Ohm Walsh 2 Speaker Upgrade P1: Should I Do It?
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- čas přidán 25. 08. 2024
- Recently, I found myself thinking more about my 1982 experience with the Walsh 2s and that it would be fun to find a pair and try them out in a room with known good acoustics. I found some on eBay, and while they sounded good, they were in need of repair. I found that to fix a dented can, Ohm charges a reasonable $30. To replace the drivers, a pricey $495. New improved grilles go for $120 a pair. And an upgrade kit that promises extended bass, higher, more defined treble and an ability to play louder will fetch a whopping $1,400 per pair. Options, options. What should I do? I wrote Ohm asking for more advice and they informed me that if I wanted the best sound possible, the upgrade was the only way to go. How did it all work out?
The Ohm Walsh 2 is a vintage speaker from 1982. It is a vintage eighties speaker. It is now considered an antique speaker. How do antique speakers sound? How do old speakers compare? Ohm speakers have been handmade in Brooklyn since 1971.
#speakers #speakerreviews #electronicsrepair #stereo #stereorepair #speakerrepair
great explanation. I have a pair I've had since the early 80's. I experienced most of my musical life on them and they still sound great. I am considering the upgrade though...
I have a pair I bought from a pawn shop 25 years ago for $300.00. When I tested them against a pair of other more expensive speakers, the pawn shop dealer and I were both blown away. We played a song by Sade and on the Walsh speakers she sounded like she was right there in the room. We just smiled listening. Back and forth from one pair to the Walsh. From the one back to the Walsh. It didn't take long before we left the Walsh speakers on and he had a sale. I think he knew he could have gotten more money for them. The Walsh speakers are also better than a pair of Bose 501s I also have of roughly the same vintage. The Ohm Walsh 2 speakers are brighter and more lifelike, but the bass is better on the Bose. The Walsh speakers are just more interesting to look at, too. That cone makes people smile, too.
Thanks for sharing that, David. I love hearing about those “magic moments” when our man-made electronic boxes get so close to sounding like real vocalists and instruments that we never seem to forget the moment.
Picking up a mint pair of 1990 Ohm FRS-11s next weekend, this video applies to me, particularly the upgrade path. Looking forward to your next video!
Fantastic! Hope to have the next video up in the next day or so.
I just picked up some 1990 Ohm FRS 11 last week, and they are incredible!
I still have my pair from 1982 that I bought when I graduated from college . I spent 1/2 of the money I had to buy my new stereo system for the speakers at that time. Tempted to get them out again and listen to them before offering them for sale.
Another great video Flux!
I have heard the Ohm F's many years ago. My purchase (in 1978) was the Ohm L, I wanted the model H but couldn't afford the hefty $700+ price tag. The H's were too big for my digs anyway. The L's fit just right in my Bay Ridge, Brooklyn studio apartment and sounded swell. I still use the L's as my living room speakers. A year ago I got a pair of restored (cosmetically and sonically) Ohm H's. At $275, the pair, it was a steal. My H's have the two tweeter controls so they are probably from early 1980's. Set in my 1,650 cu/ft dining room the sound is exemplary. Ohm and Electro-Voice were among the first companies to make use of Thiele/Small parameters for design of vented speakers. Now everybody does it.
Thanks for sharing, Marty. Never had the pleasure of hearing those models myself, but would love to if I ever get an opportunity. Recently, I’ve secured a bunch of Tweeter Etc. catalogs from the 70s and they were a big supporter of these earlier Ohms.
Another potential interesting viewpoint is whether the average non-audiophile person could detect the difference in the sound before and after all of that money was splashed.
For sure. Great idea for future videos. My experiments so far with non-audiophiles is that if I switch between speakers with my switch box, most can hear that some components sound better or worse. The question really is how important those differences are to them. I find that most people have a threshold where sound quality is “good enough” and they just enjoy the music. For most audiophiles, it’s the same (I can still enjoy a song on a portable radio), but we find pleasures not just in the music, but in the sense of recorded sound approaching reality. Something most people, for whatever reason, just don’t find worth putting much effort into achieving.
Does the upper kit contain a whole new canister with speakers? Thanks for the help.
Yes, the kit I show in this series contains new canisters with new speakers, new crossovers and acoustic insulation.
I listened to these speakers about 30 years ago from a friends house.I couldn't wait.I was really disappointed.I knew they were high end..but no not at all.Overpriced.....
I will hopefully be picking up the Ohm Walsh 2XO next week... Looking forward to this project now that I 100% know that it is within my skill range! Thanks for the video!
Ah, The 2X0. A Walsh 2 built for the digital CD age! (At least that’s how Ohm marketed them.) Nice score, hope it works out for you. Thanks for watching and glad you’re finding the series helpful.
Flux Condenser I’m pretty stoked! I fell into the Ohm rabbit hole when I found a pair of Ohm model Ls. Great company!
I’ve never heard the Ls. How are they? I’m a big fan of the “Boston” sound of the old KLHs, AR’s and Advents which I’ve read Ohm was trying to emulate with the Ls. The big difference being that the Boston speakers were acoustic suspension, but Ohm added a port for deeper bass extension. I’ve got an old pair of KLH Model 6s from around 1969 that give the Ohms a run for their money. The acoustic suspension design gives a nice tight bass. In the third video of the series I’ll talk more about how the Ohms compare in sound quality to some other classic speakers including the KLH.
@@FluxCondenser I'm pretty sure they were Ohm's most popular speaker back in the day. They are just all around a great speaker. Not too big but they sounds big! I have them in my man cave right now but they will be getting moved a bit once them Walsh 2xos come in. Check them out if you get the chance they go for around 250 or so on Ebay.