Sorry to hear that mapman , always hard to lose a beloved one no matter how old they are . The memories will always be with you .
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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I don't understand Mapman.... Are you telling us that questioning certain things means you have no class? Im sure you didn't mean that, did you? Questioning of technology helps to move technology forward, companys improving, products improving. It's a win, win all the way around. If I was John I would read what's said here (I'm sure he does hi John) take certain things to heart, improve and move the product forward in a positive way, not just make them more expensive. Sorry for the death in the family. Everything can be improved......🇸🇪 |
Schubert thanks for that and much appreciated. Peter of course everything can be improved. I said just that Right here just a bit ago. If it were me I would focus solely on what I am doing and why. No reason exists to discredit or question the work or decisions of others proven work along the way. Thats all. Especially when building on the work of said others. Has all to do with right and wrong ways to go about things with other people and nothing to do with technology. Just my opinion. |
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OK...obviously and obliviously I stuck MHO into an ongoing 'discussion'. Please allow me to hit 'pause' and explain self and my opinions. Not that I'm right...that could be considered 'unusual', esp. if you queried my spouse about that, but that's another subject for a entirely different forum...*S* Mapman.....far be it from me to say your Ohms are not good speakers, nor good omnis. I have, in the past, even suggested to those who would consider that approach to reproduction to 'give them a go'. One soul, last we chatted, still owns the pair he bought and wouldn't consider anything he's heard since. I will count That as a plus on my karma as an audio fan. They Really Do Sound Good....But....they still are not a true Walsh radiator. Upon opening their innards, or just perusing the pics on Google Pics, what one sees is a (granted) carefully selected woofer, face down. Above it is a dome tweeter, again, carefully selected. Contrasted with the images of the Original Ohms, there's a Big Disconnect. One that Ohm (the company) is quite aware of. Yes, the current product does function to an extent of the originals. The physics involved still work, but they have opted to offer is a variant that is easier to fabricate and produce on a large scale. As a business person myself, I'll be the last mortal to argue and say they shouldn't do this. You like it, bought it, still have it, everyone walks away happy....;) peterr53...I have done my 'homework'. I've studied the Walsh patent, even studied the Hegeman patent that predates it but has remarkable similarities. I've been the 'driving force' (of sorts) of 3 forums eliciting commentary from all and any that would care to comment. Hopefully constructive, and that has occurred. I've chatted with those who 'have been There', and are able to suggest or provide observations that I've taken into account. If I could communicate with the spirit of L. Walsh, I'd do it in a heartbeat.... So...Don't tell me that I Don't Know What a Walsh Speaker IS. Or WHY. As previously stated, I'm doing my own 'variant'...similar to the German Physiks, but slightly larger. Having learned that the originals STILL operated as a 'piston driver' as opposed to one creating 'pure' radial energies I've opted to 'cut off' the lower bass frequencies and hand them off to a sub. Said sub runs 'higher' than one could consider 'typical', but we can discuss 'trade-offs' if you'd care to PM me.... I've been at this 'quixotic quest' for awhile now, doing the improbable with not very much. I'm 'upping my game' of late, Better Everything. I have a modicum of support from a lot of people, some of which used to be in 'the business' of audio.... So...I think that's about I'll infer for now about What I Know. If you like, PM me. I'll be more than happy to chat you up further. Even if it's only MHO...which there's a lot of that about....here....IMHO....;) ....and turning a woofer 'face down' is Easy. I've done it. The next step... Not so much.... And I'd still prefer to be a friend to you, Maps....Really.... |
It looks like the forum police stole my last post.....must be my dirty mouth Im guessing. asvjerryif I read that right (I might be wrong) I said something wrong about your knowledge when it comes to the Walsh driver??? We actually spoke about five years ago as I was in the market for a set of speakers. Unfortunately I had cancer and $10k was a little strong at the time, especially not knowing if I would be kicking a year later or not. I bought the 4/5000 not knowing much about The speaker, but I liked the originals so I took a leap of faith. When I got them I was basically out of it for about a year physically and mentally. But slowly I realized that something was missing. They did sound great with most music, but I was missing something. And that's basically how things started. Im not going over the story (if interested go back many many pages and read it from the beginning, it's a fun crazy read. A few days ago I started to think that there might be a better 12" woofer/midrange driver ot there somewhere. Something that cost more but might give me an extended midrange clean up to 4khz and wouldn't you believe it, there it was about $250 not bad, so I might get a pair to try em out see if I can squeak out a little bit more out of the "Walsh" driver idea. Love to try one of Jerrys babies.....hmmm Its late time to go to bed......🇸🇪 |
