1999 Classe Omega Stereo Experiences

MCLSOUND · Feb 26, 2013

Hi Guys
I have recently had a ""chance"" to look at one of these dream amps(well for me anyways).Since my first CA-400 this was the one I wanted.I had a chance once in 2010 but missed it by 4hrs in Toronto and the pr**k that bought it sold it ASAP to the USA and later I seen Larry fom HEP in florida had it on his web as SOLD..Grrr
OW Well my loss.
I was wondering if anyone has used one of these monsters and what was your impressions on their mid-bass,mid and highs??
thanks

MCLSOUND · Mar 1, 2013

I am surprised that no one has any experience with one of these monsters

MCLSOUND · Mar 1, 2013

are they that rare?

MCLSOUND · Mar 9, 2013

Looks like I am going to have a chance to compare an older Omega to the newer Classe amps.Not sure which one is coming,2300 I think.

LL21 · Mar 9, 2013

MCLSOUND said:
Hi Guys
I have recently had a ""chance"" to look at one of these dream amps(well for me anyways).Since my first CA-400 this was the one I wanted.I had a chance once in 2010 but missed it by 4hrs in Toronto and the pr**k that bought it sold it ASAP to the USA and later I seen Larry fom HEP in florida had it on his web as SOLD..Grrr
OW Well my loss.
I was wondering if anyone has used one of these monsters and what was your impressions on their mid-bass,mid and highs??
thanks

Didn't Jacob Heilbrun use the omegas with his Wilson X2s and Thors? Perhaps you could contact him...doesn't he contribute to one of the audio mags? Quite discerning as I recall.

MCLSOUND · Mar 9, 2013

was it the nwer mono's from 2003 n up or the dual mono from 1999??

LL21 · Mar 9, 2013

MCLSOUND said:
was it the nwer mono's from 2003 n up or the dual mono from 1999??

Hi Mclsound...sorry i cannoy say...given that when i saw his photos...i think it was in the last few years...i suspect it is more likely from 2003 than from 1999. Nevertheless, since he did have them as i recall, you might still email him. If you do find out anything, please post so the rest of us can learn. thanks and good luck.

microstrip · Mar 9, 2013

MCLSOUND said:
was it the nwer mono's from 2003 n up or the dual mono from 1999??

Google "Jacob Heilbrunn" and omega and classe and you will easily find his comments on the net. I remember that there was also some debate about the Omegas in Albert Porter system thread at Audiogon.

Also see:
http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?1985-A-Recent-Review-Of-WBF-Member-Jacob-Heilbrunn-s-System/page3

MCLSOUND · Mar 12, 2013

I have recently been working on my system room with many changes but finally slipped the Omega in and it really dwarfs a Krell FPB 600.These amps sound great overall,but that midrange is amazing.I have not finished my own speakers with ATC mids but I think they will partner up perfectly.I looked at a used set of Omega mono's but the price was out of my league considering I got 2 Krell FPB 600's fully recapped(Bass n Midbass) and my Omega and a Bryston 10bLR for the price of a pair of used Omega mono's...searching pays off.

MCLSOUND · Mar 22, 2013

I take it this forum is full of dealers as no one wants to talk about old vs new and the difference in $$$$.Well it looks like I am going to get a chance to compare the Omega to a pair of CAM-400's.Should be interesting.

AMP · Mar 22, 2013

MCLSOUND said:
I take it this forum is full of dealers as no one wants to talk about old vs new and the difference in $$$$.Well it looks like I am going to get a chance to compare the Omega to a pair of CAM-400's.Should be interesting.

Actually, this forum is primarily made up of audiophiles searching for the same thing that you are. The difference here is that healthy debate is encouraged and due to that hearsay and blanket statements are usually called out with a request for the poster to elaborate or back up his claims. As such there's very little along the lines of, "I heard from a friend's brother's audiophile buddy that component XYZ was the greatest thing ever invented." Most of the content here is based upon first-hand experience and given the limited responses you received it's safe to say that there are limited first-hand experiences on this particular amp.

I read your original post and remembered that back in the day I had considered the Classé Omega for my system, but as there was no local dealer I had no way of auditioning and went in a different direction. I could have posted that I heard from a friend that they were somewhat dark sounding with muddy bass, but that would serve no purpose. He had his bias and I had no first-hand experience.

I'm sorry that you haven't received the responses you were looking for, but given the age of the components you are looking at your chosen course of action (to evaluate in your system) is probably best.

