"this is the product Ohm puts out"

I'm not surprised that JS responded in this fashion. As I and others have said, he's a good guy.

With the money many invest in this stuff these days, and with the level of competition out there, customer service IS the big difference maker IMHO. JS gets that and always seems willing to do what it takes to make things right. That and a good, unique product is probably why he has been able to remain in business for so many years.

I have had multiple pairs of Ohms including Walsh 2-100S3s playing in front of me now.when I upgraded the cans I was not initially happy. John was willing to make me custom cans to address my issues AND ship them free to Hawaii. I ultimately kept the initial cans and changed amps to a more modern unit which worked better for my ears. That is real customer service which stood out to me even for this high end business. Give him a chance to fix this. BTW the speakers Sound better than they look IMHO.

As I stated before, aesthetics are not Ohm's forté.

My own experience: I ordered a pair of Walsh 2000s not long after they went into production. When they arrived, there were some flaws in the verneer on the top edges of the cabinet. These were not visible with the caps on. The caps themselves were not terribly even, and had visible bumps over connections and staples in the frame. I spoke to John S. about these issues (he had asked me to provide some feadback, as these were one of the earlier pairs of 2000s to ship), and he was most generous, offering to have them shipped back and repaired, or a partial credit. I took the credit, since, since the flaws were not visible with the caps on. I decided I could live with the caps. A few months later, after I'd decided to keep them, I ordered a matching center channel. It was much better in terms of fit and finish. And, the kicker, a few day after that, a box showed up with a new pair of caps for the 2000s that were much better looking. I hadn't even asked for these! I guess it was John's way of thanking me for my business.

Also, when I complained that the 2000s were not stable on my uneven basement floor, he shipped me, free of charge, a box of shims and pads to aid in stabilizing the speakers. Ultimately, I sprung for a set of cradle bases from Sound Anchors, but Ohm customer service is outstanding. You also might be paying up a tad for made in the USA vs. China. That doesn't bother me.

As for the value proposition of the Ohm Walsh speakers, I will agree with Rebbi. If you like the Ohm Walsh sound (I love it), and you are looking for excellent detail retreival without etched highs that induce listening fatigue, there are few choices out there in the price range of the 2000s that compete. One of the few others I've heard that I could live with in the $3K price range is the Golden Ear Tritons. But they were not yet available when I purchased my Ohms. And although I was impressed with the soundstaging of the Golden Ears, they do not dissappear into the soundstage like the Ohms do.

I hear a lot of speakers as an active member of my local Audio club, and I rarely hear speakers I'd rather own, regardless of price. Would I enjoy a pair of MBL Radialstrahlers's? Sure. As soon as I have $70K to blow on a pair of speakers, I will own them. Until then, I continue to enjoy many extended listening sessions with my Ohm Walsh 2000s.