The real Walsh trick is to develop a full range Walsh driver that is reliable and does not self destruct. Dale Harder, who posted on this thread earlier is the only one attempting to do this commercially these days it still seems. http://www.hhr-exoticspeakers.com/ If I understand the principles of a Walsh driver correctly, any driver can function as one but only certain ones make good ones. Knowing how to find or fabricate those seems to be the trick. It's been proven doable for limited range in the lower frequencies with OHM and higher frequencies with German Physiks and Harder seems to to best carry the torch regarding full range Walsh speakers. |
I guess I should put in my 2 cents, too! ;-) IMHO, I agree that current Ohm Walsh speakers are not true Walsh designs. That said, I am aware that true Walsh driver based speakers are available (German Physiks, Dale Harder, and a few others). But with one exception, the prices are generally much higher than the Ohm products. That exception is the guy that makes tube amps and a few different speakers and has an omni with a ribbon tweeter for ~$2500. I can’t recall the name right now (senior moment). So, when evaluating Ohm products, I look at the value proposition. I think John Strohbeen is a master of speaker voicing, and has produced an inexpensive line of high-performance quasi-omni speakers that kick much of the competition (price-wise) in the pants. So, for those of us with neither the money for an HHR product or the time and know-how for DIY, Ohm offers quite an attractive alternative. Plus, most of the competing omnis do not offer a 120 in-home trial, which was a big factor in my purchase decision. Rebbi - nice to see you here again. Thanks to this thread that you started, I ended up with my 2000s, and they may well be my last speakers (if I don’t win the lottery and buy a pair of German Physiks or MBLs!). Sorry for your loss. Just an update: My 2000s have been in the same position for over seven years. When I got my Sound Anchor craddle bases for them, I toed them in slightly for what I assumed would be a somewhat warmer sound, with a little less treble energy (since the tweeters would now intersect in front of me, rather than being aimed at me ears). I have been happy this way, although I have long wished for a more widespread soundstage (it is wide, but weighted in the center), and better image stability with changing frequencies (the images can sometimes shift about the soundstage, unnaturally). Well, a few things I read on line made me curious enough to reposition them, aiming them straight ahead so that the tweeters point roughly at my ears. Whoa! I can’t believe the difference from such a small shift in position. The first night, I did notice some unpleasant sharpness on brass and electric guitar recordings, but since I didn’t listen to these prior to repositioning, it could have been the recordings. But Sunday night, I had a long, exquisite listening session in which nearly every track was wonderful. The soundstage is bigger, wider, and more evenly distributed. The highs seemed cleaner, more stable and more filigreed (a quality I associate with expensive speakers). I got chills up my spine. Then I realized that the last time I had them aimed straight ahead was during my trial period, when they were on my uneven basement floor before the bases arrived. I also realized that I have changed some things in my rig since then, most notably the preamp (from C-J PV11 to McIntosh C220), as well as some cable upgrades, and repositioned my amp to be closer to the speakers and shortened the speaker cables. Sorry for the long-winded post, but I was quite happy Sunday night as I sat there grinning at how good everything sounded. And I have a new IC on the way to connect my DAC to my preamp. So, even though I was thinking that it just can’t get any better than this, maybe it can! |
