[cs098]

   
Off-topic, but it sounds like you've been hanging out at Reddit.  

I think /r/headphone's more objectivist leanings complements nicely with head fi. I like browsing both.

 

[ThePianoMan]

Off-topic, but it sounds like you've been hanging out at Reddit.  

Hahaha, yeah really. Hyperbole is the worst ever, of all time!

 

[warrenpchi]

  Off-topic, but it sounds like you've been hanging out at Reddit.  

 
Originally Posted by cs098 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
I think /r/headphone's more objectivist leanings complements nicely with head fi. I like browsing both.
 
Originally Posted by ThePianoMan /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Hahaha, yeah really. Hyperbole is the worst ever, of all time!

 
I don't want to derail the thread completely, so this is probably the last I'll say about this outside of PM.  But in the case of that particular poster, I think there is a fundamental misunderstanding of the ETHER's NiTinol headband... it's supposed to flop around like that... and it doesn't make the headphone any weaker.  I've taken ETHERs and thrown them, stuffed them into luggage, dropped them like a bad habit, etc. - and they seem none the worse for wear.  Anyway, it seems like that poster's dislike of the headband colors his/her views tremendously.
 
Now, to get things back on track, thanks to ThePianoMan for the comprehensive and thoughtful impressions, which I largely agree with.  Well done!  

 

[cs098]

oh btw, what wood was the omni's. Looks like different woods have different sounds.

 

[ThePianoMan]

Thanks warren, very flattered!

As for the wood, I listened to the cherry and walnut versions, but the difference was very slight. The lamb skin vs. cowhide EarPods seemed to make a bigger difference. From what I could tell, the cherry was perhaps a little more airy and bloomy in decay. A lighter sound perhaps? The walnuts may have been a tad more solid and punchy. Really, the difference only showed in direct comparison. My recommendation is get whatever color you like best : )

 

[cs098]

Thanks warren, very flattered!

As for the wood, I listened to the cherry and walnut versions, but the difference was very slight. The lamb skin vs. cowhide EarPods seemed to make a bigger difference. From what I could tell, the cherry was perhaps a little more airy and bloomy in decay. A lighter sound perhaps? The walnuts may have been a tad more solid and punchy. Really, the difference only showed in direct comparison. My recommendation is get whatever color you like best : )

 
I'm looking at the black woods
 
And sorry for barraging you with many questions but now that you mention it what's the sound differences between the pads? Really digging the omni lol.

 

[warrenpchi]

Thanks warren, very flattered!

As for the wood, I listened to the cherry and walnut versions, but the difference was very slight. The lamb skin vs. cowhide EarPods seemed to make a bigger difference. From what I could tell, the cherry was perhaps a little more airy and bloomy in decay. A lighter sound perhaps? The walnuts may have been a tad more solid and punchy. Really, the difference only showed in direct comparison. My recommendation is get whatever color you like best : )

 
Quite welcome!  A particularly valuable point that you made back there, which I don't think should be overlooked, is that the Omni renders piano accurately.  That's not an easy thing for any headphone (or IEM) to do, and to have that assessment come from a pianist is a very meaningful impression.
 
As far as the wood, in discussions with Zach, he's made it very plain that the differences are quite subtle, and in many cases undetectable if one is not listening for the differences.  That said, I'd probably go with what I like the best as you said.  In my case, that would be Cherry as I think it works best with the all-black hardware.  

 

[PacoTaco]

  I think /r/headphone's more objectivist leanings complements nicely with head fi. I like browsing both.

The objectivist leanings are why I post more over there than here at times, lol. Especially when it comes to my opinions on certain popular headphones.
 
When I get my Omni, I'll be posting my review on there and here. I'll be listening through a NFB-15.32, which should be able to drive it pretty well.

 

[gixxerwimp]

 

  ZMF OMNI and BLACKWOOD Impressions and Comparisons

 
Excellent review! Really appreciate your comparison with the Blackwoods.
 
