Ohm Walsh 2 for $20

Navy_Goat

I swear I was not looking for another pair of old speakers. This pair found me. I just happened to be perusing FB market place a few minutes after they were posted. 20 bucks including an Onkyo TX-18, which is intermittent and probably not worth much.

The Walsh 2s on the other hand sound pretty good. I am using a Yamaha WXC-50 that got kicked out of my living room during the last gear shuffle and a NAD 7175. I can't complain for 20 bones.

These seem to have a loyal following. They are produced by a company that still supports their vintage stuff, and they are of an interesting and unique design. Remind you of any other older speakers?

Pics or it didn't happen, so....

FB add


Set up and making great sounds

msg

Cool. How do they sound?

Tony M

I had a pair of those. 24.00 from Goodwill.

One of the best sounding speakers I've ever heard.

A man gave me a set of Polk SDA-SRS2's. I gave him my special veneered Walsh 2's.

I saw an as-hol selling my old walsh 2s. Somewhere along the years, the man sold the Walsh 2s and I almost bought them back from that as-hol but had no money to at the time.

GREAT imaging.

Just like DCM Time Frames / Windows.

SIHAB

I tried to get a pair off someone but walked out with a Pioneer SX-9000...
Very nice score.

Navy_Goat

Thanks all, They sound good, maybe great.

Pros
Stereo image is stable when moving left or right from the sweet spot
very good imaging
good low end for size
disappear into the room

Cons
High end can be harsh
Crossover is virtually impossible to access and upgrade (based on reading I have done)
Spring loaded speaker wire connections (same problem as above)

They seem to be an interesting contrast to my SDAs. The SDAs present an image that extends left and right way past the physical location of the speakers. As a result SDAs can be placed close together. These Walsh 2s seems to sound best with plenty of space in between them. No problem with center image even with 10 feet of open space between them, however the image is completely between the speakers for almost everything I have listened to so far. Not really a problem because you can place them so far apart without loosing the center image. In some ways they are like anti SDAs. Very different, but great in their own way.

They do an awful lot right for a smallish pair of two ways. I didn't really know what to expect going in, especially for 20 bucks. I have not had a chance to set them up in anywhere near their optimal configuration. Based on some reading I have done today they would like to be 1 foot in front of a boundary, separated by 8-10 feet. So far I have had them in two rooms, but always with another pair of speakers behind them.

They are also featherweight compared to the rest of my speakers. Moving them around is a breeze. Maybe not a great thing, but it sure is convenient.

pitdogg2

I've always had a soft spot for Ohm's, they had some good speakers.

Schurkey

I've got some interest in Ohm speakers. Haven't actually heard any in near forty years. There was a pair of Ohm Fs for sale, but I was broke and they were $4K. Interesting technology in the real, live, genuine Walsh-Patent Ohm F driver. The "new" Ohm drivers are not made like the F was--an enormously-tall cone driver, mounted "upside-down". There were three layers to the cone, titanium (top, near the voice coil) aluminum (middle) and the lower part--by the surround--was doped paper. No "Trilaminate" jokes, please.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/forty-years-ago-the-ohm-f-speaker-was-a-game-changer-it-still-is/
"They needed 300 watts to get going, and 301 to blow them up,"
Photo shamelessly stolen from The Internet.


Peter Aczel, (RIP) who published The Audio Critic magazine, was an investor in Ohm at one time. I liked TAC. He was a grumpy old man in an industry that desperately needed a grumpy old man...or ten.

I have heard--but never verified--that the Ohm crossovers leave a lot to be desired in terms of parts quality. OTOH, when an Ohm speaker gets a review, the review is very positive. So I'm still intrigued by them.

I can't decide if ESS speakers look like Ohms, or if Ohms look like ESS. (With the fabric grilles in place, of course. What goes on behind the curtain is ENTIRELY different.) Kinda funny, considering the companies are located in diametrically-opposite ends of the country (Brooklyn, NY vs. LA CA.)
ESS AMT Limited Edition

motorstereo

Nice grab for a Jackson. I had a pair of 2's live here briefly years ago. My problem with them was I was spoiled from the pair of Walsh 4's that I had before them. The good thing about them is they're plug and play and no foam rot to worry about like the 4's.

