There is a sharpness to the Omega that makes even the EM1 sound pretty warm in comparison. The pure sound output of the Omega is slightly superior to the EM1 overall. And therefore between the old favourite Cowon EM1 and the Omega, I’d recommend the Omega. It’s the end of an era.
At the outset I must confess this review is mainly going to focus on finding out how the new Omega compares to its slightly more expensive sibling, the Delta and of course its direct competitor – and still very sought after – Cowon EM1. Before that let’s start with what the Brainwavz Omega has to offer.
The Omega is light and its all steel housing looks quite nice. It’s available in White, Black and Red & Blue. We got the latter. Despite being cheap, the look and feel isn’t. Don’t get me wrong, the IEMs don’t look premium by any yardstick but they don’t look shoddy either. The build quality is just as good as the Delta – which isn’t saying much – but what the Delta had over these headphones is that it came with a hardcase. This omission is one of my biggest gripes against the Omega but hey at this price there’s hardly a decent earphone that comes with a hardcase. I might just be asking for a little too much. Speaking of features and bundled accessories you have a three button in-line volume rocker and mic, two sizes of silicone tips, one pair of comply tips, a shirt pin which as we all know goes a long way in reducing chord noise, and a velcro cable strap. Phew!
Let’s get into the performance. The Omega has a pretty sharp sound signature and clarity that is pleasantly surprising at this price point. It is decidedly bass-heavy and I couldn’t be more emphatic about that bit. Between the Delta and Omega, I’d have to admit that the Delta does sound slightly more refined and the controlled bass is more attuned to my personal purist taste. Take for instance this particular bit that starts around the 3:16 mark in Dream Theater – Pull Me Under. The sweeping bass notes are a good way to check for bass accuracy. While you hear a lot of bass with the Omega, you’ll find it difficult to tell the notes apart, which on the Delta or EM1 you can to a great extent. This means that while tracks with higher instrument density might not sound very great, tracks like say Stereo Love by Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina sound quite nice.
What’s more surprising is that the bump in the lows isn’t accompanied by the customary muddling of the mids or unusually rolled off highs. There is a sharpness to the Omega that makes even the EM1 sound pretty warm in comparison. The pure sound output of the Omega is slightly superior to the EM1 overall. And therefore between the old favourite Cowon EM1 and the Omega, I’d recommend the Omega. It’s the end of an era.
Contact
Website: www.brainwavzaudio.com
Distributor: Swordstreet Technology Systems
Availability: Amazon and FlipKart
Warranty: 2 Years
Specifications
Drivers: Dynamic, 6 mm
Rated Impedance: 16 Ω
Frequency Range: 20 Hz ~ 20 kHz
Sensitivity: 98 dB at 1 mW
Rated Input Power: 3 mW
Cable: 1.2 m Y-Cord, Copper
Plug: 3.5 mm, Gold plated
Read our Brainwavz Delta review here.
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Siddharth Parwatay
Siddharth a.k.a. staticsid is a bigger geek than he'd like to admit. Sometimes even to himself. View Full Profile
