John,
You have always been a gentleman and if this thread has helped you to sell some speakers, then I'm glad!
You have always been a gentleman and if this thread has helped you to sell some speakers, then I'm glad!
Ohm Walsh Micro Talls: who's actually heard 'em?
Hi,
I'd love to hear the impressions of people who've actually spent some time with these speakers to share their sense of their plusses and minuses. Mapman here on Audiogon is a big fan, and has shared lots on them, but I'm wondering who else might be familiar with them.
I'd love to hear the impressions of people who've actually spent some time with these speakers to share their sense of their plusses and minuses. Mapman here on Audiogon is a big fan, and has shared lots on them, but I'm wondering who else might be familiar with them.
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Hi all, got a message from Ohm that my 3000 drivers are on the way, should get here tomorrow if the snow doesn't slow things down. Thanks John! Looking forward to getting these put on the 3's and breaking them in, and then sitting down to enjoy some great Ohm magic. Will report back on how this all goes. Bond, anymore good takes on the surround experience? You said something about placing your MWT's on some blocks to get them up off the floor, how high are the drivers in relation to your head/ears? I am really interested in how all this works for you, I will probably be making a decision in the next couple of months or so on ordering a pair of MWT's for my room and giving it a try. Telescope, if you haven't heard the Ohm's yet, give them a try, they are wonderful speakers, and John and Co. are great to work with, they will get you what you need. It is great to have the ability to listen to them in your own home with plenty of trial-time, and quite a few budgetary options. Enjoy! Tim |
My micro Talls stunned me last night. I've been reading all the ohm threads, and mapman said if the imaging seems unbalanced, to try toeing the speakers out to get more exposure to the super tweeter on the weaker speaker. When I toed out the left speaker about 1/2 inch, BOOM! The sound was now balanced, and you could tell that the room was energized with the sound from whatever the local FM station was playing at the moment. I thought "I've finally got them dialed in, this is what they're supposed to sound like" But that's not the best part. I was standing in my room directly in front of the right speaker about 7 feet back, when the music suddenly stopped. Then a lone bass note along with some noise came out of the area by the the left speaker, then the sound proceeded to go along the left wall, and then come straight at me and immerse me with sound, I mean that I could "see" the sound moving and track it comming at me, and even though I was at the far right wall of my room the sound was all encompassing. I have never experienced this with ANY other speaker I've owned, not even with my former system that had the Carver "Sonic Holography" Like I said, the experience left me stunned, and extremely happy. I'm now tempted to upgrade to a set of the 100's, which would be the largest size that my 11x11' room could accomodate, but I'll have to call John at Ohm to discuss all the details. I would like to know if there are any other Ohm owners with similar experiences |
Joe, when I had the OW2/2000's for test, I can remember many times that they would surprise me. If everything is set up properly, I am always amazed at how they sound even when listening from very unconventional hi-fi positions, off axis, walking around the room etc. I have been so used to sitting more head-in-vise with my Magnepans, and with the Ohm's, I don't worry over it so much, it just doesn't seem to matter. One Sunday morning I was sitting a good bit back from the speakers, even outside of the left-hand speaker. I was listening to a morning show called OverEasy, usually good acoustical stuff. Neil Young's Harvest Moon was playing and I had been reading and I just dropped the book in my lap and sat there just totally transfixed on just the music. It just sounded so real, lifelike. And I can't say that I am especially a big Neal Young fan overall! Yet sitting in that position, I still had it all there, great soundstage, and just a wonderful musical event. I sometimes find it difficult to put into words just what these speakers do. It isn't like they force me to listen, or that they draw me into the performance really, they just are very natural performers and make great music! It is so easy to listen to music through these transducers, other speakers soemtimes can be hard to really listen to or I seem to be listening too hard that it is almost work! Not with these. I think John has done a super job of voicing these, very incredible really. Any good live recording especially is pretty amazing. I am so looking forward to getting my 3000's going. It has been a long road getting here, but one I think will be special for a long time-that is until I can maybe afford 5000's! I am glad to hear that so many of you guys have enjoyed them as much as I did years ago, and soon will again. By the way, I would put in a plug for the Super 2000 upgrade, that is a great cost-effective upgrade if anybody already owns OW2 cabinets with original drivers. And if you don't, John can get you fixed up, especially if like myself, tend to like the older style cabinets. Enjoy the music! Tim |
