Fostex based speakers: Cain Abby or Omega Super3R

Hi Joey I use Omega Grande 8's in custom cabinets. They are slightly larger than the normal versions.You can expect 100 hrs before they start to really open up.
The fostex drivers will improve well past 200 hrs.These speakers are like fine wine they only improve with time.

When you first fire them up. Expect the top end to be closed in. Also their going to be a little grainy. Each speaker will stick out like sore thumbs.What I mean by that is the sound won't be seamless between the two speakers.You will hear two separate speakers from the start. Once you get some time on them you will notice they start to blend together, until it is a seamless sound.
The really good stuff doesn't show till past 100 hrs of use.
I've said this several times before. If you really want to hear these speakers shine. Pair them up with sealed stereo subs.
That's if your room is large enough. I've had fullrange floorstanders and large Magnepans along with some other speakers. My former floorstanders which retailed for $3200 , cannot compete with the Omega speakers paired with powered sealed subwoofers.Everything just seems more controled and open but delicate. I'm getting some serious dynamics with a 6 wpc battery powered integrated. Since the amplifier doesn't pull heavy bass duty. It gives the midrange and highs and effortless sound.

The subs add a foundation to the music. You feel and hear those spacial ques in the music. I like the fact I still have tight well controled bass even at very low listening levels. Most passive floorstanders lose their bass at low volumes. At 60 db I still feel the kick of the drums without that bass overhang.

Wow, thanks for all the feedback and comments to my small question.

Rar1, thanks for your detailed comments on the room placement of your Omega Super 3. This really helps me out quite a bit. Since you have the Omega’s in the narrow cabinet: Have you actually had a chance to listen to them in a "wide" cabinet? I know the narrow cabinet would be better for upgrading to a Fostex Alnico driver at a later time. Otherwise I have not found much about the differences between the different configurations. I guess I should call Louis at Omega to find out, why he switched to the wider configuration, compared to narrow cabinet of the original TS3.

Gmood1, thanks for all your comments on the Abby and Omega speakers. You are right that the comparison is quite unfair. I like the unusual looks of the Abby, but I am a little afraid that it might be a little overwhelming in our smallish rooms. Following your comments on the richer sound of the Abby's I probably would prefer the Abby's, though.

Kbuzz is probably right, in that it will probably come down to room size and floor stander/monitor decision. I would prefer a floor stander since I have been living with smaller monitor speakers for the last seven years and since I am longing for change. However, the smaller Omega's seem more flexible for smaller to medium rooms (one of our rooms is square with 10ft x 10ft, the other 17ft x 12 ft with several corners, niches). Probably the nearfield Abby might be the better choice for both rooms.

Is it possible to easily switch drivers on the Abby? That way I could try both the nearfield and regular Fostex drivers. Also, I read the 6 moons comments on the different drivers. Does anyone have experience with the Fostex FE206E driver, which was a favorite in this article?

Fostex driver comparison

Also, I still have to read the 6moons review on the Abby's:

6 moon: Abby review

I have been waiting for this review for a while and completely missed that it came out during this last week.

Again, thanks for all you comments.

Rene

Gmood1, one more question: What sub you are using with your Omega speakers? I saw that Omega recommends the CSS CLARUS subs. The smaller model can be had for a fairly small amount:

Clarus sub

Has anyone have experience with the Clarus sub in combination with the Omega's?

Thanks again.

Restock:

Actually, the Omega Super 3's started out in the wide cabinets. I had originally called Louis about the Omega 3's (his original $399 offering) last July and he had told me that he had discontinued making those and was offering the Super 3 in the narrow cabinet (which was just the squat Super 3 turned sideways). This worked out fine, because I had thought that the wide version was always too stubby looking and apparently, I was not the only one.

At the time, Louis had told me he discontinued making the original Omega 3's because they were not really designed to be a true "hifi" speaker, but rather he had originally pictured them being used with computer sound systems and HT applications. He felt that the Super 3s were better suited for the audiophile. It sounded plausible and I purchased the Omegas without having ever heard them.

If you go with the Omegas, keep in mind that they work best with tubes. They work fine with solid state amplifiers, but tubes take them to the next level sound wise ... they open up and you will appreciate their sense of rhythm and smoothness. The Omegas can also be frustrating and will leave you scratching your head questioning your purchase, until you have 200 or so hours on them. I wouldn't have believed it, until I experienced it myself.

Good luck, Rich

Rene I use two Adire Ravas. My room isn't huge at all. 25x14 ft with a 10 ft vaulted ceiling. I have my speakers on the long wall roughly 7 ft apart. My subs are a few inches behind the speakers just to the right and left of the speaker stands. I sit 9 feet back and can't distinguish where the subs are in the room with my hearing.

Louis actually recommends the CSS CLARUS subs and the Adire Ravas with his speakers. Don't be caught up in the low price thing . These subs are true audiophile quality sounding units.If they weren't I would have sent the first one back and never considered a second unit. They are also dead quiet no humming. This is my pet peave !
Most think two subs or more in a room is overkill.
But the part they don't understand is running each sub off a different channel gives you low frequency presence in the music not boom and rumble.Looks like the 6moons reviewer on the Abbys has figured this out. He mentions it in the review.

If I ran these units both in mono it would probable give me a headache with too much bass. That's ok for movies though. :-)

If you notice the CSS CLARUS sub is actually an Adire based unit. The drivers come from Adire as well as the amplifier. Two of these units run in stereo would be nice with the FR speakers.

I use the 206E driver in my Omegas. They are more forward than the smaller drivers. They also beam more. But the key is tow in. Unlike multi driver speakers that really collapse when towed in too far. This speaker thrives on a severe tow in. You can actually bring the soundstage out infront of the speakers. Just by towing them out. The more your tow them in the further back the soundstage gets. The crazy thing is the soundstage width doesn't change at all.
The soundstage width is just as wide if you have them crossing behind you or crossing infront of you.

Changing drivers out in these types of speakers is a snap. Just undue the connections on the drivers and drop in another pair. You can go as far as changing to a different kind of driver to change the tonality of the speaker.

Tubes are terrific on these speakers. But I prefer my Clari T amp with dual sub outputs instead. It's got dynamics that no low wattage tube amplifier that I've heard can produce. The quieter the amplifier the better these speakers sound IMHO. I can tell you it doesn't get much quieter than using a battery powered amplifier. The ClariT also doesn't sound like a solid state amplifier either. Too me it falls down the middle between tubes and solid state. Louis at Omega liked it so much over his reference $2000 SS amplifier. He and Vinnie have teamed up on an amplifier called the Lotus. From what I gather so far it's basically a ClariT in a pimped out chassis with different binding post and a voltage meter.