Hi Harley52
Have you contacted John Strohbeen of Ohm Acoustics about your issues with the veneer? I'm sure he will help you with your problems. Did you get new Ohm Walsh speakers or were they re-furbed older models? I don't think I've heard anyone complaining regarding the veneers of Ohm Walsh speakers. |
One reason I never bought any is that the 6-7 pairs I've seen all looked shabby. Uncool for over-priced speakers in the first place. |
My 3000 speakers and 1000 center look nice. They are not fine furniture but I wasn't expecting them to. My speakers were packed well, boxes in boxes with wood/fiberboard inbetween. As for being overpriced, some people like coffee and some like tea. I think tea is overpriced while somebody else might think that of coffee is. Now if I had 20,000 dollars to send on monitor size speakers that might be a different story.
Have you called Ohm? What was their response if you have?
I'm sorry that they are not up to snuff for you. The way it sounds I would not be happy either. |
Harley, which OHM model specifically? Are they brand new from OHM in Brooklyn?
OHM Walsh speakers have been around since ~ 1980 or so and veneers can vary quite a bit. Currently some OHMs are sold new and some are sold for discount with refurbed older cabinets. I have two pair of refurbs, one I bought used on Agon and one bought straight from OHM a couple years back. Cabinetry on refurbs are not always perfect I have seen, but I would expect that not to be the case with all new models. I would expect that any imperfections with refurbed cabinets would be disclosed up front, but you might have to ask to get details, photos etc. to approve before buying.
In the 1980s, some very cheap synthetic veneers were used in the sound cylinder series as a lower cost alternative as well.
If you have an issue with any OHMs bought straight from OHM in Brooklyn, I would recommend letting John Strohbeen know and see what happens. |
My two pair can be seen in my system photo montage.
The F5s I bought straight from OHM use refurbed OHM F cabinets from years ago. They arrived and remain in essentially perfect condition, no flaws/defects.
The smaller 100 series 3 speakers I bought used on Agon for $600 a few years back use refurbed OHM Walsh 2 cabinets from teh 1980s. The finish is quite good but there are a few imperfections that can be seen. One is where some wood filler was applied to the original cabinet in one bottom corner that must have been chipped originally prior to refurb. Also one of the 4 OHM labels on one speaker is slightly out of level. Overall though, they are in good shape and were a steal for $600 used. |
I sent an e-mail to Ohm yesterday and waiting for a reply as to what they want to do. When I posted the original remarks, I hadn't hooked the speakers up. They're hooked up now and I can't believe anyone would put a product that sounds like these onto the market. The bases weren't sanded either as there are the ridges from the cnc mill still showing.
The left speaker is dead and that one has no low end below apprx. 120-150hz. It sounds like one of those cheap little cube speakers.
I'm wondering if these were in their shop for repair and someone just shipped the wrong pair. Almost forgot, that these are the 1000's. Really hoping someone just shipped these to me by mistake. |
Harley, sounds like they are new. Definitely call OHM and talk to John Strohbeen. He has a great reputation for customer satisfaction. |
I messed up on a sentence on the last remarks. It should read; the left speaker is dead and the right one has no low end. Sorry for causing some confusion. |
That's why Ohm USED to have a dealer system . |
In my experience with their speakers, Ohm puts more emphasis
on design; aesthetics are not their forté. |
One can check out the 40+ year OHM company history Here. It explains what happened to their third party dealer system in the 90s and why they went to direct sales earlier than most. "Distribution disaster strikes. Tandy cannot profitably compete with Best Buy and Circuit City and closes the TNB division. Ohm is close to the classic position of “having all our eggs in one basket”. Factory Direct Sales lowers prices and eliminates showrooms. With over 120,000 Ohm speaker owners in America acting as our showrooms, Ohm switches to a Factory Direct sales mode. · Prices are slashed as the dealer margin is eliminated. · A 120-Day Home Trial program is instituted to assure everyone is a happy Ohm owner. " |
They did not put down why dealers deserted them in the late 70's early eighties Mapman, I used to sell them. |
Why did they desert them?
I used to sell them as well part time at Tech Hifi in NJ circa 1978. The one I worked in sold refurbs of all brands of equipment THF carried, including OHM.
I talked to one still thriving local Baltimore area dealer who used to carry them back in the 80's. HE spoke highly of them and regretted the move to direct only.