For me its all about the sound. If it sounds best to me that’s all that matters and the OHMs still do for me both at lower price points and highest. Granted there is a lot of very good sounding competition out there but still nothing I know of that sounds and works as good for me at competitive price points. Good meaning most hours of time spent listening to all kinds of music at any volume over almost 10 years going now with my current OHMs.. JS is definitely goes for delivering his sound as affordable as possible in a way that works best for most in their homes and does not seem to care about what people might think about bling and parts used. In other words I do not think he cares at all about "high end audio" only good sound. When I read his blogs on his site it only convinces me more that this MIT educated guy knows exactly what he is doing perhaps as well as anyone. Regarding cost and competition if one is smart about how they go about it there are many ways to get better OHMs for less. My F5 series 3 OHMs, essentially equivalent to current 5000s that list for over $6K (lots of really good $6K speakers out there but none I know of sound the same) ended up costing me $2400 with summer sale pricing (should be coming up again in June) and maximizing trade in for 40% discount trading in two old pair of refurbishable OHMs (my old Walsh 2s and a pair of old C2s I picked up on ebay for about $100 and had shipped straight to OHM for the trade-in). The Ls I refurbed myself with a pair of $400 Morel woofers sound very good but I suspect a refurbed pair from JS for $500 total would sound even better even with less $$$s in raw parts because I have no doubt JS can design speakers better than I and for less. |
There seem to be 2 camps here; those that are interested in the technical side and those that aren't. I don't see why those that are on either side need to disparage the other. Why not just let the stories unfold and contribute when you have something constructive to say. Leave your egos and bruised emotions aside and let the chips fall where they may. This thread is about Ohm speakers and how they sound and not about the feelings of the posters. BTW, John S. is perfectly capable of defending himself if he wants to and doesn't need any help. |
peter, as a 'senior' myself, I don't remember our conversations but will trust yours. ;) Time is not kind to our wetware...*G* For all of my previous rant (and pardon me, in retrospect it does come off a tad harsh...), I do fully agree. Ohm makes and markets a great line of good products at reasonable price points. And backs that with a guarantee and (I've heard...well, read...) good service. A first class act, that. *S* And more power to them... I've had the honor and pleasure of some communication with Mr. Harder. His biggest point and hint to me was that my cones are too heavy, which gets no argument from me. I'm working on that...*G* And he's spent much time and treasure perfecting his take on the full range Walsh, and will get no competition from me. Making the full range version is a daunting prospect for a DIY'er. The only thing that could be more difficult is to duplicate an MBL101....but I know someone who is doing just that...and ribbon Heil form elements as well by others. I'm satisfied with what I've been able to accomplish so far, but am fully aware that they've got their imperfections and 'warts'. But like a parent with a handicapped child, I'm proud that they work as well as they do for what they are. You can find them and hear them on YouTube, BTW. Excuse the mess and the lousy audio; I hope to exhibit the next version in stereo with decent mics at least...;) As stated elsewhere, if one finds themselves in WNC, I've an open invite to any who'd like to hear them in person. I'm open to critique by ears better tuned than mine. I am taking a slightly radical approach in what I'm doing, but no one has told me not to do it, either. Just the opposite, actually... So...I will carry on...and try not to bite quite as quickly when one speaks of things Walsh. ;) At least I've had my shots and been neutered. *L* |
Thanks Reb. My aunt raised her family in a very small formerly thriving coal mining town north of Harrisburg Pa. She was my mothers younger sister and the two of them always looked out for each other. Her youngest son and I grew up together and still see each other regularly. Her husband passed away a few years ago after suffering from Altzheimers Disease. He was an air gunner in Europe during WWII. They don't make 'em like those two anymore. 🏆 |
My thoughts on limited range walsh drivers is it makes more sense for omnis to cover lower frequencies that are inherently less directional. Also rear and side radiating omni drivers require more distance from walls to avoid early reflections which are always harmful. So I tend to think JSs approach is better for most people than say the GP or mbl approach. Having heard mbl set up properly though with proper distance to walls and proper treatments, they are in a class of their own in regards to 3d holographic imaging when set up right. Listening to walton Crown Imperial March as I type with Sennheiser Momentum phones off Bel Canto c5i digital integrated, a simply marvolous technological wonder. Digital source is Squeezebox Touch, another gem, wirelessly connected to my FLAC format music library on the computer downstairs. Viva technology! |
