Omega Audio Concepts Timeless DNA CD transport and digital processor

24.03.2016
Omega Audio Concepts CDP DNA
Omega Audio Concepts CDP DNA

Omega Audio Concepts Timeless CDP DNA award 

Ed.| While we are putting online the article, we receive the news of a prestigious prize won by this product. We publish it willingly as a sign of the international success of the Italian products.

 

On ReMusic’s pages, you have already met Omega Audio Concepts for the first test of cables made by Giuseppe Castelli and here for mine on the Elements line.

We will speak afterwards about the design philosophy of this company based in Treviso, in the northeast of Italy. For now, we want to speak of the Timeless CDP DNA digital source.

Omega Audio Concepts – OAC, from now on – divides its production in three lines: Elements for the connection cables, Timeless for the electronic devices and Soundwaves for the loudspeakers.

 

Timeless CDP DNA is a CD player with a separate power supply unit simply called DNA. It can be upgraded through the Converter DNA, which also has a separate power supply unit. That is a constant condition for every device of the Timeless line. The DNA source that I am going to test is the one with four chassis, where the CDP DNA is used as simple transport with its own power supply unit supported by the Converter with its autonomous power supply unit. I realize that this description is limiting since, actually, the power supply units are seven. Each one is isolated from the others in order to avoid any electrical or mechanical interference. In fact, every single toroidal transformer floats in layers of special sorbothane material inside the machined aluminium chassis.

 

The visual result of the entire CDP DNA in its maximum configuration is amazing. To get to the definition of “impressive” you have to wait for my future article on the top digital source Stream: four heavy aluminium machined chassis interconnected by several red Elements cables that assure a total mechanical and electrical isolation. A paramount condition to finalize OAC’s design philosophy. This is the reason why it is essential to begin the close examination of the CDP DNA starting from the Elements signal cables about which I suggest you to read or read again the article here.

 

All OAC’s designs come from the concepts of theoretical limit and space-time event. Such concepts would have no factual application if not all the apparatus would respond to precise electrical and mechanical conditions. The outcomes of the company approach have been remarked in the previous review and the CDP DNA confirms how valid such setting-out is. All OAC’s devices and cables respect coherently the idea that the signal must be kept in its purity as well as in its original temporal disposition.

There are many disturbances that affect the audio signal, like electrical and magnetic interferences, radio interferences and oxidations of the conductor. All that produces a kind of mixing of the original signal. Our ears do not hear it but it provokes in the psyche what we call listening fatigue: the effort of our brain to correct and realign coherently the signal that comes to our ear confused and disorganized.

 

After this short explanation, it is simpler to understand the reason of the premise. To describe the sound of the CDP DNA I will not use hyperboles or superlatives. It is not necessary because what I intend to communicate, to describe, is a “perception” of order and cleanness of the musical signal that everybody can experiment with any OAC’s apparatus. The more OAC’s apparatus in your system the higher sensation. Before starting the listening test, I would like to pay attention to the closing system of the transport lid. It is easier to play the video to understand the manual movement that I can describe as original indeed. What the video cannot communicate is the sensation of the massive force that you feel when opening the heavy aluminium lid, which, at the closure, automatically starts the control logic. Last thing are the clamps that are beautiful and absolutely effective.

 

Listening test

I have played Artesuono’s tracks. A disc introduced at the Munich High-End 2015 with tracks chosen by ReMusic. The DNA costs 5,900.00 euro and, as I said before, has a separate power supply unit. The performances are clearly appreciable, as well as OAC’s design philosophy. If you add the conversion system, also this one with its separate power supply unit, at a cost of 4,800.00 euro, you will own one of the best apparatus I have ever heard. An excellent music machine to be considered as an absolute reference.

 

What is extraordinary in the Omega’s CDP DNA? Not the dynamics, not the sound pressure, not the extension of the frequency range, not the tone or the tonal aspect, not the quality of the sound image, not the three dimensionality, not the transparency…It is all these things together, all these parameters or performances that have become something tidy and clean. Something limpid that incases the sound.

 

If you keep using the DNA, you will soon realize that you want to play all your discs. Anyway, you need a good audio system because if you have made some mistakes in putting together the devices you have no way out because the DNA is a revealing machine. The DNA will whisper to your ear the weak point of your audio chain and, with the time, it will yell! If everything is in order, the feeling of relax during the listening sessions will be very high. You will just enjoy the music.

 

It is useless trying to describe the sound of the DNA. It is a nonstop discovery for an exceptional machine. Besides Italian.

The CDP DNA by Omega Audio Concepts is a digital source for refined palates. It is dedicated to those audiophiles that can recognize and appreciate those subtle but paramount qualitative differences that worth a lot in terms of sound balance and listening maturity.

 

 

 

Official technical specifications

 

Power supply unit

Power supply: three low noise 10VA toroidal transformers for motor control, analogue and digital circuits and for control logic.

Socket: IEC with fuse

Power consumption: 20W

Cabinet: CNC machined aluminium

Dimensions: 255x80x255mm (WxHxD)

Weight: 10,5kg

 

CD player

Cabinet: CNC machined aluminium

Power supply: three low noise transformers with linear regulators for motor control, analogue and digital circuits, control logic.

Player module: CD-PRO 2LF Philips

Connections: Elements cables by Omega Audio Concepts

Converter: Delta Sigma AK 4384

Analogue outputs: RCA

Digital output: S/PDF and coaxial

Maximum output level: 1,5Vrms Output voltage

Signal/noise ratio: 110dB

Dynamics: 106dB

Consumption: 20W

Dimensions: 255x90x255mm (WxHxD)

Weight: 13kg

 

Conversion unit

Cabinet: CNC machined aluminium

Power supply: four low noise transformers and six high-speed regulators for receiver, converter circuit, analogue output right channel, analogue output left channel, TCXO, and USB receiver

Mass analogue signal: isolated from mass digital circuit

Components: SMD with 0,1% tolerance for resistances and capacitors in the analogue stage. No capacitors in series on the output analogue stage

Connections: Elements cables by Omega Audio Concepts

Converter: Delta Sigma

Analogue outputs: RCA

Digital input: S/PDF, coaxial, USB 24BIT 192kHz

Maximum output level: 2.0Vrms

Signal/noise ratio: 120dB

Indicator: front led for error on S/PDF, USB or active de-emphasis

Consumption: 20W

Dimensions: 255x90x255mm (WxHxD)

Weight: 11,5kg

 

Official Italian dealer: to Omega Audio Concepts website

Official current price in Italy: CDP DNA 5,900.00 EUR, DAC 4,800.00 EUR

Associated equipment: to Roberto “The Rock” Rocchi’s system

 

 

by Roberto
Rocchi
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