[JoeDoe]

Hey guys, I am currently using the walnut omni and still loving it. I am in need of a portable over ear close headphone. I was wondering if anyone have any recommendations. I am looking for whatever is the closest to the omni sound. 

Meze 99 or PM-3

 

[ahmad-bayern]

Hello agin
What's best for my ZMF OMNI
 
NFB-29H
 
http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/Headphoneamp/NFB29H/NFB29HEN_Specs.htm
 
OR
 
NFB-28

 
http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/Headphoneamp/NFB282016/NFB282016EN_Specs.htm

I am puzzled them 

 

[markus94103]

  Hello agin
What's best for my ZMF OMNI
 
NFB-29H
 
http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/Headphoneamp/NFB29H/NFB29HEN_Specs.htm
 
OR
 
NFB-28

 
http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/Headphoneamp/NFB282016/NFB282016EN_Specs.htm

I am puzzled them 

 
Someone more experienced please correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks like the NFB-28 is better for the Omni because you can use a balanced cable. There is a thread about the reason for using balanced headphone amps here:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/539458/why-balanced-headphone-amps

 

[wuhanclan]

I'm semi considering the NFB-28 as well when I decide to go balanced in the future. From my understanding, the difference between the 2 dac/amps is that the NFB-28's amp section is more focused on the balanced headphone out while the NFB-29H has more focus on the single-ended implementation.

 

[tvnosaint]

Maybe it's just chain synergy but the omni responds better to balanced power than any hp I have. They just open up so much more than my vibro mk1 or he560. Ymmv. It doesn't have the same bass slam but everything else seems to improve for my taste. I still go se when I want that warm and cozy rumble though.

 

[Aornic]

Maybe it's just chain synergy but the omni responds better to balanced power than any hp I have. They just open up so much more than my vibro mk1 or he560. Ymmv. It doesn't have the same bass slam but everything else seems to improve for my taste. I still go se when I want that warm and cozy rumble though.

Agreed. I switched to the balanced output of the Liquid Carbon and haven't looked back since.

 

[Aornic]

 
 
 
 
 
A little off topic but I got a HE-500 in the mail this morning. Stock pads were alright but then I put my ZMF lambskins on them - along with the pilot pad. Phenomenal comfort and an increase in soundstage. It isn't a particularly light headphone either but the pilot pad really helps distribute it well. I'm especially pleased about this because I had settled on the cowskin giving me the best experience on the Omni, so I had the lambskin lying around unused + a spare pilot pad. 
 
ZMF comes through again!

 

[Stillhart]

  Hello agin
What's best for my ZMF OMNI
 
NFB-29H
 
http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/Headphoneamp/NFB29H/NFB29HEN_Specs.htm
 
OR
 
NFB-28

 
http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/Headphoneamp/NFB282016/NFB282016EN_Specs.htm

I am puzzled them 

 
They are exactly the same except one is balanced and one is SE.  
 
Here's a quick education for a few of you who seem to have the wrong idea about what balanced does for you:  If you're trying balanced vs SE on the same amp and the amp is designed to be run balanced, balanced will ALWAYS sound better.  That's because you have double the power running through the balanced side.  An amp designed to run well SE can sound as good as, if not better, than any given balanced amp.  One is not inherently better sounding than the other.
 
In fact, the example I use ALL THE TIME to demonstrate this is the NFB-28 and NFB-29.  One is designed for SE and one is designed for balanced, even though they both have both ports.  When used correctly (balanced through 28, SE through 29), they should sound exactly the same.  Here's what Audio-GD has to say on the subject:
 

 The NFB-29 is a single ended DAC with headamp and preamp (+/- 30V DC high voltage power supply ), The NFB-28 is balance DAC with headamp and preamp (+/-15V DC power supply ).  So They had same output power specs can drive most headphone as well.
If customer like to keep your headphone with single ended connector (6.3MM), choice the NFB-29 get better performance than the NFB-28.
If customer had the balance connector headphone or can modify the headphone with balance connector, choice the NFB-28.

 
So if you have all SE cables, get the 29.  If you have all balanced cables, get the 28.  If you have neither, go balanced for one simple reason:  you can always convert a balanced headphone cable to SE with a simple, cheap adapter.  You cannot do the same to a SE cable.  That means you can use your balanced cables with any amp but you can only use your SE cables with SE amps.
 
