I have had my Ohm Walsh 100 Series 3 speakers for about a year, after stepping up from the Micro Walsh Talls. They keep getting better as they break in! Ohm Walsh speakers have a way of energizing the room that, with the right source material, can be quite thrilling. Bass is plentiful and not flabby or boomy, highs are airy and detailed but not "etched," and mids, especially voices, are gorgeous. I was driving them with an 80 w/channel tube/sold state hybrid integrated amp for awhile, then upgraded to separates: a tube preamp with a 150 w/channel solid state amp. Magic!
John Strohbeen at Ohm will go out of his way to make a customer completely happy. And with the 120-day in home audition, you're only set back the cost of shipping if you're not satisfied.
NOTE: The old 100, 200, 300.... line was just superseded by the new 1000, 2000, 3000... line. The new 1000 is actually an intermediate step in driver size between the old Micro Walsh Tall and the old 100. The new 2000 is just slightly larger than the old 100's.

imaging
soundstaging
image focus
natural vocals
huge sweet spot

bass a tad overripe/bloated

This review is for Walsh 2s from the late 80s. What can I say? After 12 years of Mirage M5 bipolars I came running back to the sound that I love! I last had a pair of Walsh 3XOs but the essentially similiar Walsh 2s were just what I needed for my current room. I missed the image focus and the natural midrange that were lacking in the Mirages. Sure, the M5s threw a bigger soundstage but it was much more diffuse and , amazingly, the Walsh 2s, with a Sherwood receiver, throw out just about as much bass as the Mirages did with a 250 watt Acurus! I even hooked my little NHT SuperOnes up and they sounded a little closed off and lacked the naturalness of the Walshes. The speakers have it all--sweetness, imaging, image focus, transparency, and a huge sweet spot. They are easy to move, not fussy about placement, and the drivers are protected physically as well as thermally. I found myself digging out all manner of CDs and jumping on the computer to order more music from amazon. And that about says it all..I wish all products were like this.

Similar Products Used:

Mirage M5si
Ohm Walsh 3XO
Ohm L
NHT SuperOne

imaging
natural midrange
sweet spot
bass surprisingly potent
no listener fatigue

bass a tad overripe
soundstage good but recessed

This review is for Walsh 2s from the late 80s. What can I say? After 12 years of Mirage M5 bipolars I came running back to the sound that I love! I last had a pair of Walsh 3XOs but the essentially similiar Walsh 2s were just what I needed for my current room. I missed the image focus and the natural midrange that were lacking in the Mirages. Sure, the M5s threw a bigger soundstage but it was much more diffuse and , amazingly, the Walsh 2s, with a Sherwood receiver, throw out just about as much bass as the Mirages did with a 250 watt Acurus! I even hooked my little NHT SuperOnes up and they sounded a little closed off and lacked the naturalness of the Walshes. The speakers have it all--sweetness, imaging, image focus, transparency, and a huge sweet spot. They are easy to move, not fussy about placement, and the drivers are protected physically as well as thermally. I found myself digging out all manner of CDs and jumping on the computer to order more music from amazon. And that about says it all..I wish all products were like this.

Similar Products Used:

Mirage M5si
Ohm Walsh 3XO
Ohm L
NHT SuperOne

Warm, natural sound with a huge soundstage and more than adequate detail. I challenge you to find a better sounding speaker in this price range. I wonder what the higher end Walshes sound like!

Not for those who like overly bright sound. These speakers have a very warm sound with a lot of space in which the listener can poke around. I expect I'm missing some detail by using my old Sony low end CD player. I'm hoping to upgrade soon to the Rotel unit.

I purchased the Ohm Walsh Series 100-S3 in 2/07. I was intrigued by Ohm Walsh speakers by a one-time encounter with a person (walsh owner) many years prior who swore by their huge soundstage and natural sound. So after some trepidation, I decided to purchase the 100's (without hearing them) which fit my budget much better than the higher end models. Prior to receiving the Ohm's I upgraded my system with a Rotel 1070 pre-amp and power amp. At the Rotel dealer I auditioned the B&W's which traditionally pair nicely with Rotel. The speakers in the $2100 range sounded incredible and I was excited and nervous about how my Ohms would compare. The speakers arrived very solidly boxed. After hooking the system up I played a CD with the wife and kids listening. I was told over and over to expect a significant break-in period with these speakers, but I was still very bummed at how closed and limited the sound was. I was already figuring out the cost of shipping them back and buying the B&W's. Over the next 2 weeks I proceeded to break the speakers in and they opened up like a giant clam bearing a beautiful black pearl. It's hard to figure out what is bigger, the soundstage or my stupid grin when I'm listening to these incredible speakers. I like a wide variety of music, but listen to mainly rock and alot of live Grateful Dead and Phish. These speakers are so warm and produce such a natural sound. They sound great soft, but can shake the house if you want. I love bass, but need it tight and clean and the Ohm's deliver big time. The Ohm website tells it straight.. " they sound like music, not like speakers". With these speakers I feel I'm perpetually in the middle of a great book and can't wait to have the time to sit down and listen to music.

