[gsferrari]

Phew...

I've set my rig up over this weekend and I am listening to my dear headphones after nearly a month.

Dont let that lead you to understand that these comments are "sudden" observations that have been made without due diligence. I have been using the Omega-II and HE-60 for several months now and they have both grown on me in their own way.

I will not part with either of them if I can help it (and I can

). I just want to make it clear that those of you with the Omega-IIs can sit back and relax a little because I have come to the conclusion that it is the more desirable of the two electrostats. While the HE-60 has it's own separate CD stack...music that just sounds unbelievable with this headphone...the Omega-II's stack overlaps with the Sa5000 and HE60.

In other words...if I had to reach for one headphone out of these three...it will be the Omega-II simply because it is the best of both worlds...I simply believe it has a superior transducer and response. The HE60 is easier to use and less finicky of amplification.

So you O2 users who are lusting for the HE60 or even the HE90 - relax and dont worry if you cant find that dream headphone just yet. Juice up the O2 with a KGSS and let it weave it's magic on you...

The flaws of the SA5000 are becoming more obvious over time...

 

[Edwood]

The bass is absolutely fantastic with the Omega 2's.

You can actually feel them moving next to your ears.

But I still want more detail and precise imaging. That is where I still like my R10's better.

Now if only there could be a crazy hybrid R10/Omega 2....

Time for you to audition the HE90's for comparison too, Guru.

Which amp(s) are you using now, BTW?

-Ed

 

[crazyfrenchman27]

I would like to try the HE90 as well.

I want to see how well electrostats can do Buh- Buh- Bum-BASS.

-Matt

 

[jimbobuk]

I've only just gotten the ability to drive both my HE60s and Omega IIs since getting the Omega IIs and wiring their energiser in place of the HEV70.

I've not had chance to do much critical listening of the two.. i gave the HE60 some time after first getting the adapter.. one night i gave a concentrated listen on small 3 second passages of the start of a track that i felt i could focus on all its different elements easily and move between the two.

I think i too may prefer the Omega II.. the HE60 is lovely too though. I've wondered about this before, but gsferrari it was you wasn't it in your big thread on these two that felt the Omega II had a problem with the bass and its positioning always being dead in front, compared to the HE60 which was more articulate with its positioning of this bass?? or am i just halucinating that? I'm positive someone said something similar along the way.

For me the HE60 is clearly the brighter headphone, such that it reveals more details in that area.. its a very small range where its almost inaudible on the Omega IIs.. mostly the sound is just reduced on the OmegaIIs.. from that though is part of what for me is the Omega IIs magic.. its soundstage.. many say that although small (side to side) it reaches very very far in front of you.. giving you an eliptical shape of furthest soundstage, reaching furthest away in front of your eyes.. this soundstaging to me is part of the roll off in the treble.. its not that simple surely but picking out at these minute details on that small segment of a track, those details in the upper frequencies when they were audible on the omega IIs held most of the same details as on the HE60s but just sounding that bit better as if its a sound in space and its a distance away from you.

I'm only using the 313 energiser for now.. I plan to upgrade it.. probably to a stax one first.. to go tubes or to the solid stage 717 is the question.. I'll be sticking with the 313 for the short term now though.. got save pennies, or spend them on something other than headphones

I am perfectly happy with its performance.. there are possibilities that what i'm hearing is unique to the 313 driving the omega's and the HE60s.. its clear to me at least that the HE60s are easier to drive which causes me a bit of a problem when i want to go lively with the omega IIs as it takes the HE60s not even on my head to levels that i'm not completely comfortable with.

A few days ago, weren't you enjoying the omegas out of the 707 again.. i take it from the post above that the KGSS is still the better amp for the Omegas.. tho not for the HE60s?

Anyways, back to the Omega IIs for me tonight if i dont run out of time.. enjoy it guys.

 

[Nomad]

Thanks gsferrari for your impressions.

I think it was about time for somebody to realize that the O2s are up with the Electrostatic Senns or the Qualias, after most of the comments/impressions from the latest meets.

I can agree with the statement that the O2s are not presenting the music as in real life. Ok, the spectrum is shifted a bit towards the low end, making them a bit dark (which can be fixed to some extent with the right source/amp/ic). But that doesn't mean the music is less enjoyable and it doesn't affect the detail/soundstage/pleasure those cans can provide IMHO.

I would keep those HE60s though.

 

[gsferrari]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nomad I would keep those HE60s though.

they arent going anywhere

 

[Canman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edwood But I still want more detail and precise imaging. That is where I still like my R10's better.

Ever since I had the R10, there were certain things about the O2 that bugged me.

I ended up selling the Omega 2 and the HE-60 is now my primary headphone. The HE-60 gives up to the Omega 2 in certain areas like midrange liquidity and soundstage, but I have more fun with the HE-60 all around.