MCLSOUND · Mar 22, 2013

No problem amp.
I am one who still thinks that old vs new with cost in mind is essential to many new and old audiophiles.I guess I dont have much room in me for the $15,000 used amps or the $150,000 darts.I realize that I will never own much of the new gear out there but I love this hobby.
We did a preamp war last year with the Simaudio P-8/Gryphon Mirage/Krell KCT &HTS 7.1....
The Gryphon won of course but we realized at $3600 used,the KCT was hard to beat and if not for its unmanagable heat,I would have kept it.I just picked up a Classe CP-60 w/phono and it should be here in a week or so and will put it up against a Krell HTS 7.1....I believe that the once top tier gear that is out there today at a third of its original cost is amazing still and I push it onto many new audiophiles

TBone · Mar 22, 2013

MCLSOUND said:
I take it this forum is full of dealers as no one wants to talk about old vs new and the difference in $$$$.Well it looks like I am going to get a chance to compare the Omega to a pair of CAM-400's.Should be interesting.

Well, nature of the beast. The silliest aspect of hi-end audio (and subsequent reviewing process), as far as I'm concerned, is that most dealers/reviewers consider "new=better" by default. Therefore, never mind comparing the Omega, or CAM-400, any comparison to older Dave Reich designed amps is simply out of the question ... for obvious reasons.

tb1

MCLSOUND · Mar 24, 2013

Well this is what I like to do and its for a specific crowd because the newer amps is a crying shame.They are lighter with half the guts(computer based) and twice the price.But hey,if thats what floats your bowl,then put out $150,000 for the 150lbs monos from Dartzeel and enjoy because 2 yrs down the road they will be $50,000 on Agon and 10yrs from now,I will be checking them out right here(LOL) but still not buying them??

LL21 · Mar 24, 2013

MCLSOUND said:
No problem amp.
I am one who still thinks that old vs new with cost in mind is essential to many new and old audiophiles.I guess I dont have much room in me for the $15,000 used amps or the $150,000 darts.I realize that I will never own much of the new gear out there but I love this hobby.
We did a preamp war last year with the Simaudio P-8/Gryphon Mirage/Krell KCT &HTS 7.1....
The Gryphon won of course but we realized at $3600 used,the KCT was hard to beat and if not for its unmanagable heat,I would have kept it.I just picked up a Classe CP-60 w/phono and it should be here in a week or so and will put it up against a Krell HTS 7.1....I believe that the once top tier gear that is out there today at a third of its original cost is amazing still and I push it onto many new audiophiles

Great stuff...have often enjoyed looking thru former SOTA stuff that is deeply discounted. Yes, in some cases, i do think progress has been made (at great expense in some cases)...but i continued to be amazed by older products that simply are well made. I only recently upgraded 13-yr old cables and have 20-yr old speakers which i would not trade for anything, even ignoring cost, other than perhaps 2 speakers. I have never heard Gryphon preamps, but run one of their amps (also 2nd hand) and love it.

MCLSOUND · Mar 24, 2013

Yea,I recently had a long conversation with a tech who has been around for man,many years and fixing the hi-end amps was his department.He would tell me of some of the best older pro amps(Ashly,EV,Crown) from a engineering point of view and for the hi-end(ML,Krell,Classe,Mac) he says its amazing how stupid these newer designs are in that they put a power hungry heat monster inside of a square box(heat sinks and all)and use cheaper parts built in China with a new look and expect these amps to still be functional in 10yrs.It is all about marketing with future repairs being constant.

EG...Krell KSA 250 to the FPB cx series.All of this gear has outside heatsinks to disipate the incredible amount of heat generated.They should be good for 17-20yrs if treated properly and then you rebuild them and away you go.Now look at a Evolution 403 or 600/900 and these still give off alot of heat and energy when cranked.How long are they really going to last with all the boards and heatsinks together incased in a shell??Since the first ones came out in 2005,we wont know for a few more years how long they will last before you have to rebuild them.

LL21 · Mar 24, 2013

I also think that a few mods to some great older gear is another good move. I have noticed in big Class A SS amps that the older ones are still fantastic...but the treble is perhaps not as refined as sometimes see today...D'Agostino is a great example of where SS treble has gotten to. But I imagine some of the older greats with a few mods could certainly carry forward the bass, dynamics and Mids of old...with an improved treble and refinement to make it more competitive and incredible value for money.

owen · Mar 25, 2013

I had the original Omega amp and then upgraded to the Omega Omicron monoblocks. I found them to be "lifeless".

Peter Breuninger · Mar 25, 2013

The Krell KMA 400s are one of my reference amps, well a pair of... they are monos. As is the CJ Premier One (recapped). Wonderful ole' classic amps.

MCLSOUND · Mar 26, 2013

owen said:
I had the original Omega amp and then upgraded to the Omega Omicron monoblocks. I found them to be "lifeless".

NICE...your only post and lifrless is what you say...I am curious what you have for a system today.I donnot believe lifeless is a description I would use but hey,your opinion

1999 Classe Omega Stereo Experiences

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