Omega Super 3T Single-Driver Monitors Review

Listening to the first track on Lock My Heart, the classic Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered, Massey’s voice was romantic and so alive. The detail of Hymans’ Yamaha was coming through as well. The instrument sounded so natural and the tone was incredibly lifelike. Heather’s vocal was slightly to the right of Hyman’s piano and she sounded like she was in my room. Her vocal was crystal clear and very focused in the sound stage. I could hear all her articulation in every lyric and was drawn in to the performance. This album is an excellent late night listen or for casual background recording. The performance by both Massey and Hyman on this recording is quite special.

Patricia Barbers’ “Touch of Trash” from her Modern Cool album is a great recording to listen to when you want to know how well any transducer can reproduce treble. There is excellent percussion and acoustic bass also on this track and will also give you clear insight into bass extension. Dave Douglas’ trumpet work on this track sounded fantastic. The tone of the instrument was very similar to what you would hear reproduced live. The Super 3T is capable of resolving all the inner detail in this track and reproducing it realistically. The sound stage is both wide and deep. The drum cymbals are neither splashy nor metallic. The tone of the instruments is what you would experience in a live concert.

The second track, “Winter,” on the same album is equally impressive. The vocal is centered in the sound stage. Sitting near-field with my eyes closed I could visualize Barber’s presence in my listening room. I felt as if I could reach out and touch her. Everything was pinpoint with razor sharp imaging in the sound stage. The instrument separation was accurate. There was air around the performers and space between the instruments. Each performer was placed in his or her own space with precise imaging.

The bass goes down to 60Hz; there is only so much bass that can be reproduced from a 4.5-inch driver. The bass quality was excellent. On Barber’s “Company” from the same album you can hear the acoustic bass clearly. Michael Arnopol’s finger work is easily heard. The drums work on this track is also excellent and this track lets you know how well your treble and bass extension are being reproduced. Douglas’s excellent trumpet solo, with Arnopol’s bass playing makes this a special track. The Super 3T did very well on this recording. Here too the bass quality is good, though I could see how the 3T would benefit from adding a subwoofer to get that deep bass extension that many who purchase this speaker may want. The treble extension is excellent. The trumpet had the correct bite but was never harsh and drum cymbals sounded very realistic. I could hear brushwork clearly and with terrific detail.

Blue Coast Records excellent album The ESE Sessions has some outstanding acoustic instruments. On track 11 “The Waves of Kilikee,” with Rob Icles playing, the dobro sounded so live and real. The playing and reproduction are exceptional. I could hear the detail of the instrument and the focus and presence of the instrument were realistic and musical.

“Looking for a Home” featuring Keith Greenslinger on guitar and vocals with Dayan Kai on dobro is exceptional, and is one of my favorite SACD recordings to get the feeling for live acoustic music. Keith’s vocal is reproduced accurately and Dayan Kai’s dobro playing really fills the room. The tone of the instruments on this recording is very special indeed. I could hear articulation in the vocals and all the detail of Kayan’s dobro, and loved the tonality of the instrument. The Super 3T reproduced this recording very accurately.

Listening to Art Lande’s excellent While She Sleeps on Blue Coast Records also recorded with an 1885 Steinway Piano is a real treat. The Steinway has a distinct sound and I was able to immediately identify the differences from the Yamaha Grand in the Dick Hyman recording with Lande’s Steinway (the Steinway had the deeper percussion). The inner detail of Lande’s hitting the keys and the hammers striking the instrument were so clear. The tone of the instrument is spot on. The air around Lande’s piano is exceptional.

The Super 3T let me hear how romantic the sound of the Dared 2A3 amplifier was. Switching over to the $4600 Woo WA5 with the upgraded tubes gave me a fuller sound with deeper bass and better treble extension. The sound became less romantic and more full than with the Dared amplifier. The speaker easily let me hear the differences in the associated gear. The WA5 stepped up the performance significantly, the major difference being a wider and deeper soundstage with better bass and treble extension. The Omega Super 3T scaled higher with the more expensive 300B Woo WA5.

“Fool on the Hill” from the same Art Lande album showcased some more of the piano. The Steinway’s majestic sound was easily identified with what I hear in live performances. The Super 3T nails the sound of this majestic instrument and closing my eyes I could visualize Lande striking each key and his hands moving across the keys and hitting all the different notes. The performance was visually striking.