The IOU Greetings from an exhausted Swedish guy. So I moved in to our current house about 25 years ago, and at the time a cool deck made from red wood sounded like a great plan.....and it was for the longest time. One day I woke up and decided I needed an additional dog, She's the best little doggie but she decided that peeing on the deck was way more comfortable then walking an additional ten feet like all my other dogs always did. Six years later things had spiraled out of control and no matter what I did, a certain odor made BBQ'ing a less than fun. So by Mothersday I told my wife I would re-do the deck at some point....the IOU was pulled and now I'm doing deck duty, way worse than building speakers I tell you. Its great to see some movement in the thread and 14 + Million eyeballs is amazing. Im getting a beer..........🇸🇪 |
Getting decked by deck duty requires beer(s)...;) Either of ours would have gotten the garden hose therapy for that act. *L* But boats get missed frequently. Our f/m Pit/Plott is as smart as our M Border Collie/Bassett is dumb (but loyal...*G*). She's the near perfect canine...his worst act is sucking on one of my bed pillows... We've yet to figure out Why...and I'm wondering why Mine vs.Hers. Some sort of misplaced affection, or just being as neurotic as his owners....*shrug*G* Nice stuff, maps....enjoy. *S* |
Oh...the M BC/B is handsome, spouse's 'eye candy' on a leash. BC body, B coloration....and brain, therefore the rub. *L* The others in the litter, short stumpy legs.....no.... Been enjoying 'Downward Dog' on the tube. And 'The Secret Life of Pets' is just what we'd suspected all along.... I always thought our cats would smoke my stash and listen to Elvis @ 10 when we were away...then purr @ us....little posers... |
And I thought I was over using the nectar of the Gods (Espresso). But in this case there might be something stronger then Espresso, and asvjerry is using it to its fullest strength (what ever it is) lol I forgot the image of the day, so here it is. https://www.flickr.com/gp/147883144@N08/2deh1g Almost done but my back and my poor poor fingers needed a few prescription strength fun pills or I'll be up all night feeling sorry for my self. And as you can see I do try to retain my hearing. More soon my friends.....🇸🇪 |
*LOL* Peter, by the Gawds I wish that were so.... Lately, just French Roast with a tad of Irish creme'...a nice mix of 'up & down', adult Nestles' Quik. ;) Stir in some bad 'tude, some irony for temper control, mixed mssg. attempts at humor at no own's expense, and a general bemusement at the human condition to a refugee from LA and the Sixties. You MIGHT end up with me, or something you'd rather approach with a cattle prod or a 12' pole. ;) Oh...and add a desire to not buy the BS, when it should be free since it's so plentiful.... Good to see you're recycling lumber. Keeps it from that 'new/raw' look, and it should be cheaper except for the labor. Which is obviously taking it's toll. *G* That's usually the trade-off... Looking good..*S* If faced with the same project, and a dose of time&$ (ever notice how those generally don't occur at the same time?), I'd add a weatherproof sub and a pair of line array columns that'd support an awning. It'd beat the typical outdoor speakers, and I doubt that anyone has tried it... |
My spouse seems to like to engage me when I'm 'muffed'....starts talking, and I just smile and nod like an idiot. "You didn't hear a thing I said, didn't you?" "Nope...should I have?" That provokes a varied range of response, depending on the subject. One has to pick the moment....*L* A dangerous form of 'mental Cialis moment' without the stupid bathtub inference which I still don't 'get'..... Shower, Yes. Bathtub? NO! Neither of us wants to clean up the mess, nor want an outdoor tub. Hot tub....eh, been there, too... *L* This 'off topic' stuff is probably being clucked at.... |
The forum police will see Cialis, find It of topic, same with the bathtub. As for lumber, that's the crap I'm tossing my friend, I built it 25 years ago and I over used concrete anchores.....dang it. Now I'm paying for it, rusty nasty and most likely not going to come out easily. That's for tomorrow. Just also realized that it is my 25th wedding anniversary. The last week I done bupkiss with the speakers,needed a break away from mdf dust. does not mean I stopped thinking about it though. ..............🇸🇪 |
I just converted my listening room to dual purpose - it now doubles as a home recording studio. I'll be monitoring my mix with Ohm 100s (and with Rythmik subs/Audyssey for a second pass). It will be interesting to see how these recordings play on my other systems - SF Cremonas, Maggie MMGs, Merlin VSM - as well as my car. |
Hey Martykl.... That sounds killer, please shoot some images as I would love to see what you did with the space. Decided so sleep in this morning as I woke up with what I would call "Deckpain" no fun at all, but I cleared out the whole shebang. So now all I have to do is to cut of the steel anchors or possibly try to back them out of the concrete. As I was lounging in bed I was thinking about how to attach the vertical tweeter bridge to the speaker. I think I will laser cut a plate in 3/4" aluminum that will in turn be part of the speaker cabinet and also were I can bolt in the main driver... Time to get up for some Covfefe............🇸🇪💉 |
