Ohm Walsh Micro Talls: who's actually heard 'em?

I just happened on this thread for the first time, today.

This is in response to a post inquiring about an Ohm Walsh center channel.

I've been a very happy Ohm Walsh 4 owner since about 1985. Still have them and still enjoy their sound.

I've had a couple of different center channels in my system over the years, but neither of them ever really seemed to integrate well with the Walsh 4's. So, I gave John S. a call and we started a process of constructing a center channel for my particular needs.

My particular environment has an 8 foot long, by 6 foot tall armoire as my equipment rack. It sits out away from the front wall approx. 3 feet to the face of the cabinet. The Walsh 4's are located to the outside corners of the armoire, and closer to the listening environment by approx. 8 inches from the face of the armoire to the backs of the Walsh 4's. In between the Walsh 4's, and in front of the armoire, is a 92" retractable pj screen, suspended with bracketing that extends down from the ceiling.

All this leads to where the center channel is mounted. Above the suspended pj screen housing, and attached to the ceiling with the driver being inverted and placed just in front of the screen.

The process started around Thanksgiving of 2011. Well, after multiple phone conversations, and rosewood samples being sent to me(to match my original Walsh 4 cab's), we came up with a design, and finish, that I was ready for. Around mid January of 2012, the speaker was delivered. It arrived safely, and then came the daunting task of installation.

The design John came up with to install it on the ceiling, made the install much easier than I anticipated.

For my environment, we decided on the use of the 3000 series driver. The cabinet is approx. 50" deep (fore and aft), and 13" wide (left to right), by 7" tall (from ceiling to floor). The driver, with magnetically attached grill, then extends down from the 7", another 10" down to be set just above the pj screen housing. Knowing my general seating positions, John re-positioned the tweeter accordingly.

Now, as for the most important part of all this? The sound is just what I've been missing all these years! Seamless transitions around the forward sound stage. the timbre match is finally the same. I couldn't be happier!

On a side note; about 6 months earlier I found a pair of FRS-15's, sent the drivers back to Ohm for surround refurb and the once over. Now I have Ohm Walsh's all around(except sub, of course)! Multi-channel listening is fantastic!

Just a couple of days ago, I decided to upgrade my 4's to the 4.5000's. The rest of my system has had ongoing upgrades, throughout the years, it's time for my 4's to get one as well.

Dave

Feedback on 4.5000 upgrade?

Can anyone share some feedback on the 4.5000 upgrade? I recently ordered the upgrade for my 28 year old 4's, and would love to hear anyone's feedback regarding the install, as well as their opinions on the sonic differences.

Thanks, Dave

Thanks Mapman, for taking the time to respond. I've been somewhat out of the loop regarding Ohm Walsh speaker model progression. So I must admit that I'm not familiar with models 100S3, or 5S3. I would only guess that those model upgrades are the predecessor to the x.x000 series of upgrades.

I've been so happy with my 4's all these years, that it's only been within the last few years that I have taken up the interest again, in speakers, that is.

About a year ago, or so, I had John design and build me a 3000CC custom center channel. I say custom because it's mounted from the ceiling with the driver being inverted 180°! After trying a couple of different center channel speakers over the past decade, I decided to speak with John and see what he could do for me. I am very pleased with the results.

I listen to a lot of multi-channel music, and for the first time the forward sound stage has a timbre match that is much more seamless (I should have done this long ago)!

So, I'm excited and hopeful, that the 4.5000's will be a very noticeable audible difference.

Dave

Thanks Bondmanp. I guess I'm just expecting to hear a bit more detail in the mid thru high range frequencies. I still love the Ohm Walsh sound. The imagery is wonderful. I'm not sure I'm looking forward to having to remove the old binding post/control board, though. Taking a hammer, of sorts, to my beautiful speakers will be a bit disconcerting!

Dave

Welcome, Polarin! Glad to read about your recent acquisition of a pair of Walsh 3's! The Ohm Walsh sound is one that I instantly loved at first listen!

I'd like to share my thoughts on a recent upgrade to my Ohm Walsh 4's, that I purchased new back in 1985(and was still very happy with them).

After receiving the Columbus Day sale e-mail from John S., at Ohm, I decided to take the plunge and upgrade to the 4.5000's. I've only had the upgrade for about month, but I must say that the 4.5000 sound presentation is completely different to my original 4's!

At first listen I didn't like the presentation at all! There sound was so far off from what I was used to hearing. The low end is so much more prevalent, that I was overwhelmed by it! Also, the mid range is much more apparent now, than with my 4's.

I have been experimenting much with the various switch positions, and have found a combination that is fairly enjoyable. I am re-listening to many recordings, and finding a more complete overall presentation. I have also toed in the speakers about 20 degrees, and that seems to give a bit more centering to vocals. Although, I still find that there is a bit to much separation, mainly within the mid range male and female vocal frequencies, for my taste. But I am still working on those areas.

I am driving the speakers with a McIntosh Mc-352, and my normal listening levels range from -5dB to -15dB. The precision(and crispness) of say a kick or tom drum, or the snap of an electric bass guitar string, is what is most striking to me! The speed is fast and tight. There are passages within certain compositions, that I find the mid to upper mid range, to be too overwhelming for me. Which quite possibly could be the recording itself.

There are a couple of build issues I'm dealing with, but John S. has been very receptive in dealing with them thus far.

Overall, the more listening I do, the more pleased I become with this upgrade.

Been following this thread for quite some time. I pop back in from time to time. Something Mapman stated a few posts ago, struck a cord with me; "For me the OHMs are the most irreplaceable part of my system." I thought about that for a minute, and thought about all the gear that I have been through. But since purchasing a pair of Walsh 4's, back in 84'(to replace a pair of Bose 901's), that is the only component that I haven't replaced! Back in 2000, or so, JS and co. refurbed my 4 drivers, and as of a year or so ago I upgraded to the 4.5000's!

Every other component in my system has been upgraded/ replaced twice or thrice over, but I still enjoy the Ohm's!