German Physiks - Listening Impressions Wanted

I’ve heard GP at shows. Nice but not enough to lure me off Ohms. Also GP are full Omni in the higher frequencies and Ohm is not. Ohm is designed to go closer to walls in rooms like most people have whereas full omnis require more distance from walls typically and are not as user friendly to set up well.

 

Agree the live like natural coherent sound of the Ohms is what makes them unique and special. Also the price which is a fraction of similar GP or mbl.  

 

Phusis there are some tube amps I like and others I find too limited. The ones I like tend to be able to do well with electronic as well as acoustic music. Of course I could say the same about SS amps. I do use a tube pre-amp (Audio Research sp16) in my system.

The tube amps I hear that I do like also tend to be playing with speakers that mate up to them well, often not the same ones I would choose with a SS amp.

So two different worlds really. I would never use a tube amp with the GP. The ones up to the task would likely be way too big and expensive, run hot, and consume loads of power.

Those who lean towards tube amps are not likely to go the German Physics or mbl way.   But they will also end up with very good sound just in a different manner.    Some like OHMs with tube amp and sub I know but not sure I would do that myself either.

The only GP I’ve heard was last November at CAF. The sound was spot on. Very neutral tonal balance and somewhat laid back perhaps but not overtly so. I believe they were using good qualiy (Veritas?) Class D amps (as I do with my OHMs) which surely imparted much of the tonality. Fans of warm sounding tube amps with lush midrange (not me I tend to prefer accuracy) would not be impressed in that regard. Soundstage and imaging indicated the muscians playing in the front part of the room with good soundstage depth. Like good omnis always tend to do. I heard nothing to fault. There was a large crowd listening intently. The sound was not like anything else I heard there. Of course every room sounded different and each will have unique leanings. That’s what makes the world go round. Omni’s cannot be beat for their large sweet spot and ability to image coherently regardless of listening positioning. If a live like presentation even on studio and/or mono recordings and coherent imaging most anywhere in the room does not appeal, probably no good reason to consider omnis.

prof, agreed. 

 I currently own Dynaudio and Triangle monitor speakers as well as two pair of OHM Walsh and a few others.   

Omnis project sound and deliver sound stage and imaging MORE like what occurs in live un-amplified music. That’s the unique appeal. If the actual performers were in your room, they would be affected by acoustics more similarly. The nature of the soundstage and imaging totally depends on the room acoustics and seating location as well as the nature of the gear upstream, as is the case with any truly revealing speaker design. Early reflections are always a problem to avoid and omnis must be placed further from walls to avoid that than more directional speakers. OHm Walsh are not full omni’s however and are designed to be placed closer to walls to work better in most people's homes. OHM will customize most anything though if requested.

Bondman I would agree OHMs are poor mans GP or MBL based solely on the cost differential. Each does things quite differently though so not a strict apples/apples comparison. Should not be hard to hear the differences among the three.

kdude the newer OHM Walshes and GPs are very similar in that regard. However both are two way designs not one driver with only physical crossovers like the original Fs. It turned out to be almost impossible to deliver a long lasting durable and reliable product that way. GP uses Walsh principles on the higher frequencies, OHM Walsh on the lower. GP and OHM F both are/were true omnidirectional designs. OHM Walsh only somewhat in that side and rear sound is physically attenuated with sound absorbing materials inside the can to enable placement somewhat close to walls which works better for most in most rooms.


This is the one guy who I think still tries and claims to have solved the issues with original OHM A and F. Have never heard but would like to.

http://www.hhr-exoticspeakers.com/


All good stuff! Different solutions that solve different problems.

Lots of info on various thread here about OHM speakers.  Not much else to say.   If any specific questions ask away.

Bondman,

Hope all is well.

I liked the GPs at CAp Audiofest very much, as much as anything I heard there, but gotta say, sitting here listening to my big OHM F5s that I scored for a fraction of retail even after wheeling and dealing, some serious A/B compares would be needed for me to be sure which way I would go, especially given the cost differential. The omni top end of the GPS compared to the OHMs definitely mean tougher placement away from walls. Maybe with the right room......

They were best sound contenders for me at Capital AudioFest last year. That was the first I got to hear them. I am an omni guy with OHM Walsh speakers in my main hifi. Omni presentation is different more like a live performance. May take getting used to at first but maybe no going back for some. Placement not too close to walls or other reflective surfaces matters with true omnis.