 

[jimbobuk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nomad ... I can agree with the statement that the O2s are not presenting the music as in real life. ... I would keep those HE60s though.

The pitch shifts of the omega IIs aren't jumping out at me whenever i've compared them with other headphones.. something i've not done that often, always enjoying whichever one i'm wearing too much.

Aside from the treble roll off that i described above though the one thing that strikes me about the Omega II compared to the HE60 is that it often sounds the most like sounds in real life.. there are perhaps a few instruments that have a better edge on the HE60, violin/cello for example with enough detail in those upper registers that the omega II will roll off slightly.. its a tough call though cause that roll off is what will place that instrument in a really nice point in space, and most of the meaningful detail remains, just a bit (or a lot, depending on the recording) further away than with the HE60s.

Basically to me at the moment anyways, the Omega does real life really well.. it sounds most natural, and most like the instrument is in the room (or at least my head) with me.

Then again my first headfi headphone was a HD600, which i still love to this day.. perhaps i like it darker than others ?!?

must spend more time with my SA5000, and K1000s to see.. if i could just get these damn electrostats off my head

 

[GoRedwings19]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canman Ever since I had the R10, there were certain things about the O2 that bugged me. I ended up selling the Omega 2 and the HE-60 is now my primary headphone. The HE-60 gives up to the Omega 2 in certain areas like midrange liquidity and soundstage, but I have more fun with the HE-60 all around.

Holy crap dude you sold the omega2's? That's huge as I know you had them for quite a while. But it still doesn't help the flyers tho'...

 

[gsferrari]

I took the HE60s, D25 and KGSS to work on Friday and Saturday...

My friends were BLOWN AWAY!!! One of them was so disgusted with his ipod earplugs that he tossed them away. He was really pissed at me for showing him that they were crap...apparently ignorance is bliss

LOL

One of my buddies was completely besotted...totally in love with the HE-60s. I bet he spent the rest of the weekend learning more about electrostats. I might have to loan him the Omega-IIs at some point of time

LOL

It is nice to know that we arent smoking the same drug when we talk about our headphones in emphatic superlatives...the quality is really there...

 

[chrisfromalbany]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gsferrari Phew... The flaws of the SA5000 are becoming more obvious over time...

Can you detail the flaws so far?

 

[catscratch]

About three fourths of the people that I demo my current rig to (SR-404/SRM-313/Rega 2000) are utterly blown away by the quality, and this is just an entry-level electrostatic rig, full of sonic deficiencies. The other fourth simply say "that's nice" or "huh...?" and don't notice any difference whatsoever between it and iPod earbuds. I don't know if "golden ears" is a real phenomenon - I think it is - but "lead ears" is definitely very real

I don't tell people how much this stuff costs either, in order to not color their judgement with any preconceived notions, though TBH, the vast majority of the people that I did tell the cost to laughed. Hysterically. And looked at me as if I was some kind of idiot. I know they're right, of course, but...

Electrostatics do have a whole lot of wow factor, IMO, and it has nothing to do with strong bass, which is usually the consumer's definition of wow factor. Their sound signature is so distinct, and their sonic merits are so obvious, that they definitely impress upon first listen. I've seen people become speechless for hours after hearing a good disk on this rig! I wonder how they would react to the HE90/HEV90. Sonic-induced heart attack anyone?

Bah! Where's my EA-1???

 

[gsferrari]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisfromalbany Can you detail the flaws so far?

I sure can:

The most obvious one is the midrange "glare". Vocals have a bit of "grit" to them. Vocals and Acoustic sounds dont sound "organic" anymore. I think the SA5000 has a problem reproducing "organic" sounds as effortlessly as the HE60 and Omega-II can. The trouble is, with the other headphones on hand, I just dont find myself listening to the SA5000 anymore.

BUT...

When I listen to music like "Gasolina"

Nothing else gives me the immediacy and the absolute smash punch like the SA5K does...

 

[elmoe]

I just received my STax SRM-313 amp today and quickly hooked it up to my MPX3 and Stax SR-404 for a test drive

I must say the combo is really amazing. I haven't heard it for very long, but bass goes deep, with a huge "thump", dynamics are amazing, best I've heard yet, midrange beats the SA5k because its so dynamic, bass is miles away already, far better than anything I've heard yet, not too bloomy or overpowering like Grados, not the least bit recessed like the SA5k. Highs clean and fast, not as good as the SA5k but they come very close.

Overall the electrostatic setup brings more speed, detail, soundstage and dynamics, which make it so far a better choice than the SA5k for me.

Question I now ask myself: eeek, am I gonna need money for an Omega...? Time will tell

 

[gsferrari]

I think this goes to show that the electrostats in question are technically superior. Is it a "electrostatic" vs. "dynamic" thing? Who knows...

The SA5000 is one of the best dynamic headphones out there and it made me give up everything else that I had at the time. The HE-60 and Omega-II compete for my attention...so good...so good...