As many of you know, I'm a sucker for good omni/poly-directional loudspeakers, as I love (a) the holographic soundstaging, (b) the life-sized musical images, and (c) the huge listening area (no "sweet spot"!) that they offer. And this is why I've been a big advocate of the Shahinian Acoustics speakers.

Well, I've just added another such speaker to my lineup: the F.J. Om.

http://www.hudsonaudioimports.com/images/fj/FJOm.jpg

Now, the Om is not quite as holographic as the Shahinian Obelisk, primarily because of the Om's forward-firing tweeter. And the Om's bass doesn't go nearly as deep as that of the Obelisk. However, the Om does offer the following advantages over the Obelisk (and over the Shahinian Arc as well):

1) While Shahinian speakers typically require quite a bit of power to sound their best (100 watts or more), and strongly favor solid-state over tube amplification, the F.J. speakers can be driven well by as few as 15 watts, and they absolutely love tube amps.

2) While the Shahinian Arcs and Obelisks usually need to be placed at least three feet from the rear wall to avoid boomy bass, the F.J. Oms can be placed as close to six inches from the rear wall without any noticeable sonic pitfalls.

3) Although the Arcs and Obelisks are a bit more extended at both frequency extremes, the Oms offer a slightly richer and more textured midrange.

To read a recent (and, IMO, very accurate) review of the F.J. Oms, click here (http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/fj/om.html).

Venus Hi-Fi
www.venushifi.com (http://www.venushifi.com)
517-881-7753

Having spent a couple of months with the F.J. Oms, I can say in all honesty that these are among the best loudspeakers I've ever heard in their price range - and they most certainly tickle my fancy in a way that few other speakers do.

The Oms are rich yet detailed, airy yet dense ... and above all, incredibly musical. I've never heard anything quite like them. And I truly appreciate their flexibility: They seem to be equally at home with tubes and solid-state, and work well with both low- and high-power amps.

All in all, a real winner!

I was just thinking that these speaks looked like Dick Shahinian's work. I've been a fan of the Arc's and Diapasion since the '80's.

Plus living close to Dicks facility I've enjoyed the meet and greets at my local shop (in Stony Brook until they retired)

Hi Doug,

You know, every now and then I sit down and try to figure out what kind of audio system I'd like to retire with, if and when I eventually get out of this crazy business. And when it comes to speakers, I could easily imagine myself settling down with either a pair of the F.J. Oms or a pair of the Shahinian Obelisks.

One of the advantages of Venus Hi-Fi being a "hobby business" (I am a college professor by day) is that I am not nearly as constrained by consumer and industry demands as full-time high-end audio dealers. That is, my lineup of audio gear is not affected by flavor-of-the-month trends or Stereophile recommended component lists. I only sell whatever I myself find both musically satisfying and inherently interesting.

What this means, of course, is that I truly love almost everything that I carry. And as far as speakers go (and speakers are the MOST important part of an audio system, IMO), I can honestly wax poetic about most of the different models that I sell. But herein lies the quandry: Because there is no such thing as the perfect speaker, my preferences tend to shift with my moods. On some days, I am most drawn to my Cain & Cain Wall-O-Sound speakers, with their single drivers and side horns. On other days, I love the way my System Audio SA-1750s or Rangers beat the pants off of most other conventional multi-driver speakers. And then again, late at night, I can become bewitched by the amazingly natural presentation of well-thought-out (as opposed to gimmicky) omni-directional speakers like the Oms - and at the same time become very aware of how artificial the soundstaging is with most other speakers.

Okay, now I'm rambling. But speaker designs such as these deserve more attention than they typically get!

Happy listening,
Brian

Yeah I know the feeling I have 5 systems and switch between them depending on what I want to hear K-horns, Heresey II, Chours II, DIY BLH's, Alon (NOLA)

Mcintosh SS and tube amps

DIY, counterpoint, Joule-Electra pre's

Empire, Dual, Lenco, Thorens tt's

Sony, TEAC, Otari RtR's

Mc, Copland, CAL digital

MAn after my own heart. I'm a teacher as well and Always thought about a side in the "biz". I did work a short time for a guy trying to get his speaks to market, but he just did not have "IT"

Check out Decware. They make some omni-speaks at a good price and very efficent. Built to order.

Check out Decware. They make some omni-speaks at a good price and very efficent. Built to order.

