[David C.]

Hi Vinnie,

Have you had a chance to try the Isabella with a Clari-T amp? I'm wondering if the Isabella would be a good addition to my potted Clari-T / Monica 2 / Omega Super 3 system. I don't need extra gain (I rarely have the Clari-T volume set higher than 9 o'clock), but I'd like to
a) improve the sound quality via tubes and a better DAC
b) get USB input from my PowerBook
c) have remote volume control.

Ultimately, I'd like to replace the Clari-T with Sig 70.2's and the Omegas with DeVore Super 8's or Nines, but I don't want to spend that much money at one go. I'm thinking that if I upgrade in this order: Isabella, followed by Sig 70.2's, followed by DeVores, then I can spend smaller chunks of money while enjoying nice incremental sound upgrades. Does this seem like a sensible plan of attack?

David

[JDK1]

Hi David:
You are going down roughly the same upgrade path that I went...Regarding the speakers, I had the same "upgrade" thoughts (i.e., Devore, etc.), but I ultimately decided (and I did speak at some length with both Louis and Vinnie) to supplement/expand my XLS with a pair of Omega DeepHemp Cubes...Wise decision: definitely a cost-savings, gain a full-range system for home theater usage, and without much/if any downside (BTW: It is a great combination with the Sig30.2)...Just something to consider...
- jdk

[Vinnie R.]

Hi Vinnie,

Have you had a chance to try the Isabella with a Clari-T amp? I'm wondering if the Isabella would be a good addition to my potted Clari-T / Monica 2 / Omega Super 3 system. I don't need extra gain (I rarely have the Clari-T volume set higher than 9 o'clock), but I'd like to
a) improve the sound quality via tubes and a better DAC
b) get USB input from my PowerBook
c) have remote volume control.

Ultimately, I'd like to replace the Clari-T with Sig 70.2's and the Omegas with DeVore Super 8's or Nines, but I don't want to spend that much money at one go. I'm thinking that if I upgrade in this order: Isabella, followed by Sig 70.2's, followed by DeVores, then I can spend smaller chunks of money while enjoying nice incremental sound upgrades. Does this seem like a sensible plan of attack?

David

Hi David,

To me, the most sensible plan of attack is to first spend money on a speaker upgrade. 

The Super 3s are great little speakers and I believe they fit nicely with the Clari-T and Monica dac, but if you are planning to later down the road upgrade to an Isabella and Signature 30.2  or 70.2s (and this is a BIG upgrade), it makes sense to first have upgraded speakers for these components.

Have you had a chance to try the Isabella with a Clari-T amp? I'm wondering if the Isabella would be a good addition to my potted Clari-T

The Isabella will work great with your Clari-T, but I recommend converting it to a power amp (bypass the volume pot).  I can do this for you.

Here is what I recommend, in this order:

1) Speaker upgrade

2) Signature 30.2 with built-in volume attenuator (sell your Clari-T), and keep your Monica 2 as the dac for now.

3) Later on, add an Isabella with built-in dac and sell the Monica 2.

You can also switch the order of 2 and 3 above (as long as your speakers can be driven well with the 6-watt per channel Clari-T).

Please keep us posted!

Best regards,

Vinnie

[Loftprojection]

The Isabella will work great with your Clari-T, but I recommend converting it to a power amp (bypass the volume pot).  I can do this for you.

Here is what I recommend, in this order:

1) Speaker upgrade

2) Signature 30.2 with built-in volume attenuator (sell your Clari-T), and keep your Monica 2 as the dac for now.

3) Later on, add an Isabella with built-in dac and sell the Monica 2.

You can also switch the order of 2 and 3 above (as long as your speakers can be driven well with the 6-watt per channel Clari-T).

Please keep us posted!

Best regards,

Vinnie

I'm no expert like you Vinnie but if I may suggest, from my consumer eye I would personally also swap option 2 and 3.  Not only would he be able to save some $ by buying the 30.2 without the attenuator if he wishes but at the same time I have a feeling that using the Isabella as the DAC will offer him quite an upgrade in source compared to the Monica.  For me the source has always been a big determinant of the quality of sound you get.  I don't know the Monica but I always thought it was a somewhat nice cheap dac but not to the level that the Isabella will be.   Obviously you probably listened to both (you lucky b...) so maybe my comments here are a sneaky way of getting some more info out of you!   

[Vinnie R.]

Hi LP,

Obviously you probably listened to both (you lucky b...) so maybe my comments here are a sneaky way of getting some more info out of you!

You are correct... I have heard both... they are not even close... there is NO COMPARISON!      The dac that we are designing for the Isabella is the best we've heard and later on we'll most likely offer it as a stand-alone product.  More on this later...

from my consumer eye I would personally also swap option 2 and 3

This really depends on David's budget, and what speakers (if any) he plans to upgrade to.  Pricing info will be posted soon...

Best regards,

Vinnie

[David C.]

Hi Vinnie,

Here is what I recommend, in this order:

1) Speaker upgrade

2) Signature 30.2 with built-in volume attenuator (sell your Clari-T), and keep your Monica 2 as the dac for now.

