[jwes]

Has anyone tried RWA (think it would need to be 70 or 70.2) with the Emerald Physics CS2 open baffle speakers?  My understanding is that they require more juice than the high eff. specs would indicate because you do have to move some sizeable woofers(15").  They must be bi-amped, so maybe RWA stuff could be used on the tweeter.  Anyway, I'd appreciate any thoughts on this!

Thanks...

[el dub]

Our RWA 30.2 Integrated arrived today. I couldn't resist dropping it into the main system, replacing a manley stingray. (Cary CD, Silverline SR 15 speakers, Sunfire eq sub.)

I like the sound right out of the box. There seems to be a tad more bass response through the RWA, although the stingray appears to have a little more gain overall, even in 20 watt triode mode. The clarity of the RWA is amazing, imo.


Now I can't wait for the Omega Alnicos to materialize...    

[R Browne]

Today I had the opportunity to have a home demo of a pair of Tonian Labs TL-D1 speakers powered by my RWA Sig 30 and I must say that I was impressed by how well they played together. The TL-D1 is a two-way, floor standing, semi-open baffle speaker with an 8" Fostex bass/midrange driver and a modified ribbon super-tweeter. Very fast, dynamic, transparent and musical. As good as it sounded with the older Sig 30, I think the TL-D1 would be even better match with the newer 30.2 based on user comments of the 30.2.

Not much has been writen about this speaker, but for those interested, there is a recent Positive Feedback review at http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue36/tonian_labs.htm that falls in line with my experience.

[Sigfreed]

Well i have a pair of Bag End TA15 studio monitors in the 13 ply birch cabinet with large horn and they have a 103db sensitivity.

I ordered the Sig 30 a little over a year ago and really liked it and then swapped back in my Wright 3.5 SET amps and really liked that again and stayed with that until the last heat wave we experienced here in PA a few weeks back. At that point i swapped back in the Sig 30(which has been laying idle but powered up for at least 6 months) to help alleviate some heat being produced from the SET amps. I have been really enjoying listening to it again. Just a different presentation and i have to say that this .2 upgrade REALLY has me curious!! I mean the Sig 30 sounds really good now but not quite there with the Wright SET amp IMHO but the praise i am hearing of the .2 upgrade just may have me sending this back to Vinnie for that. I'm using a modded Eastern Electric Minimax preamp in front of my amps. Heard some great things about the Mapletree pre's and may investigate that pre in the future as well

But back to the thread: My large horn speakers are very revealing and the Sig 30 sounds great with them. If there were something that i would like to have it would be a bit more tonal richness and smoothness and some lower mid/bass presence and i do bleieve i read that that is what the upgrade does provide so my curiousity has been piqued for sure. I do love the dynamics for certain of the Sig 30 and if the way people are raving about this upgrade and saying to just do it,well i think i should  ; )

[jrebman]

If there were something that i would like to have it would be a bit more tonal richness and smoothness and some lower mid/bass presence and i do bleieve i read that that is what the upgrade does provide so my curiousity has been piqued for sure. I do love the dynamics for certain of the Sig 30 and if the way people are raving about this upgrade and saying to just do it,well i think i should  ; )

Yup, that's what you'll get .  And you won't lose any of the good stuff either.  If you are enjoying the 30, chances are that you may love the 30.2 even more, and you might even find that a direct connection from your source to amp is possible without losing too much of the tube pre flavoring.

My 30.2 has two switch selectable inputs and I have the squeezebox in one and the multiplayer in the other and right now I don't feel any real urgency to put a tube pre in the mix, though I'm sure I will at some point.

-- Jim

[Hifidelityaudio]

 As a Audio systems builder it is very competitive out there, 2 speakers that are stand outs that  I allways have on demo Are the Excellent Omega Max Hemp Loudspeaker
with deep Hemp sub, and the New WLM-La Scala loudspeakers,  both are very good it is like a Ferrari and a Porsche
both are excellent .We are in  NewEngland give us a call to  make an appointment and please do check us out, Vinnies Red Wine products and 70.2 amplifiers make every product better.
 Also - The 30.2 amplifiers we now have in  stock !

[dspringham]

Hello,my first post here. I replaced my modified (caps,triode mode) Almarro A205A mk II to 30.2 and couldn't been happier with the results. Speakers are Avantgarde horns. Absolutely fantastic combination. Very smooth, dynamic and detailed.

I notice that your signature now shows that your are using Omega Super Hemps with Alnico magnets with your Sig 30.2.

Any background and comments on this combination?

[Eadron]

Hello,my first post here. I replaced my modified (caps,triode mode) Almarro A205A mk II to 30.2 and couldn't been happier with the results. Speakers are Avantgarde horns. Absolutely fantastic combination. Very smooth, dynamic and detailed.

I notice that your signature now shows that your are using Omega Super Hemps with Alnico magnets with your Sig 30.2.

Any background and comments on this combination?

