Walsh Ohm 100 MKII; anybody owned these?


I understand that Ohm has recently begun shipping their Walsh speakers with their new Series 3 drivers. I am interested in trying out a pair of their Walsh 100 MKII's (pairing it with my Unison Research Unico integrated) and am wondering if anybody has any experience and impressions of these speakers, and what kind of amps they pair best with? I am interested to know what improvements the series 3 drivers bring to the Ohm's, I plan on speaking to John about it sometime this week.
glitch947
I'm going to give a call over there too. I have a pair of MicroWalsh Talls, and I was wondering if the upgrades are only for the larger models.

I'm running mine with an old McIntosh MA6200 and the sound is pretty amazing. I'm thinking of experimenting with a Naim Nait 5i, just to see how a totally different type of amp will sound.
I've had the 100 Mk III's since early February and am very pleased. They take at least 100 hrs to break in but once that's over with... Deep base to 30hz - transparent mids & highs, the music is effortless, no compression on large orchestral works, and the imageing just has to be heard. I do reccomend you give them a try, probably the best speaker I've heard at at least twice the price. They do like power. I'm driving them with a HK 12, 60 wpc, and I could do with a bit more.
Here is a review that I came across.
http://www.audioreview.com/cat/speakers/floorstanding-speakers/ohm/PRD_120287_1594crx.aspx
Thanks for the info everybody. I have a pair of oak Walsh Super 2's (an old model cabinet) with the new Series 3 drivers ordered and I should have it paired with my Unico within two weeks. I look forward to hearing how it sounds; will post impressions as soon as they're broken in.
I also have the old model cabinet, the 4XO cabinets with the Walsh 5 Mk-2 drivers on them. These drivers do indeed like lots of power, I use the Sunfire Signature amp. which is rated at 600 WPC at 8 ohms and when I have the volume set at realistic levels, they sound marvelous.

That one review I read, said the 'series 3' are more efficient.

I am looking forward to what you have to say about the 'serirs 3' in the furure.
600w?! Wow, I hope the Series 3 drivers for the Walsh 100's can do well with my 80 watts of hybrid power from my Unico. I figure that if I like the Super 2 w/Series 3 drivers enough, I'll eventually sell my Unico and replace it with a modded Bel Canto S300 which would give me 60 more watts of power for a total of 140. Hopefully, though, the 80 watts will be plenty for the new driver in the Walsh 100's. I'll let you all know how they sound when they get here.
To Glitch...I"m breaking in a pr. of Ohm 100 series 3 at present. Sound is Fantastic! I shipped my 2"s in for the 100mkII upgrade at $695.00 pr. and to my SURPRIZE actually got the series 3. John says they been shipping the 3 series since late 2005. They sound thunderous in thier bass response...my 20x12 audio room. The midrange is just sit for hours&hours with a smile. Beautiful ease of presentation. High end utterly clean of any artifacts that dull the shimmer of brushs,cymbols, percussion etc. I would buy these at the asking price of $900.00 in a min. My system consists of: PS audio 200c amp(breaking-in) from the original designer-Rick Cullen, who rebuilt it for me.Awesome power amp! Rogue 99 magnum preamp, MSB gold linc III w/power supply into a Monarchy DSP, Kenwood 8300 tuner. All cables/wire almost totally Signal Cable..soon to be. These spkrs(OHM)are the BEST deal in audio, and they stand behind what they sell! Going in for mkII spkrs.. coming out with series 3. Thats CLASS! Highly recemended for smaller rooms. Musicbox78

I have what I thought were Walsh 4.5 mk IIs, bought in Feb.
Then I read this thread, pull the grill off and sure enough, I've got Walsh 5 Series 3 drivers! I love them, by the way! Anyway, then I get an email from the company saying:

The cat is out of the bag: Ohm has been shipping Series 3 drivers on Mk-2 cabinets since late 2005.
An Audio Enthusiast posted a review of his Walsh 5 Series 3 upgrade and concluded, “…the W5-S3s are the very best loudspeaker I have ever heard – I truly believe there is no other loudspeaker with the collective attributes of these amazing sound transducers. …a veritable acoustic grand slam – the Walsh 5 Series 3 is a masterpiece!”
Although we have not finished all the new cabinet designs (hint: they will look more like the MicroWalshs), we plan to introduce them this fall. As with all Ohm Walsh drivers, these are not be produced in China and are subject to the highest performance and aesthetic standards. There will be price increase when the Series 3 cabinets are available. Currently, you can enjoy the new performance and still get the old prices if you act soon.
120-Day Home Trial: You can audition these “amazing sound transducers” in your home, with your electronics and favorite music & films for up to four months with your Satisfaction Guaranteed.
An ever better bargain: We have a limited supply of older Ohm Walsh speakers that we can upgrade with our Series 3 drivers and you can save substantially. These are the projected and current prices all with Series 3 drivers and the basic veneer choices.
More quotes from the review: “The W5-S3s are an achievement in superlative sound reproduction. With their gorgeous airy top, their palpable you-are-there breathing pulsing midrange, to a bass that is otherworldly in power, extension and vise-like control, the their amazing disappearing act within the huge soundstage they project, I would stack them against any loudspeaker available today at any price. The W5-S3s manage to give you a spacious and completely coherent and transparent soundstage with life-like 3D imaging, a distortion-less completely non-fatiguing sound and unrestrained dynamics. They do it all – and virtually perfectly.” Read the complete review at AudioReview.
Call me personally after the holiday to discuss your needs and options.
Good Listening!

John Strohbeen, President
800 783-1553
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Received the Walsh 2's with series 3 drivers yesterday, exactly 7 days after I ordered them from John- thats pretty damn fast. Packing was very, very secure, a triple-boxed setup that ensured everything arrived without a scratch on it. I am running the speakers continuously now and breaking in both the speakers and the Zu Wax cables that I'm running them with.

Initial impressions are very positivel; an expansive soundstage, nice positioning of instruments (I imagine they could be more precise but this is as precise as I've heard), a nice full-bodied presentation which I like, these are very listenable speakers. One thing that I have noticed and that I like is how the speakers don't shove the sound directly at you, but rather throw it in a wide arc more or less behind the speakers. In my limited experience with other speakers, most speakers throw the sound at you, and as you turn up the volume it sort of forces its way into your head, if that makes any sense. What I like about these so far is that they allow you to appreciate the music but also not feel constricted by it, they do an exceptional job of creating aural space around you. Live albums especially sound good, as they really convey spaces well. I've only been running them for about 12 hours now, things should be improving and I look forward to hearing how they change. I'll post more impressions in a few days when they're further along.
Glitch, are you running the Ohms with your Unico? I'm interested in one of those amps, but I'm not sure how it will sound with the Ohms.

One of my favorite reveiwer's description of the Ohms is the fact that they "energize the room", which sums up your impressions. I feel like most speakers sort of shout at you saying "look at me!" but in my opinion that's not what live music sounds like. Hope you're enjoying the speakers.
One of my favorite reviewer's description of the Ohms is the fact that they "energize the room", which sums up your impressions. I feel like most speakers sort of shout at you saying "look at me!" but in my opinion that's not what live music sounds like.

Yes, I agree; the Walsh Ohms flood the room with music like a very wide angle flood light verses spotting the listener with music like a spot light. And live music foods the room.