Review of Super Alnico High Output XRS (Reposted from Steve Hoffman Forum)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic. Read 5848 times.

Rischa

I originally posted this review on the Steve Hoffman forum, but thought I'd share it here as well...

I’ve had my Omega Super Alnico High Output XRS speakers for about 7 weeks now, so thought I’d write down my thoughts and impressions for those who are interested. I researched high-efficiency speakers for about a year, with Zu, Tekton, and Klipsch all under serious consideration. Ultimately I landed on the Omega’s, as they’re popular with other Decware amplifier owners (Decware even sells an Omega model through their website), and I prefer their aesthetic over those other brands. When I called Louis at Omega to place my order, I told him that Imaging was important to me, so he suggested setting the drivers diagonally on the broad side of the cabinet rather than vertically on the narrow side as seen in the pics of the standard Super Alnicos on the Omega website. Other mods/upgrades to the base model include ¾” plywood front baffles, upgraded internal damping material, and propeller style binding posts. The cabinets are veneered in gorgeous curly walnut.

My previous speakers were Tekton Lores, which I used in my system for about 5 or 6 years. Previous and concurrent to those I owned Tekton M-Lores, various vintage models, and a few mid-fi speakers including Pioneer and Bose (I was young and didn’t know any better, lol). Needless to say the Omegas are my first pair of high-end speakers, so this review may not hold much weight for some of you. That said, I’ve attended AXPONA for the last 5 years, and auditioned several high-end speakers in the listening rooms of the two audio stores here in Madison, so I have a decent sense of what high-end sounds like.

Other than the Omegas, my system consists of the following gear:

 - Decware Super Zen SE84UFO2 SET Amplifier, 2wpc

 - Rega RP3, hot-rodded with TTPSU, Groovetracer subplatter and delrin platter, and Cardas tonearm wire and cartridge clips professionally installed by Brit Audio.

     - Hana SL cartridge

     - Rogue Triton phono-preamp

     - Cambridge Audio Azure 651 CD player

     - Blue Jeans speaker wire and interconnects

And here are the Omega Super Alnico High Output XRS (man, that’s a mouthful) specs from the Omega website:

     Sensitivity: 97 dB (though the label on the back of my Omegas say 98 db)

     Impedance: 4-6 ohms

     Driver: Twin Proprietary 6.5" Omega Alnico HempCone (1 whizzer, 1 dustcap)

     Frequency Response: 35-20kHz

     Dimensions: (without spikes) 38"H x 9"W x 14"D

     Weight: 50 lbs. each in a shipping box

     Power Requirements: as little as 2 watts

     Crossover: None​

I’ll get in to how the Omegas sound now, but real quick I just want to say that Louis at Omega is awesome and really took care of me. He’s a true professional and a talented engineer and craftsman.

So, funny story to start off with. When I first connected the Omegas, they didn’t sound good. They were detailed, but the treble was grainy, and the mids were soft, sibilant, and hissy (vocals sounded like air being let out of a balloon). I’d read that Omegas have a break-in period, so I decided to ride it out (bear with me, this doesn’t turn out to be a break-in issue). I left EDM on at high volume for several days to foster break-in, but only heard minor improvements in bass, and a worsening of the treble and mid-range problems. I started to get a little anxious. These speakers were supposed to excel at midrange, but that’s not what I was hearing. I was pretty worried that I’d just spent close to 5k on a bad set of speakers. I even sent Louis a few panicky emails looking for reassurance.

After a couple weeks of struggling to mitigate the grain and hiss, it finally occurred to me that bad tubes can sound hissy (duh). So, just as an experiment, I replaced the rectifier tube in my amp, and BAM, the treble was clear, bright, and smooth, the mids beautiful and lush, and the bass punchy, deep, and tight. It was my rectifier all along. I suspect the rectifier had been going bad for a while, but the problem wasn’t evident through the Lores. The Omegas were telling me what the Lores couldn’t. I guess this is what Reviewers mean when they say gear is transparent.

To be fair, I don’t really fault the Lores, as they’re recommended to be driven by 20wpc minimum and I was only giving them 2. If I’d been using them as intended, I’m sure they would have exposed the bad rectifier as well. Despite their 98db efficiency rating, I’ve read that Lores have a complicated crossover that isn’t suitable for low-powered amps. This is the main reason I was looking to upgrade and settled on the Omegas, which are crossover-less and therefore supposed to be better suited to my 2wpc Decware.

