I upgraded from 1Cs (not the 1Ci) to Ohm Walsh 2000s about 3 years ago. You can read about my experience on the Ohm Micro Walsh Tall thread and my review in the user review section. I have not heard the 1Ci, so, as JGH would have said, I don't have an opinion. Ditto the Lores. But I do own a pair of MWTs as surrounds, and one of John Strohbeen's big accomplishments is, IMO, maintaining the same voicing for every speaker in the Walsh line. The MWTs sound very similar to my 2000s, but they give up a bit of extension in the bass and some dynamic capabilities.
As for reaching John Strohbeen, my experience is that email replies are spotty, but he is easy to reach by phone, and will return voice mail messages. I've spoken to him a few times, and he is a prince in this biz.
Richard Vandersteen is a bit gruff, it's just his personality. However, I have communicated with him by email, telephone and in person on numerous occasions, and he has always been gracious to me, patiently answering my questions. But he is opinionated, and has little patience for silly questions or people who don't read manuals. He sells a lot of speakers because he is a very capable designer, and has a small network of very high quality dealers. I would have probably upgraded to the 2CeSigIIs if they were not too large for the space I have. Just cut him a little slack for his gruffness, and you will find him a very accessible and valuable resource.