davidmiya
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2003
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[size=large]Review: KGSS and Stax Omega II's[/size]
=================================================
[size=small]**Disclaimer** [/size]
I personally don't need flame. So, if you plan to flame me, please press the "BACK" button now.
I've been cycling through my headphones and amps quite quickly during the past few months. In fact, in the past year, I've transitioned from Meta42, to PPA, to Stealth, and finally to this. It's been a long journey, one that I know is far from over. It's been a number of weeks since I purchased an upgraded KGSS and a Stax Omega II from a fellow Head-fier. Since that time, I've been able to try a good deal of my favorite CD's with it. Quite to my delight, I did receive the Meridian 588 in the mail a few days before the Stax, so I believe I do have a source worthy of this setup.
But before I begin, allow me to explain how I got to this point. Well, after trying out the PPA (no diamond bufferS), I was severely dissapointed by it's performance with the HD600 (with Cardas). I sold that and switched to the Stealth/HD650/Silver Dragon combo. For a time, I was satisfied by this combo because it was so dynamic and really brought out the nuance in the music without sounding grainy. Well, something still irked me. It was the weak bass and somewhat sterile presentation. Yes, the Stealth is awsome as a preamp (and I tried it as such). However, the only problem is that I NEVER use my speakers!!! So, I think that it's best capability (as a preamp) was totally wasted. So, since I was curious about electrostatics, I listened to Vertigo's Omega II's and figured I might as well give them a try.
The setup I used:
Power: Monster Power HTS-5100 SS
Interconnects: Cardas Neutral Reference
Power Cords: Absolute Power Cords
Source: Meridian 588
Amplifer: KGSS (upgraded by zzz)
Headphones: Stax Omega II
Music:
The Gladiator Soundtrack
Spirited Away Soundtrack
The Best of Yanni
The Ultimate Kenny G
Norah Jones "Come Away"
Tchaikovsky 1812 Overature
Arnold Overatures
Josh Groban "Closer"
The Best of Whitney Houston
The Best of Itzahk Perlman
All the stuff that people usually skip anyway:
The Omega II headphones come in a nice case that I will probably never use again. But, it is attractive nonetheless. The phones themselves don't look very expensive, but not bad looking (in comparison to Grados). The champaigned-colored mesh is a nice addition and adds to the classy look. the gunmetal-colored exterior is just as handsome and gives you the feeling that these phones are something special. The ribbon cord is a bit heavy and somewhat microphonic. For those who complain about microphonic, I have a few words of advice "STOP MOVING AROUND!!" I'm not kidding, you can easily overcome any and all microphonics this way.
As for the amp, the amp itself was built by antness. However, it was later sent to zzz (by another head-fi member) for upgrades. As a result of the modifications made on the amp by zzz, this thing runs HOT. And by hot, it get hotter than 100 degrees in less than 30 minutes of listening. I was advised not to keep it on for more than 4 hours or risk overheating. Though, despite the low heat tolerences, this amp is much better than the SRM-717 that I heard at Vertigo's place. If you're a Stax owner and still have the Stax driver, do yourself a favor and upgrade to the KGSS.
The sound:
Many have erroneously compared the Omega II's to the Ety ER-4S. First of all, the only thing that these two phones share is that ability to resolve low-level detail (if you even call this a similarity). They share absolutely nothing in terms of sound signature, or ever transducer type for that matter. Now that we have that notion dispelled, I can begin my review.
The Midrange:
The first thing that jumps out at me is that beautiful, lucious, full, and incredibly smooth midrange. Though, surprisingly, the midrange does not jump out like you might expect it would. Instead, it remains perfectly in balance with the rest of the spectrum to yield a satisfying performance that allows you concentrate on the "music" rather than a particular part of the sonic spectrum. Vocals on the Omega II's are truly the best I've ever heard, even better than on the Stealth/HD650. Norah Jones's voice is just so clear and shows no signs of strain or tension. Some words that come to mind are "efforless" and "graceful." Unlike many dynamic designs, I can heard ZERO grain. It's as if the singer is sitting right on my lap.
The Soundstaging:
The soundstaging is something that needs getting used to. The "front-to-back" soundstaging is excellent and protrays multiple layers of instruments and sounds. The depth is amazing in the sense that it feels like the room extends forwards and backward about 20 feet. As for the sides, there is ZERO soundstage. The instruments are extremely compressed and seem to be coming from some spot about 6 inches away from the drivers. However, I must note that I never get the feeling that the sound is coming from the drivers themselves, which is a good thing in my book.
The Treble:
The treble is "okay" by most standards. It doesn't jump out at me as being overpowering or underpowered. It feels balanced with the rest of the spectrum. I must comment that the treble doesn't have as much sizzle and impact as with the Stealth/HD650 setup, but instead, focuses on bringing out the graceful qualities of the treble. The treble "energy" is somewhat lacking though. The "energy" in treble is something that audiophiles have spent a long time trying to define but never really find the right words. Well, I haven't figured out how to say this, so I'll just say that the treble fails to "excite" me.
