Speaker Advice for Stereomour

[DesignTaylor]

Hey gang,

New to the head of Bottlehead and SET amps in general. Just got a used Stereomour and I've been researching speaker options like crazy. Obviously, the best would be to audion them but unfortunately, that's often not possible.

I've got a small environment and I need speakers that are relatively compact. I'm partial to floor standing over monitors with stands but open to all options. I listen to a wide variety of music from classical to rock to electronic. Jazz is probably my favorite. I got interested in SET for more clarity, detail, and subtlety while still enjoying a warm musical sound.

Current speakers are Totem Arros.

Through a series of conversations and research, I've ended up with two pretty different options under consideration.
- Omega Super 3 High Output XRS
- Klipsch Heresy III

Very different design strategies. I've looked a lot at single driver solutions but I've been concerned about trading speed and clarity for a lack of bass.

So, let me know if you have any thoughts / experience with either of these two. Or, if you have another high-efficiency option (small footprint) you think I should look into.

Thanks!

[Paul Birkeland]

What part of the world do you call home?  How do you like your Totems? 

With a small room, the demands placed on the speakers drop considerably.  Care to share the dimensions and/or a photo of the space?

Of course, you'll also want to consider what your budget is.  I got decent results out of modifying a pair of Klipsch RF-3 speakers and they played nicely with 2A3s.  They certainly didn't go as low as my Jaegers or image as well, but I think I was into them for less than $500.  The thread with the new crossover schematic is available here:
 https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/160490-not-another-crossover-thread/&

Even thought the Heresy has a big woofer staring you in the face, they are not particularly potent on the bottom end. 

[DesignTaylor]

Hey Paul,

Thanks for the quick replay. I'm in Austin TX. The room is about 10 x 18. Combo living room kitchen deal so lots of furniture to contend with. About 8ft ceilings.

The Arros are pretty solid but only 87db. They have a tiny footprint and are very forgiving of the room, jammed right up against the wall.

Budget is $1,500... but less means more money for tubes

[Paul Birkeland]

In that space, you are probably doing nearfield listening, so I would worry as much about sensitivity.  How are the Arros on the Stereomour?
 

[DesignTaylor]

Sorry for the delayed reply, I wanted to give the speakers a little more listening time seeing as I just got the amp. They are actually pretty good. I had a lot of fun going back and forth with my old amp (and integrated Eico ST-70 that I was using as a power amp). Very interesting to see how they perform next to each other. Obviously, the Eico has a lot more power to work with so it gives a sense of impact more readily. The Stereomour is definitely more refined and brings out the mids with a lot more clarity. Set to 4 ohms they get pretty loud, plenty for this listening space. Bass is a little soft, and I'd like some more warmth. Hard to know if that is more of a tube issue or speaker issue. I'd still be very interested to try the amp with some more efficient speakers but I'm not dissatisfied with this combo for the short term.

[jjvornov]

Sorry for the delayed reply, I wanted to give the speakers a little more listening time seeing as I just got the amp. They are actually pretty good. I had a lot of fun going back and forth with my old amp (and integrated Eico ST-70 that I was using as a power amp). Very interesting to see how they perform next to each other. Obviously, the Eico has a lot more power to work with so it gives a sense of impact more readily. The Stereomour is definitely more refined and brings out the mids with a lot more clarity. Set to 4 ohms they get pretty loud, plenty for this listening space. Bass is a little soft, and I'd like some more warmth. Hard to know if that is more of a tube issue or speaker issue. I'd still be very interested to try the amp with some more efficient speakers but I'm not dissatisfied with this combo for the short term.

I like the Totem sound, but I think they do like more power. It's not only the efficiency, it's also the impedance which looks like dips below 4 ohms in the midbass based on what I can see on the web. I have a few speakers like this around (NHT, Role) that just sound soft and loose with my Bottlehead amps even though they get loud enough. My ProAc Tablettes sound great as do my high efficiency Zu speakers.

It's amp/speaker interaction I think. Trust your ears.

[DesignTaylor]

@jjvornov that sounds about right. I do think the Arros like a big push of steady power. There's an improvement over my Eico but I doubt I'm really getting the most out of my bottlehead yet.

What Zus are you running?

Does anyone have experience with Omega HO speakers?

