Bondman- Any thoughts of running full-range into the Ohm's? In my (limited) experience it can aid in breaking them in and deciding at what frequency to cross-over the sub at. The Ohm's I have (MWT's) handle bass better than any speaker I've had above 40 hz. |
Mapman, it is rare that I disagree with you, but on this I must. My MWT's are, by far, the best 'heavy music' speakers I've ever owned.
Specifically, Porcupine Tree's musit 'hits' me at an emotional level I hadn't experienced before. When my wife askes why I seem to always listen to PT, my answer is that the Ohm's seem to have been made for that music in paricular. Especially on the keyboard and guitar work, they plain kick-but. |
Ah, got it, Mapman. I still think that by 'laid back', you're referring to accuracy. I could be mistaken :P
Bondman, I'm really interested with your take on PT with your 2000's. I'm also very interested in the Vandy subs you have- I believe they run parallel to the mains. Eventually I'll be investing in a quality sub, although no time soon. |
Again, you have a good point, Mapman. I have a Parasound 2205A, running 220 watts @ 8 ohms w/60 amps of current available. Could have something to do with the presentation I'm getting... |
This is so not an audiophile moment
Last night I was playing along with my bass to a Black Sabbath re-master of N.I.B from the Symptom of the Universe; compilation. Before the Ohms, I didnt really pay much attention to re-masters. With my Deftechs, recording or mastering quality didnt matter all that much: they made everything sound OK. The Ohms are a different matter entirely. If the recording is crap, they seem to faithfully reproduce the crap.
Anyway, I find my old release of the first Black Sabbath CD un-listenable. So, I gave this version a shot. All I can say is that it reminded me of my days as a kid listening to vinyl on dads Sansui stereo through old Wharfdale speakers. The sound was so full and rich, from Bill Wards drums to Geezers bass that I stopped playing along and just listened. But it was when I turned my back to the speakers that I noticed that the whole room seemed to by charged with the sound with an in-tact soundstage to my rear. No other speakers Ive owned have come even close to that kind of presentation.
Another re-master I whole-heartedly recommend is the new King Crimson Red DVD-A re-master by Steve Wilson and Fripp.
The Ohm Micro-Walsh Talls continue to impress, as long as I have a decent source.
Next up Im considering a tube pre-amp. Probably next year after we move to Virginia. As usual, the recent subject of this thread has my attention
|
Don't forget percussion!
Regarding strong points- does anyone think they have any weak points? If so, I haven't noticed them yet |
Huh. I just got offered a vintage pair of Ohm F's, free of charge. For reasons of space, and the fact that as a military spouse I move very couple of years, I need to think about this before I take them.
I'll start an entirely new thread, and hopefully some of you Ohm-philes will assist me as I figure out what to do with them.
Best regards-
P |
Bondmanp- your posts may be long, but when I'm done reading them, I want more. Keep 'em coming.
I think it's important to note shortcomings in the Ohm's (and all speakers, for that matter)- otherwise we become unabashed fan-boys and might as well post on the Audioholics forum. :P
I have very little criticism of the Micro Walsh Talls, although I occassionally miss the bombast that my Deftech BP2006's could impart, especially on movie soundtracks. The Ohm's just don't seem to add to the drama, but rather present what's there- for better or worse.
I've also noted that the soundstage does not move 'into the room' per se. In that sense, it's a bit like a live performance of unamplified music I guess.
I did notice some glare at about the 2 month mark of owning them. It calmed down considerably. Not sure if it's break-in so much as settling into final placement, about 5' 1" apart and 15" from the rear wall (still looks awfully close to my eye, but just right to my ear) |
Say it isn't so! I love the cages. They remind me that I don't have 'monkey coffins' |
"An adjustable sub with a smaller OHM could be most sweet indeed for many"
I can testify to that!
-P |
We're working on it. We might even reference Micro Walsh Tall's again :)
(just kidding. This is my favorite thread) |
I'm using a Parasound HCA-2205, 220 wpc and up to 60 Amps of current. I feel that it is totally overkill for the Micro Walshes, but it does drive them well.
