Ohm Speakers

During the past 35 years, Ohm speakers have been praised in over 70 independent reviews!

The new Walsh 2000s were reviewed by Phil Slepian in Audiogon.

"If this review sounds like a rave, that’s because it is, albeit a rave that slowly unfolded over about four months." he said in his conclusion. The Listening and Conclusion sections, in total, are included below (with highlights added).  For the entire review go here.

"If you haven’t yet bought into the whole speaker break-in thing, buying a pair of Ohm Walsh speakers will have you drinking the cool-aid by the gallon. When first set up, the speakers had very constricted dynamics, exaggerated sibilance, and sounded a bit thin. That said, right out of the box, these speakers reproduced the timbre of instruments, both human and man-made, with exceptional accuracy and life-like believability. Even after break-in, the accurate timbre of the 2000s stands out as the single biggest improvement over the Vandersteens, in my opinion. Horns, in particular, along with drum kits and guitars (both electric and acoustic) have an uncanny natural quality that comes extremely close to sounding like real instruments playing in real space.

"Without a long list, I listened to a variety of CDs and LPs, covering classical, jazz and rock. A few specific examples: The Tutti! Sampler from Reference Recordings, a TDK Jazz Festival sampler (especially a Brad Mehldau Trio piece), Stereophile’s Test CD #2, and rock and pop from artists including David Bowie, Veruca Salt, Stabbing Westward, David Byrne, Norah Jones, Nine Inch Nails, Sade, Sheryl Crow, Porcupine Tree and Pink Floyd.

"As the weeks progressed, the dynamics slowly opened up, and finally became very good, both in terms of macro-dynamic and micro-dynamic shifts. One particularly attractive attribute of the 2000s is their ability to play very loudly without sounding congested, strained, or collapsing the soundstage. This applies to any music I have thrown at them; classical, jazz or rock.

"The Ohms do detail very well, and I was introduced to all kinds of musical nuance on familiar recordings that I had been missing before. Especially noticeable are things like performers inhaling prior to singing or playing wind instruments, peddle and key taps, and leading edge transients. The transients are present but are not exaggerated, so they do not induce headaches. Also present is an extended decay of notes, and it is easy to follow many individual musical lines within a performance. It is unusual in my inexperience for a speaker to present so much detail information without being excessively bright at the same time. The Ohms have that elusive combination of detail and musicality.

"Frequency balance is being affected, I think, by my room. There is a mild emphasis on the midrange, which, now that the speakers are properly positioned, is not unpleasant. As some visitors to my home have noted, the high frequencies do seem to be a bit rolled off, but there is no sense of a veil being placed over the sound. There is plenty of extension at both ends of the spectrum. Everything is there, but the treble is at a slightly reduced level. I find this a very positive euphonic characteristic, which allows for long listening sessions free of fatigue. Especially smooth is that upper-midrange/lower-treble zone that I am so sensitive to. Even at very loud levels, there is never any raggedness, etch, grit or metallic sheen in this range (source material allowing, of course). I did briefly try the Ohm Walsh 2000s full range, without the subwoofers. They seem to go fairly deep, perhaps to the low to mid 30Hz-range. However, I cannot expect them to do what the Vandersteen 2Wq subwoofers do so very well, so back in they went.

"The soundstage was something of a surprise. The Vandersteen 1Cs would project images into the room, so that vocalists and other performers were within arm’s reach, or even right at the sides of your head. In contrast, the Ohms present a more laid-back soundstage, with everything taking place at and behind the plane of the speakers. This is not necessarily better or worse, just different. That said, when recordings used phase trickory to move sound about the room, the Ohms did this exceedingly well. On a DVD of Bjork performing live with the Icelandic String Octet (played in stereo), some percussion clearly sounded as if it were coming from just to the left of my left elbow! Likewise on Pink Floyd DSOTM, in which the phasey effects floated all over the sides and rear of the room. There is great width, source material permitting, that seemed to extend beyond the side walls, and height that reached the ceiling. I did notice some depth, although I am not very good at identifying this aspect of the soundstage. The speakers do a very good job of disappearing into the soundstage, and can totally disappear on some material.

"Many believe that wide-dispersion designs like this cannot project solid images within the soundstage. The Ohms do a pretty good job of this. Vocals are usually dead center, sized right or a little bit larger than life, with little drifting of instruments about the soundstage (another area where more acoustic treatments might help).

"Pace, rhythm, attack and timing all seem fine. I would not call the 2000s sluggish or muddy in any way.

"These are not heavy speakers with massive cabinets, so when I first listened to them, I thought I was hearing some cabinet resonances. After careful further listening, I feel I am actually hearing the resonance of hollow-bodied instruments, something the Vandersteens did not do.

