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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
22,333 posts
 
I’ve found that ability to sound good in rooms that are more challenging for whatever reason to be particular strength of the OHM Walshes. They can work surprisingly well close to walls and corners I find, as advertised, especially when compared to true omni speakers.

The room I put my newer Walsh speakers in is a larger L shaped room. They replaced planar and conventional more directional box speakers in there neither of which worked particularly well. But the Walsh speakers tend to just place the music naturally into whatever room they happen to be in. A very unique attribute that many might consider.

I find a main main key to good sound with OHM Walshes in particular in any particular room is to address floor interactions when needed, especially with the bottom firing ports on many Walsh models. Isolation platforms like Auralex Subdudes I use with my OHMS when on suspended plywood floors solve the problem.
frazeur1
345 posts
 

I wonder how many "Ohmies"-or even those not necessarily Ohm lovers, managed to get to the NY Audio Show this past weekend? Anybody get to visit the Ohm Acoustics room and visit with John S. and listen to his setup? Am curious as to how well it all went down. I managed to catch a couple small snippets from my google searching, but nothing of much substance. Hopefully maybe some others will chime in at some point.

I do think it was a good thing(Hopefully) that John decided to attend, if nothing else to get more exposure, although I wonder if he/Ohm really needs it, and also if anyone in the mainstream audio nerdophilia really cares? Anyway.....

bondmanp
1,818 posts
 

I went on Sunday.  What a kick to meet John in person!  I told him how his speakers bring beauty into my daily routine.  He set up a pair of Walsh 1000s fed by a Peachtree integrated (150 watts/side, internal DAC), and used a $15 DVD player as a source.  The sound was good, and the fellow in front of me bought a pair on the spot. My son-in-law, who accompanied me, almost pulled the trigger as well, until he called my daughter, and that was the end of that.

But the rooms all suffered from an upper bass boom, and Ohm's room was no exception.  I wondered aloud if moving the speakers a little further into the room would be better, but John's assistant said he had trieed that, and the positioning was as good as possible.  I played a track from a PT CD that sounded lovely, lots of transient detail with no etch or excess brightness.


John also brought a lot of potted plants along (I am aware of their desireable acoustic properties).  One of the simplest setups at the show, and one of the best sounding, except for the systems that DSP'd the room boom out.  When you factor in the prices of the gear and speakers, I think Ohm's room was a standout.


To me, though, John is a legend in this business, and it was a thrill to shake his hand. 

frazeur1
345 posts
 

Bond, glad you went and got to experience the setup, and also to meet John in person. Would love to have gone, but not close to NY, and work was beckoning anyway.

Shows can be tough, but figured Ohm might be a bit easier to place in those rooms and get reasonable music out of them.

Nice to hear an account of how things fared, thanks for the note!

mapman's avatar
mapman
22,333 posts
 
Bass hump. Ouch! That’s the first I’ve heard that issue mentioned there but not uncommon. I might have brought a pair of Auralex subdudes along to set them on like I do at home on my second level (mine have no built in plinth underneath even).

The Stereophile guy seemed mainly unable to handle teh "ambience" as he described it talking about reproducing original acoustics captured in a recording in a different room. Yes that’s exactly what the OHMs do that many do not and yes t can be hard for one to wrpa their ears around initially as well if not used to it.   Many just want to hear the speakers not the room or at least that is what tehy are used to doing everything possible to take the rom out of teh equation.   Unfortunately rooms are a reality and one has to find some way to deal with it, either use it or fight it or usually some effective combination of both practically.

He did not say much else about the sound other than acknowledging the large sweet spot. Maybe the bass hump got him as well.

John had an article on his site prior talking about the challenges of exhibiting in a hotel room so maybe he scouted in advance and had a premonition regarding the challenge.

Room EQ would certainly be a great asset in a case like this but not something most will apply at home so not fair really in that sense.

Trump went I heard and said it was all rigged. Just kidding....
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