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| Letters -- December 2008 Proud owner December 30, 2008 Editor, I would like to tell you that I am the proud owner of a Weiss Minerva digital-to-analog converter. It is used with a pair of Opera loudspeakers and a custom preamplifier made by a local technician. I have found that the Weiss is not at all what I was expecting. It is well mannered and sounds just like you described it in your review. I am curious as to whether you have found that changing the FireWire cable is critical. Thank you for your advice and reviews. Franz I’m glad you are enjoying the Weiss. It is a wonderful piece. I have not experimented with different FireWire cables so cannot give you any advice on that. But I do have one tidbit of information you might find useful: a software upgrade is now available for the Minerva that allows full volume-control capability, so you can now bypass your preamp altogether. Just hook it up directly to your amplifier and away you go. You might want to give it a shot. Contact Weiss through their website for more details....Jeff Fritz Classé Audio Omega Omicron Monos? December 19, 2008 Editor, I noticed in your “Principal High-End Principles” there is a photo that shows a set of Classé Audio Omega Omicron Mono amps. Are you reviewing these? And if so, can you tell me when the article will appear? I noticed in the latest Stereophile Buyer’s Guide that the Omega Omicron Monos have better specs, such as signal-to-noise ratio, compared with the larger Omegas. At first I thought it might be a typo. Do you know anything about it? Glendyn You’re very perceptive! To answer your questions, yes I am writing about the Omega Omicron Mono amps, and the article should appear on February 1. Also, as far as the specs go, it is my understanding after talking with the company that the Omega Omicron Mono amps are a newer design compared with the original Omega amps, and they benefit from some additional tweaking of parts and circuit-board materials. So it doesn’t surprise me that their specs are actually a little better. Keep an eye out on Ultra Audio for the full scoop...Jeff Fritz “Unexpected Answers” December 11, 2008 Editor, In your “Unexpected Answers” article you stated, “Last year I had the revelation that the combo of Paradigm Signature S6 loudspeaker and JL Audio Fathom f113 subwoofer eclipsed the performance of many of the recent speakers I’d heard, some of which cost thousands more.” I have almost that exact combination, except that I have two JL Audio f112s. The f112s actually measure flatter than the f113s, and many have suggested that they are better for music systems than the f113s. I was happy to read about your observations. I don’t think I’ll be upgrading for a long time. Thank you for a well-presented website. Roger Dockson That Paradigm-JL Audio combination still leaves me scratching my head -- it was really good. However, what I’m really curious about right now is the new Paradigm Sub25. I’ve heard that this sub is simply awesome, and the people at Paradigm usually deliver on their promises. I hope to hear one sometime in the next month. Write me back then and I’ll give you my impressions. I’ll hear it directly compared to an f112....Jeff Fritz “How about these?” December 5, 2008 Editor, Your “James Bond’s Stereo” was highly entertaining! But I would submit that there are far more interesting characters to explore. How about these? Norman Bates, Topo Gigio, or Dr. Spock? I could go on, but the hi-fi systems that these and other characters would choose to assemble would be fascinating to examine. Though I must admit that the Bond from Quantum of Solace might very well choose a lesser system than even the Bond from Casino Royale. The KEF Muon would be a better choice of speaker for Bond, because the girl in the advertisements would come with the speaker. Leslie Moon
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