Ownership and Review of a pair of Ohm Super Sound Cylinder

Craigsub

👍

I can't help posting:  Some times, my listening sessions seem, um, uninspired.  But then there are nights like last night.  I put together a pretty random playlist on my server.  Nearly every track was just magical.  The capper was "No Way Out" by Peter Gabriel.  Gabriel's albums can be notoriously difficult to reproduce correctly, but if your system can manage it, what can sound muddy and confused on many systems just snaps into focus and makes perfect sense.  Deep, powerful bass, expansive soundstages, and pinpoint imaging all over those soundstages.  Last night, it just clicked into place.  Gabriel's voice was natural, with spot-on transients that were neither too hot nor to recessed.  It was so good, I stopped the playlist at the end of the track, assuming no other track I had programmed could possibly equal this one, and certainly would not equal the emotional connection to the music that kept me riveted to my chair.

And all this from a pair of speakers priced way below what most audiophiles would consider the price range for "serious" loudspeakers. It bears repeating:  John Strohbeen is a master of speaker design and voicing. I only wish his show demos sounded as good as the 2000s do in my system.  

BTW, if you go to the Ohm web site, there is a Youtube link to a cool interview of John done by Steve Guttenburg.

On the OHM speaker website, JS indicates a resolution to update his news blog there more regularly this year. A great place to go to learn about the nuts and bolts of home sound reproduction in general as well as his specific approach with OHM.

Here’s a tidbit recently posted I found interesting:

"Speakers are designed to sound their most ‘natural’ and ‘accurate’ at a specific listening level. At Ohm, we have chosen the sound level heard on the ground floor, rows K-P in Carnegie Hall – be it a solo violinist or full orchestra and chorus. "

I find most things JS says there tend to ring true with me, which I guess helps explain why I like these speakers as much as I do.

@mapman interestingly, in the Strohbeen/Guttenberg interview, John admits he really doesn't have a system of his own.  He attends live performances regularly.  I think this affects how he voices his speakers.

I’ve had my 5000’s for about 5 months now. They were purchased used, and the cans needed a little work, as did a few other things. Some additional thoughts.

1. John and Evan are very reasonable on repairs. I’ve been talking to them about updating/re-doing my old Pro-200’s and other than shipping (which isn’t their fault) it also sounds reasonable.

2. The speakers really are good. Mine are older 5000’s and I’m guessing an incremental change has been done here or there but while not perfect, they just do so much right.

3. I’m trying to decide if I think they sound better with the grills off. There is a slight difference in sound. I wish there was a really clean way to have just a black grill, that was a sock that might use a small snap ring around the top and bottom of the can. I think it could look cool, and work really well . (try to imagine a small ring that went around the top, just a sock below, and a slightly bigger snap ring that covered the bottom of the can and the bolts. Ah, how I wish I was a machinist!

4. I’m also using them in my surround sound system, still working on Audyssey XT 32 with them. I tend to like it better with it turned off for my mains, but in use for the center (ohm 3000) and rears (the micro walsh). I do have a dedicated 2 channel pre-amp and amp. I’m playing around with amps, and pre-amps just to listen for differences. I hear them for sure. BUT with the 5000’s the EQ on the back really makes differences.

I think the biggest bargain (if buying new) is probably the SC4900’s. In fact, in the right room I think using 5 of them would make for an awesome surround system.

As for John and OHM’s room suggestions... I’m torn. No question the mids and highs are all voiced the same. Bass is such a personal preference/room/floor/null’s thing. I like bass (not an absurd amount but a little hot). I’m in a finished basement so it’s carpet over concrete. My room is only 13x17x9. I run the bass/mid bass in the "middle" of the 5000’s adjustments. I have the two upper ranges on the high position. But, I have pass labs gear and my room is pretty neutral.

Oh, the live-end/dead end thing that john talks about. 100% true. Other than dispersion I have nothing in the front half of my room anymore. I have GIK panels at what would be the 2nd reflection points, which are on the side walls right in front of my listening position. I do have bass traps in the rear corners and more dispersion.

Overall, still really, really happy with them. Oh, and if you want them to play loud... they can and they just don’t compress.

There are some downsides... Fit and finish is solid, but not the absolute best out there in their price range (that is salk all day long), Wait times can be a bit sporatic and you have to get over the do they use the best drivers, capacitors etc)? I’m completely convinced on the capacitor thing now that spending a ton doesn’t make sense. I do have this twinge... wondering what John could do with a "top notch, sort of based on cost of course" woofer and tweeter.

That said, very few speakers I would rather have for under 10k. The new Salk SS 9.5 interests me, I’ve always like the JBL m2’s... other than that probably something at least like the Vandersteen Quattro CT.

I’m in Michigan, and if anyone wants a demo you can drop me a PM, happy to demo them.

Also willing to give my opinions vs a lot of other speakers I’ve owned...

Klipsch Palladium P37
Golden Ear Triton 2
Klipsch epic CF4
Salk SS8
NHT 3.3
JBL 3900
Spatial M3 S Turbo (fun, fun speaker for the money)
DynAudio Contour 60
and some older ones over the years... Klipsch Quartets, KG4, the Ohm Pro 200’s