I had briefly considerd Shahinian speakers as an upgrade when I shopped for speakers about three years ago. I could have taken a day and travelled to Shahinian, but that would not tell me how the speakers would sound in my room, with my electronics. Shahinian offers no return option, so if you don't like your new Shahinians, you have to sell them as used. I realize I might have passed up a great speaker, but I can't take that risk.
I ended up with Ohm Walsh 2000s ($2800/pr). Not having heard Shahinians, I cannot compare them. However, my experience with this current Ohm model is different than Rpfef's. I do use these with separate powered subs, but I did listen to them full range, and the bass was very extended, controlled, and clean. I would guess the bass went down into the mid-30Hz range before rolling off. I don't know if I would call the midrange "succulent", but it is very clean, smooth, and well balanced. Timbre reproduction is wonderful, and transients are present, but never hyped. The dynamic range sometimes shocks me, but these speakers seem to like very powerful amps, so more power than I have might bring an improvement in the macro-dynamic area. Micro-dynamics are excellent. Without having heard the Shahinian soundstage presentation, I can say that the Ohms provide a surprising amount of image solidity, unexpected in a quasi-omni design, with a huge soundstage. Best of all, the Ohms can simply dissappear into the soundstage. They just sit there, not apparently the actual source of what you are hearing. There is just music, spread across the front of your room. Ohm gives you a 120-day in-home audition. You only lose the round trip shipping if you don't like them. But I kept mine.
I ended up with Ohm Walsh 2000s ($2800/pr). Not having heard Shahinians, I cannot compare them. However, my experience with this current Ohm model is different than Rpfef's. I do use these with separate powered subs, but I did listen to them full range, and the bass was very extended, controlled, and clean. I would guess the bass went down into the mid-30Hz range before rolling off. I don't know if I would call the midrange "succulent", but it is very clean, smooth, and well balanced. Timbre reproduction is wonderful, and transients are present, but never hyped. The dynamic range sometimes shocks me, but these speakers seem to like very powerful amps, so more power than I have might bring an improvement in the macro-dynamic area. Micro-dynamics are excellent. Without having heard the Shahinian soundstage presentation, I can say that the Ohms provide a surprising amount of image solidity, unexpected in a quasi-omni design, with a huge soundstage. Best of all, the Ohms can simply dissappear into the soundstage. They just sit there, not apparently the actual source of what you are hearing. There is just music, spread across the front of your room. Ohm gives you a 120-day in-home audition. You only lose the round trip shipping if you don't like them. But I kept mine.
