A new loudspeaker at Venus Hi-Fi!

[BrianB]

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

[BrianB]

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!

[Doug Olitsky]

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)

[BrianB]

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

[Doug Olitsky]

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"