Hi dspringham,

my signature is updated a little bit early  ..the Avantgardes haven't left the building yet and the reason for that is; I haven't got stands from Skylan (but I know Noel is working on them just now  ) and I didn't bother figure out something less than Noel's masterpieces. But I do have Alnico Super Hemps waiting in gorgeous wenge veneer and they are pretty much burnt in right now (my audio buddies have taken care of that). For what I've heard so far all I can say right now - the Avantgardes will be replaced by Omegas  .

I will be commenting the sound later that's for sure.

jouni

PS. After having the Isabella w/ Isabellina and the Mac as digital drive to my system I also have feeling that for the first time Avantgardes really shows what they are capable of. So the expectations towards Omegas also have gotten pretty high  .

[Profbratsch]

At the moment I am using LSA 2 Standard towers but that will probably change before too much longer.  Impedance is 6 ohms.  Efficiency is 88db.  They are bi-wired using Cerious Technologies' liquid ceramic cables with my new RWA 30.2 integrated and even after only twenty hours I am noticing a expansion of the soundstage and improved definition in the bass.  I know, I am going to be much happier after a couple hundred more hours of listening and that might happen by next weekend.   

The sound is quite different from that of the LSA integrated I also own at present (a Signature modified by John Tucker to the most recent Statement status).  The image from the LSA amp is huge and the placement of the musicians on stage spot-on but the bass is a bit uncontrolled in my dedicated listening room (18x14 with 7 1/2-foot ceiling) and most performances seem to exhibit a euphonic coloration, as if many of the recorded venues had the same qualities of resonance.

What amazes me about the 30.2 is that I readily sense the differences between acoustical environments even at this early stage of break-in.  I also think the portrayal of instruments seems closer to what I imagine in real-life performance.  No bells and whistles, no "musical technicolor", rather what to me appears to be a very pure and transparent rendition of timbre and articulation.  I am writing this after listening to Chick Corea and Gary Burton in their two-CD collaboration, The New Crystal Silence.  The blend of two accomplished artists on piano and vibraphone is wonderful.  The bass on the LSA 2s, while having a larger, more voluminous presence with the LSA amp, is much better defined in pitch and attack on the RWA...with one-fifth the watts and a WHOLE lot less parts! 

Probably longer than my first post on the RWA Forum should be... 

[Vinnie R.]

Hi Jouni,

Thank you for your post!


Hi Profbratsch ,

Welcome to Audiocircle and the RWA forum!

Thanks for posting your initial impressions... Please keep us updated, and thank you!

Happy listening, always!

Vinnie

[milpai]

Hi Vinnie,

How will the RWA Sig 30.2 power amp go with the Quad 21L loudspeakers? This speaker's sensitivity is 88db and nominal impedance is 6ohms.

Anyone else on this forum using RWA 30.2 with Quads? I am looking to pair this speaker with a Promitheus preamp and RWA Sig 30.2. Kindly do not suggest me the Isabella, as it is out of my budget and taste (tube). I have nothing against the tubes - just the maintenance.

Thanks,
Milpai

[Flashman]

Hi Vinnie,

How will the RWA Sig 30.2 power amp go with the Quad 21L loudspeakers? This speaker's sensitivity is 88db and nominal impedance is 6ohms.

Anyone else on this forum using RWA 30.2 with Quads? I am looking to pair this speaker with a Promitheus preamp and RWA Sig 30.2. Kindly do not suggest me the Isabella, as it is out of my budget and taste (tube). I have nothing against the tubes - just the maintenance.

Thanks,
Milpai

You might think twice about bypassing the Sig 30.2 volume control (assuming you have a 30.2 with vol. control) with the Promitheus.  Here's what Vinnie had to say about the combo in an earlier post:

I know TVCs are nice and a lot of people like them, but you need to take my word that the Sig 30 was voiced with the DACT in the input stage and you will throw off the tonal balance if you were to remove it.  The Sig 30 and 70s use carefully selected parts that were not just chosen for their high quality and reliability, but were mainly chosen to give the sound that I was looking for... working together as a whole (a synergy of parts in the signal path, ie, "voicing the amp").  Most of this process was done via listening, trial and error, tweaking, changing, refining, trying different combinations of parts, etc.  It took a long time but it was well worth it!

[Mariusz]

I think Milpai is referring to Sig30 or 30.2 amp , not the integrated. Besides, (for difficult load speakers)even the integrated version benefited from ext. preamp extra gain (in my case Dodd which is now replaced by Isabella). I am sure the optimum scenario with integrated would be to not use any preamp but if additional gain is needed that is the only option........except for the new pair of speakers of course or sending it back to RWA and have it convert to amp version only with 100K input sensitivity which is preferred with use of the preamp.
But if Milpai has the RWA amp in mind , I would say go with the passive. Since the budget is the main factor in his decision making, it makes the perfect choice.
Unless he is willing to part with his Quads. I am sure Vinnie can answer that question better then I but RWA Sig.30.2 amp with passive preamp makes a perfect combo in my opinion.

[Vinnie R.]

