[rcag_ils]

I guess the original "F" model design had some merit to it, from what I can remember, the cone was three part aluminum, and they were extremely heavy, but the compound that bonded the aluminum together deteriorated over the years. The watered down models like the Walsh II and III with tweeter compensation is questionable.

[robinje]

There is a LONG thread about the newer versions of Ohm speakers over on the Audiogon forums.  The comments there seem to be very favorable.  Most of the comments here, while I appreciate them, are regarding the older vintage models.  According to the Ohm web site, there have been quite a few evolutionary refinements and improvements over time, but the same basic design concept remains.  Does anyone here have specific experience with the newer models, particularly with AVA amps?  I've been happy with my Salk Songtower RT's driven by an Ultra 350 power amp, so much so that I am considering 'upgrading' to the HT2-TL's.  But...  I am just keeping the door open to other alternatives and the current model Ohms have my interest. 

[turkey]

There is a LONG thread about the newer versions of Ohm speakers over on the Audiogon forums.  The comments there seem to be very favorable.  Most of the comments here, while I appreciate them, are regarding the older vintage models.  According to the Ohm web site, there have been quite a few evolutionary refinements and improvements over time, but the same basic design concept remains.  Does anyone here have specific experience with the newer models, particularly with AVA amps?  I've been happy with my Salk Songtower RT's driven by an Ultra 350 power amp, so much so that I am considering 'upgrading' to the HT2-TL's.  But...  I am just keeping the door open to other alternatives and the current model Ohms have my interest.

While I haven't heard the very latest models, I think the newest I heard was upgraded 3-4 years ago. I've also heard a selection of Ohm Walsh models over the years.

They throw a very different soundstage than speakers like your Salks, and that's where their "magic" lies. (If you consider it as "magic" and not just sound effects.) In all other respects they seem rather average to me.

I suspect the HT2-TLs would be a better upgrade for you, if you need/want to upgrade.

[Brett Buck]

There is a LONG thread about the newer versions of Ohm speakers over on the Audiogon forums.  The comments there seem to be very favorable.  Most of the comments here, while I appreciate them, are regarding the older vintage models.  According to the Ohm web site, there have been quite a few evolutionary refinements and improvements over time, but the same basic design concept remains.  Does anyone here have specific experience with the newer models, particularly with AVA amps? =

      My Ohms have the Ohm 100 Mk2 drivers from about 3 years ago, so that's what I was commenting on for the most part.

     I drove them with my Jensen's Stereo Shop Mos-FET control amp (25 watts/channel), and omega 260, and an Ultimate 70. There are certainly variations between the amps (beyond the factor of 6 power difference) and of course more power helps everything, but the speakers were essentially the same. The U70 tended to help with the slightly low midrange of the speakers, but its a pretty minor difference. I thought it was a no-brainer that the Omega 260 was best overall - just like it was with any other speakers.

    I also briefly ran the Ohms in my second system with the little $150 K-12 tube amplifier kit of a mere 8 watts per channel, and that was quite excellent as long as you ran reasonable volume levels. That was the only time I really experienced the "plays bigger than it is" effect with tube amps - with very surprising low-end punch. i can't over-emphasize this  - the new Ohm speakers seem to play an uncannily deep bass, far more than you might expect from their size, tremendously better than the 80's models, at least, and a lot better than I recall from the hour of Ohm F listening I did (probably power-limited).

     They have good and bad points, but with the home trial period deal, it doesn't cost a lot to try them out and see.

   Brett

[cminer]

I'm running an Ultra EC preamp and Ultra 350 into a pair of Ohm Walsh 4 cabinets with 200 Mk II drivers.  I feed it with J. River Media Center, output is WASAPI, 24/96 to an Empirical Audio Offramp I2S, to an Empirical Audio-modified Perpetual Technologies P3A DAC. Then to the AVA gear.

I don't really have much to compare it to, but I like the way it sounds.

 

[Minn Mark]

There were two instances in my life where I was really, literally FOOLed by the sound of an audio system. The first time was in 1982, Denver, CO. A friend of mine and I walked into an audio shop (forget the name). It was a multi-room store, and we could hear music coming from what was an audibly large, adjacent room. "Geez", I said to my friend, "they've got a live band playing here today." We walked into the room to find....no band !  What was playing were the large (forget the model) OHM Walsh spkrs...I think they were using Jeff Rowland electronics with a pretty nice Linn vinyl set-up.  I was gobsmacked.

Second time was awhile back listening to Maggie's 3.6Rs using Wadiia transport/DAC with Bryston and Ayre electronics at Audio Perfection in Edina, MN. Using my own CD disc, I could have sworn Diana Krall was in the room with me....(be still my heart!)

That OHM Walsh experience is a very strong aural memory for me.

I purchased the Maggies and with my AVA setup they sound very good, although not as good as the Audio Perfection setup, likely due to non-optimized acoutsics in my listening room. I put my money where I thought most important, in the AVA and spkrs.

Cheers,

Mark

[Brett Buck]

There were two instances in my life where I was really, literally FOOLed by the sound of an audio system. The first time was in 1982, Denver, CO. A friend of mine and I walked into an audio shop (forget the name). It was a multi-room store, and we could hear music coming from what was an audibly large, adjacent room. "Geez", I said to my friend, "they've got a live band playing here today." We walked into the room to find....no band !  What was playing were the large (forget the model) OHM Walsh spkrs...I think they were using Jeff Rowland electronics with a pretty nice Linn vinyl set-up.  I was gobsmacked.

     I was going to mention that. I don't know how important this is, but just about everybody who has listened to them has noticed at some point that from other rooms, off angles, etc, the Walsh Speakers can be startlingly realistic. It's just as you describe, you think when you walk into the room it's going to be absolutely real. Of course, once you get there and in the ideal spot, it's not a lot different from anything else and there are the same sorts of good and bad points. It's almost certainly a function of the large radiation pattern, but its a very interesting effect.

    Brett