A quick follow-up to my previous post on Omega speakers, and moving to the 2.1 thread, as @hnordberg suggested.
When I bought my LTA MZ3 last year, I was so enamored with the sound using headphones and as a preamp to my Emotiva powered monitors, I wanted to try the MZ3 as a nearfield/desktop speaker amp with better speakers. The only concern I had was the MZ3’s power (1 watt into 4 ohms). I’m not a 2 channel expert, and that just didn’t seem very much to me, even though friends (and LTA) kept telling me that it was probably fine for desktop use if I used sensitive speakers.
So back in September of 2022, I starting exploring manufacturers of sensitive monitors within my budget and landed on Omega, which were recommended for their sound quality, but also had many veneer options, including custom. Zu would have been on my shortlist but they’d discontinued their old monitors and hadn’t rolled out the new models yet, at the time I was researching.
I emailed Louis, the owner of Omega, to explain my requirements, and he recommended the Super 3 High Output Monitor, because they were more sensitive than the smaller Super 3i Monitors and would also have better bass. Louis also confirmed that he used an MZ3 himself, so 1 watt was fine for desktop usage.
I put my order in at the beginning of October. Having bought hand-made items from boutique audio companies before, I was prepared for a wait, but I didn’t realize it would take 7 months! Unfortunately Louis had some supply chain issues, and it took longer than expected, but he was always open and honest about the situation whenever I contacted him.
I should add that the speakers used a custom veneer. I’d sent some pictures of finishes I liked on Omega’s instagram, plus a photo of some Omega speakers that I’d seen on another forum. Louis said that he had just enough veneer to make my speakers, and since he was unlikely to use it for anything else, he didn’t charge me for the custom upgrade.
Funnily enough, I then saw an ad on USAM from the guy who originally owned the speakers in that custom veneer, and he was selling his Omega sub in that finish, so I bought the matching sub.
I like them a lot, even though they’re not broken in yet, and are not properly set up on my desk.
I hadn’t taken into account that they are quite a bit bigger than my old Emotiva monitors, so I will need to move some things around on my desk to give them appropriate space, but in the meantime, they’re jammed into the same tight space where the Emotivas sat.
Louis recommended 120 hours of break-in, and I’m probably at 30, but I love the way they sound right now. There are no fatiguing frequency dips or peaks, and the stage is much bigger and more holographic than my old speakers.
As you’d expect, the Omega sub pairs well with the speakers. I used the Emotiva sub for a few days, because it was already in place, so it was easier to leave it there for a few days. When I switched from the Emotiva to the Omega sub, it was more jarring than I expected. The Emotiva’s bass is a bit thicker and “rock & roll” whereas the Omega’s is a bit more delicate and doesn’t stand out as much, but it is also tighter. Once I got used to it, I really appreciated the Omega’s tighter bass.
Finally, I did use the MZ3 with the Omegas for a few days and it was awesome. I only had to turn the volume up to around 40-50 (out of 100) so there was still plenty of headroom. I then switched to my LTA Ultralinear+ that I recently bought at Axpona and that also sounded awesome, although in a different way. The MZ3 and UL+ have different presentations (the MZ3 has richer mids, the UL+ has a more neutral, detailed presentation), where one is not necessarily than the other, and in the same way that I could hear the differences through headphones, the Omegas were also a window into the sound of the two amps.