[almonduck]

Dear Omega Owners,

I just received a pair of max hemps and I'm trying to dial them in and find an amp with good synergy.  My room is 12x18ft with a tapered 10ft ceiling.  I've got them set along the short wall.  I listen to 70s R&B, classic rock and some singer songwriter type music at low to moderate levels. 

So far I've tried a Melody I880 KT88 integrated, Audio Zone Amp Sti integrated and an NHT Power2 200wpc Ice amp with a Promitheus TVC passive preamp.  All have their strengths, but I'm still looking.     

Any help with following three questions would be great:

1) What are people using to decouple the sand filled Max Hemp bases off hardwood floors?
2) What are people using to decouple the speakers from the stands?
3) What amps (preferably an integrated, but open) are people using?

Thanks.

[Alwayswantmore]

Dear Omega Owners,

I just received a pair of max hemps and I'm trying to dial them in and find an amp with good synergy.  My room is 12x18ft with a tapered 10ft ceiling.  I've got them set along the short wall.  I listen to 70s R&B, classic rock and some singer songwriter type music at low to moderate levels. 

So far I've tried a Melody I880 KT88 integrated, Audio Zone Amp Sti integrated and an NHT Power2 200wpc Ice amp with a Promitheus TVC passive preamp.  All have their strengths, but I'm still looking.     

Any help with following three questions would be great:

1) What are people using to decouple the sand filled Max Hemp bases off hardwood floors?
2) What are people using to decouple the speakers from the stands?
3) What amps (preferably an integrated, but open) are people using?

Thanks.

3.) A number of Omega owners use RWA Signature 30.2s, myself included. I have limited experience with tube amps so not much help there.

2.) Stock Skyland pads.

1.) I have wood sub floor under carpet. Would assume spikes to a brass plate for finished hardwood?

[almonduck]

Thank you Alwayswantmore.  My next step is to try a friend's Sig 30.2.  I've heard it on Horn Shoppe Horns, Tonian TL-D1, and Fritz hemp drivers and they all sounded great. I'm looking for that touch of warmth with great detail and soundstaging. 

[rajacat]

I'm happy with my modified Heathkit W5m monoblocks which use KT66 tubes. I prefer them to the two modded Trends 10.1 T-amps that I used in biamp mode. The Trends were good but didn't provide the smooth midrange and gravitas of the Heathkits. The KT66 monos also project a wider and deeper soundstage. More power is also a plus. Of course I'm using the Hemp Bipoles so maybe my opinion is only of limited value.

-Roy 

[Alwayswantmore]

Thank you Alwayswantmore.  My next step is to try a friend's Sig 30.2.  I've heard it on Horn Shoppe Horns, Tonian TL-D1, and Fritz hemp drivers and they all sounded great. I'm looking for that touch of warmth with great detail and soundstaging.

Based on user comments, some tube amps may have some plus for warmth (but Sig 30.2 is considered warm for SS amp). But the Sig 30.2 will outdo most tube amps in bass tighness and dynamics.

[rajacat]

I bet that this Dodd battery powered tube amp would be the cat's meow with Omega Hemps. aa

Here's the relevant thread.
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=70891.0

http://doddaudio.com/battery_powered_amp.aspx

[almonduck]

Rajacat--That battery tube amp looks interesting.  I've also heard modified Trends 10.1 monoblocked and it sounds super.  Really nice.  One Trends was nice, but two made the difference into something special.  In fact, the experience opened me up to the possibilities of mono blocks. 

Alwayswantsmore--I'm looking foward to hearing the Sig 30.2 with the Max Hemps. Your nearfield listening position with your Super6 very cool. It must be like being in the front row of live music.   

[Alwayswantmore]

I bet that this Dodd battery powered tube amp would be the cat's meow with Omega Hemps. aa

Here's the relevant thread.
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=70891.0

http://doddaudio.com/battery_powered_amp.aspx

I looked at this. As far as I can tell you supply the battery and there is no automatic recharging system like SMART from Red wine Audio. So looks like they cut some corners to keep price down.

[Alwayswantmore]

Alwayswantsmore--I'm looking foward to hearing the Sig 30.2 with the Max Hemps. Your nearfield listening position with your Super6 very cool. It must be like being in the front row of live music.

I've heard many systems in my life (to be fair, many were not properly set up). But only a few really got me excited. This system in this config gets me excited.

With the bass traps I call my small listening room the 'cocoon.' And when I sit people in the sweet spot I ask them if they remember the 2D pictures that used to come in the news paper... when you relaxed your eyes and looked through the image the picture went 3D. I get the same effect, with speakers far to the sides and strong direct signal to reflected signal ratio. It's kind of like a giant set of headphones, but the image can drop behind the speakers by a good 10 feet or so.

Also, reverb on live recordings is amazing. You can hear the hall come to life and the tone of clapping hands is very natural -- not that sharp clap you often hear. So even the sound of the hall and hands clapping reflects the natural attenuation of highs you would expect in a live setting.

My only caution is I listen to many styles of music including big band. But don't listen to classical. So I'm not sure how classical users would feel about the perspective with large works. I can you Nelson Riddle sounds great. But can't speak for a full orchestra.

[rajacat]

I bet that this Dodd battery powered tube amp would be the cat's meow with Omega Hemps. aa

Here's the relevant thread.
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=70891.0

http://doddaudio.com/battery_powered_amp.aspx

I looked at this. As far as I can tell you supply the battery and there is no automatic recharging system like SMART from Red wine Audio. So looks like they cut some corners to keep price down.

Cut corners?? Dodd Audio, with good reason, garners a lot of respect on AC.

 Well...  $2600 for the Sig 30.1 which is essentially a modified T-amp, it better not have any cut corners. Now if Vinnie would cut ~$1000 off the retail price,  it would be more competitive.

I'm sure that Dodd could offer an automatic charging system and that would bump the price but  it wouldn't be anywhere near $2600. IMO, of course.

-Roy

[Alwayswantmore]

I bet that this Dodd battery powered tube amp would be the cat's meow with Omega Hemps. aa

Here's the relevant thread.
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=70891.0

http://doddaudio.com/battery_powered_amp.aspx

I looked at this. As far as I can tell you supply the battery and there is no automatic recharging system like SMART from Red wine Audio. So looks like they cut some corners to keep price down.

Cut corners?? Dodd Audio, with good reason, garners a lot of respect on AC.

 Well...  $2600 for the Sig 30.1 which is essentially a modified T-amp, it better not have any cut corners. Now if Vinnie would cut ~$1000 off the retail price,  it would be more competitive.

I'm sure that Dodd could offer an automatic charging system and that would bump the price but  it wouldn't be anywhere near $2600. IMO, of course.

-Roy

...using the words "cut corners" on my part was a value judgment, and I should have chosen my words more carefully. My point is battery management is something to consider, as lead acid batteries need either human intervention or an automated system like SMART. As far as I can tell, this unit is the human intervention kind.

Battery operation does wonders for sound, so I'm not dissing the amp.