1. Home
  2. speakers
  3. 152418-130247

Ohm Walsh Talls and amplification

Ok, I am perplexed and I would appreciate any feedback you can give me. I am interested in getting a pair of Ohm Tall speakers. Initially (based off from Steve Guttenberg's and Zeos' reviews) i assumed that the 2000s were the ones for me. I don't see where Zeos' or Steve's rooms are any bigger than mine but, I measure the square footage of my room last night and it's only 353 square feet! Zeos himself even said that the 1000s were the correct size for his room, but he just wanted to go bigger. So, my first question is: Can you use a bigger Ohm Tall than what your room requires (as Zeos does)? Also, these speakers seem to love power. Steve drove his with a Mytek amp and a big Pass Labs amp. I cannot afford  Pass Labs and, the Mytek...well, I *could* maybe swing that but, Zeos uses a pair of Crown amps that are not made for audio but for DJs and live entertainers, etc. Obviously, he's very happy with the results. I finally did call John Strohbeen and he confirmed that the Talls love power... he suggested Mytek, Peachtree, certain NAD models, and Emotiva as affordable amps that have good results. I then asked him about Zeos using the Crown amps and he said, "Yeah, that's another way to go that's very affordable." I asked him if the sound was good and he said, "Yeah, it sounds good. In fact, we used something like Crown that here in our factory for quite a while." So, my second question is: what success have you had in the way of amplification with your Ohm Talls? 
redstarwraith
high-amp
508 posts
 
I had a question regarding these Ohm (2000-3000) Talls.
If they need lots of power (low power tube amps are not recommended), do they should they need to be turned up loud (60%+) to sound good and clear? Or can you still her good detail when played at lower volumes, (20%-) with a big amp ? Thanks
mapman's avatar
mapman
23,616 posts
 
@bondmanp

My theory is JS smartly markets to the masses not the very limited high end audio market so he presents systems for modest cost that sound great. Since he sells speakers not amps, he keeps the amp costs down. 
I agree though at high end shows you want to show the best your product can do so larger amp investment is needed. But then again, keeping the combo price down especially the amp helps sell more speakers so there you go. Hard to argue from a business perspective.

Back in his Tech HiFi days, high end audio was relatively unknown. Most companies including Tech Hifi just tried to sell the best sounding products they could at prices many could afford.
bondmanp
1,854 posts
 
I agree, mapman, and I understand John’s approach. But he could do both, showing people that his speakers will sound good with whatever they feed them, but they will reward upgrades with even better sound. You will not have to buy new speakers as you improve your system. Over 10 years with my 2000s is a case in point. I have upgraded almost everything in my system, and the 2000s  have benifitted from every upgrade. Especially at an audio show, where many will want to know the speakers’ full capabilities, this could be a way to get attention from the high end consumer and journalists. Based on what I read here about Ohm’s demo at the NY audio show, he may be trying just that.
bondmanp
1,854 posts
 
@high-amp... No worries. My 2000s sound wonderful at background levels, even listening to lossey internet radio. Too good, actually, as I am often unable to continue what I am working on, and instead focus on the music. I often end up cranking the volume anyway because, well, you know, this amp goes to 11!
grifficus
7 posts
 
I am also interested in getting some Ohm Walsh speakers but I know so little about class D amplifiers that I need to do some listening.  After spending my entire life with A/B amps I thought I might just grab a Schiit Vidar or two until I can make a more informed choice.  Does anyone have any experience with Vidar(s) with the Ohms?
More to discover