Intro
Having sent all the way from Kuching, Sarawak, Alpha Omega is really starting to catch up with their marketing game. Recently they offered their full IEM line up to be demoed locally by sending them out to those who are interested including their current flagship – the Omegron. It’s rather a bold move but it’s one of the most efficient way to expose their product directly to potential customers since the access to their products is quite scarce in local head-fi shops.
We were offered the pleasant opportunity to review two of their current IEM line up that is; the Lambda and the Iota. In their brochure, both IEMs are adhering close to two very familiar sound signature; the Lambda leaning close to Harman-neutral which renders them safe for a lot of genres and the Iota leaning close to Diffuse-field neutral, which knowingly is not a universal all-rounder sound signature but it does excel in monitoring purposes and general studio use. Both IEMs are configured to use full Balanced Armature setups with the Lambda having 3BAs and the Iota having 6BAs.
Packaging
We were sent only their demo units of both the Lambda and Iota including one 2-pin 0.78mm SE cable and there’s that. But I’d assume their retail packaging remains the same with previously reviewed Epsilon, in which spoiler alert; do have some (a hint of) 64Audio vibes to it.
Functions & Specifications
Alpha Omega Iota
- Material: Resin Shell
- Type: Universal Custom – Full-BA IEM
- Transducer Type: 6x Balanced Armatures
- Sensitivity: 106dB SPL/1mW @ 1kHz
- Impedance: 30ohms @ 1kHz
- Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz
Alpha Omega Lambda
- Material: Resin Shell
- Type: Universal Custom – Full-BA IEM
- Transducer Type: 3x Balanced Armatures
- Sensitivity: 108dB SPL/1mW @ 1kHz
- Impedance: 28ohms @ 1kHz
- Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz
Retail Price & Where To Get
The Review unit provided by Alpha Omega Custom In Ear. We would like to thank Alpha Omega Custom In Ear for giving us the opportunity to review this product.
You can get Alpha Omega Iota at RM2,168.00 and Alpha Omega Lambda for only RM1,199.00 by contacting Alpha Omega at their Facebook page.
Sound & Tonality
Alpha Omega Iota
The Alpha Omega team approaches the ‘Diffuse-field’ sound signature in a rather unique way, and that’s apparent with this IEM, the Iota. I would say that it’s a slightly different iteration based on the supposedly ‘dead-flat’ sound signature and to be honest, it’s not too far off. One should understand that this type of signature is not for everyone and it’s targeted more towards studio use. The Iota do still have a rather apparent BA-timbre and the overall tonality can be considered slightly cold despite having a total of 6BA drivers in each shell but considering that the target response is diffuse-field it’s relatable. Further explanation can be found on the end of this article.
Alpha Omega Lambda
The Lambda bears a somewhat Harman-Neutral sound signature (as advertised by the Alpha Omega team, with a bit less lower end shelf from the typical ‘Harman-Neutral’ tuned IEM in my personal experience) with relatively quite likeable and safe characteristics. It’s almost laid back but with enough energy up top to avoid being sounding too dull. Vocal is highlighted beautifully with this IEM where it sits very naturally and neither being too forward nor too toned down. It is safe to say that the tonality is neutral and natural-ish for a full-BA setup with an apparent ‘BA-timbre’ throughout the frequency range.
Source Used
FiiO M11 Plus ESS > Topping NX7 > Alpha Omega IEMs
XDuoo X2s > XDuoo XQ-10 > Alpha Omega IEMs
Songs Used
Bass
Alpha Omega Iota
Sub bass presence is audible. Yes, audible but it doesn’t rumble nor can be felt drumming your ears to give the satisfaction for a wholesome listening experience. It’s somewhat a typical for BA sub bass bearing this sound signature. Bass lacks punch but is textured enough to provide a sense of transparency. The lower frequency of the Iota can be deemed as linear, but it still possesses a certain degree of warmth to it (relative to your preference, of course). In my book, it’s a rather niche bass presentation and those who’d like to have a somewhat like a speaker listening experience, it’s worth a try.
Alpha Omega Lambda
In contrary to the Iota, sub bass on the Lambda is rolled off. To be honest it’s insignificant unless you’re A/B-ing them both side by side. Bass is elevated, relatively punchy albeit a bit blunt which can sometimes render things to be a bit fuzzy with less energy (impact) and a bit too smooth for my liking. Mind you that this is nitpicking because otherwise the amount of transparency in this lower region presented by the Lambda is OK for the price to say the least. To me the Lambda a little bit more universally tuned here although just a wee bit shy (somewhat restrained) to suit most genres. The slight bleed to the lower-mids provides a hint of warmth and stays clean through.