Frazeur1, thanks for your response. I really can't praise these speakers enough. Recently, I put on an album by Bill Nelson called Atom Shop. I've listened to this album on my bose tri-port headphones, on friends systems, and in my car. I thought that I knew this album really well until I put it through the Ohms. On the Ohms, the soundstage is huge, floor to ceiling and just disolved the back and side walls. There is also a lot of low end energy that I never heard which contributes to the feeling that everything is larger than life. It's funny when you listen and with your eyes closed the speaklers sound 10 feet tall, and you open your eyes and look at the "toothpicks" providing the sound. I think that John Strohbeen should say something on their website like "re-discover your music collection with Ohm speakers" because that's exactly what I've been doing with these speakers. I put on the Stones Sticky Fingers, and Let It Bleed, and I'm hearing things I've never heard before. Now, every time I put on an album, I'm excited because I wonder how it's going to sound. I couldn't be happier. As far as I'm concerned, John has secured a customer for life, and I'll continue to sing the praises of Ohm speakers to friends and anyone else who will listen. I will also audition them for anyone looking for speakers. My son-in law thought I spent too much money until I sat him down and made hin listen to the new Black Eye Peas album The E.N.D. It has enough jaw dropping effects to show people what these speakers can do. My son-in-law no longer thinks I spent too much. I'll have to have a listen to Neil Young's Harvest Moon, and could use more suggestions on music that shows off the Ohms best qualities. Suggestions anyone??? Thanks, Joe a |
Joe, if you like some jazz, I love the Yellowjackets and their LiveWires disc. Maybe not the best of their collection, but just a good live album. Another album that I like but gets a bit twangy for me, is Allison Krause Live, with this one cooking it is just pretty amazing, very dynamic and just plain good. I also like Lyle Lovett's Joshua Judges Ruth, it is a very good mix to listen to. KD Lang's Ingenue, vocals to die for. Basically, most anything I have listened to gets portrayed in a wonderfully realistic way on the Ohm's. I think the Ohm does extremely well, regardless if the album is live or a studio recording, it just sounds right. I have heard some people complain about the Ohm's sounding unrealistic on some studio albums, but so far, I can't say that it has happened to me. I am glad you are enjoying them Joe. It does make me want to get out and buy more music. So much for my budget. Thanks for that John! Enjoy, Tim |
Frazeur1, thanks for the suggestions. I don't have any yellowjackets yet, but I do have alison Krauss and Lyle Lovett, and will check them out. If you're into Beck, check out the Midnight Vultures and Odelay discs. Both of these are a fun listen that surprised me with effects that aren't apparent through headphones or conventional speakers. As for Jazz, anything by Sade or Steely Dan makes the Ohms sound spectacular. Like I said, I'm re-discovering my music collection and having the time of my life doing it. Joe |
Another suggestion is any album by Aimee Man (Mann?). I have listened to several, including "Lost In Space" last night. Note that this was the standard Redbook CD, not the remastered CD that is out there. Really exiting and emotionally involving. One thing I've noticed lately, is that I have to retract what I've said about the soundstage being laid back, at the plane of the speakers or behind them. On some CDs, like the Aimee Man recordings, the sound is absolutely projected fore and aft of the speakers, as well as side-to-side and top-to-bottom. The soundstage is absolutely huge, and extends above and outside the walls of my room. A real treat! Maybe they are continuing to break in even now. All of this is very dependent on the source material. The Ohm Walsh speakers are really a window on the source. As for surround experiences, I do want to stress that my Vandersteen center is an okay match for the Ohms, but clearly is less than perfect. It has a bit of the roughness in the upper-mids/lower-treble that was characterisitc of the 1Cs. It's not terrible, but I will definitley be ordering an Ohm center when I have the wood. I watched The DaVinci Code for the first time over the weekend. Unlike with music, the film itself distracts one from evaluating the sound, but it seemed excellent to me. The sound of a car that entered from the left, behind the camera, and drove towards the center-left front of the screen tracked beautifully and seemlessly. I am very confident in recommending Ohm Walsh speakers for surround use. An ideal combo of diffuse ambience and pinpoint localized sounds. And, John S., you are most welcome. Best of luck to you and your fantastic company! |
