Single Driver Horn vs Multi driver efficient spker

Whoa, that's a cool speaker. Hemp cone material, serious cabinet construction. I'd love to hear it in my system.For those interested, here's the Omega Hemptone 8" webpage. Eight inch driver, 96dB, 20"x11"x14".

You've got give up any type of comparsion between a 50Wpc KT-88/6550 push-pull amp into 5 driver floorstanders and a low power SET into a single-driver, fullrange, monitor. It's apples and oranges or the most extreme type unless you are simply talking about musical involvement.

No way you are ever going to get the type of punch you're used to out of your current setup. Fullrangers are generally low excursion drivers and your cabinet is not that big.

But, you should be able to get a purity, directness, and imaging that is superior via the simple SET design and crossoverless speakers. You should get a "reach out touch" type of midrange richness. The soundstage should much more holographic. And minute details and articulation should be lot more apparent. Subtle nuances that you never noticed.

Have you played with speaker location much? It has been much harder to locate my fullrangers for great sound than it was with my multidrivers.

Also, are you using the same speaker cables as before? That ould be the dynamics and punch problem. High(ish) efficiency speakers tend to favor small gauge cables. Magnet wire Litz configurations, etc.

Don't give up yet, it takes a lot of work to get the most out of a high-eff, single driver, system, but it is well worth it when you get there.

Try to get someone with a lot of high-eff/SET experience over to your house for a listen. They might help shorten the learning/setup curve substantially.

I was about to give up a few months ago, then had a really experienced horn guy come over. He convinced me to switch the speakers to the other side of the room and then helped with fine tuning the placement. It made a world of difference - I'm hooked.

hi,

" Punch - where does it come from? "

From a system with 15" woofers.

Darkmoebius,
I understand what you are saying about the p/p vs SET, but the musical involvement thing is what is missing. I have only heard one other SET in my home and it was a ASL layla 845, its what got me started down this path. The 3d imageing and reach out and touch factors were there, but the ASL amp was too grainy for me and their products have suspect reliabilty. So I got this Beta test 300b from a guy that could have sold be a Cary 300 sei, but said his companies amp was far better, so I went with it. I am really starting to think its the amp. I live in Nebraska, no dealers that I know of sell SET stuff, so I am in the deep end of the pool with no help on this issue, other than sites like this. Louis from Omega is now trying to help me a little now, he's a really cool guy. I am really just looking for a musical rightness and involvement from my system I don't need to get punched in the chest. I listen to primiarily female vocal, like Beth Orton, Melissa Ferrick, so I don't really need slam, but then an SRV cd gets mixed in there and ya just don't want that to suck either.
Thanks
Mike

You are right, the Beta version amp(integrated?) could very easily be the problem. Everything is SET/audio is a tradeoff and there is no free lunch. It's easy to get one factor right, but all of them take skill, experience, and/or money.

The designers of your amp may be focusing on subterranean bass at the expense of midrange magic or highs. Or, they simply may not have the circuit fine-tuned yet. There is a reason why it's a "Beta", afterall.

I just started to get into high-eff speakers and SET's last year. Believe it or not, in a massive town like Los Angeles County(265 sq. miles), there are only 2 or 3 shops that carry single-ended gear. There is no way to get any idea what it's all about.

Regardless, whenever you get into something new, the first few tries are more about finding out what you don't like than the opposite(unless you get horribly lucky).

As a result, I decided to buy well known, well received, amps of mature designs (nothing new), that I could easily resell for breakeven after getting a good sense of what they have to offer. There just no substitute for 1st hand, personal, experience in your own system. I am now on my 4th this year. Every single one has had something great about them. But, then the others have been just as good in their own way.

Do not get shackled to one amp that may not have any resale value, there are a plethora of great companies making superbly affordable SET gear these days. Especially, in your ($2k-3k)price range if a used Cary SEi was possible - ASL, Welborne Labs, Almarro, Sophia Electric, Eastern Minimax, Opera Consonance, DiyHiFi, Decware, Bottlehead, etc.

All of those make first rate amps that have a proven performance record are easily resold along with keeping their value.

Perhaps you should try something different if you can get your money back.

Louis is a terrific guy. Good thing about buying from him..you can always return the speakers and not be out much money on his 30 day return policy.

Maybe those Zu speakers are more your speed. I think they also have a try before you keep policy.

It seems like you need to go with a floorstander....What ever the choice.

Good luck ..I hope you find what you seek.