The Bass:
The bass was the biggest letdown for me. The bass on the SRM-717 was truly horrible being flabby and overpowering. The bass on this KGSS is much tighter and more accurate, but nowhere near the bass of ANY other dynamic phone I've tried, including the Etymotic ER-4P. See, many Stax lovers say that the bass goes just at deep or deeper than some dynamics phones. I do agree that the bass goes deep. But, the bass on electrostatics simply does not attain the compression levels that dynamic phones can produce. I don't care how if they come out new improvements to the electrostatic membrane, it's just out of the capability of electrostatics to reproduce lifelike bass. To illustrate my point, I will look to the 1812 Overature/. As many of you audiophiles know, this is one of the best CD's to demonstrate the bass capabilities of a soundsystem. When I put on this CD, the attack of the cannons "almost" felt realistic, but the decay was horrible. In essence, I felt the initial compression, but the energy dissapeared soon after.
I'm a firm believer that the excitement in music comes from two places: the treble and the bass. The treble is "passable" with the Omegas. The bass, however, is complete lacking and unsatisfactory by all accounts. If you're die-hard Stax owner and think that there's something wrong with my hearing, I give you permission to promptly close this window and never visit this thread again.
But there are many other good things:
The ambiance and decay on these things is awsome. It seems like piano notes sustain forever. Also guitar plucks come alive and seems to drift off into nothing. As I said earlier, the ability of these phones to resolve low-level detail is second to none. This definitely where the Omegas shine.
Some other minor complaints:
This is totally my personal preference, but feel that the Omega's presention is a bit too laid back for me. I used to think that the Sennheisers were laid back. And it's true, they are quite lack back. However, the HD650's are much more upfront and really added a lot of excitement to the sound. IMO, the HD650's got the energy just right. However, it feels like the Omegas push the listening back a few more rows than the HD650, just enough to detract from the energy and excitement. In fact, I oftentimes find myself almost falling asleep because of this presentation. Is this presentation bad? Maybe, maybe not. It depends what you like. Though, I like to be sitting a few rows back from the front row. The Omegas have me a few rows past the middle currently.
Wrapup:
the KGSS/Omega II combo is definitely a system worth investing into if you have the money and don't mind the electrostatic bass sound. The detail and midrange are to die for. However, for those hardcore rockers, don't go near this setup or you will be seriously disspointed. Am I a hardcore rocker? No, but I like to have bass energy in my music.
My rating: A-
=================================================
[size=small]**Disclaimer** [/size]
I personally don't need flame. So, if you plan to flame me, please press the "BACK" button now.
I've been cycling through my headphones and amps quite quickly during the past few months. In fact, in the past year, I've transitioned from Meta42, to PPA, to Stealth, and finally to this. It's been a long journey, one that I know is far from over. It's been a number of weeks since I purchased an upgraded KGSS and a Stax Omega II from a fellow Head-fier. Since that time, I've been able to try a good deal of my favorite CD's with it. Quite to my delight, I did receive the Meridian 588 in the mail a few days before the Stax, so I believe I do have a source worthy of this setup.
But before I begin, allow me to explain how I got to this point. Well, after trying out the PPA (no diamond bufferS), I was severely dissapointed by it's performance with the HD600 (with Cardas). I sold that and switched to the Stealth/HD650/Silver Dragon combo. For a time, I was satisfied by this combo because it was so dynamic and really brought out the nuance in the music without sounding grainy. Well, something still irked me. It was the weak bass and somewhat sterile presentation. Yes, the Stealth is awsome as a preamp (and I tried it as such). However, the only problem is that I NEVER use my speakers!!! So, I think that it's best capability (as a preamp) was totally wasted. So, since I was curious about electrostatics, I listened to Vertigo's Omega II's and figured I might as well give them a try.
The setup I used:
Power: Monster Power HTS-5100 SS
Interconnects: Cardas Neutral Reference
Power Cords: Absolute Power Cords
Source: Meridian 588
Amplifer: KGSS (upgraded by zzz)
Headphones: Stax Omega II
Music:
The Gladiator Soundtrack
Spirited Away Soundtrack
The Best of Yanni
The Ultimate Kenny G
Norah Jones "Come Away"
Tchaikovsky 1812 Overature
Arnold Overatures
Josh Groban "Closer"
The Best of Whitney Houston
The Best of Itzahk Perlman
All the stuff that people usually skip anyway:
The Omega II headphones come in a nice case that I will probably never use again. But, it is attractive nonetheless. The phones themselves don't look very expensive, but not bad looking (in comparison to Grados). The champaigned-colored mesh is a nice addition and adds to the classy look. the gunmetal-colored exterior is just as handsome and gives you the feeling that these phones are something special. The ribbon cord is a bit heavy and somewhat microphonic. For those who complain about microphonic, I have a few words of advice "STOP MOVING AROUND!!" I'm not kidding, you can easily overcome any and all microphonics this way.
