Analysis Omega and Quad 2905

Ok Gentlemen, I thought I'd post a new thread as the whole show down went completely topsy-turvy!

The comparisons went all the way through to Sunday and ended up at my place with a few additions.

1. The c-j MV60SE held on pretty dam well with the big contenders, it handled the "musicality" factor to the top! It was outstanding with the ribbons and drove the Omega's to a certain point, since we all don't listen to music loud, mostly soft to moderate, it was more than enough to drive the Omega's to a listenable scale with a relaxing sound, similar to driving the big Quads, and driven with c-j are listenable for endless hours... At the end we all agreed that the much smaller Omicron's would be a perfect match.

2. The Pass Labs XA160.8, well I guess this was the least engaging in terms of musicality, plenty of head-room and great dynamics but the overall sound sounded very flat, and nearly "life like." We were not impressed at all, however the chap who brought in his Pass amps also has SF Amati's which sound far better. So I guess it's upto speaker matching for Pass but as far as the Omega ribbons were concerned, not a very good match for the what's out there.

3. The VTL 750's which we have heard before were great, and then also came along the top of the line, which drove them to glorious levels, all the power needed and wonderful dynamics, nothing seemed lacking until...

4. The formidable MC452, one word WOW! now that's what I call an amplifier! Holy smokes this thing drove the Omega's like a rocket engine fitted to a mini cooper! It basically thrashed all the notions of so called SS sadness, and took the listening session for a spin. It was partnered with his VTL preamp, musicality, detail, inner details, loud crescendo, sharp, focused, full of snap and thunderous impact when required, it had it all. And most of all it was smooth! So smooth that it felt like a tube amp but with all the virtues of a SS and tubes and hybrids put together. We all agreed that this was clearly the winner by a far margin and ended up at my place since I took the MC452 with me!

We then hooked this up to my Quads and used my other chap's McIntosh preamp instead of the c-j ACT2, and now the sound is totally different. Far more robust, strong and solid details with greater emphasis on transients, makes the whole Quad stat experience totally dynamic at a level I hadn't experienced before. The ACT2 is a wonderful preamp but I think the overall sound is very laid back compared to the Mac, that's why it makes for easy listening. Similarly the Mac combination was as smooth as the c-j combo, the only difference is it sounds far more lively!

Apart from that my ACT2 shut down again! and is on its way to Queensland for a check up. I have told David at Caxton to take his time and go through it for as long as it takes. I am not fussed at all since I am now listening to a Mac preamp with the c-j MV60SE and it sounds awesome. Totally live, like a shot in the arm with a steroid or something that just breathes new life into the system. Great stuff indeed, I intend to hang onto this preamp as long as I can until the chappy wants it back. He is currently off on vacation and won't be back till end of Feb! Great news for my Quads, I must say.

So there you have it gentlemen, the clear winner is the MC452, and with it's matching preamp, it's one combination very hard to beat. Now at least we have something of true greatness in terms of "value" other than Naim Statements...

The other thing is, the chappy who was about to upgrade to the top of the line VTL's is totally confused... Good luck to that and cheers to all you music lovers!
RJ

Hey mate, yes that's what we discovered. The cj was able to drive the Omega based on average to moderate listening levels. Neither of us listen loud in any case. Therefore, it would best match with the smaller panels in a smaller room of course and the sound would be just right because room acoustics suit better.

Just because Omega's are bigger in smaller rooms, they would not sound so tops because they need plenty of room to open up, and when they do, like we discovered with the Mac amp, they really open up!

The overall sound stage, depth, dynamics and transient response was superb! It had all the slam that you needed, compared to a Wilson may fall short but that's a different topology altogether. The AA panels and others stats are not designed for slam, hence they're full range panels. What we enjoyed the most from the Omega and later my Quads was the play back of recorded music in its most natural form. Once you get the combination right, you know that it sounds right.

Having said that, it will not suit all types of music nor all types of room setup. In that case there is really nothing on our planet that is the one and all. You have to appreciate what it was designed for and what it can deliver.

I am currently using a Mac pre with the c-j and it sounds remarkable! My Act2 has gone for a check up, It's really annoying.

Anyway, I'm enjoying this combination at the moment, and hope to discover new things along the way.
Cheers, RJ

Hey Joe, how's it going.

What we came across with the pass amps was nothing wrong, just that they didn't have that musicality factor compared to c-j and Mac. Even the VTLs were far more musical and presented the nuances very well.

The pass were able to drive the Omega to fine levels with ample dynamics and plenty of power. It sounded great but that's about it. Sound stage depth, vocal presence, magical midrange and smooth highs were all more aparent in the other amps by a far margin. When someone likes or prefers the pass sound then they may be content with what they're hearing, until of course something else comes along like cj or mac. All of a sudden you go aaah! That's what I was missing. ..

I am at the moment enjoying the mac cj combo with the quads, remarkable stuff!
Cheers mate,RJ

Thought I'd post a new thread but this one is good.

Past few weeks have been awesome. I managed to get hold of both the Omicron's and Epsilon AA ribbons home for a week. In short there is really nothing compared to having the demo in your own home within your own environment and acoustics.

Driven with all c-j gear the AA's sounded fantastic! Plenty of speed, dynamics and superb transient details, and that was about it! The Quads had far greater depth in the soundstage, greater details and nuances and the midrange was something very special and what I'm used to. On the other hand the AA were better driven by the big ss mc452 with the Act2. That was some serious sound indeed but then again nothing beats the depth in the Quads staging. The way the performers are floating in free space away from the stats is simply magic. I didn't get this with the AA's and the musicians seemed to be somewhat stuck to the panels not in free space.

Anyway, at the end of the day I could live with both systems and enjoy then equally. However, in the long run of late night listening sessions, I prefer the Quads. I could have the AA's as a second system but then that means having a second power amp such as the mighty mc452 on standby just for the AA's. Until such time, I will truly be enjoying my Quads.
Cheers, RJ