Countdown for fun..... So tomorrow is the first day of LA Audio Show. I figure two days of walking, talking And listening to some killer audio me hopes. I want to hear the Mytec Brooklyn and Im also in the market for a low powered amp for the front tweeters, cables for the cabinet wiring, and some music. I'm lucky that I know a lot of people in the business so a VIP lounge with booze, coffee and comfortable chairs will be used frequently by yours truly. I'll bring a camera take some pictures and do some write ups for you guys, If anyone want to meet up feel free to email me at peterhorvath6233@gmail.com I will be there Friday afternoon and Saturday all day. Should be a great weekend.......🇸🇪 |
peter, have a good time and a well-deserved break from 'duty on deck'. *G* My standard advice is to take your muffs and save the ears for what you Really want to hears... ...and here I thought you were building a 'vintage' deck. *L* My faux covfefe...I'll clean it up later....;) (Those late-night posts eventually catch you and slap your little hands....*smirk*) |
Thanks Jerry.... I was planing to go today but my Arthiritis really flared up so Im medicated my self and with that no driving. Tomorrow I'll go even if I have to take an Uber. The deck was dismantled and it was an Herculean effort, but ultimately worth it. I had to rent 3 dumpsters at $105 each, what a racket. Tomorrow....LA 🇸🇪 |
I fortunately don't suffer with or from arthritis, but there are those that think I should be sedated.....heavily. I guess my attempts at self-medication aren't sufficient enough... "Twenty twenty twenty four hours to go..." Well, I try, in my way....mostly in my way...;) Yeah, dumpster dough in LA will run some bucks, but consider the damage to self if you loaded/hauled/unloaded and the combat traffic betwixt. And the trailer and/or the PU you may not have. And then there's the Smell of the dump....makes your nose want to retreat to the back of your skull... Well, medicate lightly, and go enjoy. I wish I could go with you...stare at the baubles, listen to a few, and tolerate some of the nearly galaxy class hyperbole that accompanies it.... "You absolutely guarantee that, when I listen to This amp, I will nearly pass out from the orgasms it triggers? Really?!" (Run that pass a rep at your own risk...the response will be Precious, but I can't say exactly What It Will Be...;). I'd love to wear that on a T-shirt to a show, Just Because I Can. *L*) We could retreat afterwards to the Barbed 'n Grilled to lift a few and say "What'dya say? My ears are still ringing..." for awhile... Yup, you're right. No respect. *L* It's a show, I've paid for admission, but I don't have to drink the Kool-Aid and fawn on Pavlovian demand. 'State of the Art' still depends on state of mind of the observer. I will attend the church, but have no need to be an altar boy. An altered one....maybe...*LOL* |
(...10 hours later he was found by hotel security in one of the closets in an unknown demo room with a pair of headphones on. The clue to his location was by following the cord from the equipment, which had been turned off awhile back. He seemed unaware of that fact, humming to music only he could hear...) Is anyone in your family an audioholic? Do you know the signs of this condition? Do you know the number of our nationwide hotline to call for help when your loved one is exhibiting these signs? 1-888-866-5683...that's 1-888-TOO-LOUD Let us help you turn it down....;) |
We're a non-profit organization, subsisting on donated equipment from families working to cure this tragic disabling condition. Our small warehouse has been filled with all manner of items sent to us to thwart this condition, as the only real cure seems to be the 'cold amp' approach. This has been compared to the 'cold turkey' scenario used for smokers, alcoholics, addicts, and 'binge television watchers'. When we receive your donation, we will FedEx a strait jacket and a mouth gag ball to help your loved one cope with their 'new reality'. Someone had to start. We provide the 'off switch'. |
Just saw Jerrys explanation of what he sees in the mirror....lol Very tired, saw a lot of stuf, but wasn't overwhelmed. As soon as I arrived I ran in to my friends that owns Possitivefeedback.com Sat down and shot the breeze until they had to go to the room. As I was having lunch at the bar counter I ran into David Saltz the owner of WireWorld cables. We had a great time bitching about politics which is always fun. Stopped in to a bunch of rooms, and if the audio doesn't draw me in within 30 seconds...bye bye. I found a lot of the bigger multi gazillion what ever with amplifiers the size of big ice chests the worst. I loved the little Legacy with the French metronome electronics absolutely fantastic. GamuT small book shelves sounded so sweet and gorgeous. The Book shelf Raido bang on and I would love to have a set. The smallest Yg acoustics sounded great, kind of funny when an older gentleman sitting in front of me bitching about the aluminum construction. Telling me that no cello was made from aluminum ever......what ever, it sounded great. Heard a few Wilsons but walked out after 30 seconds, none of hem appealed to me. There was this Japanese company with a weird name but such sweet lovely sounding field coil speakers, room was packed and I can see why as they sounded right.....wow. I expected to have my ears blown out within 10 minutes, but most rooms kept the volume in check. Amother very impressive speaker is the very large bookshelf speakers (on stand) PMC's very dynamic with bassthat surprised. I never heard about Einstein speakers and electronics played on first class vinyl, again wonderful presentation in a smaller package. Green mountain openback dipoles sounded so bright I had to leave. Zu Audio the same no sweetness and they used a Firstwatt F6 and vinyl. I finally got stuck chatting with an old friend in the business and then it was time to go home. If I forgot something and I'll have some images I'll put it up on Sunday..... 1:01am.......time for some sleep.......🇸🇪 |