I bought my first "good" speakers there in 1978 (OHM Ls). I was surprised to see OHM Walsh speakers in a hifi store in PEnnsylvania in ~ 1982 or so, when I bought my next speakers there, OHM Walsh 2s. After that, I dabbled with other brands for many years, including Magnepan, KEF, and B&W among others. THings headed south for me soundwise in the late 90's. WHen I looked to get back on track about 5 years ago, I ended back to whre I started with newer OHMs. I was out of the "OHM loop" for many years though I retained my Walsh 2s which continued to perform as well over all those years. I was pleasantly surprised to see OHM was still around when I rediscovered the comapny and line about 5 years ago or so. |
I used to get a ton of grief as it was common for them to arrive damaged or have the top fall off in the first week.
Every dealer in Chicagoland bailed.
That Said, I would myself take a chance on them IF they were priced better.I don't buy speakers on looks but for 3-4 K I still think they look shabby. |
"That Said, I would myself take a chance on them IF they were priced better.I don't buy speakers on looks but for 3-4 K I still think they look shabby."
Well, they are what they are and like most everything else in home audio, the looks will not appeal to everyone.
Take a look at the german OHM distributors web site. Pretty stylish! Have you ever seen the pics of John Strohbeen and the OHM Brookly facility? I recall some in a six moons review somewhere. Pretty shabby and blue collar! Not your typical high end audio type imagery. I suppose it helps keep overhead down being located in NYC. Its a different kind of appeal, based almost purely on the sound. As was pointed out above, that seems to be the focus along with customer service and satisfaction. John S. does do a lot of customizations. I would be willing to bet JS would do up a custom pair of Walshes to meet almost anyones appearance specs if possible. Of course, the cost might go up further as well for a really fine absolute top notch type finish. OR maybe it could be done as a refurb to get teh cost down. Those options usually seem to always exist with JS. Part of the customer service thing. You don't stay in the audio business for all those years without taking care of your customers along the way. OHM depends on customers to promote and build the business, not traditional advertising, so customer service and satisfaction is even more paramount than ever. |
I hear you Mapman and you are obviously very informed.
All I can say is what you see as keeping overhead down, I see as squeezing every last penny possible off the patent. |
"All I can say is what you see as keeping overhead down, I see as squeezing every last penny possible off the patent."
Maybe. But companies do not stay in business if they do not make a profit. I respect companies that deliver good products yet keep overhead down as much as possible. I am a blue collar kind of guy at heart.
OHM prices have gone up in recent years. The current line is supposedly refined in accordance to help justify that. I have not heard the current X000 line yet, including the latest microwalshes, so I cannot say how the value proposition has changed in fact. I believe they are probably improved or refined to some degree but the difference is described as evolutionary not revolutionary. Dunno. Trying the speakers out and taking advantage of the 120 day in home audition period is the way to find out.
Its a tough business these days. Not sure I would want to be in it. |
Yes, as usual you're right,what you say is sensible.
I knew I did not want to be in it when the first PC's came out and the what shall I spend my disposable income on american public cut the midfi, entry hiend market in half in 6 months time.
Those who were not around from say 65-75 have no idea how HUGE the stereo market was.
Nor ,IMHO ,have they any idea how good a lot of that Jap stuff was. |
Schubert, I appreciate that. We all have our own learning experiences that we base our decisions on. Its all good. |
Hi Harley52
Any updates? Have heard from Ohm Acoustics or gotten in touch with them regarding your issues? |
As the originator of the "Ohm Micro Walsh Talls Who's Actually Heard 'Em" thread a million posts ago, I thought I might chime in on this topic, even though I have moved on to other speakers.
I have no doubt that JS is a good guy. He was very generous with his time and attention on the phone with me while I had my MWT's and then my 100's. Ultimately the "pseudo omni" presentation was't what I wanted but I spent some very enjoyable time with my Ohms while I had them.
Both my MWT's and 100''s were gloss black. I'd call their finish "serviceable." That is to say, no major flaws but if you looked at them closely there may have been a tiny bubble or two in the painted finish. Perhaps the woodgrain is sharper looking but I was going for an inconspicuous, neutral look that had maximum "WAF." When they updated the design and rounded the corners (and the "hat" over the driver can) the speakers took on a more contemporary look, IMHO.
