Review of Omega Super Alnico High Output XRS Speakers

Looks good, I like the wood choice.

 

Beautiful speakers. You’ve just sold the strengths of the Omegas better than their own site does.

With the rear port, what have you found re: positioning from the back wall?

 

Many thanks! I position them about 12-16" from the wall for critical listening, about 8" when the kids are free-ranging. They image best at about 16.

 

Excellent review! A while back I took a pair of Omega Super 3i speakers as partial trade from a friend. While the little 3is didn't have much in the way of bass, they're not designed for it, they did have some of the best imaging of any speaker I've owned. The image depth was amazing. I drove mine with a 4 watt Bottlhead amp.

 

Sounds like a smokin' setup
I can't see any of the pictures in any browser-is it just me?
Have you ever seen a 3rd party test? I'm curious about the sensitivity, since so many purveyors of high sensitivity speakers exaggerate/lie about that.

 

Heard a pair of Omegas ( cannot remember the model) at a show in Blighty and they sounded very nice indeed.

 

Beautiful setup! Speakers look great too! I'd love to hear these some time. Lots of good efficient speakers out these for that SET magic, I wish I could try them all!

 

I took the plunge with Super 3is a year ago. I live pretty close by to Louis and went to the shop to pick them up. Had a great visit talking tube amps, road racing and hi-fi in general. Same experience with break-in as you which had me nervous. Sounded pretty meh initially. Louis recommended bass heavy music and I played the Boston Audio Society test CD for a week or two and voila! Very surprising low end on these little guys. Congrats to you on a beautiful set up!!!! Enjoy!!! You've got me thinking I need to upgrade to the Super Alnicos next.......

 

I just ordered that same model. I have a 2A3 based single-ended amp that I want to pair with these. I ordered mine in Olive. I look forward to receiving them.

 

I am the happy owner of a beatuiful pair of Omega Super Alnico High Output monitors, and will echo everything @rischa had to say. Wonderful speakers. Nothing quite like them. The timbre and purity makes instruments come alive, and the bass is surprisingly deep with great definition.

 

Congratulations and happy listening!

 

I received my Super 3i speakers last Week. I had only a few days to use them as I left to go on vacation. My experience is similar to the thread starter. When I hooked them up-they were excessively bright, forward with a treble that would take your ear off. But they were also detailed and fast. After about 10-15 hours of break-in I could not believe I was hearing the same speaker. Still lively in a good way-fast detailed but with amazing tones-mid-range and real imaging champs. Adequate tuneful bass. I personally will not need a sub but some might depending on music choices. I put on Strauss’s Four Last Songs( the Janowitz/ Karajan version) and was literally bowled over by the musical beauty coming out of these speakers. By way of contrast I put on a great version of Eyes of the World ( Grateful Dead) and was I getting magnificent tone with Jerry’s guitar-I have never heard it better than this. My Lascala speakers are also brilliant tonal champs-these Omega’s are like portable LaScalas. I understand that these have not fully broken-in yet so I think I will get even more out of them-hard to imagine.

 

My Omega speakers continually get better with the hours of play. Right now I am playing the Power to Believe by King Crimson. All the tones, colors, drive and low end you could want are there. These are extremely good speakers.

 

I picked up a used pair of Omega Super Alnico High Output XRS towers earlier this year and I'm continually amazed how these express themselves. Non fatiguing with enough detail and bass to boot. I have mine 42" from the back wall and a good 8+ feet apart. Tilted back a few degrees.

 

I was looking at the Omega FB page, and found myself quite taken with the Compact Alnico Monitors in that tiger-stripey wood ...

Anyone tried using Omega speakers with Naim or other s.s. amps?

 

I'm using Super Alnico High Output monitors with a Marantz PM8006, match made in heaven. Also have used them with Yamaha A-S1100 which was also good.

