Interesting that your friend seems to have a subwoofer with his (JL Audio?).
Do you think there are benefits to this approach as opposed to having a hybrid?
Magnepans vs. Electrostatics. What is the better technology? What do you prefer?
- Thread starter caesar
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Interesting that your friend seems to have a subwoofer with his (JL Audio?).
Do you think there are benefits to this approach as opposed to having a hybrid?
Yes my friend as two JL subwoofers 24hz for HIM is not enough with two JL F-112s they go down to 14hz for him that is much better he has a dedicated room and i live in a condo not quite the same thing BUT even in a larger room i would not have subwoofers i prefer the sound WITHOUT.
Yup. And that's his "real" name. An absolute sweet human being.
Hi so I went to New York, Queens, and demoed an Analysis Amphitryon system with Lamm pre and the Lamm hybrid monos (220w each). This is easily the best speaker I have heard and does more soundstaging, sounds more real, and is more dynamic than any planar. Not only does it do the best piano, but I also played Zep on it, and for those who are familiar with the end of Gnomus in Mussorgsky’s Pictures, that thump is driven into your midriff like a piledriver. The soundstaging with the Lamm was excellent, backwards and forwards. The room doesn’t have much room at the side, but I already know that they do a big soundstage sideways.
As compared to the Omegas, the difference is mainly in the bass. But then I have heard the Omegas with Valves, and the Amphis with hybrids. The valve character was retained. I think Amphis are required for a bigger room and the ultimate in dynamism, but otherwise Omegas are fine. The crossovers were updated with Duelunds
They did have BG Radia dipole woofers attached, but when we took the woofers off it made no difference to the bass and actually sounded better. No room treatment except diffusers behind the listener, and Synergistic HFTs. 23 * 15 ft room. Source was a CEC TLO transport going into a Weiss Medea
As compared to the Omegas, the difference is mainly in the bass. But then I have heard the Omegas with Valves, and the Amphis with hybrids. The valve character was retained. I think Amphis are required for a bigger room and the ultimate in dynamism, but otherwise Omegas are fine. The crossovers were updated with Duelunds
They did have BG Radia dipole woofers attached, but when we took the woofers off it made no difference to the bass and actually sounded better. No room treatment except diffusers behind the listener, and Synergistic HFTs. 23 * 15 ft room. Source was a CEC TLO transport going into a Weiss Medea
Attachments
Yes, that's Nick's system. Truly awesome sound in a good sized room with essentially no room treatments. The Lamm electronics absolutely have a role in how great this sounds.
I have heard the omegas with NAT Audio, Audio Research Ref 110, and with Crown 500 quid class D. They always sounded awesome to me. The Lamm gave both the valve sound and the punch.
Ok folks,
After a few weeks of searching and trying to contact the dealer / distributor in Melbourne, ref to auditioning the Omega's or something down the line, I finally did manage to audition a pair of Omega's in a private home just last Sunday. The distributor in Melbourne, National Audio Group, don't seem to be answering calls... anyway I'll try again in a couple of months for what it's worth.
Oh! this was a pleasant surprise indeed! The power amps were VTL MB750 monoblocks, preamp was a top of the line ARC ref series, and source was a McIntosh MCD500. All cables and interconnects were DH Labs and some power conditioning equipment brand that I was not familiar with. Anyway, the sound was great!
Overall in summary:
1. The Omega's need a large room, and at least 5 to 6ft from the wall behind the panels.
2. They do require a good amount of power to breeze through effortlessly (although I feel they could be driven adequately with 100 watt tube monoblocks)
3. Also require a bit of room around the sides, at least 1-2ft, with slight toe in.
4. Images better with the tweeters on the inside (although the Apogee & Magnepan ribbons could be switched)
5. Great dynamics and plenty of power handling
The only downside I could possibly see is that the enhanced cross-over costs around 6 grand vs. the standard one for 3 grand, on top of a pair of panels that already costs nearly 40 grand!
They are not cheap because they are built with top quality materials, such as special coatings on the ribbon elements to keep them from oxidation. A lot of the materials have been sourced from different countries, to put together a system of panels that easily surpasses all other ribbon designs I have come across. The weight of each panel is also solid, and not that flappy feeling of some well known panels... These things are built to last!
I was feeling very comfortable with these, specially from a build point of view because it reminded me of my Quads' solid weight and steady overall structural rigidness.
From the first note, it clicked off as an Apogee sound, very true to the Apogee Diva's and big Apogee Studio Grands, the main difference here is one full ribbon panel driving the entire frequency spectrum without any integrated sub or low frequency driver hidden in some corner.
The bass was indeed awesome! Yes better than my ESL 2905's, the highs were very extended and quite smooth, not over shimmering like the previous maggies I've had, where the tweeter ribbon is on a different planet, and the mid-range is excellent, very smooth, defined and well balanced. Overall one panel type that I could happily enjoy good recordings on, and this chap has a very similar SACD player to what I've got. I am also very familiar with the VTL's because I did own an older pair of VTL 400's called Manley designer's ref series.