Customer Service

Great over the phone pre-purchase. I haven't needed them since.

Customer service, trial period, warranty, outstanding with voices and organ music

THis review covers the latest version of these speakers - the 100-S3. Before purchasing these speakers, I spent hours in front of my computer researching the speakers and the company. To me, customer service is just as important as the product. I'm amazed at the number of speaker companies that exist, but how many will be around in just a few years, or when you need tp replace that driver? I wanted to buy from a well-established company that had a solid history of taking good care of their customers.

I called OHM, explained what my needs were, told them what electronics I would be using, and gave them my room dimensions. John Strohbeen, company president, suggested the 100-S3. I chose the white oak finish and 2 weeks later they arrived at my doorstep.

These speakers were unlike anything I've ever heard before. I'm niot saying they're better than anything I've heard, just different. The sound envelops you and seems to come from a very wide stage unfolding in front of you. This is unlike cionventional speakers, which fire direclty at you and you can always tell where they are in your room. Also, you can move about the room freely and the sound remains nearly the same in any location within the room. Where these speakers really excel is in how they make human voices sound real. I have not heard any loudspeaker, regardless of cost, render voices with such stunning reality.

After 2 months however, I eventually decided to return them to OHM. This was in no way due to any fault in the speaker. I was after a different type of sound; one that I had become accustomed to with forward-firing conventional speakers.

As expected, OHM promptly refunded the original cost of the speakers, as promised

If you're looking for a new pair of speakers, I would highly recommend you give these a try. You have nothing to lose but your shipping costs and you get to play with them for 4 months.

Customer Service

Outstanding. Potential buyers can take comfort in the fact that this is a well-established American company that takes good care of their customers.

Customer service is great. They didn't try to sell me the most expensive speakers. They asked about my room size and recommended a speaker that would be best suited for my room.

These are great speakers. Your ears will love you forever if you audition them.

This new series has a smaller footprint. This is an incredible bargain.

None that I can detect.

This is a review of the new Ohm 100 series 3.

3 years ago, I bought a set of Ohm Micro Talls. A year later, I gave them to my daughter when she moved into her apartment. I then bought some B&W N805 and a subwoofer. Within a few days, I started to miss the Micro Talls. But, I decided to keep them and make changes to my system (tube rolling, cable changes, tweaks, etc.) to get something similar to the Ohm magic. Everytime I heard the Micro Talls at my daughter's apartment, I regretted giving them up.

When I read that Ohm upgraded their Mk 100 series, I ordered a pair. I sold the B&W N805 a few days after I received the Mk 100 S3. I was able to do a side by side comparison. Even without a breakin period, the Mk 100 S3 were so much more musical. They each had the same amount of detail and air but the Ohms high end wasn't as strident and etched as the N805. I relax when I listen to the Mk 100 S3. I never felt that same easiness while listening to the N805 even after months of tweaking.

That all said, I will admit that I like a warm, musical sound. I have an Audible Illusions M3A preamp and a CJ MV 60 amp. My front end is Marantz SACD and Linn LP12 with all the upgrades.

Like most audiophiles, I have rotated my equipment for many years until I found the sound that pleases me. I have owned many different CD players and amplifiers. I have also owned several pairs of B&W speakers, several pairs of Martin Logans, a pair of Vandersteen and the list goes on.

What I like about the Mk 100 S3 is the detail without an etched treble. I like the huge sound stage but that instruments are solidly placed within the sound stage. I like the air around the instruments. I like the solid, tuneful base. I think the base is more natural than the powered subwoofer that I used with my N805. In fact, I really like the base...it is not too much and not too little...it is just right.

I think Ohm is making a mistake by not displaying these in audio showrooms. I think anyone who listens to them would buy them. I have decided to stop searching for speakers. These are going to be my last pair.

Customer Service

Great communication. Fast shipping. Follow up emails after delivery. What else could you expect from a company?

Similar Products Used:

Too many to list. B&W, Magnapan, Martin Logan, Vandersteen and Alon to name a few. I am not ashamed to admit that I have bought and sold many speakers over the past 15 years. I was trying to find the perfect speaker. To my ears, these are them.

Not applicable.

CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!

I don't get it.

This review is not about Ohm speakers....they have always been spectacular sounding. This is about the company and all the accolades.

