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

John,

We do our yearly trip to NY every June. Its coming up again. We stay at the Parker Meridian, down the block from Carnegie. Last year I got to hear a performance at Carnegie listening just right of center in Dress Circle level. I had heard that you voice the OHMs based on listening at Carnegie and as I was sitting there listening, I felt right at home. The sound there was indeed quite exceptional and holographic even at times.

The Old Carnegie Hall was acoustically superior to the new refurbished hall of today, though the latter is still an excellent acoustic. The old hall had scintillating air and a responsiveness that was magical.

I've been listening to my Ohm Walsh 5000s driven by the superb Wyred 4 Sound ST1000 amp for several months now and taking full measure of these loudspeakers. They are magical! Vis a vis the Walsh 5 Series III the 5000s are very much the same animal. But, the 5000s are better in many ways: more refined presentation, more nuanced, with remarkable transparency and delicacy. Yet, the 5000s go substantially lower and have extraordinary dynamics - they can play orchestral ensembles with breathtaking power and control. The background is so black and quiet. The bass is incredibly fast and tuneful - the cabinet tuning is so spot on perfect that I get goose bumps hearing low bass quitar sixteenth notes tripping so nimble and clean and perfectly articulated that I never cease to marvel at it. I'm hearing a lot more in familar recordings, much more presence and all the interstices and low level happening that I never heard before. The vocals are just perfect - so lifelike and natural, vivid and startling. I have been postponing writing a detailed review of the 5000s because of time restraints and also, inability to conjure up the words to describe these loudspeakers. They are truly exquisite and special - best money I ever spent. Ohm and John S. have built something very special here, light years superior to the classic Walsh 5, and fundamentally superior to the Series 3 drivers in a ways I have difficulty putting in words. By way of metaphor, imagine comparing a drawing by a very skilled artist to one deftly and exquisitely rendered with remarkable suppleness and shading by a da Vinci: the former is quite good; but the latter is exquisite, eye-grabbing and a one-of-a-kind masterpiece bespeaking the unique talents and years of experience and mastery of the creator. The Walsh 5000s are loudspeakers built by a da Vinci - you can hear the quality and excellence of sound that could only be the work of a master builder seasoned by years of refinement of his techniques. Such a work is priceless to one who can appreciate it's beauty and special qualities.

If John Strohbeen ever comes up with a newer Walsh 5000, maybe called the Walsh 5000-deluxe, I might buy it just to see if John can do what I think may be impossible: improving on the sound of the 5000s. Yes, I know that no device is 'perfect.' But, the 5000s are that good that I wonder if they are not now the absolute apex of sound reproduction achievable with Ohm's ingenious and elegant CLS architecture. We shall see.

Wow, mamboni, I've been waiting for some insightful assessments of the 5000s. Knowing your background in music, your accolades carry a lot of weight for me!

Now you're giving me the upgrade bug I thought I had dispersed finally once more.....

Have I been pinged? Martykl

Yes, I was hoping you'd chime in on our own venue preferences. I'd forgotten about Mamboni's own experience, and being a musician at that, I should have pinged him too : )

That was a terrific mini-review of the Series 5000. Given John's description of what his goal is in voicing his speakers, I am more curious than ever, after attending some concerts, if my preference is more for the forward, dramatic sense of presence, or if I will be more drawn to the mid-hall perspective, enveloping, and grander picture of things.

Venue is a tough one. I don't attend much classical these days, so jazz clubs are the main reference point for acoustic music. I always choose them on the basis of the performers and the rooms are usually small and oddly shaped with acoustics that are generally "awkward". Vibrato in Bel Air is an exception, but straight unamplified performances haven't been the norm there.

I've been in LA over a dozen years now and the Greek Theater is probably my favorite for amplified music - programming runs all over the place, but the sound is uniformly excellent, especially for an outdoor venue. My luck at The Hollywood Bowl has been a little less consistent, but still not bad by any means.

The Gibson (at Universal) is pretty good and the Hermosa Beach PAC, and Thousand Oaks PAC are both excellent, but programming is spotty, at best. Our local club, The Canyon, gets some great r'n'r talent, but is often way too loud for good sound.

I saw more classical music when I was in New York (for about 2 decades prior) and the old Carnegie was definitely the most memorable. Pop music venues covered the gamut with Tramps supplying the happiest memmories. I just about lived in The Bottom Line (a 2 minute walk from my place) and unamplified shows usually sounded quite good. Rock shows were all over the board.

My taste in a speaker's tonal balance is not a function of a single hall, but rather a general sense from the whole range of experiences. From that, I find that a lot of high end gear is "goosed" in the mis-bass and presence region so that "impact" is enhanced relative to the live experience. Ohms are IMHO voiced closer to "the real thing" than most.

Marty