I have a 9 CD Time/Life 50s CD collection. This includes many popular tracks from that decade and sound like it must be remastered. Most of it is mono recordings. I've found remastered mono recordings from this era sound quite spectacular on my system! Solid imaging, big soundstage (more between speakers only though in comparison to stereo) and detail abounds, even with massed strings. Top notch audio candy! Other mono 50's remasters sound top notch as well. One that comes to mind is a 2-cd Chuck Berry collection I have. I never realized this stuff could sound so good when I used to hear it on the radio as a kid. |
I second the Aimee Mann/Lost in Space, great album! I also have a double set of her live-can't remember the actual name of the set, DVD and CD, good stuff there. I also second most of Steely Dan and Sade. Just all around good listening. It is amazing to hear the major differences in the source material, and usally, it is the thing that lets me down the most, not the hardware. Really well recorded music is just so stunning on the Ohm's, obviously, just okay recorded music is just that. I would rather have just okay music than none at all though! Tim |
Bondmanp I've got all the Aimee Mann albums, so I'll be checking them out soon. The copy of Lost in Space that I have is a double disc that has a mostly live second disc. Is this the one you're talking about??? I also have all the Til Tuesday albums. The only one I've listened to is the Welcome Home Disc, which sounds great. |
Bondmanp I've got all the Aimee Mann albums, so I'll be checking them out soon. The copy of Lost in Space that I have is a double disc that has a mostly live second disc. Is this the one you're talking about??? I also have all the Til Tuesday albums. The only one I've listened to is the Welcome Home Disc, which sounds great. |
Joefish - I think that's the CD, but it is a copied CD-R that someone gave me years ago; no live second disc. I have Welcome Home on vinyl, but since I am only on the letter "C" in my alphabetical quest to listen and digitize (in real time) my vinyl, it will be some time before I get to it. But I recall that LP as being a good sounding one even on the mid-fi gear I owned back in the 80s when I first got it. |
3000 series driver update. I recieved my 3000's on Tuesday, and finally got to install them on my 3XO cabinets last night. Installation was pretty easy, easier than the 2000 series on an OW2 cabinet that I had tried prior to the 3's. The hardest part is getting out the old terminal board on the bottom and getting the new one with the Sub-Bass Activator installed. Then it is a simple matter of connecting the plug from it to the new drivers and mounting the drivers with four wood screws each to the top baffle board. I know from past expereinces with the 2000 series and also what others have experienced, the Ohm's do need a considerable bit of break-in. I used to think was a little bit of crap, and maybe for some speakers/drivers it is. But I find things tend to loosen up a bit and smooth out. It took the 2000's about 3 months of heavy playing and a fair bit of playing with positioning to get them where I was happy. I don't expect the 3000's to be much different in this regard, other than positioning will be a little easier now. Initial impressions are very good, the treble is very smooth and lifelike, again, very realistic. The midrange/upper bass is a bit fuzzy at the present, and bass a little on the heavy one-note side. Again, most of this is the same impression I had of the 2000 as well. I believe the 2000/3000 main drivers are a bit different from each other, and not sure of the surrounds on the 3000. I think the tweeters are the same though. Some of this might impact the break-in period a little, not sure at this point. In the meantime, I will be playing tunes whenever possible to get them up to speed, and enjoy them along the way. Shame the wife works from home or I would put the CD player on continuous/repeat while I am at work. My thanks to John for working out a few bugs along the way, as mine were the first 3/3000 they had done. Will keep you all posted as time goes on. I think I am going to like these a lot! Enjoy the music! Tim |
