Ohm Walsh speakers

[hammer]

Just completed finishing my "garden level" (i.e. Basement) adding 1,500 additional square feet to my home.  Sound proofed, as much as I could afford, and ready for some really nice audio as it will become my main listening room.


A friend of mine who lives in NYC who considers himself an audiophile and never scrimp son his system components is raving about the high end Ohm Walsh speakers that he's had for about a year stating that they are by far the best he has ever heard with respect to presence, clarity, and life like sound. Unfortunately, no one here in MN carries them and I'm about 1500 miles from NYC. Has anyone had experience with Ohm speakers? I'd never invest that much without hearing them myself but don't want to fly off to New York to listen to them in a real world environment if they aren't as exceptional as he suggests.


Any other suggestions for speakers that would fill a large room? To give you an idea as to my budget for speakers, the Ohms I'm considering go for approximately $5,600 a pair.

[keith_h]

Never heard the Ohm. Personally I wouldn't buy any high end audio without being able to audition it first and also be able to return if it doesn't live up to the audition once I got them home.

I like Monitor Audio. I didn't have the same budget you do so went with a mix of the Silver Series for mains and center channel with Bronze for surrounds. I use a generic sub. They have a Gold series which is in a similar price range per pair as you are talking about.

[rv_bass]

A friend of mine has a pair of them, bought them in the 80s and still has them, incredible speakers.

[edwin]

I've heard mixed reviews. Recording and mastering engineer types tend not to like them, if that means anything. You might look into electrostatic speakers, if you want something non-traditional.

[wayne]

I too have never heard of them.  Which got me curious.  Interesting read on the website. 

BTW, they seem to have a generous trial period:

"After you receive your new speakers, you will have 120 days to audition them to confirm they do everything you want them to do in your room in your system. Your speakers are usually custom built just for you. If after 60 days you have any issue, please call 800-783-1553 and discuss them with us. Usually we can address the issues even if it requires custom speaker drivers."

Full refund of purchase price if they can't fix the problem with the speakers in YOUR room within 120 days.

C-Ya..........wayne

[hammer]

Unfortunately my spouse has a thing about speakers not dominating a room and most of the electrostatic models I've heard and liked (e.g., Magnaplan - located about 8 miles from where I live, Soundlab, Martin Logan) are perceived as too large.

[adriaan]

Most excellent for Trevor Horne produced recordings - once heard Owner of a Lonely Heart jumping off a pair of those 6 ft walls of sound, quite memorable. Still preferred a pair of Quad ESLs for classical stuff - ah, you could hear the air move, and I seem to remember they went extremely well with tube power.

[keith_h]

I don't see what's wrong. You can still see the fireplace from the right angle.

[cozmik_cowboy]

I thought Magnaplan went under years ago; they're still here?? Kewl!
College buddy of mine & I had a duel. I had these nice old speakers - oak cabs, 18" with a horn - he had Realistic or some similar.  He bought a set of Polk bookshelf speakers; I disremember the model.  I went home on break & brought back a new system with Infinity Qas; he, of course, couldn't have that, and quickly traded the Polks for a pair of Magnaplans.  I surrendered.
As soon as he set them up, he got me, um, in a listening frame of mind (nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say n'more), sat me down at ground zero, and put on a British military bagpipe band - who, of course, always march when playing.  I thought my Qas had pretty good strereo imaging, but that freakin' bagpipe band marched clear around me as I sat there!!  And i swear I could hear their kilts rustling under the music.  Just amazing.


Peter

[adriaan]

It may have been something rustling under their kilt, just sayin'.

[StephenR]

Have not heard the Ohm Walsh speakers but as pointed out make sure if you buy a pair that you can return them if you don't like the way they sound in the room you put them in.

I have a pair of Magnepan 1.6 speakers that were modded at Stereo Unlimited in Walnut Creek. I got them about 10 years ago. I added a pair of custom aftermarket Mye speaker stands which are made of welded powder coated steel and much sturdier than the flimsy little metal legs they sell the speakers with. Really like not hearing the sound of the speaker enclosure. In order the get the best stereo image you really have to be in the sweet spot but the speakers sound great, with a very natural sounding throw, from anywhere in the room.

I got into the planar speaker thing after hearing a friend's Genesis Prime speakers. He has an amazing stereo system and built the listening room in his live/work space to accommodate them physically and acoustically. His system is powered by two huge mono-block tube power amps that double as heaters for the space. The two towers of 12" speakers produce some serious bass response. Going to try and attach a stock picture of the Genesis speakers, don't always have a 100% success rate with the process.