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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
bondmanp
1,801 posts
 

@blin116 - My room was on the cusp of requiring the 3000s, but the room volume for the 2000s overlaps with the room volume for the 3000s. I went with the 2000s, primarily for the cost savings. As you can read in this thread, this was nine years ago, and I am still quite thrilled with them. So, I would think the 1000s will work for you if that’s what Ohm is telling you. That said, while the x000 series has really similar sonics up and down the line, the larger models will offer deeper bass extention and somewhat better dynamic capabilities. Now, I also use a pair of subwoofers with my 2000s. Is it overkill? It depends. I am a bit of a bass freak (well, ok, not "a bit of" - I am a full-on, for life, unrepentant bass addict), so for me, the subs would have been kept even if I had sprung for the 3000s. So, of course, if you ask me, I would take the money you save on the 1000s and buy one, or better, two, good (I stress, GOOD) subwoofers. But I would surely wait for your 1000s to fully break in first. You may not feel the need for any extra oomph or extension in the bass.


And, if you really regret getting the 1000s instead of the 2000s, you can always return the 1000s and get the 2000s (although the shipping will get expensive).


Separately, you should think about deadening the wall behind your couch. Sitting against the back wall is never ideal, acoustically. Most Ohm users agree that "live-end, dead-end" works well. IOW, the front wall should be live, acoustically, while the back wall should be dead (or dead-er). I tried covering up my 60" plasma screen with a quilt, and ended up leaving it uncovered - the sound was better that way. These speakers are different than dynamic-drivers-in-a-box speakers, and respond better to different room treatments and positioning than those speakers. Keep that in mind as you break them in. And, please, allow them to break in. The changes are quite dramatic, IME.


I am powering my 2000s with 150 watts per side as well (although the subwoofers have their own amps, so the main amp is rolled off, first order, below 80Hz), and it is generally plenty of power. I did try out a pair 500 watt monoblocks with them at one point. They were marginally better, but not so much so. I stuck with the 150 watt per channel amp I had. But I may move up to a higher power amp someday.  I guess the point is that these speakers will work with lower powered amps, and still sound really good.  But, they will respond really well to any improvements you make upstream - whether that is better power, better source gear, even better wires.  I am still amazed at how the Ohms allow me to clearly hear differences in upstream cables and gear.


In addition to the helpful folks at Ohm, we on this thread will be happy to help you if you have any other questions.

mapman's avatar
mapman
22,073 posts
 
Did OHM indicate the reason for 1000 rather than 2000 if the site indicates 2000 for that room volume and the room also opens up to adjacent areas? I would want to know if it were me.

The difference between 1000 and 2000 should be mainly bass levels in a given size room. Larger models might also be a tad more efficient if it matters in your case but I would ask OHM about that to be sure.

Floor type and interactions are another significant factor to consider. If your floors have a lot of give, as most floors in modern homes are, that affects the bass in that mid bass gets an artificial bump that can also obscure mid-range and detail to some extent. Isolation pads like Auralex subdude platforms solve that problem.

I use my OHM 100s which also have 8" drivers in a comparable sized open room area with excellent results however I use the sub dude platforms on upper levels. Not needed in finished listening room at foundation level.
blin116
6 posts
 
Thank you all for the responses!
@mapman : I will follow up with Ohm to see what aspects of my room warranted their recommendation. Also, do I understand correctly that you use SubDude platforms under the 100s? My floors are now carpeted but that is going to change soon to hardwood, and the sonic aspects are not the primary considerations there ;-} I guess I may need some padding under the speakers when it happens.

@bondmanp : I like the idea that going with the 1000s now leaves me an option of adding one or two subs in the future to cover the low end extension (instead of sending the speaker back for a size-up). Ideally, though, I would love to not have to add more boxes to this room. And if Ohms handle the lows in mid-30-s nicely, it may be enough for me for now.  
 
Another thought I got from reading multiple reviews and discussions. It's mentioned that the Ohm speakers sound best when they are fed lots of power. Will that "sweet spot" of power intake will be lower for the smaller model and therefore easier achievable at reasonable (not too loud) music volume? If that's the case it may mean +1 for 1000.
Both 1000s and 2000s have their sensitivity listed at 88db, so the same power level from the amp should result in the same SPL at the couch. Or am I having this wrong?
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,073 posts
 
Yes I use subdudes under my 100s when used in rooms on upper levels of the house.   Its the floor construction (suspended plywood) that matters not the cover type.   If you jump up and down and get any vibrations transmitted to items in the room then the subdudes should make a difference.   

I think I read somewhere  that the smaller models are less efficient than larger but if ratings are similar most likely not much difference with these two models specifically.   

bondmanp
1,801 posts
 
@blin116 - I defer to mapman on the efficiency issue.  The way I see it is this:  The Ohm Walsh speakers represent such a good value, that if you find you must upgrade elsewhere, such as your amp, it is well worth it, as these speakers will let you hear what you spent the money on.  If your integrated has pre-outs, you can try borrowing a higher powered amp to see if you like the results.  But you may not feel this is necessary.

My thoughts are that John Strohbeen does not want to present Ohm speakers as tweaky or demanding of a lot power or expensive electronics.  And, to a degree, he is correct.  As my initial review noted, the 2000s sounded quite good on an older Onkyo surround receiver rated at 80 watts per channel without my subwoofers.  And yes, you can plunk them down in your room, play a little bit with toe-in, and off you go with good sound.  But, and it is a big but, none of this means the Ohm Walsh series won't respond well to better electronics, tweaks, room treatments, etc.  They will, and in spades.  The good news is they are not tweaky in the sense that they won't sound good at all unless you get fancy footers, expensive gear, high-priced cables, or extensive room treatments.  So one can do as much or as little as they like, and then just enjoy.  
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