I read a lot of this thread, and it's tempting me to try some MicroWalsh SE's (my main speaker search has been for something with a very small footprint, due to some constrained NYC living situation). Basically, I'm downgrading, because I need some super-small floorstanders (no room for monitors- selling my Tyler Taylo's, which I love). So, these things are the right size, and my room is fairly small. But, I rarely sit still when listening to music. All this sweet-spot talk (half-inch toe-in stuff is not for me) has me worried. My monitors filled the room (granted, they are bigger, and I had a sub), but I never felt like I had to tweak their positioning to get a good sound. So, my amp is an integrated tube (Rogue Audio Tempest 2- which I really like, no plans to change that) and it has what they call "User selectable 4 or 8 ohm output taps". Which would I use for OHM speakers? They're 6 ohm, right? And, I'm wondering how my amp would do driving these speakers. I don't know anything about "current", and here's the link to my amp, if anyone has any ideas: http://www.rogueaudio.com/Products_Tempest.htm ehh, the the link didn't post, so here's the specs) Ultra-wide bandwith output transformers - Massive high storage power supply - Matched quad output tubes - User selectable 4 or 8 ohm output taps - User selectable triode or ultralinear output - (4) KT88, (2) 6SN7, (2) 12AX7 tube complement - Active outputs for subwoofer or biamping - Heavy (2 ounce) copper circuit board Specifications: [back to top] - output power: 90WPC minimum - THD: <0.1% typ., <1% at rated power - frequency response: - 20Hz - 20KHz at peak output, - 10Hz - 100KHz at 10 watts - input sensitivity: 1.0V RMS - dimensions: 18" W x 15¾" D x 7" H - weight: 60 lbs - shipping weight: 65 lbs - power requirements: 120V/240V - 50/60Hz |
Ron, 6 ohm is a nominal value, actual impedance will vary up and down from that depending on frequency. Low frequencies have lower impedance in general I believe. I'd probably try the 4 ohm setting first for best bass performance. With the OHM in home trial policy, you can certainly try things out to see how well they work with your amp with no real risk. |
Ron325, Sorry if we scared you with the 1/2 inch toe out and things like that. From what I've read, the Ohms are pretty forgiving as far as placement, but if you take the time to fine tune them to your room, you will be rewarded beyond expectations. I'm still amazed by my micro talls, and am contemplating upgrading to the 100's/1000's when I get my tax refund. I hope you decide to give them a test run. I took a chance and I'll never look back Joe |
I still don't get the impedance thing, but if I go with these, I'll call Rogue- they are always really helpful. Yeah, I've read that they have a wide (or "big", or something) soundstage, so I always thought that meant I could spend less time worrying about the sweetspot. But, I don't have the patience for a million tweaks- I'll do some basic moving-things-around, but not much else. So, yes, reading about the placement tweaks had me a bit nervous. I need to sell my Taylo's before I can buy anything, though. |
"Yeah, I've read that they have a wide (or "big", or something) soundstage, so I always thought that meant I could spend less time worrying about the sweetspot. " The soundstage will generally be big regardless of placement as long as they are not too close to each other. Imaging focus and detail and bass levels at a variety of listening locations are the things that can reap greater rewards with proper placement. You will generally want to determine the best placement initially from the typical "sweet spot". Once that is done, the resulting soundstage, imaging and coherency should remain in play from most any location. |
"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. |
"he 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." That's cool! Gotta try that sometime. I ran my original Walsh 2s outside on a farmhouse porch fully cranked once years ago for an outdoor college party (off an 80w/ch Tandberg receiver). That was something to hear! It was like a music festival with the porch as the stage! One of my all time great home audio memories! |
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... |
I haven't tried the "music in the round" yet, but I have pulled the 2's pretty far out in the room just to see what this would bring to the table. Bass suffers a little bit, but they still did the staging thing very well. I often wondered what they would sound like in that setup if the back of the driver can wasn't attenuated some. I think positioning in general with the Ohm's can be as tweaky as you want to get, but they generally sound very good no matter how they are placed within reason. I love that my 3's have the casters on the bottom, makes it so nice to wheel them out from the wall that my A/V stand is on, and move them where they do sound best. When I am not in the "critical listening mode", they can just stay put, which is about 10" from the wall in front of me, and spread about 6' apart. Pulling them out so the plane of the speakers are beyond the TV screen usually works nicely for video. If in the music zone, they get moved out in the room about 2' and spread apart about 8/9', which still leaves about 4' on either side of each speaker. My listening position is about 7/8' away. Still fine tuning though! Still in break-in mode on the 3000's, enjoying them very much at the moment! Tim |