Schurkey

I just found out that German Physiks sells Witches-Hat drivers much like the Walsh drivers. They're in speaker systems with one, two, or four tall-cone arrays.
https://www.german-physiks.com/german-physiks-loudspeakers

Tony M

Schurkey wrote: »

I've got some interest in Ohm speakers. Haven't actually heard any in near forty years. There was a pair of Ohm Fs for sale, but I was broke and they were $4K. Interesting technology in the real, live, genuine Walsh-Patent Ohm F driver. The "new" Ohm drivers are not made like the F was--an enormously-tall cone driver, mounted "upside-down". There were three layers to the cone, titanium (top, near the voice coil) aluminum (middle) and the lower part--by the surround--was doped paper. No "Trilaminate" jokes, please.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/forty-years-ago-the-ohm-f-speaker-was-a-game-changer-it-still-is/
"They needed 300 watts to get going, and 301 to blow them up,"
Photo shamelessly stolen from The Internet.


Peter Aczel, (RIP) who published The Audio Critic magazine, was an investor in Ohm at one time. I liked TAC. He was a grumpy old man in an industry that desperately needed a grumpy old man...or ten.

I have heard--but never verified--that the Ohm crossovers leave a lot to be desired in terms of parts quality. OTOH, when an Ohm speaker gets a review, the review is very positive. So I'm still intrigued by them.

I can't decide if ESS speakers look like Ohms, or if Ohms look like ESS. (With the fabric grilles in place, of course. What goes on behind the curtain is ENTIRELY different.) Kinda funny, considering the companies are located in diametrically-opposite ends of the country (Brooklyn, NY vs. LA CA.)
ESS AMT Limited Edition

My still owned ESSAMT1b's are some fantastic sounding speakers also.

My wife LOVES them too.

Tony M

Schurkey wrote: »

I just found out that German Physiks sells Witches-Hat drivers much like the Walsh drivers. They're in speaker systems with one, two, or four tall-cone arrays.
https://www.german-physiks.com/german-physiks-loudspeakers

They looked and sounded like something I'd like to buy.
Guess I won't be buying a set of these in my lifetime.


From the web;
The MSRP is $53,400. My only gripe is the spikes are short which make it tough to locate the floor protection cups under the tip of the spike. The speaker is bi-wireable and a treble control on the back of the cabinet provides boost and cut.
German Physiks Borderland Mk IV Loudspeaker Review - Dagogo
www.dagogo.com/german-physiks-borderland-mk-iv-loudspeaker-review/

Schurkey

There's multiple models of the German Physiks speakers, they start at "only" $14K. They go "up" to heart-attack pricing from there.

Makes those ESS Limited Editions at ~$5K seem like a bargain.

I heard some kind of ESS speaker--had the Heil AMT tweeter--along about '78--'80. (Perhaps a year or two before I heard the Ohm F.) I don't remember what the model number was, or what the pricing was...but I wanted to take 'em home. 'Course, the shop I heard them at was 1850 miles from where I lived; and I didn't have the money anyway.

Took me until '86 or '87 before I bought my SDA 1Bs. Until then, I had home-built, second-hand corner horns that looked like they were put together by a high-school kid (because they were.)

SeleniumFalcon

I bought an oscilloscope from Mr. Aczel, it still works fine.

mhardy6647

SeleniumFalcon wrote: »

I bought an oscilloscope from Mr. Aczel, it still works fine.

They're pretty tough components (at least the good ones).
Silly-scopes, that is.



Goes without saying, of course, but the all vacuum tubes 'scopes give the warmest and most natural reproduction of those waveforms.

msg

Cool photo.

mhardy6647

Revisiting this thread 'cause there's some recent chatter Elsewhere about the "modern" Ohm Walsh (Walsh-oid) loudspeakers that might be of interest in the context of this thread (and its sister thread at Hifihaven)
https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/whats-the-deal-with-new-ohm-walshs.687902/

pitdogg2

mhardy6647 wrote: »

SeleniumFalcon wrote: »

I bought an oscilloscope from Mr. Aczel, it still works fine.

They're pretty tough components (at least the good ones).
Silly-scopes, that is.