I'm still exploring the sound of my Blackwood Purplehearts that arrived a few weeks ago but am enjoying them immensely in general. I find the mid-bass occasionally a bit lacking, depending on the track. Sub-bass is amazing, but you're mention of it drawing attention made me realize that I was getting that too on occasion. The bass boost on my micro iDSD is subtle (<1dB @ 100Hz, +3dB @ 40Hz) and doesn't do anything for mid-bass.
 
An upgrade to the Omni in the future might be something worth considering. If enough of them get out there in the wild, I could get a listen to them next time I'm in the US. Or maybe I'll time the trip to coincide with a meet or CanJam.

 

[Jimkrell]

I have ordered a set of Omnis in Blackwood, which no one has heard yet, including Zach! Really eager to hear these, as I have a pair of Vibros in cherry, and a ZMF Master pair as well, which Zach brightened up a bit for me. I was going to upgrade to the Blackwood model, but decided to go for the Omni Blackwood. August cannot get here soon enough!

 

[PacoTaco]

I have ordered a set of Omnis in Blackwood, which no one has heard yet, including Zach! Really eager to hear these, as I have a pair of Vibros in cherry, and a ZMF Master pair as well, which Zach brightened up a bit for me. I was going to upgrade to the Blackwood model, but decided to go for the Omni Blackwood. August cannot get here soon enough!

 
I considered the Blackwood, but I'm more of a "warm" headphone kind of guy. I went with Walnut since I'm doing mostly gaming with it at this point. Impact and focus are what I want with it. Some would say the Blackwood would be better for that due to it depth, but that wouldn't really translate well to single-player games as well as MP games (which I haven't really played much of in the past two years.)
 
I like the look of Walnut better regardless. Dark wood that retains its character is awesome...Blackwood, while it lightens up over time, is still too dark for my tastes.

 

[fccn75]

This is definitely intriguing to say the least.  Can I have a consensus that the Omni is fuller, more sub-bass and airier with much better soundstage than the LCD2.2 pre-fazor?  If the Omni is all that, I'm in for a pair.  By the way, it looks as if the opening of the pads are just as big but round compared to the LCD, is that right?

 

[grizzlybeast]

I have ordered a set of Omnis in Blackwood, which no one has heard yet, including Zach! Really eager to hear these, as I have a pair of Vibros in cherry, and a ZMF Master pair as well, which Zach brightened up a bit for me. I was going to upgrade to the Blackwood model, but decided to go for the Omni Blackwood. August cannot get here soon enough!

When I get an Omni I will be going for blackwood myself! Be warned though blackwood is significantly heavier than cherry. Weight never bothers me though. 

 

[PacoTaco]

  This is definitely intriguing to say the least.  Can I have a consensus that the Omni is fuller, more sub-bass and airier with much better soundstage than the LCD2.2 pre-fazor?  If the Omni is all that, I'm in for a pair.  By the way, it looks as if the opening of the pads are just as big but round compared to the LCD, is that right?

 
I won't know until I have them, but just looking at the FR graphs says "yes."

 

[fccn75]

   
I won't know until I have them, but just looking at the FR graphs says "yes."

Thx for the reply, and yes I whole-heartedly agree with FR graph.  For the LCD 2.2, it's basically ruler flat from 20hz to 1k and from there drops.  
 
The Omni looks almost like a strong resemblance of the Harman room response curve.  LCD2.2 is my go to cans for vocals but the presentation is just not quite right due to the "wall of sound" effect instead of a more naturally spaced imaging positions from HD800 which is king but way too bright for my taste.  Also like to have a bit more slam in the bass - subbass area for which the FR in the Omni nicely suggests relative to 1Khz.
 
From Warren Chi's impression, I get the sense Omni can do all that I'm looking for in my next set of cans - warm and full sound signature, decent subbass, imaging, designed with reproduction of accoustic instruments as reference, airy but not harsh upper spectrum!  
 
More comparisons with TH900, HE-6, and HD800 are more than welcome!