Ron, I'm also in NYC, I've had my MWT's in a couple different rooms in my apartment, and never tweaked a thing. I think it's more about the sound of the room, vs. where you're sitting. As long as your room isn't too live, the MWT's are the best small speaker! The MWT's drop to about 4 ohms at the low frequency cut-off, but are over 8 most of the time. If you have questions about compatibility, ask John over at Ohm. |
'I often wondered what they would sound like in that setup if the back of the driver can wasn't attenuated some" I wonder about that too. They'd be an obstacle there for many and larger drivers might be needed to retain bass levels but would the soundstage depth and perspective match up to MBL closer then? If I had my old Walsh 2s still around (I used them for trade-in) I'd be tempted to open up the cans and do some surgery myself there and try it. |
Map, I might be able to play around with this option at some point. I have a lead on some old drivers/cans that would be fun to play with. I think most of the lower mids might already be somewhat omni, not sure though, and maybe it depends on what model. I know the old 3XO's and maybe even the 4's had a layer of felt on the backside of the can that could be taken off, but again, not sure about inside the can and all those details. I would imagine the sound would vary some depending on what was behind them. My room is a little odd in that when I do move the Ohm's out in my critical listening area, I have basically an entryway behind the left speaker, and a hallway behind the right one, so effectively an open area. I don't get much reflective sound this way, which I don't know how much that happens anyway and to what degree if the speakers were placed along a long flat wall behind them instead. Map, what kind of differences do you get with your 5's and the switch settings when your speakers are placed in different positions, such as pulled out from the wall, or against a wall? I can imagine there are many possibilities but does it change the overall presentation/sound much? Just curious, maybe someday I will find out! Tim |
'Map, what kind of differences do you get with your 5's and the switch settings when your speakers are placed in different positions, such as pulled out from the wall, or against a wall?" When closer to the wall (<2 feet or so) the location setting (essentially affects the mid-upper bass) goes down a notch. Normally, they are out about twice that distance in that the long section of my L shaped room where I listen is a good 30 feet deep or so and the location setting is up a notch there normally. My L shaped room where the speakers are located is not symmetrical The right speaker is always generally well less than 2 feet from the right wall. The left speaker is essentially free standing with the left wall another 10 feet or so to the left and in front of and just inside the left hand wall of the listening area (in teh length of the L shape, if that makes any sense, see my system picture to get the idea). I typically have the placement control on the left Walsh 5 set to either free standing (highest) or wall (middle setting) and the right Walsh 5 set to either wall or corner (lowest setting) depending on distance from rear wall. The separate "Room Size" setting is generally set to "medium" for a medium sized room. This is the low range bass control that you adjust based on room size. When I set this to "Large" room size, I find just a tad too much low end which tends to mask detail at higher frequencies somewhat. The presence/midrange and treble settings are generally left at the middle level settings these days and both speakers have a slight toeout in order to consolidate the soundstage just a tad between the speakers and in front of my somewhat narrow (~ 10 feet or so) listening area. |
The last song on cd1 of the box set "Cowabuunga: The Surf Box" is "Shoot That Curl" by Chris Montez. The last few minutes of this is ocean wave sound effects. These are something to hear on the OHMs. Close your eyes and turn the volume up a bit and you will be convinced you are out in the surf shooting that curl wit the waves pounding all around you. Awesome! |
