I first heard Omega loudspeakers way back in 2006 or perhaps 2007 at RMAF. I recall being quite impressed, especially given the very reasonable prices. I don't recall what model might have been playing.
Since that time I've owned a great many speakers, most in the $3-6K range, but with retail price all the way to $40K or so.
There have been some very good speakers in that mix - high-efficiency back horns of various types, front horns, Audio Note AN/Es (among the best of the bunch), Quad ESLs, and more. Just about everything except conventional cone & dome box speakers (even the best of which never sound very good to me).
A couple weeks ago I picked up a pair of Super 6 Alnico XRS at the steal-'em price of $1600. I just wanted to give them a try; I didn't really expect them to be preferable to my more expensive single-driver speakers.
In retrospect, I'm not sure why I didn't - I guess it was due mainly to the price. And that is pretty silly. To quote Canada Rob regarding the Alnico series speakers:
"They have cult status and are good enough to be put in the best systems available. I have one complaint about this series - the price. They are way underpriced, which sadly, in the minds of some, cheapens them. Too bad, they're the losers."
Well, he called it.
These speakers do detail and fast transients but never sound thin, shrill, or sharp - in fact, they are extremely natural and relaxed while they're being fast and detailed. That is one mean trick. You can spend a lot of money on wideband drivers and not get that, not to this extent.
Secondly, tonal balance is superb. Again, it's a rare widebander-based speaker, even those that horn-load the bass, that come close to being this tonally-balanced.
There's more to it than that - it's the whole package that is extremely special. It's beyond special.
The only "downside," which really isn't one in my book, is that we're not talking 100 dB/W-type sensitivity. I don't mind as I've largely moved past the DHSET thing (not that a 300B wouldn't be plenty, I'm sure).
The best amp I've tried on the so far is the First Watt F1J. This is not surprising to me as the First Watt current-source amps have been my favorite amps on every widebander I've used them on.
This amp & speaker combo, fronted by an upper-end Schiit R2R DAC into a Music First TVC, is giving me sound within 10% of what I've had at any price, sound I could live with forever.
