Realistically, I thought my list of wants was pretty extreme at the $1000 price point; I'd probably have been happy to get decent speakers that imaged well and had decent dynamic performance. I'd heard via the internet that the Omens were basically one-note "party" speakers—yes, they'd play loudly, but not with the kind of refinement I was looking for, and that the sound would harden and become more congested if pushed too hard with too many watts. To my happiness and ultimate surprise, I got it all—these speakers are overbuilt (to say the least), are beautiful to look at and play with power and finesse. And never at any loudness level does the soundfield collapse or do they show any signs of strain. Building a carefully matched system is definitely a concern here, but this is a whole lotta speaker for just under a thousand bucks! Yes, these speakers will light up any party, but ohhhh—they're so much more. Having just come from the recent AXPONA high-end show in Chicago, I saw a number of reference and mega-buck systems on display, but carefully matched to the right amplifier and with good sources, these beauties would not be embarrassed alongside any of them. Very highly recommended!

The kick drum is just short of gut-wrenching in impact, but rather than a one-note representation, is not only deep but very dimensionally layered in the tonal palette. You feel the drum, but you can close your eyes and see it as well. The same is true with the acoustic bass line—it's so impressively well-recorded and reproduced, it sounds like something from a jazz album rather than eighties rock. If you haven't heard this album, get a copy—those guys went from riding the crest of the New Wave to playing some of the most challenging but accessibly tuneful music to be heard in that decade. While the music spans a pretty broad range stylistically, some of the songs just demand to be played back loudly, and their presentation doesn't disappoint at all via the Omens.

Excerpts and images reprinted with permission. Click here for full review.