You can go to the factory and audition them, which is an advantage very few of us have had. That is cool!! I think once you hear them, you will have no doubt in your mind that they're special. Then once you get them home, you can experience them in your own listening space, and you'll hear why we've been singing the praises of ohm speakers. Call John and set up an audition. Please post your reactions. Good luck!! Joe |
Thanks for the info. on your 5's Map, so basically you feel like you have plenty of adjustability overall for most situations in your room other than odd/drastic frequency anomolies then? I am just getting a feel for that in case I do think about the 5000's in the future. Have been listening to my 3/3000's a lot this weekend, the "fuzziness" is already smoothing out, and I am just being patient with the lower mids/bass right now. Things are very enjoyable though! Enjoy the tunes guys, Tim |
Just a word of praise for John and the boys at Ohm in terms of the packaging of their speakers. My 100s arrived at their new home on Monday. Fortunately, I had saved all the original packing materials -- and I can tell you that repacking those puppies was not easy! Still, my heart kind of fell when the new owner e-mailed me to say that one of the boxes was seriously roughed up by UPS. But John once told me that he considers their packaging material to be "a sacrificial offering to UPS." Anyway, the 100s are QUINTUPLE boxed at the factory, and between two outermost nested boxes are sheets of plywood. So, in the end, the speakers came through unharmed. Whew! :-) |
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?cspkr&1267197063&read&3&zzlMarkeetaux&& Vertically mounted/downward firing speakers (like OHM Walshes) can interact strongly with the floor, particularly acoustically lively floors like wood floors, etc. The thread above talks about this scenario which is more common with subwoofers but also applies to the OHM Walshes, so I though it would be of interest to those in this thread. |
I just ordered Microwalsh Tall SE's in Rosewood... gotta wait 2-3 weeks for them. Heh, I'm kinda banking on being able to sell my current speakers in that time-frame, otherwise I'll have some explaining to do, seeing as my main motive was to save space. ('Um, why are there 2 pair of speakers in here, now?') |
Ron - My wife asked me the same question! I actually have TWO pair of vandersteen 1Cs sitting in my basement (I replaced one pair with the 2000s, and the surround pair with the used MWTs I bought from an Agoner). When I told her the 2000s came with a 120-day in-home trial, so I needed to keep my Vandys until I decided whether to keep them or not, she understood. Good luck! |
Aktchi, FWIW, I've had the Verity Parsifal/Encore and the Merlin VSM (uprgrade to near current status) in the same system as my Ohm 100/Rythmik sub system. I can't compare the speakers with the subs on-line and I only ran the 100s full range for a brief time - but here's the comparison off that short full range audition: ALL THAT FOLLOWS IS JUST MHO: The Ohm is about as neutral tonally as the Merlin (to my ear, anyway). It's more neutral than the Verity, which is to say that the P/E is noticably warm in tonality and consequently often sounds more acoustically "lifelike" than a nearly dead neutral speaker like the Ohm or Merlin(particularly on a lot of source material that leans bright - i.e 90+% of pop and rock recordings). The Ohm is less revealing of things upstream than either the Merlin (considerable margin) or the P/E (noticeable margin). The Ohm is less dramatically dynamic ("jump factor") than either the VSM or P/E. The Ohm goes a bit deeper in the bass than the P/E and is about as extended as the VSM. All of these speakers are remarkably "seamless" in their presentation. The Ohms might be a bit "dry" at the top vs the P/E - that is "might", as in subtle. The Ohms image with both specificity (as do the VSM and the P/E) but with a sense of weight and body that the other speakers can't quite match. It is this quality which really distinguishes the Ohms. Since I use (room corrected) subs (troublesome room issues), the bass comparison isn't particularly important to me in this application, so MY OWN PERSONAL bottom line is: The Ohms are about as neutral as it gets. When run full range, they have real bass extention - sufficient form most recordings. They don't have quite the dynamic jump of the best competition. They aren't as "transparent" as the best I've heard, but they aren't slouches either. They are as seamless as I've heard. Their top end is very good, but some who are more sensitive in this range may demand a half demerit vs. the best competition. Their imaging and staging is unique to Omnis and that provides the special character that makes the speakers essentially irreplaceable to some listeners. As always, YMMV Marty |
