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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.
rebbi
mapman's avatar
mapman
21,921 posts
 
BTW I would say JS’s design decision to punt on the coherent source Walsh driver above 7khz or so was a sound one.

Just take a look at the Interactive Frequency Chart

http://www.independentrecording.net/irn/resources/freqchart/main_display.htm

Some but not much happens above 7khz or so musically. That is not a bad tradeoff for a design that I have found to be most robust and durable as well as great sounding and practical for many.

Most conventional 2 way speakers have cross over much lower which if not done really well messes with the sound and coherency of a lot of elements of the music including vocals in particular.

Over the years I find I am seldom a fan of any but the best 3-way speaker designs out there when I hear them.  Its those darn multiple crossovers in  the business area of the music that is mostly the culprit I think.


frazeur1
340 posts
 
Bondman, while one never seems to get really good details on the drivers even when talking to John himself, I think that at least with my early 2000 drivers, the main drive unit was an "aluminum coated" driver. So certainly a bit of difference from the typical aluminum formed drivers that you see in other speaker designs. Mine appeared to be an almost exact duplicate of one of Dayton's drivers at the time.

My tweeters were indeed a silk soft dome variety, very smooth, yet detailed. I could not see my 3000 series drivers, but believe they were similar to the 2000 units, but that has been awhile, when the "Thousand" series first came out, and we know John makes little updates and improvements along the way. 

Generally with regard to aluminum drivers, tweeters or otherwise, I find it isn't so much the driver itself, but the way it is implemented, the crossovers etc. that really matter to the "sound". 

asvjerry's avatar
asvjerry
4,361 posts
 
On a hysterical note, the original Ohm cones used aluminum.  The center third of a 'F' was mated to a titanium top with a paper lower.  The 'A's were 3/4's +/- alum. on the bottom with a titanium top.  The cones had (and have to have) a rigid enough material for the physics to work properly.

The new Ohms are more like a Duvell, and they 'cheat' with a tweeter....MNotSoHO....

But they do work...*S*
mapman's avatar
mapman
21,921 posts
 
Hmm my recollection of Dueval is nothing like ohm. Dueval drivers are mounted in cabinet and fire upward towards at an acoustical dispersion component which disperses the sound omnidirectionally. 

Ohm walsh drivers face down ward into the cabinet which is either ported or sealed. The driver is completely above the cabinet and the sound radiates omnidirectionally from the outer edge of the rear of the driver.  Just like original wider range Walsh drivers or the also limited range ddd driver used in German physics.  

I've never heard Dueval or original ohm a or Fs. So cannot comment on how things sound similar or different. 
bondmanp
1,792 posts
 

frazeur1 - Thanks.  Good points, all, and I concur.  It's like sausage.  Who cares what it looks like being made when the results are so pleasing!


Mapman - The only other omnis I've heard are the MBLs (extraordinary).  I did hear those new electrostatic panel omnis at a show, and was not impressed.  I later was told that they were damaged prior to arrival at the show.  Near me, VPI has a large suburban colonial home in which the entire main floor is dedicated to audio system demonstrations.  One of the speakers Mr. Weisberg has there is a dual pair of the big original Ohm (F's or A's) that have been restored (and modified?), and placed one atop the other, with the upper pair inverted and held in place with a wooden frame.  The one time I was there, KEF was co-hosting an event, so the Ohms were just on static displpay (I don't think there were any closets large enough for them, and I doubt anyone wanted to haul them to the basement).  Oh, well.  Maybe next time.  I've been told by people who have heard these beasts that they might be one of the best loudspeaker systems of all time, regardless of price.

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