Mids
Alpha Omega Iota
Lower mids is audibly clean but oddly enough there’s a tiny bit hint of warmth despite the linear transition from the bass. This is inexplicable by words to be truly honest and it’s a unique trait for the Iota. Mids is slightly forward, somewhat a bit dry sounding and to be expected from such sound signature – it’s very transparent. Almost on the brink of being a bit grainy at times. Too bad the Iota also suffers from the ‘BA-timbre’ issue but it’s addressed very well without sounding too artificial. Due to the dry nature of the mids, the upper mids is slightly thin but is well articulated. It gives out a further sense of clarity injected to its listener, but again with that borderline graininess character to it.
Alpha Omega Lambda
Due to the slightly elevated bass region, the lower mids does have the effect of sounding somewhat naturally warm. Sounds ridiculous? I know. It’s honestly hard to explain by words alone but the effect is there, and I’d put it somewhere in between the Harman-based bass-mids transition and Diffuse-field-based bass-mids transition which remains clean and smooth. Mids is slightly recessed which refrains them from sounding thin (but can be a bit nasal sounding at times) and detail retrieval here is nothing extraordinary but average to say the least. However, most of the time the vocal is somewhat natural-ish, crisp sounding for a full-BA setup. Upper mids stayed within the safe region to avoid being shouty but is very well articulated. They’re quite smooth with enough ‘spice’ without going overboard.
Highs
Alpha Omega Iota
Lower treble is smooth but retains most of the energy from the upper mids. There are no awkward peaks hence sibilance is very song dependent. And my oh my, the treble here is sparkly and transparent. It’s one of the more engaging but bearable presentation of a balanced armature treble in my opinion where everything is sparkly without (almost) ever crossing the line, at least for my ears. Not to mention the Iota is quite airy up top. Now I say ‘quite’ because it’s not as polished as some other mass-produced IEM but it’s close enough. Be warned, they can get fatiguing.
Alpha Omega Lambda
Complementing the somewhat smooth upper mids, the lower treble does not suffer from any peaks nor sibilance. OK I lied, there are slight sibilance here and there depending on the tracks, but I’d say they provide enough sparkle which stays in check without ever going overboard too much. Slightly more forgiving than the Iota if that makes you feel any better. Treble is quite energetic, well-articulated and managed to be somewhat smooth. Yes, somewhat. It’s not all the way smooth that made you lose some details but the balance between being in your face kind of treble and ‘muted’ treble is something to be praised here. Upper treble do provide a sense of nuance and air, which is nothing new at this price point but a very crucial benchmark that differentiates between IEMs in the differing price ranges.
Soundstage
Alpha Omega Iota
One word – Natural! Despite not having the biggest nor the deepest soundstage but everything is being laid out evenly. To be fair, it’s slightly closed in but never felt to be congested. One distinct plus is the stage height with this IEM. It’s quite tall relative to the width and depth which give a sense of ‘holographic’-ness to the overall soundstage presentation (despite the arguably shallow stage depth). If you’re familiar with Etymōtic’s SE/SR series soundstage, this is one of the closest experience one can get but with a slightly deeper soundstage.
Alpha Omega Lambda
The Lambda for me have an average, more width than depth (slightly deeper than the Iota) with presence of height. It’s some sort of being oval-ish due to the width that it presents. They’re not quite as natural as the Iota but they expand well up to slightly behind your ears and with a good (but not astounding) amount of height. It’s a rather engaging and interesting listening experience but it is to be expected at such asking price. For some, it may be 3-dimensional, almost there but not quite.
Imaging & Separation
Alpha Omega Iota
Vivid is the word to properly describe imaging of the Iota. Complementing the somewhat ‘holographic’ soundstage, everything is being distinctly portrayed in their respective positions. Nothing is being overly exaggerated and really adhere close to the ‘naturalness’ of its soundstage. Not to mention the layering while not being stellar as some of the mass-produced products at the same price range, the Iota is no slouch. This contributes to the overall excellent separation that the Iota possesses.
Alpha Omega Lambda
If the Iota was vivid, the Lambda is sharp. It’s nowhere near pin-point accuracy of the Iota but the images that it portrays is accurate enough to tell you where each sound is coming from. While it’s not being clinically dissecting your music, the presentation is rather realistic and an enjoyable one. Separation will most likely come hand in hand with imaging and it’s distinct to say the least. All in all, for technical performance the Lambda is just a notch down in comparison to the Iota but the tonality and tuning really makes up for it to be the enjoyable one between the two.