"The Ohms image with both specificity (as do the VSM and the P/E) but with a sense of weight and body that the other speakers can't quite match" That's a good way to describe what I often refer to as "meat on the bones", or a more lifelike weight to the presentation. To do it well requries moving a lot of air effectively. It's something that typically only large speakers can do well, particularly in larger rooms. Large speakers that also do the all the other things well also tend to be very expensive. I attribute achieving this particularly well in a fairly compact package like the Walshes as due somewhat to the relatively large radiating surface area in effect with the Walsh driver compared to a conventional driver of similar size. IT moves a lot of air but the absolute level of pressurization of the air at any particular location with an omni is perhaps less than that achieved with a similar sized conventional driver driven similary, which accounts for the more relaxed dynamics and low fatigue factor as well perhaps. The omni drivers used in mbls also have this going for them although their mode of operation is totally different, and the large mbl base drivers in particular seem well suited for absolute top notch dynamics. |
Just recently, I noticed a buzz comming from one of my micro talls at low listening levels, which seemed to disapear when I turned the volume up. I contacted John and he recomended checking to make sure the speaker wire in the cannister wasn't touching the cone. I told him that I didn't think that I was over driving the speakers, but he did tell me that I was driving them pretty hard, and that the 1000's might be a better fit since they will play twice as loud, and move four times the amount of air. He offered to send me another set of matched drivers for the micro talls, and I could send back the other ones. What customer service!! It was at that point that I decided to upgrade to the 1000's, since I was getting a nice fat tax return. I then asked about returning the micro talls. He told me to insure them for the full amount, but not to do so until I recieved my 1000's. He said "No need for you to go without your music" Needless to say, I was impressed. He is also sending me veneer samples to help me decide on what finish I want. In an age of incompetence and nobody gives a danm, it's a breath of fresh air to deal with someone who is willing to go the extra mile and do whatever it takes to make his customers happy. I will miss my micro talls, but look forward to breaking in my 1000's, and continue to enjoy the unique sound of Ohm speakers. I will post my impressions of the 1000's, and hope I can convince other people to take a chance and take advantage of the 120 day trial. Chances are, they will have a hard time settling for conventional box speakers once they hear the Ohms. Can't wait to get my 1000's......... |
Marty - I have heard the VSMs a few times at shows, and was always impressed. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to hear the latest version with customized crossovers, fed by modded BAT tube amplification, a modded Atmosphere preamp, modded VPI 'table, and a very highly modded, battery powered Sony CD player (one of the high end big Sony SACD players, but the mods killed the SACD abaility of the player). Speaker cables were home made large flat silver ribbons. A modded Velodyne subwoofer was rolled in below 30Hz. I felt the sound was quite good, but not at all forgiving of overly bright source material. Plenty of dynamics, details and sustained trails of notes, excellent PRAT and leading edge definition. The current VSMs are a speaker I would absolutely consider if I were shopping in the $10K/pr price range. I would love to A/B the Merlins with the Silverline Audio Bolero, which also uses a Dynaudio tweeter. I would say the biggest improvement I heard with these VSMs over my Walsh 2000s was the highly refined treble. On high quality source material, the highs had a smooth, liquid quality that the Ohms don't have. Not that the highs on the Ohms are abrasive or edgey in any way, just a bit less refined and delicate. The Ohms give up nothing to the Merlins regarding imaging and soundstaging. The timbre of the Ohms is also as good as the Merlins, except perhaps the VSMs beat the Ohms in timbre of the very highest frequencies. That Dynaudio Esotar tweeter, combined with that custom crossover, is very special indeed. That said, I feel I got pretty darn close for less than one third the price with my 2000s. Additionally, I feel the Ohms are kinder to poor source material, which means about 90% of the music I own and listen to! |