Anyway, once the tube issue was resolved (I’ve since replaced all the tubes in the amp just to be safe), I could hear what the Omegas actually sound like. Thankfully they’re fantastic in pretty much every way. Starting at the top, the treble is smooth, clear, and bright without being harsh.The bells and alarms at the beginning of “Time” from DSOTM have always sounded great, but the Omegas bring them to life. They seem to actually exist in the space between my sweet spot and system. My Lores image well, but this is on a different level.

Midrange is wonderful. While researching the Omegas, I’d read that they’re especially good at reproducing mids, and this is my experience as well. Vocals are clear and lifelike, and acoustic guitars sound more believable than I’ve ever heard them from my system. Neil Young isn't at Massey Hall in 1971, he’s in my living room in 2019 (or maybe I’m at Massey Hall in 1971).

Bass has surprised me the most. The impression I got from the forum on AC is that many users run subs with their Omegas, so I wasn’t expecting deep or impactful bass. I was wrong to assume this. The bass is actually much deeper than I was getting with my lores, and has way more weight and slam. I suppose this is also due to the fact that the Lore’s needed more power than I was giving them, but I was still surprised at the difference.

I’m not sure if the Omegas would be considered forward sounding or not. Like I’ve mentioned, they can do an impressive job of projecting the music into my listening space, but on some recordings they can also create the illusion of a deep and wide soundstage, as though you’re sitting about 7 or 8 rows back. No matter what’s playing, they pretty much disappear. Rather than forward, I’d say they do what the recording tells them to do.

To offer a nutshell comparison, I'd describe the Omegas as more dynamic, detailed, clear, and holographic than the Lores (and by a wide margin).

The craftsmanship of these speakers matches their sound quality. The veneer is beautiful with tight, seamless corners, and I appreciate the matte finish as opposed to the glossy, overly-varnished finish I’ve seen on other wood speakers. One of the secondary reasons I went with Omega is that I dig the look, which fits in nicely with my Scandinavian furniture.

The only drawback so far to the Omegas is the grills. They look good and complement the cabinets, but the magnets that attach them to the front baffle are a bit weak. If the grills are bumped even slightly they fall to the floor. I’ve just learned to be careful not to bump into them, which I should be doing anyway.

That’s about all I’ve got. I’m knocking around the idea of adding a pair of matching subs -- not because the bass is lacking, but because it would be fun to see what they’d add to the listening experience. If I end up pulling the trigger, I’ll report back.

Many thanks for reading, now please enjoy the obligatory pics:







With grills:



Backside:






Full listening space:








boisty

Thanks for taking the time to write this. I once owned a nice pair of Omegas that I regret selling. Been looking to dive back in. I really like your listening space, cabinet, furnishings, system, and of course the dog.  Cheers.

Boisty

pstrisik

  • Full Member
  • Posts: 1246
  • Holding pattern in Audio Nirvana in the PNW!
Very nice Risha!  I'm patiently waiting for SAM HO's any week now.  Will replace my standard SAMs. 

I like the unusual driver positioning on yours.

Just one suggestion.....   run without the grills.  Pros:  sound better (to my ears), look better (to my eyes - why hide those beautiful drivers?), grills won't fall off  :o, the veneer will darken evenly rather than leave any grill lines when you do take them off (this evidently varies by wood type, so may not be as much of an event with the walnut.  happens majorly with zebrawood), and you have your choice of design depending on which speaker is placed left and right (suggestive of mountain peak or of a chalice  :P).  Cons:   :dunno:

......Pete 

syzygy

  • Jr. Member
  • Posts: 243
Beautiful setup!

doggie

I originally posted this review on the Steve Hoffman forum, but thought I'd share it here as well...

I’ve had my Omega Super Alnico High Output XRS speakers for about 7 weeks now, so thought I’d write down my thoughts and impressions for those who are interested.

I have these same speakers except that mine are oriented with the drivers on the narrow sides. I wonder how they compare sonically?

I love mine and consider them to be end-game speakers. Mine are powered by a Linear Tube Audio Ultralinear amp.

I like the near-field woofer :-)
« Last Edit: 26 Apr 2019, 02:11 am by doggie »

Canada Rob

  • Industry Participant
  • Posts: 1072
    • Industry Participant
Rischa,

Nice setup and nice space.  The whole thing looks very inviting.  :thumb:

Rischa

Thanks to everyone for the kind words.  I really love these speakers!

saygrr

  • Jr. Member
  • Posts: 79
Did you get my note? If you are in Madison Wi. would like to hear your setup.  Have not heard Omega speakers and this is a great opportunity to hear a pair.