As for the amp, the amp itself was built by antness. However, it was later sent to zzz (by another head-fi member) for upgrades. As a result of the modifications made on the amp by zzz, this thing runs HOT. And by hot, it get hotter than 100 degrees in less than 30 minutes of listening. I was advised not to keep it on for more than 4 hours or risk overheating. Though, despite the low heat tolerences, this amp is much better than the SRM-717 that I heard at Vertigo's place. If you're a Stax owner and still have the Stax driver, do yourself a favor and upgrade to the KGSS.
The sound:
Many have erroneously compared the Omega II's to the Ety ER-4S. First of all, the only thing that these two phones share is that ability to resolve low-level detail (if you even call this a similarity). They share absolutely nothing in terms of sound signature, or ever transducer type for that matter. Now that we have that notion dispelled, I can begin my review.
The Midrange:
The first thing that jumps out at me is that beautiful, lucious, full, and incredibly smooth midrange. Though, surprisingly, the midrange does not jump out like you might expect it would. Instead, it remains perfectly in balance with the rest of the spectrum to yield a satisfying performance that allows you concentrate on the "music" rather than a particular part of the sonic spectrum. Vocals on the Omega II's are truly the best I've ever heard, even better than on the Stealth/HD650. Norah Jones's voice is just so clear and shows no signs of strain or tension. Some words that come to mind are "efforless" and "graceful." Unlike many dynamic designs, I can heard ZERO grain. It's as if the singer is sitting right on my lap.
The Soundstaging:
The soundstaging is something that needs getting used to. The "front-to-back" soundstaging is excellent and protrays multiple layers of instruments and sounds. The depth is amazing in the sense that it feels like the room extends forwards and backward about 20 feet. As for the sides, there is ZERO soundstage. The instruments are extremely compressed and seem to be coming from some spot about 6 inches away from the drivers. However, I must note that I never get the feeling that the sound is coming from the drivers themselves, which is a good thing in my book.
The Treble:
The treble is "okay" by most standards. It doesn't jump out at me as being overpowering or underpowered. It feels balanced with the rest of the spectrum. I must comment that the treble doesn't have as much sizzle and impact as with the Stealth/HD650 setup, but instead, focuses on bringing out the graceful qualities of the treble. The treble "energy" is somewhat lacking though. The "energy" in treble is something that audiophiles have spent a long time trying to define but never really find the right words. Well, I haven't figured out how to say this, so I'll just say that the treble fails to "excite" me.
The Bass:
The bass was the biggest letdown for me. The bass on the SRM-717 was truly horrible being flabby and overpowering. The bass on this KGSS is much tighter and more accurate, but nowhere near the bass of ANY other dynamic phone I've tried, including the Etymotic ER-4P. See, many Stax lovers say that the bass goes just at deep or deeper than some dynamics phones. I do agree that the bass goes deep. But, the bass on electrostatics simply does not attain the compression levels that dynamic phones can produce. I don't care how if they come out new improvements to the electrostatic membrane, it's just out of the capability of electrostatics to reproduce lifelike bass. To illustrate my point, I will look to the 1812 Overature/. As many of you audiophiles know, this is one of the best CD's to demonstrate the bass capabilities of a soundsystem. When I put on this CD, the attack of the cannons "almost" felt realistic, but the decay was horrible. In essence, I felt the initial compression, but the energy dissapeared soon after.
I'm a firm believer that the excitement in music comes from two places: the treble and the bass. The treble is "passable" with the Omegas. The bass, however, is complete lacking and unsatisfactory by all accounts. If you're die-hard Stax owner and think that there's something wrong with my hearing, I give you permission to promptly close this window and never visit this thread again.
But there are many other good things:
The ambiance and decay on these things is awsome. It seems like piano notes sustain forever. Also guitar plucks come alive and seems to drift off into nothing. As I said earlier, the ability of these phones to resolve low-level detail is second to none. This definitely where the Omegas shine.
Some other minor complaints:
This is totally my personal preference, but feel that the Omega's presention is a bit too laid back for me. I used to think that the Sennheisers were laid back. And it's true, they are quite lack back. However, the HD650's are much more upfront and really added a lot of excitement to the sound. IMO, the HD650's got the energy just right. However, it feels like the Omegas push the listening back a few more rows than the HD650, just enough to detract from the energy and excitement. In fact, I oftentimes find myself almost falling asleep because of this presentation. Is this presentation bad? Maybe, maybe not. It depends what you like. Though, I like to be sitting a few rows back from the front row. The Omegas have me a few rows past the middle currently.
Wrapup:
the KGSS/Omega II combo is definitely a system worth investing into if you have the money and don't mind the electrostatic bass sound. The detail and midrange are to die for. However, for those hardcore rockers, don't go near this setup or you will be seriously disspointed. Am I a hardcore rocker? No, but I like to have bass energy in my music.
My rating: A-
