[Flyin_V]

Hi everyone,
First of all, great forum and people here. I've been lurkin for awhile and am thinking seriously about some single driver speakers. I've heard a couple of rear horn loaded models using a 3" Fostex driver and was pretty impressed, not only with the speed but also the bass extension on jazz w/ an acoustic bass.

Thinking about the 5XRS but would like an alnico driver, so it looks like it's the 6XRS. Is there an Alnico for the 5 anytime in the future?

As for driving them, I know tubes or SS will work, but is there any real 'magic' when using low power tubes (say, Decware Taboo). How about the RWA 30.2? Would that offer any better bass control/extension?

Sorry for the ramble and thanks for any advice. 

~Lary

[bprice2]

I'm doing both with great results...Sig 30 and a Mapletree tubed pre. 

[raneypdx]

I'm using a RWA Isabella and Sig 30.2 to drive the 3xrs.  Wonderful combination for all types of music, even for orchestral.   Vocals and Jazz are just amazing.  Single-driver magic.  I listen to vinyl for the most part thru the phono stage of an AI Modulus 3A. 

However, when I swap my Korneff 45SE for the Sig 30.2,  I cannot describe how incredible a deep groove mono jazz record sounds from the 3xrs.  Depending on your room and listening habits, a 45 SET can drive the 3xrs.

Btw, I've used a pair of Quicksilver Horn Monos w/ KT88's, EL34's and 6L6's with great success as well.

Good luck with your search.

[rajacat]

I'm running rebuilt vintage 6L6GS 25watts/ch. monoblocks and a Van Alstine hybrid preamp. It seems like I have plenty of headroom and they sound great.

I prefer tubes although I've tried a tube pre. with both chip and T amp too with good results.

If I was buying now I'd seriously consider this Dodd battery powered tube amp. and tube buffer.
http://doddaudio.com/battery_powered_amp.aspx

-Roy

[Flyin_V]

bprice2; Sounds like a great combination.

raneypdx; you have a nice mix of components (I had a couple of M3s over the years). Your comment re the 45SE speaks highly for the 3xrs!

rajacat; thanks for the comments and the tip on the Dodd. Is a buffer necessary or more
of an accessory?

I get the feeling I"ll be using tubes (and a passive for now). Looking forward to
comments on the diyhifisupply DHT OTL linestage.

Thanks for all the comments!     

[DaveC113]

An Alnico 4.5" driver should be here soon.

I built a Simple SE EL34 / KT88 SET amp for my speakers, it's similar to this Decware:

http://www.decware.com/newsite/SE34I.htm

I use my Simple SE with an Anthem Pre1 6dj8 tubed preamp, and really like the results.

[rajacat]

An Alnico 4.5" driver should be here soon.

I built a Simple SE EL34 / KT88 SET amp for my speakers, it's similar to this Decware:

http://www.decware.com/newsite/SE34I.htm

I use my Simple SE with an Anthem Pre1 6dj8 tubed preamp, and really like the results.

Dave, do you have some inside information on the 4.5 alnico? Louis hasn't given any updates for a long time.

-Roy

[DaveC113]

Dave, do you have some inside information on the 4.5 alnico? Louis hasn't given any updates for a long time.

-Roy

As best I can remember, at RMAF he said they might be ready around the holidays.

I'll need to get my taxes back before I can afford them, so I don't mind the wait.   

[jellojoe]

Any chance that the Alico 4.5" will fit in the old Grande 8R cabinet?

[Flyin_V]

DaveC113 your amp sounds cool.

I hope there is a 4.5 Alnico release on the near horizon.

Thanks for the info.

~Lary

[Alwayswantmore]

Tubes have warmth, but there can be other tradeoffs (at a given price point).

Bass authority and dynamics are pretty darn good with the 30.2., and there's no solid-state hardness.

I ran 30.2 for a number of years (started with a Sig 30, then did full upgrade). Now I run 30.2 which has been converted to straight amp with Isabella. Sounds super.

I have a friend the tons of pricy gear and big bucks in power cords, speaker cables, power conditioning, ICs etc. He was running a fairly pricy BAT tube amp in balanced mode from expensive turntable and Ayre CDP. He bought a 30.2 on approval with the idea he would use it as his  summer amp (to reduce heat in his listening room). He told me the 30.2 is good enough to reach virtual parity with the BAT. Not meaning they sound exactly alike, but meaning he would be pressed to say that one is better than the other.

I run Omega Super 6 monitors with Deep Hemp. I have not heard his system since he got the 30.2, but when I heard it with the BAT, it was one of the best sounding systems I’ve heard. It did some things better and some not as good as my system. But  my system costs less than ½ of his. And I get a more intimate image with more flesh on instruments / vocals. Given the option to trade even for what he had, I’d keep my RWA / Omega gear.

All in my opinion. Kent

[Flyin_V]

I like your comment on the 6's intimate image and meat on the instruments. I listen near field and value that over large scale drama. Micro dynamics are very important though. In the past, the best systems for meat on the bones have been tube; sounds like the 30.2 does that pretty well though.

Thanks for the info.

~Lary

[Alwayswantmore]

I like your comment on the 6's intimate image and meat on the instruments. I listen near field and value that over large scale drama. Micro dynamics are very important though. In the past, the best systems for meat on the bones have been tube; sounds like the 30.2 does that pretty well though.

Thanks for the info.

~Lary

I listen near field in a small room. But the room is well treated with GIK acoustic panels. The Super 6 Monitors are image kings. Fast and localized, and completely disappear from the room. The soundstage and locations vary based on how the recording was engineered (a good thing -- it means the system is letting the original recording shine through).