 

I use my Super 3i's with a Marantz HD-AMP1 (35 wpc class d) in the warmer months when I don't want tubes in the mix. I've also had excellent results with a Fleawatt TPA3116-D2 (25 wpc class d). In fact, it was the Fleawatt that convinced me ss can sound great with the Omega’s. Unfortunately, the little Fleawatt lacked some options I wanted/needed, hence the Marantz, which fit the bill perfectly.

BTW, I've read Omega’s sound better with lower-powered amps regardless of class and type. True?

 

I initially used my Omega RS7 with a Rega Brio-R. It's a really good match. Louis actually uses a Brio as one of his solid state amps when he tunes his cabinets.

That said, tubes + single drivers take it several steps beyond! Nevertheless they play really nice with solid state.

 

My brother loves his single driver Omega Compact Hemp’s.

 

Hey Rischa, i'm new to these forums. I did a Google search for Omega speaker reviews and it took me to your post. I must say, you have traveled a route very similar to one i now find myself upon. I bought some Tekton Pendragons, which i liked, but i got greedy and wanted MORE, so i sent 'em back and got myself the Tekton Double Impact SEs. I had initially thought because they are very efficient that i could drive them with a SET amp (and i definitely have my sites set on a Decware SET amp). Then i find out that because the crossovers in these things are so elaborate, they take a fair amount of power to drive and hence are not good matches with SET amps. So you know, I have an inexpensive Yaquin MC-10L tube amp that's about 30-35 watts and i have to crank that thing to make these towers sing. I like the sound well enough, but i really am super intrigued by Steve Deckert and Louis Chochos' philosophy. To that end, I am trying to figure out which Decware amp to get and which speakers to pair up to it. If you don't mind, I'll probably pester you with quite a few questions?

 

Hi Steven, welcome to the forum! I'd be happy to answer any questions. There are a couple other forum members who have experience with the Decware/Omega combo (hi, @beowulf ) who might be able to chime in as well and offer a broader perspective.

What specific models of Decware amps and Omega speakers are you considering?

 

Some good ones for testing your gears ablility to reproduce synphonic music

 

Hey Rischa, Well . . .I am wondering where I would be best served? Should I put the lion's share of my money toward the best amp I can afford (like the SE84UFO25) and the Omega Junior8 XRS or possibly the Super High Output XRS. Or do I get a less expensive Decware amp and shoot for the Super Alnico High Output XRS?

 

I haven't heard the 25th anniversary amp but all reports are that it's pretty great. As mentioned up thread, I have a SE84UFO2, and this spring I added a Torri Jr to my system as well. I can tell you that if I could only keep one amp to drive the Omegas, it would be the less expensive 2wpc SE84UFO2. Both amps are great, but thd little Zen has a naturalness and warmth that the larger 20wpc Torii is missing. The Torii has a more hifi sound to it, like what I hear when I listen to big, expensive systems at shows, but it lacks the depth and realness of the little Zen amp, at least with these speakers.

So I guess my advice would be to get the best Omegas you can afford (call Louis at Omega -- he'll tell you the best speakers for your room and listening preferences) and then start with the little 2wpc SE84UFO. It might be all you need, and if it isn't, they're super easy to sell.

I'd also mention that a Decware/Omega system isn't good for cranking (imho) if that's something you need. But you get great detail and dynamics at lower volumes.

 

Yeah, one of the things I was turning over in my mind was that I could get two SE84UFO2s for the cost of a single 25th anniversary amp and run them in mono (or get The Rachael amp?). When I read through all of the forums and such over on Decware's site, it becomes pretty clear (to me anyway) that the SET amps Steve makes are really where his true passion is. And you aren't the first Decware owner I've spoken with who has confirmed as much. So, just out of curiosity . . . about how loud do you listen to music (and how big is your listening room)? I don't crank it up very often (and out of the 1000+ lps I own, i probably own maybe 3 metal albums) but it is kind of nice to know you CAN do that if you want to. I have crazy eclectic taste in music, so I'd need to know the Omegas can handle a lot of variety.