I have spent the last few weeks getting to know this new love in my life - my ZMA.  I had just transitioned out of a very fond relationship with my Torii Jr. so when the ZMA moved in, there was that inherent awkwardness as we got to know each other.  But, it didn't take much time before that subsided and the personality of this amp wooed me.  

Based on my setup, I am convinced this amp is for me.  Even in its "off the shelf" format, I was blown away by the quality of sound this amp is able to produce.  I have big plans for the amp and I have been further upgrading my system around this amp since its purchase.  I feel like it was a significant enough step up from my Torii Jr. that I had to put my money where my mouth was and surround this beautiful amplifier with equally worthy components.  

Everything else kept the same, this amp brought an elevated level of density.  My 946-based Monolith's have increased volume which creates a greater balance and a more fulfilling sound.  I no longer feel compelled to use my subwoofer when 2-channel listening.  There is an accuracy to the sound coming out of my system that is so gratifying. When I first purchased the amp, I felt it was slightly warm for my preference.  I replaced the Tung-Sol Kt66's with a quad set of platinum cryo'ed Gold Lion KT66's from Upscale Audio and I have not looked back since.  

Whatever I throw at this ZMA it masterfully absorbs it and delivers a sound that leaves me nothing short of amazed.  I have run a plethora of genres though it from chamber music to hip hop, all well engineered of course, and it has delivered!  It is a pricey amp.  Do you get what you pay for?  Without a shred of doubt...YES!!!

Sounds like we will be in the same boat  My Omega SAHO's are on the build list.  They should be ready to ship in the next 2-3 weeks.

I got my ZMA pre-owned so it will well seasoned and sounding beautifully!

My ZMA is back with the new Western Electric meter's and Resistor's. It has never sounded better. It was serendipitous for it to go back to Steve for a check-up and adjustments!

Mine, is 001, so nice for Steve to check out his first baby shipped after 3 years of continuous use by yours truly. I swear it is even more detailed at lower volume than before.

I'm glad to have only paid 4695. However, if I came late to the party even today, I would gladly pay its current asking price new from Steve.

You two know how great this Amp is ~ enjoy.

Quote:



Are you saying that the new meters help the sound?  

Stone, did Steve do anything else that you are aware of?  Maybe you're heart grew fonder in her absence?  

Bottlehead,

My SAHO speakers have almost 200 hours on them now.  They have really opened up and sound incredible.  They excel in dynamics, tonality, and truthfulness to the recording.  Sound better than the single driver Omega's on complex music and imaging is out of this world.

This listening has been done with my Decware Zen SE84CS EX & Hazen Mods w/ Mullard GZ32 rectifier, Cyro'd SV83 & EH Gold 6922 tubes coupled with a Eastern Electric Minimax preamp.  Plenty of power between the two to drive the SAHO speakers to loud volume levels.

My Decware Mystery amp and CSP3 Jupiter capped preamp are getting QC'd in Peoria at this time.  Hopefully I'll have them early next week to begin the burn in process.  I'm looking forward to listening to this combination with the speakers.  

Yesterday I listened to the25th Anniversary Graceland album on my TT. The sound is absolutely stunning on the Omega SAHO's.  The wait for these speakers was well worth it X10!

Here is a link to pictures of my Omega SAHO's for anyone interested.  They are the two-tone pair, 3rd set down in this Audio Circle posting.  My speakers have real wood veneer (Level 2), with Bird's Eye-Maple front and rear panels and Cherry sides, top and bottoms.  I really like the looK.

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=148911.0

HockessinKid,

Those are beautiful. Had a nice talk with Louis and it looks as though I might be having a pair in my listening room (zebrawood i think) by the summer.
Post all of your impressions.

Thanks

JD

Hey HK, thanks for responding. It helps to know that you are getting good results w/low power. I think that your current setup tells me what I need to know. It's the fidelity and transparency of the SET that beats all the other amps that I have, so I just need to pick the right speakers for it, and I think that he SAHO will fit perfectly. I tried it with Steve's FRX2 drivers in an open-baffle configuration, and I loved the quality of the sound, but couldn't get where I needed to w/volume. (I have since paired the FRX2s with a 21W Audio Space 300B push-pull amp with great results). I have also ordered a set of Betsys from Randy, so I'll give those a go with my SET, too, but I have a feeling that ultimately I'll end up with a pair of Louis's speakers.

Also, J of A, thank you for the information. I won't be buying a pair right away, but they are definitely on my radar. I'm sure that you are anxiously awaiting their arrival. In addition to all the great reviews that I'm hearing, they really are beautiful speakers. I'm more a fan of large monitor speakers (think VMPS 626), b/c I can make solid stands for them at the height that I need for my listening position. So I've got my eye on the Quartered Madagascar Ebony veneer that is shown on the SAHO Monitor webpage. YOWZA! Just a stunning pair of speakers. Like artwork.

Oh what a feeling!  :)

OH YEAH!