I have been rebuilding my audio system bit by bit over the last six months or so, and I have been researching speakers for a few months. I keep coming back to Omega speakers for a number of reasons. I like the enclosure design, Omega speakers receive consistently good reviews, and the single driver approach appeals to my personal aesthetic that simple designs are perferable to complex, over engineered solutions. At a time when mass market speaker companies are cramming in an absurd number of drivers, Omega's designs really do say that less is more.
Louis was kind enough to invite me to his Norwalk, CT shop for an audition. I live in Northeastern CT, and Norwalk is a little less than a 2 hour drive. I had the day off today so I grabbed a handful of CDs out of my music library and headed to Norwalk. Louis met me at the entrance and led me through the shop back to where he has a listening room setup with a number of different amps. Three different pairs of Omega speakers graced the front of the room and there was also a new Omega subwoofer there as well.
First up was the Super 3 XRS. I was awestruck by how much room-filling sound the smallish 4.5" HempCone drivers were capable of. I thought to myself that these would be perfect speakers for a small room or apartment where space is at a premium. They don't take up a lot of real estate and they sounded great. Louis then switched in the subwoofer. Holy smokes was I impressed! We were listening to some Don Caballero, math rockers known mostly for the virtuostic drumming of Damon Che.
Don Caballero - What Burns Never Returns
I think the Super 3 XRS and DeepHemp subwoofer combo doesn't loose a thing to many rigs costing twice the price. As impressive as the Super 3 XRS's were, I was really taken with the subwoofer. The bass was tight and fast. Louis showed me the 8" driver for the sub, and it was massive and heavy for its size. I'm used to seeing larger drivers in subs, with 10" and 12" sizes to be pretty common. I own a Mirage dual 10" sub with a 350 watt amp. It was a fine sub for movie sound tracks but I always thought it was a bit boomy. The DeepHemp is far superior for music. The bottom end comes through clean and clear with incredible focus. I was already thinking about buying the sub with whatever speakers I ended up picking out and we were just getting started.
We then switched in the Max Hemps and listened to some music first without the sub. I like all sorts of music, but I'm a huge hard bop jazz fan. It probably represents 60% of my listening. So it was time to listen to some John Coltrane.
John Coltrane - Blue Train
To my ears this was a near perfect test of the capabilities of these speakers. I was not disappointed. These speakers were very articulate and detailed. The Max Hemps I auditioned were finished in mahogany with black pedestals, they were beautiful but not overdone.
We then tossed on some Charles Mingus and I asked Louis to switch on the sub.
Charles Mingus - Oh Yeah
The first cut from this album is called Hog Callin' Blues and it was rip roaringly good. I think the Max Hemps can stand on their own just fine. But the more I listened to these speakers the more I felt that they can benefit from a sub. Bear in mind the the room used for auditioning is large, 20' x 20' at least, and has a very high ceiling of about 15'. My room is 15' x 14' wtih an 8' ceiling. I think the Max Hemps will sound even better in my room than they did at Louis' shop. The sub will add what amounts to that last tiny little bit at the bottom, and a case can probably be made by most folks to do without it. For me, that sub really is part of the package, and after being thoroughly impressed by its fast, tight, and focused bottom end, I simply cannot imagine not having it in my room.
So....I will be buying a pair of Max Hemps, finished in mahogany with the black pedestals, and the subwoofer. And I will be getting all of that at a very fair price (Thanks Louis!).
I would like to add that Louis was a terrific host. After chatting with him for a few minutes it was clear to me that he has a passion for music and takes great pride in his speakers. He even graciously tolerated some U.S. Maple and their deconstructive approach to rock, with their angular guitars and off-kilter sound. Anyone who can sit through Letter to ZZ Top without heading towards the exit gets my vote.
If you are within reasonable driving distance of Norwalk, CT, I strongly encourage you to make the trip and go hear these speakers. You'll be glad that you did.
--Jerome