Klipsch Heresy?

I'd never heard of ProAc, I will check them out.

Thanks!

[Sugar Man]

The go to Bottlehead speakers back in the day were the Blumenstein Orcas (and subs). I ran those very successfully with a Stereomour II. You could definitely pick up a used pair within your budget.

[jjvornov]

@jjvornov that sounds about right. I do think the Arros like a big push of steady power. There's an improvement over my Eico but I doubt I'm really getting the most out of my bottlehead yet.

What Zus are you running?

Does anyone have experience with Omega HO speakers?

Klipsch Heresy?

I'd never heard of ProAc, I will check them out.

Thanks!

I've now got the Zu Soul Supremes. But I started with the Dirty Weekend Omens which are a phenomenal entry point for a floor standing full range Zu. I traded up after a while. They are now in my Eros/BeePre/Kaiju system, but the Stereomour II has been in the system from time to time and can drive them really well.

My Tabs are now going on 20 years old. They were a favored minimonitor years ago and known to mate nicely with tube systems (Quicksilver mono's, etc) or small integrated amps.

But it's all a matter of preference. I love a detailed, 3-D, well imaged presentation, so I'm frequently listening near field and have tuned my system over the years to match that preference. And it's fun to have a range of equipment on hand to swap in and out and see how the presentation changes.

[DesignTaylor]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I've come across Blumenstein a few times, looks interesting. Don't think I want to run a sub but he does offer the 8" Tritons which might be able to stand on their own.

I'm keeping an eye out for some Zu Souls to come up.

[ALL212]

The go to Bottlehead speakers back in the day were the Blumenstein Orcas (and subs). I ran those very successfully with a Stereomour II. You could definitely pick up a used pair within your budget.

Just off the phone with Clark from Blumenstein.  His recent iterations have much improved internal bracing.  If you go used and go too far back you could end up with unbraced.  Having said that I've not heard either.

I also just ordered the Orca "old style" with the "special" speakers.  Won't see them for a month but they should fit my bill.  Matter of fact I believe I'll have the first version of Old style + special.  (He added them to the website ordering process as we were talking... now that's service!)

By the way - Clarks very knowledgeable and easy to talk to about options.  No push at all from him.

[DesignTaylor]

Thanks @ALL212, sounds like I should have a conversation with Clark.

I've really been enjoying the Stereomour with the Arros, more than I expected to, but the sound is lacking some fullness / umph. I'm hoping to get a richer sound out of some more efficient speakers. Does that seem like a reasonable expectation?

I've also ordered up a pair of almost new JJ 2A3-40s to replace the stock Sovtek tubes.

[bogartrice]

Very glad this thread was started, as I am currently saving up for a Stereomour myself, and have been agonizing over speaker choices. Lowther and Fostex have been on my radar, as they are efficient and affordable, and I have exchanged emails with Clark from Blumenstein (what an amazing guy!). Between the three, where would the gurus point me? I have a very similar room setup as OP (13’x18’, open floor plan, big couch), and listen to similar music (I have an extensive Jazz LP collection).

A previous poster mentioned the “Old-Style” Orca Specials, which I am in love with, though I have not heard them personally. Any impressions? I am concerned about the Benthic subs not having grilles, as my 2-year-old can get handsy with my gear.

Also, in lieu of starting another thread, (and apologies for hijacking this one, please forgive me if I’m breaking forum rules; I’m new and excited), does anyone have experience with Sophia Electric tubes?

Thanks all very much!

[Paul Birkeland]

I've also ordered up a pair of almost new JJ 2A3-40s to replace the stock Sovtek tubes.

Just for clarification, these will not provide any additional power in a Stereomour. 

[DesignTaylor]

Just chiming back in. I did swap the stock tubes for JJs and personally think they sound much fuller, more bass, and a bit smoother. As Paul noted, the JJs are not any more powerful than the stock tube, they just sound better

Speaker-wise I ended up with a second-hand set of "The Horns" from The Horn Shoppe. They have a rear loaded horn design and utilize Fostex Fe 126E drivers (4-inches).  The clarity and forwardness of them is great but I wanted a bit more on the ultra high and uber low ends so I've since added Fostex T90A super tweeters and a powered sub I had on hand.