The sound was very enjoyable, one that lets you in on the music straight away and is a "stunning" performance. You know it sounds good because it is certainly well balanced and does not have too much of something overpowering, unlike many other high-end speakers out there.
Bonzo heard these driven with Lamm monoblocks, now that's a totally different league altogether, and not many music lovers can afford Lamm gear. Having said that, the Quad ESL 2905 driven with Lamm's ML 2 series monoblocks was simply outstanding, and to me will always remain as my true reference sound, for that mid-range cannot be beaten, and the Quad electrostatic mid-range is legendary. Therefore, considering what I have paid for on my Quads, which is about half the dam price of the Omega's, I am truly satisfied with the Quads, and will happily retain these stats for as long as my hearing functions.
On the other hand, when the time comes, I think I've found my second true pair of ribbon classics, like the Apogee Diva's, I highly recommend the Omega's.
Sometime in the near future, when the dealer finally decides to answer my call, I could perhaps audition the smaller panels down the line for a quick comparison and experience these wonderful ribbons that I had not come across until our mate Bonzo made a big fuss about them after criticizing the Quads... And on top of that, AA has been around since 1990! Where the hec was I?
Oh! by the way, thanks for that Bonzo, it was certainly something really special to experience, and definitely worth while.
Cheers mate, and I hope you eventually do get hold of AA's. I would sincerely think just a pair would be great! Why go for mch when the just the pair was awesome enough!
Hey, if you've got too much dollars just transfer over to me, I'll take care of it gladly...
RJ
After a few weeks of searching and trying to contact the dealer / distributor in Melbourne, ref to auditioning the Omega's or something down the line, I finally did manage to audition a pair of Omega's in a private home just last Sunday. The distributor in Melbourne, National Audio Group, don't seem to be answering calls... anyway I'll try again in a couple of months for what it's worth.
Oh! this was a pleasant surprise indeed! The power amps were VTL MB750 monoblocks, preamp was a top of the line ARC ref series, and source was a McIntosh MCD500. All cables and interconnects were DH Labs and some power conditioning equipment brand that I was not familiar with. Anyway, the sound was great!
Overall in summary:
1. The Omega's need a large room, and at least 5 to 6ft from the wall behind the panels.
2. They do require a good amount of power to breeze through effortlessly (although I feel they could be driven adequately with 100 watt tube monoblocks)
3. Also require a bit of room around the sides, at least 1-2ft, with slight toe in.
4. Images better with the tweeters on the inside (although the Apogee & Magnepan ribbons could be switched)
5. Great dynamics and plenty of power handling
The only downside I could possibly see is that the enhanced cross-over costs around 6 grand vs. the standard one for 3 grand, on top of a pair of panels that already costs nearly 40 grand!
They are not cheap because they are built with top quality materials, such as special coatings on the ribbon elements to keep them from oxidation. A lot of the materials have been sourced from different countries, to put together a system of panels that easily surpasses all other ribbon designs I have come across. The weight of each panel is also solid, and not that flappy feeling of some well known panels... These things are built to last!
I was feeling very comfortable with these, specially from a build point of view because it reminded me of my Quads' solid weight and steady overall structural rigidness.
From the first note, it clicked off as an Apogee sound, very true to the Apogee Diva's and big Apogee Studio Grands, the main difference here is one full ribbon panel driving the entire frequency spectrum without any integrated sub or low frequency driver hidden in some corner.
The bass was indeed awesome! Yes better than my ESL 2905's, the highs were very extended and quite smooth, not over shimmering like the previous maggies I've had, where the tweeter ribbon is on a different planet, and the mid-range is excellent, very smooth, defined and well balanced. Overall one panel type that I could happily enjoy good recordings on, and this chap has a very similar SACD player to what I've got. I am also very familiar with the VTL's because I did own an older pair of VTL 400's called Manley designer's ref series.
The sound was very enjoyable, one that lets you in on the music straight away and is a "stunning" performance. You know it sounds good because it is certainly well balanced and does not have too much of something overpowering, unlike many other high-end speakers out there.
Bonzo heard these driven with Lamm monoblocks, now that's a totally different league altogether, and not many music lovers can afford Lamm gear. Having said that, the Quad ESL 2905 driven with Lamm's ML 2 series monoblocks was simply outstanding, and to me will always remain as my true reference sound, for that mid-range cannot be beaten, and the Quad electrostatic mid-range is legendary. Therefore, considering what I have paid for on my Quads, which is about half the dam price of the Omega's, I am truly satisfied with the Quads, and will happily retain these stats for as long as my hearing functions.
On the other hand, when the time comes, I think I've found my second true pair of ribbon classics, like the Apogee Diva's, I highly recommend the Omega's.
Sometime in the near future, when the dealer finally decides to answer my call, I could perhaps audition the smaller panels down the line for a quick comparison and experience these wonderful ribbons that I had not come across until our mate Bonzo made a big fuss about them after criticizing the Quads... And on top of that, AA has been around since 1990! Where the hec was I?