Driveability
Having such efficient parameters in the world of IEMs, they’re hardly a challenge to drive and will be sufficiently driven by any portable sources. Heck, I don’t think this will be a major issue in the future since the rise of the dongle madness nowadays. Thank goodness for that!
Synergy
Both IEMs are rather firm in their sound reproduction and regardless of what signature of the source is, it doesn’t render audible differences. Be it with the neutral and clean sounding M11 + Topping stack or the warm and lush xDuoo stack, they remain fairly consistent. So, in my opinion it’s safe to say that they’re both very flexible and not picky when it comes to synergy.
Comparison
Audiosense DT600
The DT600 is a much more laid-back IEM in comparison to both the Iota and the Lambda. Bass is more dominant, impactful and smooth. If you’re looking for bass quantity, the DT600 may just fit your palate. But if you’re looking for bass quality, you can’t go wrong with either the Iota or the Lambda. Especially the former. Mids is weightier on the DT600 in comparison to both IEMs which grants it to be the more ‘natural’ sounding IEM although in terms of placement, it seems to be perceivably more neutral. But in terms of transparency, vocal presentation and detail retrieval the DT600 is clearly left behind especially in comparison to the Iota. Treble on the DT600 is smooth…too smooth for my liking – lack sparkles, nuances and can be congested. On the contrary, the Iota may be a bit too hot for some while having all the sparkle and nuances. However, the Lambda is the most balanced between the three with a well-articulated treble and detail retrieval to keep you seated throughout the night.
On to technical performance, the DT600 is sadly below average even when comparing it to the Lambda which is similarly priced. Soundstage is closed in, with the width, depth and height being relatively squeezed in together. It may be the more ‘3D-ish’ sounding of all the three IEMs but often times it suffers from sounding congested. Imaging while being OK, it can sometimes come as blurry due to poor separation and layering (all thanks to the claustrophobic soundstage). It’s not outright bad per se but when you’re comparing within its price range, it really shows some of the flaws. Really there’s nothing much to say here as the Iota and the Lambda are clearly superior in terms of technicality.
Unique Melody 3DT
Priced in between the Iota and the Lambda, the 3DT is undoubtedly a pretty safe pick to be an all-rounder if you had to choose only 1 IEM. With 3 Dynamic Drivers in its shell, bass on the 3DT is tight and impactful with literal physical rumble – which both the Iota and Lambda missed out on. But the cleanliness of the 3DT on the lower region may give them a run for their money, especially the Lambda. The mids is tuned to be slightly forward, akin more to the Iota and as opposed to the perceivably slightly recessed mids on the Lambda. But one caveat is that the 3DT can get a bit shouty. Detail retrieval is no joke on the 3DT despite having 3 Dynamic Drivers. Of course, it’s not as revealing as the Iota but it’s close. Treble is what really sets them apart where the 3DT can be somewhat metallic sounding among the three. Now this will stir your belief of what sound should be produced by what transducer, but this is the ugly reality. While the Iota can get hot at times, the Lambda presents the most balanced treble (as mentioned earlier) despite lacking some air up top.
On to technical performance, the 3DT has the widest, deepest and tallest soundstage of all three. Complementing that is their imaging capability which is considerably accurate relative to its stage size. While it’s not pin-point accurate, it’s presented in a way similar to the Lambda – realistic. By realistic I didn’t mean it to be translated as immersive quality but rather as what we should be able to pick up in reality. Separation and layering on the 3DT is slightly below average in comparison with the Iota but almost on par with the Lambda.
For Who?
For those who are unaware, having a full-Balanced Armature IEM provides one of the higher form of isolation from the outside noise. With these two being offered along with the custom shell option, it shall bring the isolation up a notch in comparison to those universal IEMs where it’s a hit or miss most of the time. For a slightly ‘universal’ sound signature, you can’t really go wrong with the Lambda despite being slightly dry sounding. But if you’re after a more technically inclined IEM, the Iota is the one to look out for as it deserves some spotlight especially in the professional industry.
Verdict & Stars
For the Lambda, they’re positioned in a rather tough segment and it’s a mere matter of preference. Hats off to the Alpha Omega team for being able to pull off a balanced IEM in terms of sound signature and its technical ability. I’d say that the Lambda is on the right track and can be further fine-tuned to offer the most value in its price range (apart from having the custom shell option). For the Iota, I’d say they’re a very competent technical performer. Yes, it’s not meant for everybody since the sound signature is not an all-rounder nor an ‘enjoyable’ one (YMMV), but everything about its technical performance deserves some respect. My only gripe for the Iota is maybe Alpha Omega should exploit the usage of all the 6-Balanced Armature drivers in order to make it a very outstanding unit to be offered to the masses.