I've known about Ohm speakers since the 1970's, but never could afford them in those eaarly years. So, about 4 years ago, even though I have a pretty sophisticated 2-channel system (not into HT) I bought a pair of used Walsh 4's. I knew beforehand that they had to be repaired. I called Ohm and ordered the 200-MK-2 upgrade ($995.00). Took a month and a half for delivery and when the shipment finally arrived, they sent me a pair of refurbrished old Walsh 4 drivers. I called to tell them about the delay and the mix-up and was met with beligerence and discourtesy. Needless to say, I sent them back for a refund. Ohm refused to pay the return freight as well as the original freight. (Maybe because I'm in Las Vegas and their in Brooklyn....too far away for me to drop in). So, in additrion to having to deal with a most crude and insensitive person, it cost me over $300 to get screwed. I just let it drop.....not in my nature to get involved in hassles.

Re: I don't get it.......where was all this great customer service I'm reading about??? All comments welcome. True, non-exagerated story.
Mawako

A rating is required to in order post. Too bad there is no minus-5stars.

Customer Service

HUH?!

Similar Products Used:

None really, but Maggies, MacIntosh and similar quality equipment.

Legendary Walsh soundstage. Clear and natural sound. Profound bass; exceptional clarity in the treble. Smooth mid-range. Very life-like.

None. Well, they're big. My wife was concerned, but she's been won over by the sound.

1978. My first job. My first bonus. Time for a real stereo. I went up to the Tech HiFi near Columbia University with a few of my favorite records, and listened to pairs of speakers in a day-long process of elimination. I’d never heard of them, but I kept coming back to speakers by Ohm Acoustics. My benchmark for recorded music is the sound of acoustic jazz and classical music. The Ohm’s had a sweet naturalness that none of the other speakers matched. I felt like I could hear the rosin coming off the bow.

Tech HiFi offered a trial period with a trade up option: bring the speakers back within seven days and get full price toward a better model. I started with the Ohm C’s – a relatively small bookshelf speaker, but with that wonderful Ohm sound. Next day, I went back for the D’s. Finally, I settled on the H’s: big boxes with great range and naturalness.

By the mid-Nineties, I noticed that the rubber-like substance surrounding the speaker elements was starting to break up. I looked up Ohm and discovered they were still in Brooklyn, NY. I called and talked to the president, John Strohbeen. I brought the speakers in for an upgrade and they sounded better than ever.

About a decade after the upgrade, after 28 years of living with the Ohm H’s, I decided it was time for new speakers. I checked out the web site, and talked to John – who still often answers the phone. I faxed him a floor plan with room dimensions and furniture placement. We settled on the Walsh 100 Mk-2’s. Ohm has a 120 day trial period (as well as a generous trade in discount for my H’s). I picked up the Walsh 100’s, saving the cost of shipping. I hooked them up alongside the H’s, to compare during the trial period.

There was no contest. The Walsh 100’s exhibited the full soundstage that is the hallmark of Walsh speakers. The bass was more subtle than on the H’s, but deeper – you felt it before you heard it. The mid-range, translucent. The treble, ethereal. In choral works, you could pick out individual singers. You could sense the size of the room in which the performance was recorded. Listening to a reissue of a legendary weekend of Bill Evans at the Village Vanguard, I could hear the background chatter, glasses clinking, plates being cleared. The sound was incredibly life-like. I stopped comparing them to the H’s.

A few weeks later, I turned the H’s in to the Ohm factory in Red Hook, Brooklyn. And I started talking to John about something I’d never really considered before: home theater. Long story short: I purchased a pair of MicroWalsh Shorts as surround speakers. The evening they arrived, I rented “Master and Commander.” That’s when I started worrying about eviction. The battle scenes were seismic; the mayhem, fully three dimensional as splintering masts and canonfire reverberated around the room.

In the middle of this process, John also counseled me on the upgrade of my receiver (from a late-70’s Marantz to a Yamaha RX V1400). The renovation of my “stereo” is now complete. I spend my evenings throwing on one CD after another, eager to hear what my Walsh 100’s have to say about them. They’re so good, I can now hear the limits of the source material. Better-mastered CD’s jump out with astonishing clarity, while others can sound muddy. But, wait. My CD/DVD player is almost six years old. Hey, John, you got any recommendations for an upgrade?

Customer Service

Unparalleled service. Ohm President, John Strohbeen, has been like a personal consultant throughout my purchase of the Walsh 100 Mk 2 speakers, as well as a receiver upgrade, and MicroWalsh satellite speakers. Highly recommended.

Similar Products Used:

Ohm H speakers

Legendary Walsh soundstage. Clear and natural sound. Profound bass; exceptional clarity in the treble. Smooth mid-range. Very life-like.

