per channel.  There is no problem w/ any portion of the musical spectrum being reproduced at lifelike levels, except for large orchestral passages of course.
I rarely run the gain much above 11oclock.  I suspect that with the gain structure you have selected, things will be getting quite loud before achieving lifelike dynamics.   I would think that more gain in the preamp, w/o additional noise, would have been a better choice.

[BossaNova31]

Hi Larry,

Thanks for that info on the Shrimp. I will circle back with the dealer to get his thoughts on the gain. Manley's 300b preamp is probably better suited to the monoblocks, but is pretty expensive. Which other preamps should I look at in the $2-3k (new retail) price range? I bought the Manley pre/monoblock package brand new so I can always exchange the Shrimp for another pre.

[lcrim]

Hi:
If I had that much to spend on a preamp, I would certainly audition the Supratek.  The entry level is the Chenin w/ an excellent vinyl stage, the line stage only is the Chardonnay.  They both have adjustable gain from 0-30 dB using the 6SN7 tube.  I think that would be a better fit.

[Ed Schilling]

I personally listen to music, kinda like the intended purpose of a pair of speakers. I figure I'm not gonna die before they loosen up and if one doesn't hear them change, how does one know they did? The drivers need to rest. It does much more good to play them a while and let them rest. Again, a lot like they were made to be used. The harder they are driven the sooner they'll loosen, but again, rest between beatings will do them good. Just an opinion.
Ed
(thanks Oceanfront!)

[BossaNova31]

Hi Larry,

I just spoke to the Manley rep about the gain specs of the Shrimp in relation to their 300b monoblocks. The 300b monoblocks actually have 30db of gain in SET mode (with 0db of negative feedback - the monoblocks have a NF adjustment of 0 to 10db). Most reviewers say the monoblocks sound best with 0-4db of negative feedback. In SET mode, the monoblocks only need 700mv on the input signal side to produce maximum power and my CDP source is standard 2V output. So while the Shrimp has a low 11.8db of gain, the rep said it works fine with those monoblocks and that the gain shouldn't be an issue (he has used that combo personally). That said, I may look to upgrade to a better pre in the future.     

[miklorsmith]

Don't forget to break their spirit into submission.  Yell stuff like "YOU'RE NOT EVEN CLOSE, SWEETHEART!  YOU CALL THAT SINGING?  MY GRANDMOTHER COULD SING BETTER AND SHE'S NOT EVEN WITH US ANYMORE!  YOU THINK YOU LOOK SOOO FANCY IN THEM PRETTY WOODS BUT THAT WON'T GET YOU ANYWHERE HERE PRIVATE!  DON'T WORRY, I CAN WAIT ALL DAY."

Only once independence is crushed will the speaker sound like YOU want.  This element is often overlooked and in fact, this is a primary reason most audiophiles are dissatisfied with their systems.

You heard it here first.

[BossaNova31]

With about 200 hours now on the SuperHemps I'm happy to report that they have opened up nicely and are getting better every day  aa

I can see now why people on this board love the Omegas so much. I bought them on the advice of an audiophile friend when I told him my taste in music and I must say that his recommendation was spot on!!! Unbelievable for vocals, guitar, sax, trumpet, drums, etc, etc....The Omegas are so revealing yet never tiring. I recently upgraded from a lower end 300b integrated to Manley 300b Neoclassic Monoblocks and the difference was remarkable. Tube rolling is also very noticable with these speakers as is pretty much any other change to the front end (recently upgraded to a PS Audio P300 with multiwave II+ from an Ultimate Outlet and was astounded yet again). Now I'm upgrading the source cables to Black Sands Violets......

Anyway, just blown away. Very happy with these Omegas.