Omega Speaker Systems

Discussion in 'Speakers' started by recarcar, Mar 27, 2016.

  1. recarcar

    recarcar Friend

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    Has anyone had the chance to hear the Omega Super Alnico monitors or any of the monitors in their line up? Anyone in the Bay Area have a pair?
     
  2. shaizada

    shaizada Friend

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    Yes! I used to own the Omega Super 8 with 8" Alnico magnet drivers. I have to take my daughter for an Easter Egg hunt and activities, but I will reply here.

    Short version, I LOVE that speaker! I miss it every day, but am so happy that is owned by a friend of mine who LOVES them for the same reasons I did. The point source imaging, the WONDERFUL TONE, the coherency of that speaker is off the charts in single driver world.

    I had to spend upwards of $40k on a speaker to get those qualities in the multi driver world...that is how important those qualities were. That hemp cone driver is something very very special.

    I found a picture from back in the day....

    [​IMG]
     
  3. recarcar

    recarcar Friend

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    @shaizada Thanks! I think I am going to go the single driver route for my next speaker. I am trying to decide between their Super Alnico Monitor, Compact Alnico Monitor, and a great condition Quad ESL-63 (though I know they can be a huge pain) that would be a bit less expensive than either of those. I passed up a chance to get their Super Alinco XLR used for a great price and I'm kicking myself for it.

    Thanks for your impressions and looking forward to more!
     
  4. flatmap

    flatmap Acquaintance

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    I will second @shaizada 's experience. I use a pair of the early Grand 6R monitor and they create a spectacular image. Captivating. I bet the super 8's may have better tone, but the 6R is a monster with regards to ultimate clarity. I've used with both tube and solid state with good results -- and using them now with a First Watt F1. Love that combination
     
  5. uncola

    uncola Friend

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  6. foo_me

    foo_me Friend

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    I had the older Omega Maxhemps and wasn't that impressed.
    It was being driven by a nice 300b SET amp and sound was somewhat dull and lifeless.
    I've read reviews as well and expected much better but just couldn't get the sound that others seem to have had.
    Haven't heard the newer ones with the Alnico magnets.
    That being said, switched to some older Alon Lotus SE speakers that sounded much more tonally balanced and richer with the same equipment.
     
  7. shaizada

    shaizada Friend

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    @foo_me , did your Maxhemps have the Alnico magnets? I upgraded my drivers from the Ferrite based ones to the Alnico ones and that is really where I got the magic.
    Also, I upgraded the internal cabling to Furutech Audio Reference III cables from the binding post to the driver tabs. That was a great upgrade as well in further resolution, smoothness and tone.

    Another point to make, the 8 incher drivers move from 96db efficiency of the Ferrite to around 93db for the Alnico.

    Still, I found amplifier matching to be really beneficial!
    I ran it with a quite a few amps and the best ones I found are the push pull kind :) SET's are probably better matched with his 4" and 6" drivers. I tried a world class 300b amp (Reimyo PAT 300B) thinking it would be a match made in heaven. Mine had original Western Electric 300Bs that were MAGIC with Fostex single drivers, but not that Alnico hemp cone driver from Omega. That driver can take some nice power!

    The best I heard it was with Consonance Cyber 800 monoblocks I used and then the EAR 890 I moved to. Both are Push Pull amps with excellent iron backing them up.

    Also, the Max hemps are a bigger cabinet that tend to go slightly lower in bass extension compared to the Super 8's I had (though both use 8" drivers). The Super 8 cabinet just allowed for a faster and more dynamic sound compared to the Maxhemp. Plus, I was not wanting for bass as I had ALSO bought 2 of his Deephemp subwoofers. I was running stereo subs that used the same hemp cone base for the subwoofer driver! It matched in tone and was able to keep up with the single driver speed.

    I don't know what kind of drivers he uses now, but that 8" Alnico Hemp Cone driver was really special. I tried to convince my wife to let me keep it boxed in the garage, but she was firm on not having any of that :) PLUS when my friend truly asked to buy them from his heart, I felt it's better they get listened to than sit in my garage for a second or third system in the future.

    That said, I do miss those special qualities. VERY magical speaker.
     
    Last edited: Mar 28, 2016
  8. foo_me

    foo_me Friend

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    No - mine didn't have the alnico magnets...though now I wish it had!
    I was using a Zanden 300B SET with WE 300Bs (remanufactured though) and was hopeful but didn't get the sweet sound I was looking for.
    Though it did drive my K1000s wonderfully.
    Given what you say about it and all the great gear you have, it must have truly produced a wonderful sound.
    For the anyone looking at Omega speakers though, I suppose they should just make sure it has those Alnico magnets!
     
  9. shaizada

    shaizada Friend

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    That Zanden 300B amp...that is a stupendously good sounding amp! I would move heaven and earth to get a superb 100db+ efficient horn speaker to match with that Zanden if I had it :) Congrats on owning that piece. I am guessing it is the Zanden 7000?

    There is so much good equipment out there, system matching and synergy becomes the real challenge. I love that, because great equipment allows you to design the sound to your liking.
     
  10. foo_me

    foo_me Friend

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    Yup...and I enjoyed that amp for many years.
    When I was more active back in the day, I brought it to many h-fi meets when K1000s were the FOTM.
    Sadly, it broke and couldn't get adequate replacement parts...looked for a year too. :(
    Found a vintage Pioneer M22 that satisfies my needs right now but when circumstances allow...plan to find a new SET.
    For some reason, I just really like older gear as it seems so much of today is more marketing today than anything else.
    There's just always the risk of breaking and not being able to fix.