3) Later on, add an Isabella with built-in dac and sell the Monica 2.

Interesting - I had it exactly backwards. I had assumed that the Clari-T wouldn't be able to drive the DeVores. Can it in fact do that?

The DeVores are actually a little outside my comfort zone as far as cost goes. For a less expensive upgrade, could the Clari-T drive one or two of the DeepHemp Cubes suggested by jdk?

David

[stevenkelby]

David, the Deep Hemps are powered by their own internal plate amp. They would just take the signal from your Monica 2, then pass the signal on to your Clari-T to power your main speakers.

I don't know how a Clari_T would drive Devores.

Hope that helps,

Steve.

[Vinnie R.]

Hi Vinnie,

Here is what I recommend, in this order:

1) Speaker upgrade

2) Signature 30.2 with built-in volume attenuator (sell your Clari-T), and keep your Monica 2 as the dac for now.

3) Later on, add an Isabella with built-in dac and sell the Monica 2.

Interesting - I had it exactly backwards. I had assumed that the Clari-T wouldn't be able to drive the DeVores. Can it in fact do that?

The DeVores are actually a little outside my comfort zone as far as cost goes. For a less expensive upgrade, could the Clari-T drive one or two of the DeepHemp Cubes suggested by jdk?

David

Hi David,

Yes, the Clari-T can power the DeVores... you'd be surprised, but not with the same authority and agility as the 30.2. 
You might be able to find a great deal on a used pair of Gibbons Super 8s on Audiogon.  These are known to work well with lower-powered tube amps, and the Clari-T does not perform like a "flea-powered" amp... it sounds bigger than its power suggests!

You can DEFINITELY use the Clari-T with one or two Omega DeepHemp or DeepHemp Cubes... use the speaker outputs of the Clari-T to feed the speaker-level inputs of the Deephemp(s).  Unlike most subwoofer plate amps, the DeepHemp does not tie the L and R negative (-) speaker level inputs together (usually to the subs GND), so using the Clari-T, Sig 30.2, or any amp's speaker level outputs for that matter to feed the speaker level inputs works fantastic here!

One DeepHemp will vastly improve your sound (and this is one of the only subs available that can keep up with the speed of the Super 3s!), but two DeepHemps will blow your mind!  You can really fine tune them to your room and get seemless, musical bass!

Also, make sure you are using a good pair of speaker stands with those Super 3s.

Another speaker upgrade option is to step up to the Compact Hemps, Super Hemps, or Max Hemp.  These are in a whole other league compared to the Super 3. 

For example, a pair of Compact Hemps with Deephemp cube (if your budget allows) will be a HUGE step up in performance for you and will do the Sig 30.2 and/or Isabella justice 

These are just some ideas for you... take your time and think these ideas and other ideas over. 

As always, please contact me if I can provide more assistance.

Best regards,

Vinnie

[David C.]

Hi Vinnie,

You can DEFINITELY use the Clari-T with one or two Omega DeepHemp or DeepHemp Cubes... use the speaker outputs of the Clari-T to feed the speaker-level inputs of the Deephemp(s).  Unlike most subwoofer plate amps, the DeepHemp does not tie the L and R negative (-) speaker level inputs together (usually to the subs GND), so using the Clari-T, Sig 30.2, or any amp's speaker level outputs for that matter to feed the speaker level inputs works fantastic here!

So would I wire a DeepHemp in parallel with my main speakers, with everything connected directly to the Clari-T, or would I wire it in series, with the Clari-T feeding the DeepHemp, which in turn feeds the main speakers? I can't find any pictures of the DeepHemp plate amp inputs, so I'm not sure how it connects to anything.

David

[stevenkelby]

There is a pic here you can save and zoom in on:

http://www.omegaloudspeakers.com/deephemp.html

Taking Vinnie's advice from his post, I would take the existing speaker cables you have coming out of the Clari-t and instead of to your speakers, run it to the Deep speaker level inputs, then run some cable from the Deeps speaker level outputs to your speakers.

So if you have 2 deeps, run the left channel speaker output of the Clari-t to the Deep which you will use for left, then run cable to your left speaker, so Clari-t left channel speaker output > Left Deep > Left speaker, and do the same for the right side.

You can use the deeps as stands for your Supers, even though the Supers are smaller.

[Vinnie R.]

Taking Vinnie's advice from his post, I would take the existing speaker cables you have coming out of the Clari-t and instead of to your speakers, run it to the Deep speaker level inputs, then run some cable from the Deeps speaker level outputs to your speakers.

I WOULD NOT DO THIS... this puts the Deephemps internal high pass filter (I think 120Hz) in the circuit (I don't recommend it, and told Louis he should just block off those speaker-level outputs on the Deephemp to avoid confusion ).

[quote="David C." ]So would I wire a DeepHemp in parallel with my main speakers, with everything connected directly to the Clari-T[/quote]

Correct! 