What I see in the mirror in the AM I don't recognize anymore....*L* Kinda 'sets the stage' for the balance of the day....;) "We have met the enemy, and He is Us." https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.gr-assets.com%2Fbooks%2F1329260478l%2F65211... Pogo was Right...dammit.... |
Jerry you are one interesting dude......:) One thing that I found on a lot of good sounding speakers, was a type of ribbon or another. And the best sounding speaker I saw was this no name monster built by High Fidelity Cables, tons of drivers and the sweetest tweeter (ribbon) driver that looked like a Raal driver and a 5" midrange CF cone. The weird thing was that it was sheet metal open baffle unit....friggin fantastic, but I think they had at least $100k worth of front end equipment and these cables with an in-line attachment looking like a chromed heat seeking missile. The Mytek Brooklyn is such a cute and attractive unit, but it was only hooked up to headphones and I don't do headphones so I couldn't honestly give an honest take on the quality of the sound. There was no way to sit down and listen to a specific amp so I'll going to have to go by what's recommended by my friends in the business. I walked in to this room with ESS speakers and drivers, very interesting and I got to talk to one of the guys from the factory. I was invited to the factory here in SoCal. I would love to sit down and listen to the units with my music, no people talking. They come in three sizes and the price ain't bad at about $320 no matter the size. Just another possible tweeter solution and the units X-over at 800hz and it's a dipole. Worst sounding room was a set a Wilsons.......Soooo bad and depressing sounding I lasted maybe 60 seconds as I felt so bad for the guy. Down stairs was a Killer Atmos theater with over 20 speakers a big laser projector with a 160" screen. My buddy Paul happened to rep most of the equipment in the room. It was amazing if I heard it lol I got busy chatting with Paul about life etc. and before I knew it they closed down for the evening...crap Other speakers: Magico s3 Sounded good not my cup of tea Focal Soprano sounded very very nice, with a nice tight bass. Cables, what can you say, there's more attractive snakes than in the Amazon jungle. It's more jewelry then anything else I would say, but they do make a difference and if you do your due diligence you should be able to find something great for less then $10,000 I'm watching some Indy racing so ta ta........🇸🇪 |
'Interesting' is being very kind, and I'll thank you. *S* Most likely think 'deranged' or 'troll', but the Truth (imaginary or other) is actually pretty simple. ;) Glad you liked ESS. I used to own a pair of AMT 1C's which sure looked a lot like their 'Classic' current and had the same driver set. I still own a pair of the larger tweets....nothing quite like them, IMHO... Pity you and Paul got into 'bench racing'...fun as it may be, time seems to leak away faster when other things beckon. When I go to shows, it's like a 'search & destroy mission'.... "Sucks....BS....More of Same.....MS....MS....Hmmm, NO....*pause*That......sucks....ms....*etc.*" I go for what's gotten my attention, but I'm still stingy with it. You get it if I take off the muffs. Reps tend to look surprised that I'm wearing them in their space....more when I don't remove them...;) A good looking chassis should be female. All else is just decor. *L* |
No doubt that there's a load of great stuff, but for me personally I find that very little stands out as "Special" most of the stuff is the same old stuff with some lipstick. If I would compare to an audio show 20 years ago, I would say that things are looking way better, there's more bling stuff and cables abound everywhere. Does it sound way better I'm talking $100k better? I don't think so. In some ways it looks like cheaper products are getting some love on the scene and with that you could find some really decent sub $500 speakers, subwoofers and electronics. Have a great day...........🇸🇪 |