Goes without saying, of course, but the all vacuum tubes 'scopes give the warmest and most natural reproduction of those waveforms.

Looks like you lost that patient.... My condolences

mhardy6647

pitdogg2 wrote: »

mhardy6647 wrote: »

SeleniumFalcon wrote: »

I bought an oscilloscope from Mr. Aczel, it still works fine.

They're pretty tough components (at least the good ones).
Silly-scopes, that is.



Goes without saying, of course, but the all vacuum tubes 'scopes give the warmest and most natural reproduction of those waveforms.

Looks like you lost that patient.... My condolences

Actually... too much attenuation from the probe for the output of the CDP. Oops.

plastic_avatar

Daaaaaaaaaaaamn, Goat.

Thrifting hall of fame nominee right there.

xschop

$20 Ohm Walsh is BOAB territory, no doubt.

Tony M

Navy_Goat wrote: »

I swear I was not looking for another pair of old speakers. This pair found me. I just happened to be perusing FB market place a few minutes after they were posted. 20 bucks including an Onkyo TX-18, which is intermittent and probably not worth much.

The Walsh 2s on the other hand sound pretty good. I am using a Yamaha WXC-50 that got kicked out of my living room during the last gear shuffle and a NAD 7175. I can't complain for 20 bones.

These seem to have a loyal following. They are produced by a company that still supports their vintage stuff, and they are of an interesting and unique design. Remind you of any other older speakers?

Pics or it didn't happen, so....

FB add


Set up and making great sounds

I'm wondering if there is a certain L & R speakers. It's been so long ago I forgot if that's so.

I like how yours are positioned with OHM on the left and Walsh2 on the right fronts.

mhardy6647

Yeah, they are asymmetric because of the tweeters.
That said, I don't remember which way they're supposed to go!

I couldn't quickly find the Walsh 2 manual, but here's a snippet from the "Super Walsh 2.2000" manual
that speaks to the asymmetry of (at least) that morph.


source: https://www.hifiengine.com/hfe_downloads/index.php?ohm/ohm_super_walsh_2-2000_en.pdf

Navy_Goat

My understanding is that the full range drivers are omni-directional, but the tweeter are angle 45 degrees toward the center when Ohm is visible on the left and Walsh2 is visible on the right. The speakers are interchangable and each speaker has both label plates so they can be used on either side. If my understanding is right the tweeter is pointed directly at the speaker corner where the Ohm and Walsh2 labels meet.

Tony M

I figured that was logical.

I almost opened one of the can tops on my set.

I wish I had bought them back too. They had some weird Burl veneer on them.

I'm getting close to putting my ESS AMT 1b's out into the cottage.

That's a lot of i's.

VSAT88

Awesome score. Heard a set in Atlanta. He had them turned down very low the whole time because he had a hearing problem but from what I heard I would buy a set in a heartbeat. Especially for 20.00 bones !

xschop

I'd trade for 5 gallons of 87 octane.

Hansvelton

I would offer 50 bucks for them, if you get tired of just another speaker taking up room!

Seriously, a great steal. I have heard them many years ago and honestly found them really really good in some ways. Not a traditional sound, but very impressive!


Try some big scale classical Symphony stuff on them, like Mahler, you will be impressed with the sound stage.

As much as I liked the SDA thing years ago, these presented a more useful image in my mind, and I never forgot that listening experience.

mhardy6647

Hansvelton wrote: »

I would offer 50 bucks for them, if you get tired of just another speaker taking up room!
...

... and the best thing is: they don't even take up very much room!
I may have to lug my pair upstairs (a pretty low bar, because they're neither large nor heavy), in fact.

BlueBirdMusic

@Navy_Goat .... a very informative and interesting thread for only $20.

Navy_Goat

mhardy6647 wrote: »

Hansvelton wrote: »

I would offer 50 bucks for them, if you get tired of just another speaker taking up room!
...

... and the best thing is: they don't even take up very much room!
I may have to lug my pair upstairs (a pretty low bar, because they're neither large nor heavy), in fact.

I was surprised how light they are. Compare to the SDAs I have in other rooms they are positively light weight. May be similar in weight to the R200s in my daughters room.

Tony M

Also, the bass that the little "coffee can" produces is magical.