The amount of flesh and quality of timbre (how natural instruments / vocals sound) is top notch, especially near field.

30.2 is dead black background. Just like quality Plasma TVs, the blacker the background the better colors (timbre) look. The sound is detailed by not fatiguing. The sound is not like tubes, but not like solid state either. In many ways, considering the cost, IMO the 30.2 is a very good value. Not only does it do well with your handful of audiophile recordings, but you get drawn in to commercial recordings too. In the end, no product is perfect, so it's a matter of personal tastes and what you value most when listening.

Look at some of the old show reviews on RWA's / Omega's sites when RWA and Omega shared a room. They always had a killer combo given the price point. This was before Alnicos which are even better.

I started with Compact Hemps (8" HEMP), now have Super 6s (6" Alnico), and I am 100% sold on Omega's speaker. They are the deal of the century. You will not believe the build quality for the money.

I've never used them in a large room, but given you listen near field, Omega designs will be tough to beat.

My point re. tubes is there are trade offs. You will get warmth, but especially in power amps, bass can be soft / round compared to 30.2 -- which is very tuneful with lots of balls. 30.2 is taunt, but no metallic edge. Nice soundstage IMO. Now that I front the 30.2 with Isabella, which is RWA's tube-based preamp (and I have optional NOS DAC), I get the best of both worlds.

Pick the best you can find and put them side-by-side in your listening room. I did this with a FW F1 and Sig 30 prior to committing to the 30. Another guy on RWA's user forum just went through the same exercise with RWA Isabella and ARC Reference preamp. Search out his thread. He kept questioning how the Isabella could sound better than a preamp costing about twice as much (battery operation is a big factor). In your listening room you will know what's best for you. Return the loser, and rest assured you made a good decision. (Both Omega and RWA have return policies.)

DISCLAIMER: I have owned RWA since the first introduction of Sig 30. AFTER I purchased my RWA gear, I began doing contract work for RWA (rewriting their Web site). But again, I purchased everything including the Isabella long before working for Vinnie. A little over a year ago, I rewrote Omegas Web site. Prior to working with Louis I owned Compact Hemps. While working for Louis I acquired one of the first production pairs of Super 6s. But my name is on this post. If I did not believe what I'm saying, it would not have been written.

[DaveC113]

I can't argue the Isabella / 30.2 is worth checking out if you have $7k. If not, you can buy a good integrated SET (like the decware) on a much tighter budget. If you have a larger budget, these amps look very interesting, he offers fully assembled amps and kits:

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/Magazine/equipment/0206/welborne_laboratories_300b.htm

This isn't going to be a budget amp by any means if you use high end parts, but it will offer a lot of value for the money. Amps in this league are mostly going to be personal preference rather than one being clearly better than another.

I have heard the 6" monitors and would choose them over the ferrite 4.5s that I have.... but the 4.5 alnicos will probably change that. No whizzer, less mass on the cone, and they still reach low enough to have no issues integrating with a sub.

[Flashman]

As for driving them, I know tubes or SS will work, but is there any real 'magic' when using low power tubes (say, Decware Taboo). How about the RWA 30.2? Would that offer any better bass control/extension?

Sorry for the ramble and thanks for any advice. 

~Lary

As you'll see from my signature (which I need to update a bit) I am using an RWA Signature 30.2, which was recently converted from integrated to power amp.  It is preceded by the Monarchy Audio NM24 tube-driven DAC/preamp.  My digital source is an RWA-modified Olive music server, which before the DAC stage is fed by a Monarchy Audio DIP Combo (jitter reducer/upsampler).  My analog source is a Technics 1200 MKII (vintage design but new stock) with a Denon 103R MC cart.  My phono amp is a Luxman LE-109, modified by Mr. Poon at Monarchy Audio.

Okay, with that exposition aside, my speakers are the excellent Omega Compact Hemps sitting atop dual Deep Hemps.  Wow!  Louis makes outstanding speakers and mated with the NM24 and RWA gear the sound is awesome.  I get the warmth of tubes with the clarity, speed and power of Vinnie's excellent RWA gear.  I especially like the versatility of the NM24 as it is a tube-driven DAC, solid-state DAC (which can drive a separate system or a subwoofer) and tube-driven line stage.  One reviewer described it as an audio version of a Swiss army knife.  While the unit retails for $1590 you can usually get it direct from the manufacturer for $1080 on Audiogon with a 12-month warranty.  That has to be one of the great bargains in audio.  Many years ago, Mr. Poon was the distributor for Luxman in the United States and he also sold Nelson Pass Threshold products in Asia.  So the guy knows his audio.  I don't have any financial connection to Mr. Poon or Monarchy but suggest if you want to pair an RWA amp with tubes on Louis's speakers you may wish to give the NM24 a look.

[Flyin_V]

Flashman; I keep hearing about tubes with RWA; seems that is a killer combo. I'm waiting for the DHT OTL pre amp kit coming out soon so might take the RWA plunge. I heard my friend's 30.2 and liked it, but didn't hear much space and atmosphere as I've heard with my tubes in the past (VAC Ren. 30/30, Transcendent OTL, or Decware Select). Good to hear Monarchy has improved it's products (I owned their 25 wpc amp years ago).

Thanks for the scoop.

~Lary

[Louis O]

Hi Everyone.

Thanks for the great posts.

I have the RWA too and it sounds closest to tubes and has the attributes of SS. Won't heat up the room too.

I'll have more info this coming week about the 4.5" alnico. We're getting close.

Thanks,
Louis