Oh! by the way, thanks for that Bonzo, it was certainly something really special to experience, and definitely worth while.
Cheers mate, and I hope you eventually do get hold of AA's. I would sincerely think just a pair would be great! Why go for mch when the just the pair was awesome enough!
Hey, if you've got too much dollars just transfer over to me, I'll take care of it gladly...
RJ
Hi great review, though I think they do sufficiently well with around 3.5 feet behind. They don't necessarily need a toe in, and can fire straight forward. I have heard them set up close to the sides as well.
I am trying to hear them with Karan and Einstein soon.
I am trying to hear them with Karan and Einstein soon.
Hi not sure where you got 40 grand from. The stock Omega costs GBP 14k in the UK, and $20k in the US. The crossovers vary depending on what you use, Jupiter is cheap, duelund is the most expensive. The stock comes use fairly often at half the retail.
What is key between a stat panel and this, and I can tell you having auditioned these a lot and compared to Logans, Quads, and Soundlabs, is that for midrange, all do female vocals well. But the male vocals require a different lower freuqency that I find the Omegas do better. While Stats like Quads are more coherent, they come across as thin (not a negative as the word connotes), while Omegas are full bodied. The Piano on the Omegas is much better to me. They also do orchestral slam way superior to a Stat panel, including a Logan hybrid or a Soundlabs. As you know, Quads can shut down over a certain volume. These go pretty loud. They do require more power than a Logan hybrid though. The Amphitryons are easier to drive and can even be driven by 50w SETs.
What is key between a stat panel and this, and I can tell you having auditioned these a lot and compared to Logans, Quads, and Soundlabs, is that for midrange, all do female vocals well. But the male vocals require a different lower freuqency that I find the Omegas do better. While Stats like Quads are more coherent, they come across as thin (not a negative as the word connotes), while Omegas are full bodied. The Piano on the Omegas is much better to me. They also do orchestral slam way superior to a Stat panel, including a Logan hybrid or a Soundlabs. As you know, Quads can shut down over a certain volume. These go pretty loud. They do require more power than a Logan hybrid though. The Amphitryons are easier to drive and can even be driven by 50w SETs.
Anyone compared the Analysis Amphitryon and Omega models to Magnepan's 20.7 and 3.7 models?
Curious - Don
Curious - Don
As a guide to local prices in Australia you can often double the prices you get in the USA
If you are in CO, I would suggest flying over to NJ or New York and auditioning the GT Audio Hybrid ribbon magnet planars. for $6.5k, they beat all the Logans, Quads, and Maggies I have heard (haven't heard 20.7). The dealer demos the Lamm + AA Amphis as his reference system, and then the GT Audio with a bybrid digital amp as his bang for the buck system, and it holds up really well. What dynamics. For me this is the way to hifi, no sense putting down maximum money on a SOTA speaker (though the AA is still a steal compared to other big brands out there), but this GT Audio speaker is awesome. Small manufacturers don't get to charge crazy margins hence the low cost
Maybe cheaper to source used from Europe then. Good to see so many aussies here, I was a big fan of the cricket team till Steve Waugh retired, and though I liked Ponting as a batsman never as a captain. Liked Clarke though, now he is gone too, as should the England captain.
Don,
I had 3.7s, have auditioned the Analysis Omegas and now have 20.7s.
I loved what the 3.7s could do and only wanted just that bit extra down low.
The Omegas are great. Heard them with Ypsilon set monos and a spiral groove TT. Very sweet and not surprisingly beautiful lush mids and rich tonality were the outstanding features. My only concerns were a slight reticence up top and of course the crazy price. Being a poor treble junkie these were the two deal killers for me but I completely understand Bonzos passion for these. Very similar to the Apogees in presentation.
For me the 20.7s picked up where the 3.7s left off with just the right added authority down low. Seamless and coherent is the ultimate expression that captures these bigger Maggies. Put Stillpoint Ultra 5s under them and the air, resolution, big scale dynamics and bottom end speed and weight brings these to life even more completely.
Ultimately I would have chosen the 20.7s over the Omegas even if they were the same price just because that coherence right through to the top and their effortless sense of scale make them for me the most natural and modestly compelling speaker I have yet heard. Speaker choice is such a personal thing and quite sure their can be no best for everyone simply because they are invariably framed by their compromises.
I have not heard the Amphitryons but would love to.
Graham
The bigger set Ypsilon is a 120 watt class A hybrid I think... In a tower like the big VTLs. Very nice gear tho I'd think the Lamms would be a dream combo. Both well beyond my humble pay grade tho.
Maybe, but that would add about $1k to the cost, and I have to finish getting a couple of kids through college before I can think about upgrading. And then need to save for retirement, going to be about 147 now before we've saved enough ... I'm just curious, not in the market.
Thanks Graham!
Are the new 20.7's still driven push-pull (magnets on both sides)? In the past that, and of course the sheer size that led to deeper bass, was their significant improvement over the 3.x series.
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