None. Well, they're big. My wife was concerned, but she's been won over by the sound.

1978. My first job. My first bonus. Time for a real stereo. I went up to the Tech HiFi near Columbia University with a few of my favorite records, and listened to pairs of speakers in a day-long process of elimination. I’d never heard of them, but I kept coming back to speakers by Ohm Acoustics. My benchmark for recorded music is the sound of acoustic jazz and classical music. The Ohm’s had a sweet naturalness that none of the other speakers matched. I felt like I could hear the rosin coming off the bow.

Tech HiFi offered a trial period with an upgrade option: bring the speakers back within seven days and get full price toward a better model. I started with the Ohm C’s – a relatively small bookshelf speaker, but with that wonderful Ohm sound. Next day, I went back for the D’s. Finally, I settled on the H’s: big boxes with great range and naturalness.

By the mid-Nineties, I noticed that the rubber-like substance surrounding the speaker elements was starting to break up. I looked up Ohm and discovered they were still in Brooklyn, NY. I called and talked to the president, John Strohbeen. I brought the speakers in for an upgrade and they sounded better than ever.

About a decade after the upgrade, after 28 years of living with the Ohm H’s, I decided it was time for new speakers. I checked out the web site, and talked to John – who still often answers the phone. I faxed him a floor plan with room dimensions and furniture placement. We settled on the Walsh 100 Mk-2’s. Ohm has a 120 day trial period (as well as a generous trade in discount for my H’s). I picked up the Walsh 100’s, saving the cost of shipping. I hooked them up alongside the H’s, to compare during the trial period.

There was no contest. The Walsh 100’s exhibited the full soundstage that is the hallmark of Walsh speakers. The bass was more subtle than on the H’s, but deeper – you felt it before you heard it. The mid-range, translucent. The treble, ethereal. In choral works, you could pick out individual singers. You could sense the size of the room in which the performance was recorded. Listening to a reissue of a legendary weekend of Bill Evans at the Village Vanguard, I could hear the background chatter, glasses clinking, plates being cleared. The sound was incredibly life-like. I stopped comparing them to the H’s.

A few weeks later, I turned the H’s in to the Ohm factory in Red Hook, Brooklyn. And I started talking to John about something I’d never really considered before: home theater. Long story short: I purchased a pair of MicroWalsh Shorts as surround speakers. The evening they arrived, I rented “Master and Commander.” That’s when I started worrying about eviction. The battle scenes were seismic; the mayhem, fully three dimensional as splintering masts and canonfire reverberated around the room.

In the middle of this process, John also counseled me on the upgrade of my receiver (from a late-70’s Marantz to a Yamaha RX V1400). The renovation of my “stereo” is now complete. I spend my evenings throwing on one CD after another, eager to hear what my Walsh 100’s have to say about them. They’re so good, I can now hear the limits of the source material. Better-mastered CD’s jump out with astonishing clarity, while others can sound muddy. But, wait. My CD/DVD player is almost six years old. Hey, John, you got any recommendations for an upgrade?

Customer Service

Unparalleled service. Ohm president, John Strohbeen, was like a personal consultant throughout my purchase of the Walsh 100 Mk 2 speakers, as well as a receiver upgrade, and MicroWalsh Short speakers for home theater.

Similar Products Used:

Ohm H speakers

Seamless and wonderfullly detailed midrange. Impressive bass extension. Very inexpensive for the performance they provide.

Need at least 50 watts to drive them properly.

Over the past 15 years, I've owned, reviewed or sold over 25 different pairs of speakers costing between $695.00 to $10,000.00. After reading some reviews, I tried the Ohms. After a short break-in, I became enthralled with the sound. They have the attributes of a full-range single-driver loudspeaker, being finely detailed midrange, but with bass extension like a 3-way speaker. While most full-range speakers possess nice midrange detail, they suffer from poor frequency extension, especially in the bass necessitating use of a subwoofer. Not so with the Ohms. The Ohms possess such midrange clarity that low level resolution, not previously heard on other speakers, comes through nicely which also enhances timbral qualities. Being a very versatile speaker, the Ohms can also play quite loudly if you're in the mood for some rock or heavy jazz. Basically, the Ohms serve all types of music well which is not the case for any other speaker I've heard. The omnidirectional character of the speakers creates a huge sweet spot while still portraying a reasonable soundstage. I'd opine that one would have to spend $4K+ on a speaker to come close to the performance of the Ohms. For the first time in years,I have no interest in listening to other speakers. That's says a lot!

Similar Products Used:

Micro Walsh I also auditioned were great, but I needed the larger 100 Mk2 for the room I was in.