New York HiFi Show: Tubes and Turntables

@mapman you're right.  So far, I've read nothing but praise for the room.

During the time I spent at the show, playing the material they did, at the volumes they did, the Ohm room won my title for worst sound of the show.  And the distance between that and second place is more than I can put into words.  I even visited again after a while just to see if anything had changed.  Often, as in the Audio Note room, among others, you catch them at a bad moment, and one that doesn't properly convey the capability of a component.  I feel such a situation deserves a second listen.  As stated, I hope this sound represented some sort of anomaly, as no one could consider that high fidelity, or so I hope.

Both times I listened, the Ohm speakers played at a (not all that high) volume that completely overwhelmed the drivers.  The best description I can use is how a television or clock radio sounds when my family turns it way up so they can listen 3 rooms away.  Distortion attained a level I've not heard in a high-end audio loudspeaker in a very, very long time at those volumes.  Within that, low frequency extension didn't seem a heck of a lot better than the aforementioned non-audiophile implementations.  This coming from someone who's familiar with a properly set up pair of Ohm A that seem to go all the way down to DC.

What am I comparing it to?  Just 40+ years of hearing countless audio components in a variety of settings.  If that wasn't what you were asking, could you rephrase the question, please?

Interesting. The OHMs I have never break a sweat no matter how much power is thrown at them. More so than most any other speaker their size I’d say.

Something was awry it sounds like but your guess what is as good as mine. I’ve never heard anything close to what you describe.

What you describe sounds like an amp clipping but I would not expect that with the 100w/ch amp at most volumes in a smaller room. Possible though. I would not run any OHMs with any less than that in most cases for best results at higher volume. I use high current 500 w/ch BEl Canto ref1000m amps with my similar size OHM 100s. A bit of overkill perhaps but the speakers never complain. My larger 5s love all 500 w/ch.

I also run them off a 60 w/ch BEl Canto C5i integrated.    That definitiely has some volume limits but should have no problem with volumes most people would employ regularly.  

The BEl Canto Class D amps essentially soft clip so sonic effects of clipping are not generally outright offensive, just limiting in dynamics.

THey did use a receiver although a very well reviewed one. Chances are the current delivery is not as good as it might be even with 100w/ch with a receiver versus separates. They used the Outlaw receiver because it was well reviewed recently in Stereophile according to the post on the OHM website about the show.  THat might be a typical Class A/B amp that hard clips and clearly distorts when pushed too hard.

Any idea who was running the room when you were there? It would surprise me if John Strohbeen would allow what you describe if it were him. THere were others from OHM at the show as well according to the article on the web site.

Go figure?

I'd like to 'hear' some additional commentary from any who were actually present for demos or at least visited the space...good, bad, or indifferent.

Not being able to attend any of these major (or minor) shows does force one to depend on the observations of others, 'omni fans' or no...  And 'hotel room venues' tend to more 'typical and average' in their presentation, as opposed to the potentially 'highly massaged' audiophile space... or even a decent showroom...

Thoughts and observations, please, and Thank You. *S*

@asvjerry  My favorite rooms:

Rethm Bhaava driven by Linear Tube Audio ZOTL amplifier.  BEST OF SHOW.  Luscious, full, coherent, and beautiful sound.  Perhaps only let down by the Aqua CD player front end.  Considering this amplifier and loudspeaker combination comes in at just $6550, wonderful sound comes in much more affordably than we normally get told about

Trio loudspeakers driven by the Pass Labs Integrated.  Would have loved to also hear them with the 2A3 amplifier they were saving for later

Martin Logan

Cambridge Audio.  As we know from the first listing, price does not always correlate with sonic quality

Perhaps, I left a room off, but you can consider any not listed above to have sounded poor or worse

trelja, thanks....*S*  I'll agree with ML's...nice units.  I've a soft spot for esl's, since in some ways they gave rise to ribbons and AMT's.  I'm a dipole fanboy as well as 'things omni'...and mapman and I do share an appreciation for Ohms.  I'm just an extremist in terms of that 'breed' of driver, which some may realize or have noted...;)

I'd be surprised if Ohm didn't make an appearance at a NY, NY audio show, being a 'local' after all.  And, understood, omnis are an acquired  taste and respond to attention paid to 'upstream' components and their 'environment'...

Gee, where have we noticed that, elsewhere...and with what....;)

Cambridge...*G*, well, again, another 'local', not as exciting or enthralling as others, but...  Solid stuff, been around awhile, and when a show is so anemic as this one seemed to be, some additional 'flesh on the bones' was probably welcomed by the promoters...

Maybe next year, huh? *G*