Thanks for the nice welcome, everyone!
welcome! tell us about the Sarah, tubes? what's it like? any hum?
The Sarah is quite a nice amplifier. Coming from the similar 6 watt SE34I.5 Rachel, the Sarah 300B has way more headroom. With that increase, the 300B is more dynamic and detailed. The SE34 had a nice rich flavor, the Sarah still has that but but with improved detail, soundstage, imaging, everything...
I have two sets. The full cryotone gambit and then the stock input tube set with the recent Decware labeled 300B. To be honest, I'd be completely happy with the stock set if I had not heard the cryotones. Money no object, they are better but not by 3-4x the cost.
Hum - Well, the amp has hum pots so it's something you have to tweak a bit. There's a faint hum when standing in between the speakers tuning, but that vanishes once in the listening position.
Welcome Stubafeller - Well Santa Cruz mountains are about as far from Minn as you could get but, I do have a rack of Decware and Omega XRS7mkII and a Deep 8 woofer. I use a Rachael, this system got me off the hardware merry go round...but I am always looking and thinking. If I was going to upgrade anything, I would consider moving up to Louis's top of the line Alnico floor standing speakers. So count us in the Happy Camper group of Omega/Decware owners. Louis has always been 100% wonderful in all of our exchanges and I could not have a higher recommendation for the company and Louis. Keep us posted on which direction you head and happy listening, Chris.
Chris - I appreciate the feedback! I think that's the path I'd intend to go as well unless Louis would make a different recommendation considering room/layout. Have you used other speakers with the Rachel before your Omega's?
Nicely shaped room, hopefully well insulated and dedicated to music. Mine is 8ft x 13ft x 21ft (perfect Fibonacci ratios).
Thanks, JLM. I have 1st/2nd reflection and ceiling absorption, front wall corner traps and GIK alpha diffusion/absorption panels on the back wall.
Again, thanks everyone!
Trevor