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

I looked at my Bryston 14BSST specs and it has a damping of 300. Now it has 600 watts but wondering if im getting optimum results driving the Walsh 5000's. Mapman, what difference exactly did you notice going up to an amp with a damping of 1000?

BlueR,

Theoretically, there is probably little if any practical sonic difference attributable between damping of 300 versus 1000. The consensus seems to be that most speaker wire electrical properties alone negate any differences once damping passes 50 or so. I moved from Carver amp <50 damping to Musical Fidelity at around 50 to current Bel Canto with damping 1000. The Bel Cantos seem to have the most controlled, dimensional and articulate sound top to bottom of any of these with the OHMs by a wide margin. There are many factors that might account for how a Class D switching amp performs versus conventional Class A or A/B. In a nutshell, the 500 w/ch Bel Canto ref1000m amps drive my large Walsh 5 effortlessly and without breaking a sweat at any volume I have attempted. They retain mostly the same sound quality at any volume, however as the volume goes up teh music becomes more full bodied, dynamic and lifelike, like blowing up a balloon. Never any sign of strain, clipping or noticeable distortion at any volume. Things just keep expanding and becoming more full bodied and lifelike as the volume goes up. Midrange is very clean and articulate. Vocals are lifelike and lyrics clearly understandable with most any decent or better quality recording.

Thanks for the response Map.

I recall reading that John Portis at Stereophile was a big Ohm fan and adopted an Electron Kinetics amp as his reference piece, in part because (if I remember correctly) of its high current and damping that matched well with Ohm Walshes. My Sansui is supposed to deliver plenty of current, but doesn't deliver high damping specs--hence my question.

As you suggest, there are so many other factors that distinguish amplifier performance with a given set of speakers that we'll likely never conclusively settle the matter.

I know that the whole damping debate continues, and that it theoretically shouldn't matter above 100 (that's the figure I've always come across), but I'm in no position to adjudicate the claims pro and con. I don't even claim to understand the physics/electronics theory underlying the arguments about damping.

If/when I hook up the NAD and/or Adcom, I'll let you know if I hear any differences. (Bel Canto 1000 wpc amps will likely have to wait for another lifetime.)

This really is an extraordinary thread. It's turned into an Ohm's-eye view of all things audiophilic. What does this say about Ohm speakers--and about Ohm-heads?

Jwc,

the late john Potis, who ironically I found out lived right down the street from me, was a long time OHM fan. I asked him about amps for my newer OHMs a few years back via email and he responded at the time encouraging me to throw the kitchen sink at them amp-wise, including damping. He was one reviewer whose opinions and insights I learned to always take to heart!

John was a great reviewer with a lot of respect. It was his review about the MicroWalsh Talls that convinced me to give them a try. His viewpoint is missed in the community.