Or you can run the Clari-T to your speakers, and then run speaker cables in parallel with your speakers to the Deep Hemp speaker inputs (If the deephemp is close to your speakers, this might be more convenient).

You can use the deeps as stands for your Supers, even though the Supers are smaller.

This can work out nicely! Get some isolation feet between them, and you can even play with raking the Super 3s on top of the Deephemps so they are angled up to your ears (the angle depends on where you are sitting with respect to them).  Two DeepHemps (or DeepHemp cubes) with the Super 3s on top or right next to them sounds the best.  You also want to try playing with the phase switch of the Deephemps (Normal, or Reverse).  Depending on your room, where you are sitting, etc... .one position will give you more output and will sound obviously better.  Just make sure the phase of both subs are equal (both "normal" or both "reverse"). 

Vinnie

[stevenkelby]

Sorry! That's how my B&W sub can be wired up, I did it for a while.

You would soon figure it out when the Supers only play up to 120Hz!

I wonder what the speaker level outs on the Deep are for then?

Anyway, to save cable, Clari-t > Speakers > Deep does make much more sense, then you don't put the speaker signal through the Deep.

Vinnie, would there be any audible difference in the wiring the deep and speakers in series or parallel? Might be worth playing with.

Sorry for the mis-information! Not for the first time either... 

[Vinnie R.]

Sorry for the mis-information! Not for the first time either... 

No worries, Steven 

I wonder what the speaker level outs on the Deep are for then?

Most subwoofer plate amps have this feature (the built-in high pass filter for the mains speakers), but unless you actually want such a filter (6dB/octave, 120Hz with the deephemp) for your mains speaker, don't even bother with it.

Vinnie, would there be any audible difference in the wiring the deep and speakers in series or parallel? Might be worth playing with.

Please explain what you mean by wiring the deephemp and speakers in series (in terms of what connections would you be going to/from)?  I can't see how it would work in series or why you would ever want to do it this way.

Best regards,

Vinnie

[stevenkelby]

Thanks Vinnie, I get it now, HIGH pass filter...   

Could you wire them up: Clari-t > Speakers > Deep.  That would be in parallel right?

Then if you went:

Clari-t > Speakers
         > Deep

Would that change anything? Does that also make it a parallel connection? Thinking about it (for a change), that would be the same as the first layout, just using more speaker wire, right?

I realize now I was completely off track about Series, that would be if you hooked them up as 1 circuit with the signal wire going through the speakers, then through the deep, then the return wire back to the amp. Clearly that would be wrong! 

[David C.]

Hi Vinnie,

Or you can run the Clari-T to your speakers, and then run speaker cables in parallel with your speakers to the Deep Hemp speaker inputs (If the deephemp is close to your speakers, this might be more convenient).

The more I think about it, the more I like the DeepHemp idea. I could upgrade my current system one affordable DeepHemp at a time. Then when I eventually upgrade my main speakers I could use the DeepHemps with the new mains. I'm assuming they will play nicely with and improve the sound of even something like the DeVore Nines.

Thanks for all the upgrading advice; it's been very helpful.

David

[Vinnie R.]

Hi Vinnie,

Or you can run the Clari-T to your speakers, and then run speaker cables in parallel with your speakers to the Deep Hemp speaker inputs (If the deephemp is close to your speakers, this might be more convenient).

The more I think about it, the more I like the DeepHemp idea. I could upgrade my current system one affordable DeepHemp at a time. Then when I eventually upgrade my main speakers I could use the DeepHemps with the new mains. I'm assuming they will play nicely with and improve the sound of even something like the DeVore Nines.

Thanks for all the upgrading advice; it's been very helpful.

David

Hi David,

The DeepHemps will play nicely with any speaker... they are the best sounding sub I have heard (for music, not HT).  It is only a matter of time before more people learn about the DeepHemp (even those who do not use Omeaga speakers) and realize that for the price, nothing can touch it! 

Best regards,

Vinnie

[David C.]

Hi Vinnie,

Should I use the same kind of speaker wire to hook both the main speakers and the DeepHemp to my Clari-T? I currently use solid silver wires for my main speakers. Would I run into problems if I used solid copper wires for the DeepHemp?

David

[Vinnie R.]

Hi Vinnie,

Should I use the same kind of speaker wire to hook both the main speakers and the DeepHemp to my Clari-T? I currently use solid silver wires for my main speakers. Would I run into problems if I used solid copper wires for the DeepHemp?

David

Hi David,

This is fine.... no problem at all.

Vinnie

[winebroker2007]

Vinnie--

Do you use the Deep Hemp cubes with your Devore Nines?  What do they add?  How large is the room you're running them in?

Thanks,
--George

[Vinnie R.]

Vinnie--

Do you use the Deep Hemp cubes with your Devore Nines?  What do they add?  How large is the room you're running them in?

Thanks,
--George

Hi George,

I do not because I am not in a large room and the DeVore Nines go just as deep.

If I needed more output in the lower registers (if I was in a larger room), a pair of DeepHemps would be my first choice!

Vinnie