Decware offers some nice, affordable gear, no doubt about that. It would be interesting to hear how their omni-directional speakers fare against the F.J. Om.

Being a sucker for a deep, holographic soundstage, I've always had a soft-spot for omnis. That being said, a number of the omni-directional speakers I've heard - both inexpensive and super-expensive - have suffered from a somewhat artificial and exaggerated sense of holography, if you know what I mean. One of the things I really like about the F.J. is just how natural its huge soundstage feels.

On a related note, a customer brought a pair of omnis that he had ordered as kits to my shop last September. His speakers looked remarkably similar to the F.J. Oms in terms of driver arrangement and cabinet dimensions, and I think he was hoping to convince himself that his much-cheaper speakers were just as good as the Oms. And although I was impressed with the sound of his speakers, given their price, we both agreed that the F.J. speakers offered a noticeably more organic and refined musical presentation. Bottom line: Just because two different speaker models look similar (either physically or in terms of specs) does not mean that they will sound similar.

P.S. Please do not take my last post here as indicating that I disparage in any way lower-cost alternatives to current-production high-end audio components. I do not. But I DO disparage the fetishism we often see in various audiophile camps. On the one hand, it is simply not true that the more money you spend on an audio component, the better the sound will be. On the other hand, it is also untrue that kits and vintage gear always offer better values than new, factory-built high-end audio components (assuming that one defines value in terms of musicality offered per dollar spent). Rigidly adopting either of these viewpoints is a sign of narrowmindedness, IMO.

Okay, now I'm rambling.

Again?:D

I heard the Oms at the last AK Fest. Very nice sounding speakers.

At the last AFFest I was amazed by these speakers. Many sounded great and some wonderful, most were good and a few were amazing. Maybe it was the speakers, amps, room, company, or a synergy, but it worked for me.

" On the one hand, it is simply not true that the more money you spend on an audio component, the better the sound will be. "

While I hear that alot it is rare that I actually see evidence of someone actively admitting/demonstrating it

Many moons ago I took a physics of hi-fidelity course in university : our prof was a physicist (you'd recognize his name) and worked as a consultant to a few of the big names back in the day.

to prove his point he set up a double blind speaker test where he would talk (and he had many great reasons to argue that the human voice alone was an excellent test ...harmonics etc) everything was behind a screen and we would listen to him live (blindfolded) talk vs him recorded all on different speakers ....all through top end electronics ......blew our minds ......some cheap (and I mean / at the time/ sub $25 coaxials) came out above some very expensive "names" ....the ultimate winner was an expensive pair ....but there were a bunch of "embarassed" names too........

.......getting windy here ......bottom line is this: IMHO quality DOES COST : but just because you've paid big $$ doesnt mean you've got quality......and many manufactures have the ability to coincidentally produce excellent stuff and garbage (thats why vintage is great ......proven equipment at low prices ;)

As many of you know, I'm a sucker for good omni/poly-directional loudspeakers, as I love (a) the holographic soundstaging, (b) the life-sized musical images, and (c) the huge listening area (no "sweet spot"!) that they offer. ...

I'm also a huge fan of omni-drectional speakers, for all the reasons you stated. In particular, I love the Morrison Audio (http://www.morrisonaudio.com) line. The origins of the Morrisons are found in the design concepts of Stewart Hegeman, and they have evolved significantly over the years.

I have a pair of the Morrison Model 7, and am auditioning the Model 11. The Morrisons image like crazy, and "no sweet spot" indeed!

Don Morrison has a clear and consistent approach to the design of speakers, and you can read about it on his site. Great stuff.

Thanks for the link to Morrison Audio - I've never heard any of these models! Are they only sold direct?

Thanks for the link to Morrison Audio - I've never heard any of these models! Are they only sold direct?

I believe that Morrison Audio has sold direct in recent times, but that method is not carved in stone. Likely a chat with Morrison himself will give you information on his plans going forward. He's a very approachable guy!

I believe that Morrison Audio has sold direct in recent times, but that method is not carved in stone. Likely a chat with Morrison himself will give you information on his plans going forward. He's a very approachable guy!

...and so, out of the blue, Don Morrison gives me a ring! Did somebody put a bug in his ear about Venus Hi-Fi? :scratch2: What a nice guy - he and I will be chatting more in the near future, no doubt...