Here's something I posted in another thread to help explain balanced vs SE:
 

  BMW makes a car called the M3.  Up until recently, they all had big naturally-aspirated V-8 engines.  Then, BMW decided to throw in a V-6 in the latest generation.  Many people might automatically think that the V-8 is obviously better because 8 is more than 6.  But the new V-6 has three turbos and puts out more horsepower, more torque and less pollution.  It's also more fuel efficient and lighter (making the car more agile).  It's a better engine in just about every measurable way.  Could a V-8 with three turbos out-perform the **** out of that V-6?  Yeah, probably.  But this one doesn't.
 
Balanced vs SE could be seen in a similar light.  Implementation is everything.  A good V-6 can crush a bad V-8 and vice versa.  Overall, when both are engineered to the max, the V-8 will have more potential.  But that doesn't mean V-8 is always better than V-6.  Balanced has more maximum potential than SE, but that doesn't mean you can always say that one is better than the other.  It simply comes down to implementation.

 

[tvnosaint]

The omni responds better to balanced power than my other hps on the same equipment.

 

[JoeDoe]

 
The comparo...
 
 
 
 
 
 
It's coming.

 

[ahmad-bayern]

   
Someone more experienced please correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks like the NFB-28 is better for the Omni because you can use a balanced cable. There is a thread about the reason for using balanced headphone amps here:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/539458/why-balanced-headphone-amps

I have NFB-11 and I love products audio gd Will I need to change?
As for the balanced cable, is there any kind do you advise me?

  I'm semi considering the NFB-28 as well when I decide to go balanced in the future. From my understanding, the difference between the 2 dac/amps is that the NFB-28's amp section is more focused on the balanced headphone out while the NFB-29H has more focus on the single-ended implementation.

 
Sorry . My English is weak
I mean, what better for me as the answer of last resort?

   
They are exactly the same except one is balanced and one is SE.  
 
Here's a quick education for a few of you who seem to have the wrong idea about what balanced does for you:  If you're trying balanced vs SE on the same amp and the amp is designed to be run balanced, balanced will ALWAYS sound better.  That's because you have double the power running through the balanced side.  An amp designed to run well SE can sound as good as, if not better, than any given balanced amp.  One is not inherently better sounding than the other.
 
In fact, the example I use ALL THE TIME to demonstrate this is the NFB-28 and NFB-29.  One is designed for SE and one is designed for balanced, even though they both have both ports.  When used correctly (balanced through 28, SE through 29), they should sound exactly the same.  Here's what Audio-GD has to say on the subject:
 
 
So if you have all SE cables, get the 29.  If you have all balanced cables, get the 28.  If you have neither, go balanced for one simple reason:  you can always convert a balanced headphone cable to SE with a simple, cheap adapter.  You cannot do the same to a SE cable.  That means you can use your balanced cables with any amp but you can only use your SE cables with SE amps.
 
Here's something I posted in another thread to help explain balanced vs SE:
 

*sorry 4 my bad eng*

 

[Stillhart]

The omni responds better to balanced power than my other hps on the same equipment.

 
The Omni responds well to power period.  The T50rp driver is known to be a power-hungry driver and the more power you feed it, the better it will sound.  It's a fallacy that more power only equals more more volume.  You need the power for driver control.

 

[grizzlybeast]

 




We are! And we will! Well, we'll have one beautiful wenge wood Omni that Zach makes for us. Wherever LTA has a headphone booth, you'll find an Omni to listen to.

Anticipating questions: we'll only have a single-ended cable, and we will, appropriately, only have our MicroZOTL2 to listen to them through. If you are very interested in the Omni and would like to try it on another amp in the headphone area, borrowing it from our table for a few minutes shouldn't be a problem. Just leave a leg or an ID or $1050 or something.   

Omni + Zotl / LPS + Musette was one of my favorite setups at Socal a few months back.  I definitely recommend people give this setup a listen if they are in attendance!

when I had the mussette I kept wishing I had a proper power supply. I wish I could have heard it with the lps. I really liked the Omni with the mussette and iha6 which is practically a taurus amp for less.

 

[Aornic]

As the topic in this thread is currently about powering the Omni, I talked about my experience with it being powered by a Cavalli Liquid Carbon in my new review here on Head-fi. 
 
Link

 

[jerick70]

  Hey guys, I am currently using the walnut omni and still loving it. I am in need of a portable over ear close headphone. I was wondering if anyone have any recommendations. I am looking for whatever is the closest to the omni sound. 

 
I can recommend the Oppo PM-3s.  I used them daily until I received my Omnis.  The treble is a little rolled off but can be EQed to take care of that.  Everything else is excellent with the PM-3s though.  I'm not a treble head so don't EQ mine.  I used them at work so don't require the portability.  I've taken them on many trips and they fit well into a backpack.
 
The Meze 99 looks really nice too.  I've not tried them but they look very nice.