OHM Speakers

[Billboard]

While we're at it, anybody have experience with the $40 SBA option?
From Ohm website:
The SubBass Activator is an electrical circuit which extends the deepest bass when the music calls for it, reduces the distortion for cleaner sound, increases the dynamic range for greater impact, and uses a self-resetting protection circuit to reduce the chance of damaging the speakers.
Is it just an in-line capacitor arrangement? Do others use something similar?

I upgraded my Ohm I subwoofers with replacements from Ohm, they included the SBA option. I can tell you the bass is tight, no complaints. Because I swapped old woofers for new including the SBA I Can't really compare just the woofers with and without SBA.

I am happy with Ohm and their support, I can understand that as long as they are supporting these ancient speakers they are hesitant to share schematics and sell individual parts. The 12 inch woofers were around $200 each (including mentioned SBA), not sure I could buy aftermarket woofers for that price that can handle 1000 watts.

 

[india42]

I'm working on getting a pair of these, can't find much information about them. I'm sure they need work and I'm a little concerned about performing the work myself. I've never seen anyone say how they actually sound, and only run across a few threads with actual owners, but some opinions from what appear to be non-owners. I would think they sound pretty good...I'm hoping!

anyone here have a set of G's ?

 

[frommerstop]

If those are Gs, they’ll have the original 8”walsh drivers. Not an easy repair, I’m not sure any of the folks who do Fs have even tried it - Gs are pretty rare!
Ohm does offer an upgrade with new drivers, but it’s $1400. If you’re looking at G2s however, they used a newer “can”...Walsh2 iirc, so those would likely be more reasonable, if not as cool.

 

[india42]

They are the original model G with the walsh driver. I haven't seen them in person yet, and won't get them until the middle of March. Not really interested in the Ohm upgrade, much more in the wash driver. I was hoping I could find someone that has actually heard these,maybe someone will chime in.

 

[frommerstop]

Last time I heard Gs was at TechHiFi back in the late seventies. Sounded very good at the time, but who knows what I’d think now. Neaver heard the G2s, by then only ABC Warehouse was selling Ohm around here, and they only had the Walsh series. In general I don’t know Ohm to have made a bad speaker though, so I suspect they’re both excellent, it’s just restoring the original walshes is more than just replacing surrounds, and not many of those 8” Walsh drivers around... could be doorstops.

 

[india42]

not many of those 8” Walsh drivers around... could be doorstops

That's encouraging!

 

[tubed]

I bought SBA modules for my Ohm I Sub Woofers and Mid Woofers. I am still in the process of installing them, so I can't comment on how they affect the sound yet.
I did trace out the circuits, and I'm wondering if anyone can look at the schematics and explain what the circuits are doing...
The sub woofer SBA seems like it would strangle the sub woofer output, by putting 80 DC ohms in series with the sub woofer, and an inductor across it.
I didn't think to measure the components before gluing the mid woofer SBAs to the mid woofers, but the inductor looks to be much lower inductance and DCR than the one on the sub woofer SBA, And the capacitors are much smaller than the ones on the sub woofer SBA. I assume that all of the things that look like automotive dome lamps are what they call "self-resetting protection", by adding series resistance if the current gets high.

View attachment 1174089 View attachment 1174090

This face of the sub woofer SBA gets taped/glued to the back of the sub woofer magnet:
View attachment 1174092

 

[ATLjeffro]

I own a pair of the Ohm Walsh Pro 3000 cylinder towers. I only paid $180 for them and am very happy about that. I have whAt might seem as a mixed review of them. I took them apart (per usual) to look for any surround or crossover issues. All was well inside. I hooked them up to a Yamaha M60/C60 combo and was very impressed with the sonic quality. I decided t move them to my mancave. I put one on my hand truck and whom! It rolled off and the black cloth covered top portion blew apart. My 1st ever purely cylindrical speak, so a hard lesson learned. So I began to research getting a replacement top basket so I could rebuild the broken one. When I saw that they sold for $4000 when new, I was shocked. Like I said, they sound great, but the innerds do not merit that high of a price tag. Not IMO. But, as I said, I paid a fraction of that. So I total I am happy. I emailed the company and the boss emailed me back right away to send him specific model/serial # info and pics. After I did that I bought the top basket, rebuilt it and I have enjoyed them ever since.

 

[ATLjeffro]

$15.00/pair of Walsh 2s? Hope you play Powerball...

Indeed! I concur. That’s just a little more than a pack of my cigs. Lol

 

[pch300]

First encountered OHM at a store in SoCal - speaker was a prototype, Ohm A, photo only, in 1972. Heard a prototype pair at a friend's house. Amazing sound I ever heard from a speaker, more natural sound than typical 'expensive' speakers then. Unfortunately, out of reach for a student. Later, the the Ohm A premiered at a store in SoCal. The lower-priced Ohm F was more affordable in 1973, but still tough for a student.

A few years later, I got a pair of F's. Traded in for Walsh 5 series after 19 years. Thanks to John Strohbeen, RIP.