    But you're also right, there's always other great gear out there to try :)
    Like good wine, just drink it as there's always more good stuff out there!
     
  11. recarcar

    recarcar Friend

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    Bit the bullet on the Super Alnico monitors recently. I feel like I should've just gone with the XRS but might have been overkill for my small space. Will report back when they arrive.
     
  12. uncola

    uncola Friend

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    exciting! let us know how it sounds. I feel like maybe I"m not ready to explore non conventional design speakers yet (pocketbook wise) heh
     
  13. recarcar

    recarcar Friend

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    I definitely will! I was waffling for a couple of weeks between the SA monitors and the Phil BMRs. The curiosity of the single driver design won me over but I still really want to hear the BMRs.
     
    Last edited: Apr 6, 2016
  14. shaizada

    shaizada Friend

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    Congrats!! What is the rest of the setup? Is this the 8" Alnico driver setup?
     
  15. recarcar

    recarcar Friend

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    I'll be pairing it with a Tubelab SE and a 1200MK2. Hopefully later this year I'll have the Tubelab 300B ready to go. I believe the driver is the 6.5 Alnico hemp cone. I think Omega stopped making the 8" version but I am not sure.
     
  16. Dr4Bob

    Dr4Bob New

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    I have Omega A8 cabinets with Alnico *' Hempcone drivers driven by a Cary X-Citer (KT-88 power tubes) and am most satisfied with them for all of the myriad props given to single driver speakers. Do note though, the burn in for those drivers is a nightmarish rollercoaster ride. Mine went from just "OK" to horribly bright with muddy bass to tinny to... It took about 100hr to sound good and more than 400 to be really great...
     
  17. flatmap

    flatmap Acquaintance

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    Yes, not to be underestimated... but the payoff is worth it IMO.
     
  18. recarcar

    recarcar Friend

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    Thought I would share some short impressions on the Super Alnico Monitors now that I've had them for over a month. They might still be breaking in as I've probably logged less than 100 hours, but who knows. I come with only experience of 2 and 3 way designs. This is my first full ranger.

    Strengths:

    • The imaging capabilities of these speakers are worth all the praise they get. It's spooky good when things are well recorded.
    • The coherence issue I feel is sometimes overstated, but the improvement was pretty obvious when comparing these to my little JBL 530s. They crushed those in terms of coherence and I think the crossover on the 530s is pretty well implemented.
    • The transparency of the driver is great. It's running circles around my ESP950 in this regard, and lower level detail retrieval I feel is on par with the HD800 I have on hand, while doing it in a much, much more natural way. It's clearly not deriving this from some peak in the treble like I think the HD800 does.
    • I listen to many genres of music and it has performed admirably well across the board. They seem to shine with jazz, and small ensemble music, but I have thoroughly enjoyed them with hip hop, classical, and many other genres.
    • Timbral accuracy on these are spot on IMO.
    • The speed of the driver is clearly there. It almost has an e-stat quality to it.
    Weaknesses:
    • In my room, they have been super picky about placement. I was not expecting this at all, but they definitely seem pretty sensitive to this.
    • Their frequency response in the 7-10khz region is a little bit uneven at this point. I was expecting this from a full ranger and it has definitely smoothed a bit, but I don't expect it to get much better. The rest of the FR is much more even than I thought it would be.
    • It's not a speaker that's gonna give you much in the way of SPL. While I don't mind this at all, for those really wanting to have something with a lot of power, these won't give you that.
    • In the same vein, it won't provide thundering bass. I don't have any problem with this, it is very clean and extends lower than I thought it would, but I think many would want to use them with a sub.
    Other Thoughts:
    • They are very revealing. They dig deep into the mix and really give off the impression of "being there". It's really obvious with these in terms of how well they portraythe nature of the recording. They are not "brutal" or "clinical", you can still play your poorly recorded stuff and not get headaches, but they have this uncanny ability to present the recording venue and quality of the recording, if that makes any sense.
    • If you're coming from a quality multi-way speaker, it's a totally different presentation.
    • My little home-brew Tubelab amp might be holding these back a bit. I am working on another build but don't feel like buying a mega buck SET amp for these at the moment.
    • In my small apartment, the lower SPLs these pump out has proved to be a more apartment friendly speaker than my previous stuff.
    • I think they may need more than 2 good watts to really shine.
     
    Last edited: Jun 2, 2016
  19. flatmap

    flatmap Acquaintance

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    @recarcar, very nice analysis of your experience with the Super Alnico Monitors.

    Whether a mere 100 hours is enough, I can't say. I waited quite a bit longer for my (older model) Grand 6Rs to get sorted out.

    My listening room is not very large (apprx 12 x 13 x 7.5) and in that setting, placement was critical. At various times when I've
    had them set up in my large living room, they were not fussy about placement. I think that was because it was easier to get
    them clear away from the room boundaries.

    You might need more than 2 watts -- and I have an idea that a bigger amp will accelerate the break-in time. That's how it seemed to me.
     
  20. Hrodulf

    Hrodulf Prohibited from acting as an MOT until year 2050

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    What's the situation with sweetspot size with these single driver speakers? I have experienced single driver monitors and on-axis they played pretty nicely, but anything even a little sideways killed the treble.
     

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