Am thinking of changing to an integrated, or a tube pre-amp with a more reasonable amp when I move to VA.
I originally used an old Harmon Kardon AVR-20 at 40- watts that didn't have anough juice to make them sing, but they sounded ok. |
Bond- just to be clear. Are you getting the distortion on ALL piano recordings within the mid-midrange? Anything similar with acoustic guitar? Cello? Viola?
My gut tells me it's source-related: distortion in the recording. Two recordings I recommend are:
1. "Van Cliburn in Moscow" RCA Red Seal,1972, ISBN# 1779-45653-2
2. "Rachmaninov Piano Concertos 2&3"- Vladimir Ashkenazy- 1963
Decca Legends series ISBN# 289-466-375-2
These are older recordings, presumably with one mic. I hear a bit of distortion in the audience and other background noise, but the piano seems pretty good. Obviously analog recordings, with the Rachmaninov being a 24 bit/96Hz transfer.
I myself have some recordings that are unbearable on my MWT's, foremost being 'In the Court of the Crimson King" 80's CD pressing by King Crimson. Unlistenable since I got the Ohm's (I have not gotten the remaster yet). The speakers are just too damn revealing sometimes, I guess. |
Great. Now I'm wanting to try tubes! Doubt I'll part with my solid state amp, though...
Glad you're enjoying them, Rebbi. And thanks for starting this thread, by the way. You had a bit to do with me buying my MWT's (all you other guys too- thanks!) |
I second Rebbi getting the 1000th post! |
The only thing more shocking would be Mapman getting rid of his Ohm's for an Acoustimas 10 :P
Seriously, this is the nature of our community I guess. And it's why I will probably never be an authority on speakers- I tend to keep mind for a long time.
Thanks for starting the thread, Rebbi. And I vote that you still get 1000 |
The surround thing is interesting to me as well. I'm hoping to have surround within the next year, and another set of MWT's or the MW Walls is on my list.
I also plan on skipping the center channel and using the speakers in phantom mode. |
"So, yes, reading about the placement tweaks had me a bit nervous."
More than any other speaker I have heard or owned, the Micro Walsh Talls have been a joy and a pleasure to work with. They sound great almost anywhwere and everywhere, and at the same time respond to optimal placement with a sonic reward I didn't expect.
I have mine about 1 ft from the rear wall and 5ft 6 inches apart for casual listening and movies. I move them out about 3 ft for 'power listening.
The most interesting thing I've done so far is to move them all the way in the middle of the room, while friends sat around them in a circle. Everyone was blown away by what they heard at the sides and at the rear of the speakers. |
Yeah!
Ron- the whole reason I went with the Ohm's initially was placement. I HATE the idea of being stuck in 1 'sweet spot' to listening to quality music. I did a years' worth of research before I bought them.
there were lots of other speakers that I loved, especially the Sunfire CRM-2's, that I had to cross off my list because of placement issues.
All I can say is that the Micro Walsh Talls delivered everything I could ask for as far as ease of placement, with enough flexibility to tweak if I want to... |
hehe. I had the same issue. Luckily my wife likes how they look, and managed to tolerate the clutter for a couple of days.
Congrats on you MWT's! |
"They are about 11 feet apart"
Any chance of getting them closer togather? A lot closer? I had a similar situation with my MWT's, and have found that having them about 5' apart, 6' if front of me ande about 1' off the rear wall yields solid bass and an amazing soundstage. |
Rebbi- do you miss them?
Oh- and I hooked up a working pair of F's two days ago :) |
"I live on the coast an easy drive north of San Francisco in Marin County"
It figures. I just moved from Monterey to Virginia... |
Does anybody have an experience with the Ohm subwoofers? I'm seriously thinking about getting one... |
The sub is certainly tempting. But I've decided to send my F's to Dale Harder at HHR to be rebuilt instead of putting money into another sub (or anything else, for that metter)
-P |
Did anyone take advantage of the sale of old cabs/new X000 series drivers? |
Darn it! 6 months ago I lived close enough to give them a listen.