I less well fit the mold of a traditional audiophile these days. Class D amps, digital streaming, and high quality low cost DACs, even headphones (if those are enough to float ones boat alone) available these days makes better sound available more ways than ever and for more people and for less. Its just not that hard to get really good sound anymore due to advancements in technology. Heck if I had to I might even be able to get by with the portable HK Onyx blue tooth speaker I use when convenient fed via Bluetooth from computer tablet or phone of choice. Not the nth degree in hifi by any stretch but darn good, convenient and better than most things most people had at their disposal up until recent years. Also easy to move around in rooms for best acoustics. :^) For those with more esoteric tastes in what constitutes good sound, the sky is still the limit. The audio shows have been invaluable to me though as a tool to help me refine my own personal reference standard for good sound over the years as my ears do their thing there and learn. |
I'll vote with that, maps...*S* Class D is still in it's infancy, and digital audio in general has more or less become the mainstream of the times. It will only improve, becoming smaller, lighter, more powerful, and able to leap over tall sampling rates without even a bound.... Esoteria will continue to exist, as the 'cutting edge' of now becomes the 'vintage' of tomorrow. But that's the way of all things; if it's not growing, it's dying... Audio shows will start to look like the computer shows of today. My only hope is that the exhibitors can have spaces that are acoustically isolated from each other and the halls that serve them. Shows still sound like walking through a massive cage of excited canaries, each singing different tunes....physically and mentally tiring in a way that's not typical, no.... |
I walked through the hallway I took a right, they invited me in handed me a 12" ipad like a sommelier in a fine restaurant. Sat down and casually asked me to chose something....wow thats unusual som I picked a Supertramp song.....how cool is that. I guess he had the full Tidal archive streaming with pictures. I have an IPad and it would be simple to hook up and pay $20 a month or what ever it is. I wanted to add a few other good sounding speakers: Bryston speakers very nice with their electronics. Some German horn speaker Lovely sounding And look the part. Gaia or something looked amazing like something from the 5th element (the movie) sounded like perfection. Nola a smaller about 4" tall version very nice. Thats it for now.....🇸🇪 |
Hi Guys, I am still waiting for my Ohm super sound cylinder (10" driver) to arrive but since a few people here have mentioned that these speakers need loads of power, I have started looking at power amps as potential add. I am using an Arcam SR-250 stereo receiver rated at 90W per channel into 8 ohms. I was thinking about using the Arcam as my preamp and add one of the new Hypex Ncore based class D amplifiers as the main driver. Seems like the Ncore modules by Hypex have been very well taken by the audio community and companies like NAD and ATI amplifier technology and Nord acoustics have released products based on these Ncore modules. Has anyone here have any experience with this relatively new class D design? would it pair OK with the Ohm speakers? I guess a phone call to John S would also be helpful. The company that I am mostly interested in is the Nord acoustics. They seem to be very open about all the components that they are using in the amplifier and they can put together a true mono block design (separate power supply and amplifier channel) with Op Amp of your choice (front buffer) into a stereo box for relatively "affordable" price tag. Any feedback or first hand experience with these products? Thanks, |
No experience with those particular amps but your plan is a sound one. I'd start with the 90 w/ch arcam and see how that sounds first then if still desired 250w/ch or more of good quality Class D meaning robust power supply and high current delivery good down to 4 ohm would be a step up in most cases. Benefits may be lesser in a smaller room and/or lower volumes only. Arcam is good stuff but most receivers and many integrated amps cannot match separates of the same power rating in regards to power suppl;y and current delivery with low distortion into lower impedances which matters to get the most out of the OHMs. |
rodm_2001: I don't have any experience with these amps, other than hearing them briefly at shows or stores, and not with Ohms. The only Class D amp I have used with my 2000s was the Arion Audio RS-500. I liked them a lot, but it was a loaner pair and I was not amp shopping. I use an Odyssey Audio HT3 (with cap upgrade) for my 2000s, and I love the combo. But, this is with a pair of powered subwoofers, so the power demands of the 2000s is not as high as if they were run full range. Mapman uses bel canto Class D amps, and he seems to really like the combo with his Ohm 5s. But, I would hold off on the amp purchase. Try the Ohms with your receiver first, for at aleast a couple of weeks. Then, if you think they are somewhat broken in and you still want more, try to get a more powerful amp that you can return, or borrow one from someone. FWIW, I briefly hooked up my 2000s, without the subs, to an 80 watt per channel Onkyo receiver and was surprised by how little was lost when I went to the lower power and left out the subs. |