Jeff

Rischa

Did you get my note? If you are in Madison Wi. would like to hear your setup.  Have not heard Omega speakers and this is a great opportunity to hear a pair.

Jeff

Apologies,  I missed your PM. I'm  not very used to the AC interface.

Anyway, no problem at all -- I'd  love to have you over for as listening session. I'll PM you my email.

RDavidson

  • Full Member
  • Posts: 2863
Really nice setup! I've been curious about the HO models.
Note I am also an Omega owner and live in Madison.
I currently run CAMs with Pass / First Watt amplification. :thumb:

Rischa

Really nice setup! I've been curious about the HO models.
Note I am also an Omega owner and live in Madison.
I currently run CAMs with Pass / First Watt amplification. :thumb:

Nice! I was really interested in the new FW Sit-3 but I read in a recent review that it works best with 8 ohm or higher speakers. How do you like your First Watt/CAM pairing?

RDavidson

  • Full Member
  • Posts: 2863
Nice! I was really interested in the new FW Sit-3 but I read in a recent review that it works best with 8 ohm or higher speakers. How do you like your First Watt/CAM pairing?

I've been almost exclusively a Pass/First Watt owner for the last 5 years and have had most First Watt amps in my home at one point or another. I've also been an Omega owner for about the same amount of time. There's only a handful of FW amps I haven't tried, partly due to unavailability on the used market. Unfortunately, I haven't tried any of the SIT amps. I'm currently enjoying the Pass XA25 very much. It walks such an amazing balance of accuracy and naturalness. I also have an F3 that is fantastic, built at the time Nelson was building all FW amps himself. I'd probably loan it to you if you'd like to give it a try. It is not for sale, nor am I interested in selling it, but it is certainly fun and educational to try different things. Shoot me a PM. :D

Rischa

I've been almost exclusively a Pass/First Watt owner for the last 5 years and have had most First Watt amps in my home at one point or another. I've also been an Omega owner for about the same amount of time. There's only a handful of FW amps I haven't tried, partly due to unavailability on the used market. Unfortunately, I haven't tried any of the SIT amps. I'm currently enjoying the Pass XA25 very much. It walks such an amazing balance of accuracy and naturalness. I also have an F3 that is fantastic, built at the time Nelson was building all FW amps himself. I'd probably loan it to you if you'd like to give it a try. It is not for sale, nor am I interested in selling it, but it is certainly fun and educational to try different things. Shoot me a PM. :D
Thanks for the offer--very generous! At the very least we should get together for some beer and a listening session. I've actually been in Mt. Horeb for a couple of years now, but lived most of my adult life on the East side.

RDavidson

  • Full Member
  • Posts: 2863
Thanks for the offer--very generous! At the very least we should get together for some beer and a listening session. I've actually been in Mt. Horeb for a couple of years now, but lived most of my adult life on the East side.

For sure. I'll send you a PM.

lokie

Nice set up. I bet it sounds very nice. Love the walnut.


Rischa

Nice set up. I bet it sounds very nice. Love the walnut.
Many thanks! Yeah, speakers should only wear walnut as far as I'm concerned  :lol:

OzarkTom

Those are very nice. A friend in Kansas bought a pair and wants me to go hear them. Road trip for sure. :thumb:

tdinut

  • Full Member
  • Posts: 364
  • Joe aka Joeinid on other forums.
    • Audioshark Forum
Nice! I was really interested in the new FW Sit-3 but I read in a recent review that it works best with 8 ohm or higher speakers. How do you like your First Watt/CAM pairing?


As a SIT3 owner, and recommended by Pass, these amp are more comfortable at 4-8 ohms. They don’t really like higher impedances. My Avantgarde Duo XD are 18 ohms and I was recommended by Nelson and Pass to use a resistor across the outputs to bring down the resistance the amp sees.

tdinut

  • Full Member
  • Posts: 364
  • Joe aka Joeinid on other forums.
    • Audioshark Forum
I have these same speakers except that mine are oriented with the drivers on the narrow sides. I wonder how they compare sonically?

I know that I love mine and consider then end-game speakers. Mine are powered by a Linear Tube Audio Ultralinear amp.

I like the near-field woofer :)


I don’t see the option on the Omega website for a different driver orientation. Is there any consensus on which is better?


Can anyone please shed some light on this please?


Thank you so much.

mick wolfe

  • Full Member
  • Posts: 1238
Louis will custom build to your needs, within reason of course. He would also be the most knowledgeable in regard to driver orientation.