Some speaker manufacturers are all about exotic materials and tweaks (e.g., a new kind of internal wiring or crossover component or cabinet material is lauded as "groundbreaking" and yielding essential benefits. Or else, you need to use this kind of tube amp or that kind of speaker cable to get the most out of the speaker.
This kind of esoteric "tweakiness" is not the Ohm "ethos." John S regularly recommends, for example, NAD electronics to his customers. And if you open up the speakers and remove the cans (which I did at one point to try a driver replacement) what you see inside is some pedestrian looking fiber fill and plastic covered speaker wire, and a plastic jack that connects the driver to that wire. Hardly the stuff of Magico or YG (not that I could ever afford to own either of those). And who knows what the driver components in that can actually look like (not that it necessarily matters).
So what you're paying for is the Ohm sound, if you love it. And value wise, I think that they're a good proposition for the sound you get. But heirloom cabinetry is not part of the proposition. |
I got an e-mail this morning that they will have UPS pick up the speakers and they have shipped another pr. to me.
JS, said in an e-mail that he was on vaca this week so Jay would take care of me. Which Jay did. I just hope all goes well this time. John did mention in his e-mail that he'd never had this happen before but, when he gets back he's going to get with QC and Production about it. So that's what I know up to this point.
I'll keep all informed as to what transpires with the new pair. |
I'm not surprised that JS responded in this fashion. As I and others have said, he's a good guy. |
With the money many invest in this stuff these days, and with the level of competition out there, customer service IS the big difference maker IMHO. JS gets that and always seems willing to do what it takes to make things right. That and a good, unique product is probably why he has been able to remain in business for so many years. |
I have had multiple pairs of Ohms including Walsh 2-100S3s playing in front of me now.when I upgraded the cans I was not initially happy. John was willing to make me custom cans to address my issues AND ship them free to Hawaii. I ultimately kept the initial cans and changed amps to a more modern unit which worked better for my ears. That is real customer service which stood out to me even for this high end business. Give him a chance to fix this. BTW the speakers Sound better than they look IMHO. |
As I stated before, aesthetics are not Ohm's forté. |
My own experience: I ordered a pair of Walsh 2000s not long after they went into production. When they arrived, there were some flaws in the verneer on the top edges of the cabinet. These were not visible with the caps on. The caps themselves were not terribly even, and had visible bumps over connections and staples in the frame. I spoke to John S. about these issues (he had asked me to provide some feadback, as these were one of the earlier pairs of 2000s to ship), and he was most generous, offering to have them shipped back and repaired, or a partial credit. I took the credit, since, since the flaws were not visible with the caps on. I decided I could live with the caps. A few months later, after I'd decided to keep them, I ordered a matching center channel. It was much better in terms of fit and finish. And, the kicker, a few day after that, a box showed up with a new pair of caps for the 2000s that were much better looking. I hadn't even asked for these! I guess it was John's way of thanking me for my business.
Also, when I complained that the 2000s were not stable on my uneven basement floor, he shipped me, free of charge, a box of shims and pads to aid in stabilizing the speakers. Ultimately, I sprung for a set of cradle bases from Sound Anchors, but Ohm customer service is outstanding. You also might be paying up a tad for made in the USA vs. China. That doesn't bother me.
As for the value proposition of the Ohm Walsh speakers, I will agree with Rebbi. If you like the Ohm Walsh sound (I love it), and you are looking for excellent detail retreival without etched highs that induce listening fatigue, there are few choices out there in the price range of the 2000s that compete. One of the few others I've heard that I could live with in the $3K price range is the Golden Ear Tritons. But they were not yet available when I purchased my Ohms. And although I was impressed with the soundstaging of the Golden Ears, they do not dissappear into the soundstage like the Ohms do.
I hear a lot of speakers as an active member of my local Audio club, and I rarely hear speakers I'd rather own, regardless of price. Would I enjoy a pair of MBL Radialstrahlers's? Sure. As soon as I have $70K to blow on a pair of speakers, I will own them. Until then, I continue to enjoy many extended listening sessions with my Ohm Walsh 2000s. |
"Have you ever seen the pics of John Strohbeen and the OHM Brooklyn facility?"
I haven't seen the pics, but I've been to his place in Red Hook (I live pretty close). It looks more like a lumber/woodworking shop than anything to do with hifi. I'm sure when he moved in the rent was dirt-cheap, but Red Hook has been getting trendy over the last few years. When his lease is up, I imagine you'll see Ohm speaker prices rise, haha. |
