Vandersteen vs Ohm Walsh

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by matsel, Feb 17, 2018.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. matsel

    matsel Well-Known Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    los angeles
    I am looking to save up for some new speakers and like the Vandersteen 1ce, 2ci and the ohm walsh 2000. I currently have a Rega P3 with a Hana SH (high output) cartridge into a Music Hall 15.3, which only has 50W but i'm looking to upgrade to a Rogue Audio Cronus Integrated Tube amp. Any info on the plus and minuses of those two speakers would be much appreciated. On the lower price end, i'm also looking at Zensor 7's, but am hoping to get a "3-d" sound speaker with i believe the vandersteen and ohm are more in line with.
     
  2. Leonthepro

    Leonthepro Skeptically Optimistic

    Location:
    Sweden
    Cant really help you much besides recommending this video if you havnt seen it, which you probably have anyway ;^)

     
  3. jeddy

    jeddy Forum Resident

    I have speakers with the Walsh /Ohm drivers

    The soundstage is immersive....
    You could SWIM in it!

    The only thing is...........setup is a bit of work.
    They need to be out from the walls (on all sides)
    to really "bloom - big"

    But.......it's WELL worth the effort!

    P.s. is the guy in the video Jack Black?
    His voice sounds a bit high to be him but BOY
    does he ever talk like him!
     
    Last edited: Feb 17, 2018
  4. tiger roach

    tiger roach Forum Resident

    I haven't heard the Ohm Walsh, but I have the Vandy 2ce sigs and love them. Mine are paired with a Rogue Audio Sphinx, I think the combo with the Cronus would work nicely (might move in that direction myself at some point).
     
  5. Leonthepro

    Leonthepro Skeptically Optimistic

    Location:
    Sweden
    Hehe, he sure has the charisma of black, but no ;^)
     
  6. Helom

    Helom Forum member

    Location:
    U.S.
    I like the 1Cis. A great speaker for the $$$ however, they did not pair well with my KT88 tube amp. All my other speakers sound great with the amp, very clear and 3-dimensional, but the Vandys just didn't gel. It was very odd.
     
    Leonthepro likes this.
  7. timind

    timind phorum rezident

    I didn't care for the 1Ci either. Weak bass, screechy treble, just didn't work for me. Odd as I owned the earlier 1C and felt they were well balanced; I truly liked them.
     
  8. Glmoneydawg

    Glmoneydawg Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ontario Canada
    Had 1b,2ci,3a,3a signature and quatro signature and imaging/disappearing as a sound source is one of vandersteens best attributes.The ohms are very good but the trade off for stereo image wherever you go in the room is a vagueness in image specifity at the sweet spot.Vandersteen all the way imo bud.
     
    BD2665 likes this.
  9. Glmoneydawg

    Glmoneydawg Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ontario Canada
    Did you own a different amp when you owned the 1c ....Vandersteens do seem to like a bit of power.
     
  10. vinylontubes

    vinylontubes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Katy, TX
    KT88s are plenty to drive Vandersteen 1s. I had a pair of 1Cs driven by a Jolida JD-302B with KT88s. Not a problem. If you step up to the 2Cis, the KT120s will probably be helpful, I would probably go with the Magnum upgrade to the Cronos. I'm guessing you are getting a used amp, as I was unaware that the Rogue Audio was even making the non-Magnum version. They are a small company, so I would think that if you ask them to make one, they would though. If you are buying new, I would inquire with them about option that you can add to your amp. They don't list any options, but, each are built specifically hand built, so you can have mods added to the you amp. e.g. With the MkII, they downgraded the remote from aluminum to plastic because they added a mute circuit and didn't want to raise the price. You can still get the aluminum remote, it's just an upgrade. I think you can have them match pre-amp tubes specifically for you system as well.
     
  11. head_unit

    head_unit Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles CA USA
    Apples and oranges. Tell us about your room, and your listening (are you always in the sweet spot? Or seldom?). The Walsh technology is very interesting, and omnidirectional-I believe @jeddy who says they need space. If you can only accommodate near a wall, that may not be a nice combo. Other speakers with that kind of big soundstage (due to more reflective energy shoved into the room, for better or worse) could be Magnepans or Martin-Logans (the electrostats, not their conventional models which are fine but not dipolar) and some others, any of which usually need a fairly big room so you can get the speakers the heck away from the wall.

    As for the Dalis, we listened in Pasadena. They were quite nice, but we both preferred the Wharfedale Reva 4's they were next to. Just clearer, particularly in the bass, and much more gorgeous.
     
  12. timind

    timind phorum rezident

    I used a Proceed BPA-2 which is a very straightforward (honest) amp originally with the 1Ci. It was not a good match with them so I switched in my heavily modified Hafler XL280 which has a very warm and full sound. The 1Ci still had a very sterile sound. Light bass with an exaggerated (harsh) treble was how I heard them. Like I said, I owned the earlier version 1C and enjoyed the heck out of them.

    I traded the 1Ci's for a pair of KEF LS50s locally and was shocked at how much fuller the little LS50s sounded. The LS50s have all the bass you could ask from a speaker their size. I'm not sure they go lower than the Vandies, but they sure sound so in my room.

    This was my experience, YMMV. I should add, the guy who took the Vandies isn't complaining.
     
  13. Glmoneydawg

    Glmoneydawg Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ontario Canada
    Lol...i had the big hafler with my 1b's
    Proceed made good stuff...and i used the big hafler with my 1b's and loved the combo....its a weird hobby my friend.
     
  14. Drew769

    Drew769 Buyer of s*** I never knew I lacked

    Location:
    NJ
    I'm a big fan of the Vandersteens, particularly the 2CE Sigs. I started with those and now have Treos, but honestly, there are things the 2's do better. Set up correctly and with the right matched gear, they are holographic. I don't like radial speakers like the Ohms or the MBLs. It's just not natural, as most sounds don't resonate in all directions. A snare drum, yes. A human voice, no.
     
  15. timind

    timind phorum rezident

    Weird hobby for sure. I took this perfectly operating amp and stripped out and replaced everything but the transformer, output devices, and the Hafler nameplate just for fun.

    I also found it weird that there was as much difference in the sound of the 1c and the 1ci. I will admit there were a few years between listens though.
     
  16. ls35a

    ls35a Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eagle, Idaho
    Neither. Magnepan .7's.
     
  17. lonelysea

    lonelysea Ban Leaf Blowers

    Location:
    The Cascades
    Yes. Especially if bass is not your thing.
     
    Cyclone Ranger and Helom like this.
  18. Helom

    Helom Forum member

    Location:
    U.S.
    I actually liked the Vandys with my SS amps, but I agree that their treble was a bit hot, which was surprising given that they're so often described as "warm." With my tube amp, they created a sort of church hall effect, with a ton of reverb.
     
    timind likes this.
  19. Helom

    Helom Forum member

    Location:
    U.S.
    The Vandys definitely require care with setup, arguably even more so than Maggie's IME. It only takes a couple inches in wall proximity to make or break their bass. Their tilt must be just right to reap the benefits of the time aligned drivers. Slightly above or below kills their excellent note decay. I found the LS50s have similar imaging and disappearing ability but without the fussy setup. They have greater midbass presence but don't dig as deep.
     
  20. Socalguy

    Socalguy Forum Resident

    Location:
    CA
    As mentioned Ohm Walsh speakers require quite a large listening room to sound their best. If you have the room, get em, you won't be sorry. They're some of the finest speakers made.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine