Walsh 5000 mini-review by Mamboni in AudiogoN

By Mamboni • Ohm Speakers • 5/11/10


Mamboni in Audiogon recently did a mini-review of the Walsh 5000. Here is his entire post:

The Old Carnegie Hall was acoustically superior to the new refurbished hall of today, though the latter is still an excellent acoustic. The old hall had scintillating air and a responsiveness that was magical.

I’ve been listening to my Ohm Walsh 5000s driven by the superb Wyred 4 Sound ST1000 amp for several months now and taking full measure of these loudspeakers. They are magical! Vis a vis the Walsh 5 Series III the 5000s are very much the same animal. But, the 5000s are better in many ways: more refined presentation, more nuanced, with remarkable transparency and delicacy. Yet, the 5000s go substantially lower and have extraordinary dynamics - they can play orchestral ensembles with breathtaking power and control. The background is so black and quiet. The bass is incredibly fast and tuneful - the cabinet tuning is so spot on perfect that I get goose bumps hearing low bass quitar sixteenth notes tripping so nimble and clean and perfectly articulated that I never cease to marvel at it. I’m hearing a lot more in familiar recordings, much more presence and all the interstices and low level happening that I never heard before. The vocals are just perfect - so lifelike and natural, vivid and startling. I have been postponing writing a detailed review of the 5000s because of time restraints and also, inability to conjure up the words to describe these loudspeakers. They are truly exquisite and special - best money I ever spent. Ohm and John S. have built something very special here, light years superior to the classic Walsh 5, and fundamentally superior to the Series 3 drivers in a ways I have difficulty putting in words. By way of metaphor, imagine comparing a drawing by a very skilled artist to one deftly and exquisitely rendered with remarkable suppleness and shading by a da Vinci: the former is quite good; but the latter is exquisite, eye-grabbing and a one-of-a-kind masterpiece bespeaking the unique talents and years of experience and mastery of the creator. The Walsh 5000s are loudspeakers built by a da Vinci - you can hear the quality and excellence of sound that could only be the work of a master builder seasoned by years of refinement of his techniques. Such a work is priceless to one who can appreciate it’s beauty and special qualities.

If John Strohbeen ever comes up with a newer Walsh 5000, maybe called the Walsh 5000-deluxe, I might buy it just to see if John can do what I think may be impossible: improving on the sound of the 5000s. Yes, I know that no device is ‘perfect.’ But, the 5000s are that good that I wonder if they are not now the absolute apex of sound reproduction achievable with Ohm’s ingenious and elegant CLS architecture. We shall see.

To read the original and the follow-up comments go here. (You could even read the whole thread (1173 posts), join Audiogon and add your comments.)

All we can say is thank you and that we feel the Walsh 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 sound nearly identical when used in the appropriate size room.

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