Ohm Walsh 4 Month Home Trial Money-Back Guarantee?


Hello all: I've read about Ohm's money back guarantee. Heard their speakers many years ago and they were special. In fact I was ready to purchase the fabulous Ohm C in the 70's but the shop said they were out of stock and the factory was on strike. In my normal impatience, I went down the street and purchased the ESS Heil AMT 2's, another fabulous speaker that I wish I still owned! That was a long time ago. These days I'm considering purchasing a very good quality full range set of speakers. Of course, I want to do a home audition in my system, that's a prerequisite! In my home area there are B&W, Energy, Mirage, Genesis, Klipsch, Paradigm, Magnepan, but you can only home audition a few of these brands. That 4 month home trial of Ohm's sounds great, so Ohm is on my short list. I currently have Definitive Technology BP 7002 speakers, Analysis Plus Oval Nine speaker cables, with a McIntosh MA6900 integrated(200 watts per channel continuous), Simaudio Nova Cdp, Shunyata Hydra 4 and listen to Classic Jazz, Classic and Progressive Rock and R&B. My listening room (family room) is a rectangle, 10 ft wide by 18 ft long by 7 ft high. I'm looking for a full range speaker that offers everything top to bottom; big powerful low end, nice midrange, and crystalline high end. Looking to spend $2500- $3500. Do you know of other quality companies that offer in home trials, and have a full range speaker meeting my top to bottom criteria? My research in this price range has not uncovered anything except Ohm. And, what do you think of the Ohm Walsh line? (Thinking of the Ohm Walsh 200 mkII or 300 mkII. Thanks
foster_9
Foster:

I started hanging around this site several months ago after various 17 year old stereo components of mine started to die of old age, hoping to get some hints and deals for a long-needed upgrade (obviously more a music lover than an audiophile!)

Probably the only thing I won't be completely replacing is my 17 year old Ohm Walsh 4X0s. Still love them. GREAT sound anywhere in the room (I mostly listen to classical, mostly chamber music). OK to look at. And almost indestructable: I bought them back then to provide great sound at significant volumes in fairly large rooms for workshops I was leading, carting them all over the country for years with only minimal packing, and now there's only a few minor blemishes on them, and no functional problems at all in the 17 years I've had them!

Rather than get new speakers by someone else, most of which at similar prices don't really hold a candle to these, IMHO, I am thinking of getting the new upgraded drivers that Ohm makes for my model for only $1.5K. I am very impressed with the company for the way they handle this upgrade as well: They send me the new drivers and new grills to put in the cabinet, and I have 60 days, to audition them and either send the old ones to them, or return the new ones. I also find that they are a good company to deal with, and respond quickly and helpfully to my e-mails.

I don't know about your particular situation, nor am I up to date on their current line of speakers, but I can certainly endorse the Ohms in general. BTW, my wife is pushing for the surround sound HT thingy, as it seems every wife in the world is, and the one time I heard an Ohm set up it was QUITE impressive for the price.
You may want to check the archives here on Audiogon. According to respected Audiogoner Sean the old Ohm Walsh's and the new Ohm's are very different beasts.
Unsound, Sean brings the fact up that the Ohm Fs were a different beast; Ohm stopped production of the Fs back in 1984. The people above that have recommend the Ohm Walsh are the later motels. Sean has told me he has never heard the newer motels therefore cannot comment on how they sound. There are very (very few people) that do not like what the newer Walsh sound like. Many stay with the Ohm Walsh when it's time for new speakers like i have. It would be interesting to A B the old Fs with the new Walsh 5's.

Zkzpb8, i also recommed the Walsh 2's or even the 3's in that size room and for the power you have. I use 600 watts per side with the walsh 5's. My room size is 24 x 16 x 9.5. I have the speakers on the long wall 7.5 feet from the side walls and 32" from the back wall. There is 100 sq. feet of 2" thick foam wedge in 12" x 12" squares on the side walls and the back wall but none on the back wall between the speakers. Between the speaker on the back wall is rough stone that make up a fireplace. I love what i hear in this room.
Although today's Ohms are a variation of the original, they definitely benefit from that full range design. Today's models with the addition of the tweeter and a bass port, makes them easier to drive. Thankfully the tweeter doesn't kick in until much higher than typical dynamic designs, hence the addictive nature mentioned above.
Line, not to be argumentative, but, Foster 9 who started this thread based his curiosity on Ohm Walsh's that he had heard in the 70's.