While not quite the single driver, cross-overless design of the original Walsh drivers, the Huff and German Physiks speaker systems may be the closest thing to a properly designed Walsh speaker currently available, albeit at a price. |
I am facinated with the prospect of hearing these speakers.
Years ago I heard them at dealer, but only briefly. The next time I went back, they were gone. I assumed they went out of business. Is it fully omni-directional. Are they time and phase coherent? They seem to need power, what is the impedance range? Has any one seriously measured them? Is it truly a single driver speaker system. If not, do they use cross-overs? What kind? To what other drivers. If so, are they bi/tri ampable? What type of box do they use (sealed,vented,transmission,other)? What is the suggested room placement/requirements? How far does the listener need to sit from them. Has anybody used them with digital room correction/cross-overs? How about surround sound? Sorry for all the questions, but the web site is not that informative. From what little I know they seem to offer so much promise, especialy if all the new digital options fufill thier promise. Sean, please share your impressions of the Huff stuff. As always, thanks in advance. |
7p62mm thank you very much, yes this helps quite a bit. |
Sean, first let me say that I aways enjoy your posts. They are detailed yet succinct. You have the ability to share your impressions with out resorting to hyperbole. To the best of my limited knowldege they are acurate and technically sound. To top it all off you can write. The professionalism of many so called experts palls in comparison. Your response to a query about a classical radio station in Texas drew my awe.
Of all the various incarnations of these speakers, which are your favorites? Which ones might you suggest as worthy of a hunt? Are any of the current models a consideration?
I have been toying with idea of using these speakers set up along the long wall 50% out from the back wall, 25% out from the side walls with the listener midway and against the opposing long wall lined with some absorbing padding directly behind the listener with an all TacT system. Have you any thought on this scheme?
As always, thank you in advance. |
Lngbruno, I believe that Ohm has claimed that their original technicians have all retired and that they could not find suitable replacements. German Physiks have done just what you have suggested. The German Physiks speaker line does deviate slightly fom the original Walsh description. Most are augmented with additinal woofer/sub-woofer(s) with added cross-overs. Some use mulitiple Walsh type drivers. Most would consider their offering on the expensive side.
All in all, I agree with you complelety. While I haven't actually heard them in decades and I don't trust my memory of those experiences, the Walsh drivers still look like the most promising design to date. I would imagine that they may even be more relevant today than yesteryear. |
Lngbruno, I have never owned Walsh or German Physiks speakers. If I could afford them the Huffs would certainly merit an audition. |
Does anyone know if the DDD driver used by German Physiks has any built in mechanical cross-overs like the Walsh driver used by Ohm? |
I could very well be wrong about this, but, it appears as though the DDD is a single driver and the Walsh is a compound(?) driver. If I'm correct, when run full range (20 Hz - 20 KHz) The German Physiks speaker system with its DDD driver and more traditional electronic crossover to subwoofers may have less cross-overs than the Ohm speakers system with its Walsh driver with it's mechanical cross-overs. The German Physiks cross-over may be in a less critical region? The Walsh's inherent cross-overs might still be more coherent as they cross-over to a more similar driver(s)? The German Physiks seem to be easier than the Walsh's to power? Any thoughts? |
Sean, I stand corrected. Yes, that's what I meant. Thanks for clearing it up. |
I sure would be interested in an updated Walsh speaker! |
As for me, keeping the price below 4K would make it a lot easier. |
I could be wrong about this, but, I was led to believe that Ohm no longer uses Walsh drivers. Perhaps some are actually purchasing the Ohm sound, not the Walsh sound. |
Again, I could be wrong, but, I was under the impression that Ohm currently uses pistonic cones as opposed to the bending wave Walsh drivers. |
To my way of thinking comparing old Ohms with Walsh drivers to new Ohms with pistonic drivers, is something akin to comparing dynamic planars to electostatics. They may look similar and they may share some dispersion qualites, but they are still very different.
If you enjoy them , that's what counts, but lets not suggest they are the same thing. It's ironic that other manufactures such as Dale and to a lesser degree Huff and some German Physiks are more like the original Walsh Ohms than Ohms present day Ohms. |
Mapman, Have your read all the other posts on this thread?Other than the driver/cabinet orientation, the current OHM's are not very much like the Walsh OHM's. Contrary to OHM's marketing jargon or not, by audiophile standards* the current OHMs are not a line source*, not coherent* (time and phase accurate, able to pass a square wave), not omni-directional*, and not bending wave* single driver* speakers. While the current OHM's may be easier to drive, play louder, and be more reliable (time will tell), than their thirty year old predecessors, those qualities were always availble from other different designs, which quite frankly the current OHM's have more in common with anyway.
To the best of my knowledge if one wants a true Walsh design, one would have to go to Dale. If one wants a more modern Walsh design which may mitigate some of the issues of the original Walsh design, one should seek out those speakers that use German Physiks DDD (Dick's Dipole Driver). It should be mentioned that most of the speakers that use the DDD, do deviate some from the original Walsh system, though much, much less than OHM's current offerings.
I'm not here to steal your joy. If you find the current OHM's to provide you with an appealling sound and you find them to be a good value, by all means enjoy! But, please let's not suggest to others that they are somethng they're not. |
