[judasthegoat]

Having just recently placed an order for my first pair of Omega speakers, I thought I'd share my thought process and decision, and see if there's anyone else out there with a similar experience.

I've been on the waitlist for a Decware UFO2 (considering upgrading to a 25th Anniversary, we'll see) since February of 2022, currently positioned in the low 800s on the list. Realistically, it'll be well over a year before I get my amp but I was anxious to upgrade my existing bookshelf 86 dB speakers with a pair of Omegas.

Having read through the various forums, I was aiming for a pair of either the flagship SAM HO monitors or the flagship SA HO towers, believing that 1.) I'd be better served by the twin driver 1.5 way design, and 2.) the higher efficiency of 97dB would be a better fit for a 2.3 watt amp.

While the above logic was not proven totally off-base, a conversation with Louis led me in a different direction. Based on my musical and listening preferences (jazz and rock, mostly near-field listening at moderate to moderately loud), Louis conveyed to me that a single driver alnico would be ideal, especially with the option of adding a sub in the future, if desired. Even after I made it clear I was willing to pay more for the HO, Louis steered me toward the single driver speaker, either the SAM or the XRS. I can't quote him directly but he mentioned that based on some very recent modifications and tuning, the single alnico was right up there with the twin alnicos, to the point where the extra money would not be necessary to achieve what I was looking for. This was a surprise, but a welcome one.

Additionally, he seemed confident that the 95dB of the single alnico would pair beautifully with the Zen.

Is anyone else pairing the single alnico with a Decware? I'd love to hear your impressions.

Also, I wonder if anyone can weigh in on the differences between the UFO2 (with upgrades) and the 25th anniversary model. The price difference is not small, but considering the difficulty of obtaining a Decware amp, I don't want to have any regrets.

I placed my order for the Jr. Alnico XRS towers and can't wait to finally hear them. Until I receive my Decware amp, the Omegas will be paired with a Rega Brio3.

[milkplus]

Sorry to bump an old thread but I'm in pretty much the same situation as you - Decware se84ufo2.1 and Omega curious. Currently tossing up between the CAMs and the Junior 8's. Would love to hear from you how your 8s ended up sounding with your Zen Triode

[RDavidson]

I’ve used a Decware Zen UFO2 with both CAM’s and wide baffle 3 HO Monitors. I no longer have the Decware nor the 3’s, not that I didn’t like them, but because I bought them more as an itch that needed to be scratched. I found them for great prices at the time too (used). The Decware worked beautifully with both speakers. There’s not really a more ideal combination…unless you simply want to spend more or need a bit more power. As wonderful as the Decware is, 2 watts needs to be greatly considered with respect to your room size, listening distance, and desired listening levels. For nearfield listening, it’s pretty much perfect.

[judasthegoat]

UPDATE:

I received my Alnico towers in February of 2023. They were immediately paired with my Rega Brio amp but I became impatient while waiting on the Decware list and decided to purchase a used base-level Decware UFO amp (no upgrades). It was important to me to see if I was moving in the right direction, having had zero experience with either high-efficiency speakers or flea-watted tube amps, let alone the pairing of both.

Fast forward to today, and I believe I was (and am) moving in the right direction with these components. The speakers paired with the Brio amp sounded good, but I wasn't fully aware of their magic until I hooked up the little tube amp...

It's true what they say - the pairing of the Decware amps with the Omegas is pretty spectacular. I'm now only about two months away from receiving my UFO 25th Anniversary amp, at which point I'll sell the temporary UFO amp I purchased. Having this amp in my system for the last year gave me the confidence that the 2.5 years waiting on the Decware list will be well worth it.

While I love the speakers, I did become a little bass curious when I moved my rig into a larger listening room. I purchased a Decware ZRock for added low end, which convinced me that I really don't need a subwoofer paired with the Alnico towers - they're quite capable of providing satisfying bass.

I still may add some subs to my towers, but I can confidently say that I could also live happily without subs. The idea of augmenting the speakers is a testament to my appreciation for them - I like the idea of enhancing them, not replacing them.

The only downside to these decisions is that I've been led down a rabbit hole of upgrades and tweaking, having gained a sensitivity to the nuances of such a revealing and great-sounding system.