"Conclusion

"Although many Ohm owners report that full break in can take up to a year, I am satisfied that the 2000s in my system are most of the way there, and no longer exhibit dramatic changes in sound quality. I admit that further efforts regarding room acoustics, cabling and physical stability are necessary, and will address these issues in the coming months. I feel very confident that, for their $2800/pair price, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to find a better-sounding speaker that appealed to me more than the Ohm Walsh 2000s. If this review sounds like a rave, that’s because it is, albeit a rave that slowly unfolded over about four months. In fact, based on speakers I have heard over the years, if I were looking to spend up to about $12,000 for a pair of speakers, I would still be looking at the appropriately-sized Ohm Walsh speaker (which top-out at $6500/pair). As my trial period drew to a close, I confidently felt that these are keepers, and will keep me from the urge to upgrade speakers for many years to come."

I want to thank Phil for his kind words and encourage anyone considering speakers at any price to give us a call.  I will personally (800-783-1553)discuss with you your needs and the options Ohm can offer you.  It is a 15 minute investment that can bring you years of enjoyment.

Mamboni in Audiogon recently did a mini-review of the Walsh 5000.  Here is his entire post:

"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 familiar 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."

To read the original and the follow-up comments go here. You could even read the whole thread (1173 posts), join Audiogon and add your comments. 

All we can say is thank you and that we feel the Walsh 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 sound nearly identical when used in the appropriate size room.

Don Lindish's Sound Advice has a few comments "I receive more e-mails about speaker suggestions than any other subject. The speakers I most commonly recommend are from my own list of "giant killers," products that to my ears sound much better than other speakers at the same price point, as well as those that often cost considerably more. Some of them are available only factory-direct, but come with a money-back guarantee.

If you have read this far, you are probably wondering ... what are these "giant killers," my top recommendations?  

Ohm Acoustics Walsh series: These are what I have in my home theater, my living room and my bedroom. Using them myself is about the best endorsement I can give!Read more at: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04114/305002.stm

The MicroWalshs were reviewed by John Polis in 6moons.  In his Conclusion, he said, “The Ohm Acoustic Micros are superb speakers and class-leaders. By combining excellent sonics and a most room-friendly size and appearance with what Ohm refers to as Full Room Stereo, Ohm Acoustics has produced a superb example of state-of- the-art budget speaker design. As a reviewer accustomed to gear costing multiples of what Ohm Acoustics asks for the Micros, it is my greatest pleasure to borrow our Editor's blue seal and bestow onto them 6moons' Blue Moon Award for transcending class and expectations in the $1000 loudspeaker category.” You can read the complete review at http://6moons.com/audioreviews/walsh/micro.html.

Jeff Dorgay in Audiophile Audition reviewed the MicroWalshs and said, “What impressed me the most of these speakers, being a confessed panel lover, was how open and transparent they are.

“…They have a very neutral/natural tonal character and thanks to a very simple crossover are not only very transparent but very easy to drive as well.

…Bottom line, if you have a small room and you value quality over quantity of sound, the Ohm Micro Walsh is recommended. Ohm has other, larger models as well as subwoofers if your room requirements are larger. With their excellent in-home audition program, I don’t see how you can go wrong.” Read the entire review here.

The HI-FI reader reviewed the MicroWalsh Talls in February. 

“So, after all the lugging, titling, reversing and breaking-in – how did the speakers sound? Really good. Really good but especially good considering how small they are. In another review I read how the reviewer was amazed at the amount and quality of the bass that the little Ohm’s were able to generate and I’ll admit that I agree.” 

“Bass aside, I found the Ohm’s to be incredibly revealing and perhaps the most revealing speakers I have ever spent a long period of time with….this is obviously a good thing in that it shows the ability of the Ohm’s to serve the music. 

The fact that I found them so revealing further contributed to the ability of them to portray various tonal colors and shades of instrument and voices.” 

“Yes, the Ohm’s soundstage incredibly well. Their ability to disappear and create a tangible 3D soundstage was among the best I have hear. In terms of this quality, the Ohms served all music I played through them well. But recordings that utilize the studio as an instrument were especially fun. Anything that had artificial sounds or sounds created virtually worked really well."

“So if I had to describe the qualities of the Ohm MicroWalsh Tall in a few words I would say that they are a small speaker that delivers a big sound. They soundstage very well and play deeper than I would have expected. The mids are tangible and the highs sweet – but are contingent on how you place them in your room (like any speaker I guess). I felt that the Ohm’s were very musical and had no problem keeping everything together in terms of pacing and rhythm. Dynamics were also exceptional. Overall, the little Ohm’s do a very good job of balancing out all of their positive qualities with an end result of a very agreeable sonic presentation. And in all honesty, though I love how well they soundstage, I would still favor them even if they did this not quite as well as they do. Don’t go away from this thinking that is all they are good at.” 

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