Ohm Speakers, thoughts?

They sure aren't beautiful!

Seriously, though, my dear friend and loudspeaker guru, Bill Legall of Millersound, finally completed rebuilding his Ohm Walsh A loudspeakers. There are only a few pairs in the world, as Professor Walsh unfortunately died just before the prototypes were completed. At any rate, Ohm decided to try to finish them, and bring the product to market.

While some may say the rest is history, Bill maintains EVERY pair of Ohm Walsh derivatives was literally broken the day they were made. I don't want to go into too much detail here, but suffice it to say that their double edged sword reputation of being tremendously power hungry, yet giving them a few more watts than they require to get moving will kill them speaks to their implementation.

Now, Bill will not, under any circumstances, go through Ohm Walsh speakers for customers, but he had to get his own pair up and running. All I can say is that it is perhaps the finest loudspeaker ever devised. When one actually sees Bill's analogy of how it works in regards to just about every other driver created, apart from maybe a horn, every other driver looks flat out WRONG. It simply is a night and day better impedance match with the air.

Unlike the stock Ohm Walsh speakers, Bill's get by on just a few watts (they're tremendously efficient), and even driving them with a cheap satellite radio and $200 Kenwood amplifier, I hear and feel things no other speaker I've been around can do. Believe me, having the contents of your intestines rattled is both scary and awe inspiring. Never felt a speaker do bass like that! He claims they must go down to just about DC. And, this same driver produces the highest of highs. As the single driver/no crossover people believe, the seamlessness, coherence, and naturalness of such a design is simply without peer. The dynamics and speed are just flat out explosive. No need to go into the imaging, as it's what made the speaker legendary. However, the greatest compliment I can pay the speaker is that it simply is natural sounding and easy to listen to.

Line, no, I was speaking of the first Ohm Walsh series ever built, the Walsh A. These were the ONLY iteration that Professor Walsh has his hands in. I was told he was at work, bringing forth a few prototypes to work out a few final kinks, when he passed away.

Ohm never fully understood what it was that Dr. Walsh was trying to build. And, from what I have heard from people who understand what it's supposed to be, they still do not. As such, see the comments has Sean made, and those in my previous post. Let's just say that it doesn't work, as implemented. But, if one understands the design, and in the right hands, ala Bill Legall, who can get them corrected, they are certainly fabulous. Knowing what is wrong with the stock loudspeakers makes me think there isn't a pair I'd be interested in as they are.

I'm glad you've once again joined the conversation, Sean!

I spoke to Bill in regards to you at the time you were contacting him about your F's. He said you were a true gentleman, and quite enthusiastic and knowledgeable - which I concurred with wholeheartedly.

Your suggestion of documenting the modifications and tweaks of the Ohm Walsh driver is something that should definitely get done - thank you. A close friend of Bill and I, Vinh Vu, owner of Gingko Audio, has always told me he was going to record Bill just saying what he always does (tremendous kernals of loudspeaker and modding knowledge) all day long, and put these words up on a website. I'm thinking that we need to make that happen, the Walsh driver stuff being one of these features, definitely.

As I read through this thread this past week, I appreciated your input in regards to your Ohm Walsh F. All I can say is that you are right on the money. Your statement of them going down to 5 Hz is something I can more than vouch for. As I said, I have NEVER had the contents of my intestines just taken and shaken by any other loudspeaker. To be truthful, it can sometimes be a bit scary, as it literally feels as if you could lose control of your bowels - I have read somewhere this happens with a 4 Hz signal. I took one of my buddies who owns a speaker company over one day, and when one of these bass notes hit, he was just like, "!!!!***WTF***!!!! Oh my God, was that just what you told me about?!?" When Bill's mods get implemented, and they are able to run on just a few watts, "No, they are NOT inefficient, they're tremendously EEEEEEEEEEEEFFICIENT." - Bill Legall; it's as awe inspiring, yet natural a sounding speaker that probably has ever been produced.

Amen, Sean!!!

Once you hear the Ohms rebuilt as they were intended to be implemented, the results are quite staggering. It sounds more than obvious, but the voice coil being outside the gap of the magnet just doesn't really fly. Like having the propeller of a boat outside of the water, but relying on the turbulence it creates in the air (but, NOT a fanboat) to somehow at least also exert enough influence on the water to get you moving.

Didn't know the A uses an 18" driver, and the F uses a 12" driver, but the discourse in this thread is teaching me a lot.

I'm incredibly lucky to be able to listen to Bill Legall's own pair of Walsh A's, and though I haven't heard them yet in a good system (I have to push him harder on this), or with the drivers tightened down (maybe I'll just do this myself while he's working on something...), I'm not sure they don't disqualify every other speaker in the "Best speaker you've ever heard" thread. Personally, I put them easily over Bill's pride and joy, the Infinity IRS in his living room.