Ohm Walsh Micro Talls: who's actually heard 'em?

Ron,

Are you getting a big soundstage and reasonably detailed imaging at least at this point? If not, your ears may not be tuned in to the omni presenation yet. That can take time depending. It took me a while even when I acquired the series 3 driver based models and I had owned OHMs for years prior.

If your not used to omni's, you might want to give your ears a chance to adjust to the different presentation. ALso the OHMs may take some time to open up a bit. Keeping them closer to the rear wall will help the bass.

How far apart are the OHMs and how far back are you listening from? Also, is your listening position not up against any walls?

Be sure to check basics like proper speaker wiring polarity, etc.

The unique presenation in regards to soundstage and imaging is the most unique aspect of the OHMs and omnis in general that you will not replicate with conventional designs. Once you tune into that, you might have a different perspective on the bass as well. Or possibly not. I am not an advocate of even the best tube amps in general with the OHMs. They reach their potential best with lots of current and power and also are not very efficient and have the difficult load deal going. I've found even my smaller 100S3 benefit from the 500 w/ch Class D amp I am using these days. Micros are less efficient than 100s even I believe, so I suspect the same is true with them.

Ron,

When I had my MWT's (also in a smallish room
with hardwood floors) bass was never an issue, and although I eventually moved away from the omni thing, I remember bass being one of
their strengths, especially for their size. It may be that you're not
used to the sound, or that it's a placement issue, or that as Map says, they don't do their best with tube power amps.

Also, while monitors on the floor would give gobs of bass reinforcement in
comparison to which the Ohms might seem anemic, but I always found the bass to be fast and tuneful-- not window rattling, but balanced.

Talk to John for his advice, too.

Ron,
I would give heed to what Mapman says about the amplification you are using as he has quite a bit of experience with Ohms.

Still, if you are unwilling at this point to consider a different amp, then I think playing around with speaker placement is a must for you. It would be helpful to know the size of your room, limitations, and listening position.

Before you abandon the Ohms, give your ears a chance to get accustomed to their sound and experiment with placement.

Not sure of your budget and what it is that drew you to the Ohms in the first place; you might also want to check out the Ohm Walsh vs. Mirage OMD 28 thread. As has been written there and elsewhere, the Ohm models are voiced very similarly with the main differences being base extension and SPLs. In the Ohm/Mirage thread, it has been noted that the Mirage 28 has good base.

Good luck in your search.

Ron,

I just re-read your 02-18-10 post and I remember why you were looking at the Micros.

Just to be clear regarding tube amps and OHMs, I don't doubt that some combos might float peoples boat and some listeners whose opinions I respect report fairly good results. I have not heard OHMs and tube amps enough to say conclusively. I'm just saying that big SS amps are the best match technically to get the most out of them. YOu can fall a good bit short of that and still have a satisfying combo.

There are a lot of OHM Walshes out there over the years that I suspect many have never heard driven to their max running off of lower power and lower current stereo receivers, and such. THey have traditionally not had a high price of admission and are run on lots of kinds of systems compared to much high end stuff.

As I indicated the 100S3s (Walsh 2 size drivers) even benefit from the 500w/ch Class D amp. How many people have had access to that kind of power to drive OHMs over the years? Not many, including me.