[RickG]

Quote:

Originally posted by kelly The volume think, though, concerns me a bit. Someone on Audiogon mentioned having trouble getting the 007t loud enough with the 007. And yet the 007t I heard at WOH tour (the only 007t I've heard to date) got them plenty loud enough

Like Vert, I seldom go over 2 on my 007t. I can't see how anyone could gripe about the gain unless there is a major flaw with the amp.

As for the bass, what can I say? I've got a lot of phones and my Omega IIs exhibit the most precise and sonically correct bass I've heard from any headphone. I could never characterize the bass of the Omega's as exaggerated.

 

[Vertigo-1]

Quote:

Originally posted by pigmode Hmm, I usually listen to my speaker system at about 74dB avg. Have your Omega 2s opened up at all latey? I thought the Sigs had a much airy-er top end overall, although I do prefer a darker sound. I'll have to admit that I haven't heard either Stax long enough to come to any real conclusions.

Actually, no the Omega IIs haven't opened up on top at all, and I'm really not expecting them to either. What did change though was the bass, it's much more tighter with better definition than new out of the box. Cable twiddling does seem to affect the Omega IIs in much greater quantities than dynamic 'phones...I'll PM you about that.

 

[JohnActon]

Even though I'm quite convinced that this dead horse has been beaten enough, I'm going to chime in anyhow.

I personally think the Omega II is one of the most neutral transducers available. This belief has been reinforced as I've recently gone through the process of attempting to assemble a world-class (within my budgetary constraints) speaker-based sytem. Yes, speakers do some things better than any headphone, but I haven't listened to a speaker system yet that hits dead-on upon that essential "rightness" of the Omega II, especially in the all-important midrange (and I've heard some heavy hitters, lately - Wilson Audio MAXX, Wisdom Audio $55k something-or-other, both of which were, admittedly, in the ballpark, albeit at exponentially higher prices.)

I don't think the bass of the Omega II is at all pronounced; it's certainly less pronounced than the Sennheiser HD 600, lacking the extra warmth that the HD 600 imparts to instuments in the mid and upper bass regions. It DOES, however, ameliorate the thinness that I had previously experienced (to a slight degree, admitedly) with the SR-404 Signature II phone. With the Omega II, vocals and other midrange instruments possess the requisite amount of warmth and color - sounding very natural in consequence.

I also don't think that the treble of the Omega II is at all shut-in, but I may have a personal prefererence for a smoother top-end, as I trust the ears (and wealth of experience) of Vert when he states that the treble may ultimately be a little too recessed in proportion to the rest of the spectrum.

Having said all that, I still REALLY want to hear the MD-R10!! It's a shame that it sounds like Sony is discontinuing it. It's got to be in the upper-echelon of headphones (along with the Stax, Orpheus and yes, the HD 600). I do think, however, that at this caliber, preferences for one over the other can be VERY system dependent. Would I have preferred the SR-404 to the Omega II in the context of a system other than mine? Who knows? Would Jatinder or Mark prefer the Omega II to the R10 in the context of another system? Who knows? But I'm willing to sacrifice myself to try and find out. Okay, here's what needs to happen - Mark and Jatinder need to send me their systems for a lengthy (at least six months) audition of all their stuff, after which time I will provide a comprehensive and impartial review of everything. Also, I will have changed my name and address - don't write me; I'll write you. Whaddya say, fellas? You game?

Lastly, when you are comparing any components of this caliber, all possible elements of chance or corruption in the signal chain that can be removed need to be to provide for an adequate comparison. As much as I laud Headroom for assembling their World of Headphones display, necessary constraints in the execution of said display probably compromised the ultimate potential of all these headphones. Specifically, the Omega II, which I still believe to be the Prima Donna of the headphone world, was probably not listened to under anything resembling ideal circumstances.

 

[jatinder]

Hi Calanctus,

I went to visit Max Townshend of Townshend Audio - and listened to his personal "prototype" speakers which included a tweeter array going up to 25KHz.

Townshend are working on a supertweeter which can be "added" to any speaker (a bit like the Tannoy seperate super tweeter).

We played DVD/A and SACDs with and without the supertweeter in the chain -- and without a doubt, there is much more body and realism *at all frequencies* with the supertweeter on. I was extremely surprised that bass lines could benefit so much from a supertweeter. Max's one word explanation - harmonics.

--Jatinder

 

[jatinder]

A number of people have said that they felt the Omega II to be dark, to have exaggerated bass etc. The pair I had on loan were broken in to some degree as they were second-hand (about 4 months old).

I can only assume that they are indeed like that (whether it's the amp or the phones I don't know) OR more likely, they require a more synergistic playback chain.

I think most people would say that the components that I tried them with are certainly not dark-sounding and if anything may be a little bright.

Who knows - it's probably worth getting hold of another pair and seeing if they're any better, after all - how would I know if they were damaged in some way?

--Jatinder

 

[kelly]

Jatinder
I think we could argue indefinitely about what a flat frequency response truly is. People get used to hearing recordings a certain way and the intent of the engineer is not always clear.

What makes me think your Stax experience may have been with a defective amplifier is your inability to drive the 007 to an acceptable volume.

 

[Vertigo-1]

Jatinder,

I think you can rest assured that your impressions of the Omega II were not wrong. Whether or not the amp was faulty, your impressions agree with just about everybody else's impressions on the Omega IIs.

I do think they subjectively have a dark top end. One could argue I prefer a stronger top end then most and don't recognize a neutral top end when I finally hear one, but nonetheless, I'm convinced the average audiophile listener that heard the Omega IIs would find them dark. It's not the listener at fault, rather it's the headphone. And yes, it is the headphone, not the amp...a quick switch over to a pair of Lambda Pros reveals a much more open top end. Switching back to the Omega IIs sounds exactly as pigmode described it...as if a silk scarf had been overlaid on the treble. One could say the Lambdas are simply a brighter headphone, which they are, but it's not that they merely have quantitatively more treble. Switching from the Omega IIs to the Lambdas, it's as if a veil were lifted from the upper midrange on up. Not only does the treble open up, but the soundstage opens up as well. Enormous difference.

Incidentally this very difference is what renders the Lambdas near unlistenable, and the Omega IIs very, very listenable and enjoyable. Strictly speaking from the tonal balance aspect, the Omega IIs are rather disappointing, but their tonal balance plays a part in a much bigger picture...and that big picture happens to be the closest to true transparency I've ever heard from a headphone. I've convinced myself therefore to overlook the Omega II's tonal balance for the time being, in order to better understand the bigger picture.

In any event, I don't think you need a 2nd audition with the Omega IIs. Likewise, short of equalizing, I don't think you could change the Omega IIs that drastically...certainly nothing for the dark top end I think. Nothing was wrong with your impressions...they may have simply not been for you, especially next to an Orpheus and well backed up R10 system.

 

[RickG]

A most compelling synopsis, Vert. I think you described the "essence" of the Omega II's quite eloquently.

They are truly a "window" to the music.

 

[Calanctus]

Have any of you that like the Omega 2 ever heard the Koss ESP950 electrostats? If yes, how do they compare in sound quality?

The Koss cans have some very positive user reports for sound quality (the knock on them is not sound, rather it is supposed to be reliability--I've never had any reliability issues with mine). But I've never really been able to enjoy the electrostatic sound for very long. I find myself wanting to turn the volume down after 15 min and take them off after half an hour....