Would love to compare those to Ohm's... |
Christmas bump for my fovorite thread of all time!
Many thanks to all of the contributors to this thread- especially the Ohm-owners who have influenced me over the past couple of years.
To everyone- may you share your love of music and the joy you have from your systems with your families and friends this Holiday system, in safety and in comfort.
For me- I'm Ohm for the Holidays ;P
-S |
" I never feel bad when I return home and fire up my Ohms"
Over the past year, I've heard quite a few speakers, including some Tannoys, Maggie 1.7's, and a few Linn models. I never feel bad when I get home, either.
It's nice to be able to enjoy speakers without feeling the need to upgrade. Except maybe the x000 series. |
It would be ludicrous to claim the same with with my MWT's, especially comparing to a pipe organ. In about 10 years we might be able to settle into a permanent house, and I can try some beefier Ohm's.
That being said, I've never been disappointed with them, especially after hearing 'higher end' sytems. The point is, after 1 1/2 years of ownership, I also am convinced more than ever how great these speakers are. |
Good to see the old thread active.
Just to chime in: while I'm sure the Ohm's are responsive to all sorts of improvements, one of the factors that keeps me from even auditioning other speakers is how wonderful they are with a quality amp and good placement.
Still the largest and most realistic soundstage I have heard for under about 50K, and my system is nowhere near audiophile quality... |
Even with a lottery hit, there just aren't that many speakers I'd be interested in. I'm sold on the omni concept- so I guess MBL's or German Physiks would be a possibility. But I'd probably just go with a larger, recent incarnation of the Ohm's.
It's been almost 3 years that I've had the MWT's, and I still remember the thrill of doing the research, reading this thread and talking to John.
Even with my 'pedestrian' Marantz receiver, Emotiva sub and lap-top based music/movie server system, the soundstage, imaging and tonal accuracy is amazing to me.
I've moved on to obsessing on my pro-audio caliber bass rig, which is why I don't even frequent this board too often. I just feel no need to upgrade, which has never happened to me before now. If anything, some Micro Walsh Walls may be in the future to have a surround set-up. But not anytime soon... |
I think I'm on my thrid year with the MWT's, and am still amazed. I don't even look at speakers anymore.
Except pro audio stuff for my bass rig, but that's a different forum ;P
Anyway, glad to see you guys and some new folk are still at it.
Ok- I lied. I am considering a pair of 1000's |
I use an emotiva Ultra 10 sub with my MWT's. I run the MWT's full range (they have almost no energy below 40 Hz)
I have the sub at low pass at about 50 Hz, so there is a slight overlap with them and the sub.
I avoid corner placement as much as possible with subs. I also try not to run a sub above 80 Hz, as they tend to get directional at that point. My goal is to have the sub sonically disappear, and that you only notice it when it's off.
Why is your x-over set so high @ 100 Hz? |
Kbuzz-
How's the bass response with the Bryston?
Last week I shut my sub off for headphone listening (speaker tap on my Marantz- just shut off the sub and I'm good to go), and forgot to turn it back on. It took a while to notice the sub was off when I went back to the MWT's |
Holy schmoly!
Did I read that someone is considering a Crown XLS1500 to run a pair of Ohms? I use an XLS1500 professionally with my bass rig. I gotta tell you, I can run one channel into a 4-ohm cabinet and overpower a PA at an outdoor concert with that rig.
And actually, yes, it is a great amp for home speaker use- I know quite a few guys who do it. Although, with my Micro Walsh Talls it's overkill, so I don't.
There are two drawbacks that I am aware of. First, the noisefloor of these may may not be optimal. They're not exactly whisper quiet. Using the lowpass filter to cut some highs may be a good idea if you have too much high-frequency hiss.
Secondly, they want to see a high voltage at the input. They only have a 1.4 Vrms sensitivity, and experience and a lot of discussion has led me to want at least a 2 Vrms input, which I get with my Eden Navigator pre-amp.
