Omega

About the Omega

The Helius Designs Omega tonearm is a product of over 30 years of research and development by British engineer Geoffrey Owen. It features a 9-inch effective length with a torsionally stiff main tube shorter than typical 9-inch arms, optimized for minimal tracking error across the record. The Omega uses tungsten bearings and copper wiring in its standard version, with a design that achieves 92% of the record played with less than 1 degree of tracking error. It is best suited for medium-to-stiff cantilever moving coil cartridges. The arm includes a main counterweight close to the bearing housing and three minor weights for fine tuning tracking force. Height adjustment is via a collar clamp and set screw, and antiskating is uncalibrated, set by ear or test records. The cueing mechanism is highly accurate, and the tonearm terminates in short captive cables with RCA jacks for user-supplied interconnects. The Omega is available in several versions, including the Standard (tungsten bearings, copper wiring), Standard with silver wire, Silver Ruby with ruby bearings, and a 12-inch Silver Ruby variant. It is praised for its serious engineering, musicality, and dynamic performance, representing a benchmark in tonearm design.