Hi Vinnie,

How will the RWA Sig 30.2 power amp go with the Quad 21L loudspeakers? This speaker's sensitivity is 88db and nominal impedance is 6ohms.

Anyone else on this forum using RWA 30.2 with Quads? I am looking to pair this speaker with a Promitheus preamp and RWA Sig 30.2. Kindly do not suggest me the Isabella, as it is out of my budget and taste (tube). I have nothing against the tubes - just the maintenance.

Thanks,
Milpai

Hi Milpai,

Welcome to Audiocircle and the RWA forum!

I never tried the Signature 30.2 with Quad 21s, but on paper they appear to be easier to drive than Quad 57s.  I have customers who love the 30.2 with the Quad 57s, 63s, and 989s. 

I am very confident that if your Quad 21s are 6-ohm, 88dB efficient, the RWA 30.2 will have no trouble driving them and sounding great.

If you plan on  using a Promitheus passive preamp with the 30.2, I recommend using the 30.2 power amp.  The 30.2 integrated uses a passive attenuator (volume control), and I do not recommend putting a passive volume control in front of another passive volume control.

I have a few 30.2 power customers who use the Promitheus and love this combo!  I never listened to it, but from the feedback that I received, it is a very good match!

Please let me know if you have any other question..

Sincerely,

Vinnie

[milpai]

Hi Vinnie,

Thank you for the reply. Yes, you are right. If the Sigs can drive Quad 57s, then my speakers should be easy load for them. I exchanged emails with couple of Promitheus users and they too confirmed me about this combination. So I will go ahead with the TVC and Sig 30.2 power amp. The power amp upgrade will be at a later date though.

Congrats on such a wonderful product Vinnie 

Regards,
Milpai

[R Browne]

I've been living with a pair of Tonian Labs TL-D1 speakers (95 dB) for the past two months using the Sig 30 and find that they work very well together. The Fostex drivers aren't broken in yet as they need 200 hrs. and my music listening time has been only a few hours a week lately, but they are improving as time goes on. When the designer, Tony Minasian, delivered them to me we both concurred the the RWA amp sounded better with his speakers than my Audio Note M1 pre and P2 SE amp combo. Unfortunately, the Tonian Labs speakers are difficult to audition outside of the Los Angeles area as there is not a dealer network, but if you're ever in the area, give Tony a call for a listen. You'll be in for a treat.

[low.pfile]

I'm fairly sure I didn't post in this thread already.

Nothing exotic. An almost expected speaker combo with the RWA 30.2 power amp for me: Devore Super 8s.

This sounds great to me (in a 13 x 18 room). BTW I am using Reality SCs between the two.

I am curious about the Isabella DAC/PRE combo....would be interesting to compare agains my Brick DAC with Modwright Pre. Saving up bottle tops to fund the Isa and have a ways to go.

ed

[raov1]

I'm using one of the older models  the "ClariT" with the Fertin 20 ex in an open baffle, they are nothing short of spectacular in my 12' x 14' bedroom. This little amp has been modified by Vinnie with PIO caps.  aa

[Vinnie R.]

Nothing exotic. An almost expected speaker combo with the RWA 30.2 power amp for me: Devore Super 8s.

This sounds great to me (in a 13 x 18 room). BTW I am using Reality SCs between the two.

I am curious about the Isabella DAC/PRE combo....would be interesting to compare agains my Brick DAC with Modwright Pre. Saving up bottle tops to fund the Isa and have a ways to go.

ed

Hi Ed,

Thanks for posting.  The 30.2 is awesome with the Devores! 

The Isabella + built-in dac is a match made in heaven with the 30.2.  As always, feel free to contact me if you have any questions...

Congrats on such a wonderful product Vinnie 

Thanks, Milpai!

Unfortunately, the Tonian Labs speakers are difficult to audition outside of the Los Angeles area as there is not a dealer network, but if you're ever in the area, give Tony a call for a listen. You'll be in for a treat.

Hi R Browne,

Thanks for posting about the Tonian Labs speakers.  I've read about them (I believe they used to have a PHY driver in one of their models) - glad to hear they are also sounding great with the Fostex!

I'm using one of the older models  the "ClariT" with the Fertin 20 ex in an open baffle, they are nothing short of spectacular in my 12' x 14' bedroom. This little amp has been modified by Vinnie with PIO caps.

Hey raov1,

Thanks for your post!


Sincerely,

Vinnie

[Mariusz]

Hi all
I have listen to Sachiko double mouth horns using Fostex FE206eN custom drivers and they were great with RWA. (note - 6K SET amp did some things better then Sig.30.2 but at twice the price) . In fact , I was so impressed with the sound coming out of those and RWA gear that I will build my own pair based on that design and tweak it towards the RWA qualities. Another design that might work nicely with RWA is the double mouth, spiral horn , Fostex based speaker with omnidirectional qualities. But that is the future and will touch this ones it is finish and ready.
I will report back when time permits.

Another horns that work with Vinnie's gear is Rethm Saadhana speakers.

Cheers
Mariusz