If input sensitivity is an issue, then consider the Carvin HD2000. I also think it looks better, since it's black. |
The new Ohm site is pretty incredible. It's like they just time-jumped from the early 90's to day in one leap.
If nothing else, take a look at the impressive lineup of center channel speakers. Oh,m and surround speakers
Oh, and the sub based on the old F cabinet looks like it might be a beast!
Definitely worth a visit to check it out. |
I remember when I ordered my WMT's, John was not thrilled with another black ash order, and he tried his best to guide me into choosing another finish. Not that he was hard-selling me, just using his gentle suggestion approach.
But it's still my favorite finish. With the lights out, they really do disappear quite nicely. Four years later and I am still amazed at how elements 'float' across the soundstage. These speakers are just uncanny- I've yet to hear anything quite like them! |
"Oh, and the sub based on the old F cabinet looks like it might be a beast!"
How can you tell? I wanted to see it but could not find a photo."
Coot, I briefly had a pair of F's. The bass out of those cabs was pretty startling. I can only imagine what they can do as a dedicated sub. Purely conjecture on my part, of course! |
"OHM has a long history, a dedicated customer base to go with it, and control over what goes into the can to make it "sound like an OHM"."
Nice point!
There is a lot about the Ohm's that I simply do not understand, especially regarding the properties of Omni-directional speakers. They seem to violate a lot of the principles that I would otherwise be a stickler on.
And I just don't care. I'm all scientific and skeptical about DACs, amps, cables etc. But when it comes to these speakers, I don't need to know what they put in the can. I just want them to keep putting whatever it is in can!
Does anyone have experience with the satellites? My financial situation is about to take a turn for the better, and I will probably be expanding from 2.1 to 4.1 in the next few months. |
"Much to my surprise the nice UPS man (whose name I should know by now) brought my 2 MicroSubwoofers today! Thinking they would arrive a couple of weeks from now, clearly I misunderstood John. Guess what I'll be doing after work."
Any updates on the subs? |
While I'm not technically as proficient as a lot of the people in this thread, I do have experience with the MWT's in home theater without a center, and with Audyssey.
As mentioned before, if there is hole in the image, they are too far apart. If too close, they sound like a single mono source. Best thing about Ohm's is there seems to be a lot of wiggle room.
With room correction, even the basic Audyssey worked quite well, especially in taming some shrill highs in a cavernous room we had last year.
However, I thought that old-fashioned experimentation and basic room treatment gave even better results. I definitely have more detail and soundstage without the room correction. |
"Yes, I walk the walk and talk the talk when it comes to OHM. I've wavered over the years, but ended up coming back. Home audio would hold a lot less appeal for me without the OHMs. They are most unique. Not for everyone, but OHM owners tend to be a dedicated bunch. I just happen to be one of the more passionate and vocal ones out there I suppose."
Totally with you on this one. I still don't even seriously consider any other speakers. |
Just to jump in, the experience Mrjktcvs had with Deftech totally echoes my own. I understand that the dipoles were sensitive to room placement and conditions, but they were absolutely the worst speakers for my situation that I ever owned.
The MWT's have filled every room (we've moved three times since I got them) I've had, including the 3500 sq foot open floorplan of base housing on Quantico. You make a good point, Polarin, and I try not to embellish, but man those speakers just did not work for me, at all. |
So, on the Amazon series "Bosch", the main character has Ohm's, being driven by an old McIntosh Amp with a Marantz turntable! |
I just picked up a pristine set of MWT SE's off of Headfi for $700 plus shipping. From a headphone forum! |
Not sure. Right now I use an emotiva UMC-200 stereo amp for my older MWT's. I'll either get another stereo amp, and a 5-channel and possibly add a center. Lots of options, but the price and condition of the speakers were too good to pass up. |
Hey Mapman!
I've been seriously into headphones for the past 3 years, and for me the planar-magnetic models from Hifiman also have similar sonic qualities to my Ohms, especially in the midrange and treble.
The Senns are just too rolled-off in the upper midrange for me, and I always experience a 'veil' in the details that I don't experience with my MWT's. |