Rebbe, How are those LSIs working out? I was listening to my OHM Ls for the first time in a while the other day and it occurred to me that these might be just what the doctor ordered in your case. If available, I think John sells fully upgraded and refurbished Ls for $600 a pair. Also, I think OHMs usual home trial policy applies, but I am not certain. Ls sold for $500 a pair back in 1978. They are OHMs all time most popular model in terms of units sold, I believe. I sold dozens of them back in the day, usually over classics like JBL, Advent, EPI, etc. I've held my Ls ever since + did some custom upgrading recently putting in OHMs sub bass activator circuit (also used in the Walshes I believe) and Morel woofers that I selected and acquired to replace old deteriorating woofers. I still run the original drivers and crossover otherwise. They share a lot of sonic attributes of the Walshes except in a small (but heavy) conventional front ported, 3 way bookshelf design, not unlike Harbeth. Mine have a nice enticing warmth in the midrange compared to the more neutral Walshes. I bet John's upgraded Ls probably would lay mine to waste, though mine are still a pair of speakers that I could live with if I had to. I used to use them in a small dorm room in college. Now, they are in my basement's unfinished area (see my system pics), which is actually the biggest room in the house, with bare concrete floors even. Wish I would have thought about these sooner. The Ls sat in the room where my 5s are now prior to acquiring them, and I was very satisfied with their performance in there as well at the time. The Ls sound absolutely sublime with the Bel Canto amp as well I am finding. |
I think my Dyns use the Esotar tweeter. I interchange the Dyns and my 100S3s from time to time. My impression is the OHM top end is a bit more relaxed, the Dyn top end a bit hotter yet very nice. The little Dyns can be a little tizzy hot on the top end with the wrong amplification, but sublime with the right amplification. The OHMs less so. In general, I do not notice a huge difference when things are going right with either. People with younger ears that can still ehar very high frequencies might notice more of a difference I would think. Most people over 40 cannot hear the very top end of the audio spectrum above 14000 hertz or so though I believe. |
Rebbi, I forgot to mention that when I talked to John, I told him that he seems to have achieved sonic holography with his speakers. He then proceeded to tell me that when Bob Carver presented his Sonic Holography to the audio world, he did it with Ohm speakers. I just busted out laughing, and told him "that's a compliment of highest order to you" I wonder what THAT sounded like?? I read on one of the threads that someone had used the Holography in conjunction with a set of Ohms, and that it was redundant, or didn't work that well. Just the fact that Bob Carver wanted to use Ohms for something he was presenting speaks volumes. I guess he heard that unique quality that sets Ohms apart from the competition. I still can't believe that you sold your 100's. Do you miss them?? Happy listening! Joe |
Bond, I pretty much agree with everything you've written here. I'd only add that the Merlins are more revealing of upstream events and have a dynamic "jump" - especially with tube amps - that the Ohms lack. Just MHO. Overall, I'd say that these are both outstanding speakers, but the Merlins do some things "better" while the Ohms do other things "better". "Better", in this case, meaning more to my taste. The Merlin is a wonderful speaker. It is also a premium priced, premium finished luxury product. If you can live with the appearance, there's little doubt in my mind that the Ohms represent excellent value offering an appealling mix of performance strengths at a more manageable price point. Marty |
" He then proceeded to tell me that when Bob Carver presented his Sonic Holography to the audio world, he did it with Ohm speakers." I have a Carver c-6 pre-amp (sitting idle as a backup currently) with sonic holography that I used with many speakers for years (Magnepan, B&W, Dynaudio, Triangle, Boston Acoustics). The effects were apparent on all but the OHMs. The holographic benefits were redundant and not apparent but the slight effect on tonal balance (mainly a slight low end roll off and slight brightening in timbre) were, so I never used it with the OHMs as I did on occasion with all the others. |
Just a listening note: I listened to Pink Floyd DSOTM last night. This was a used library copy of the standard CD. No remastering, no SACD, nadda. Yes, some of the guitar solos were a bit rough with the volume up high (I listen fairly loud), but OMG, this was a great listening experience. I could hear more of the lyrics and spoken words than ever before. The soundstage was massive, and the out-of-phase portions of the recording were flying all around my room, even behind me (just 2-channels powered up)! The clock chimes were scarily realistic. Everything, except some of those screaming guitars (and maybe that's what the producers intended them to sound like), was just right. |