BRIAN's SONG: It is with great sadness that I must post Brian Cheney has passed

Guy 13 · « **Reply #60 on:** 8 Dec 2012, 09:11 am »

My condolences to his family.

Guy 13

JakeJ · « **Reply #61 on:** 8 Dec 2012, 09:18 am »

I, too, give my deepest condolences to the Cheney family and to those that had the good fortune to meet him and know him. This is a deep loss to the hi-fi community on the whole.

Makes me want to hear some VMPS speakers all the more.

mosawdust · « **Reply #62 on:** 8 Dec 2012, 10:29 am »

This is very sad news. I've known Brian since 1993 when I bought my first set of speakers from him and went and listened to them in his living room. God bless you Brian, and my sincere condolences to Shirley and all the family. You will be in my thoughts and prayers.

You will truly be missed!

MaxCast · « **Reply #63 on:** 8 Dec 2012, 12:31 pm »

Very sad, RIP, prayers send for family.

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #64 on:** 8 Dec 2012, 02:00 pm »

A true original...my life enriched a bit to have had opportunity to have met him a few times in the past decade (I live about 30 minutes away)

Heard VMPS first in ~'88 in NJ at Parsippany Sound. 'The Way It Is' by Bruce Hornsby was playing....an unforgettable demo, for me, back then: such power, so sweeping the sound.

Thanks for mattering in your time on earth. RIP.

mjmessina · « **Reply #65 on:** 8 Dec 2012, 02:20 pm »

Very sad news.
My condolences and prayers go to his the family.

ctviggen · « **Reply #66 on:** 8 Dec 2012, 03:02 pm »

This is very shocking news. Brian could give this board some life at times, especially when it came to speaker theory. I loved my RM40s. Rest in peace, Brian.

DocGaw · « **Reply #67 on:** 8 Dec 2012, 03:02 pm »

I first met Brian through Clark Johnsen at the Listening Studio in Boston in 1983 after purchasing his Super Tower 2 AR's. He came up to the house and over three hours did wonders for my sound just by simple adjustments of placement and crossovers. Subsequently every time he came to Boston the two of them would come up for some fish by the ocean and every time he'd happily spend an hour or two of his time redoing what tweaks I had tried without charge or gripes. He was a true gentleman which is rare in high end audio retailing and I will miss him dearly. Rest in peace old friend.

roscoeiii · « **Reply #68 on:** 8 Dec 2012, 03:32 pm »

From the thread about Brian being ill:

Quote from: heronlyescape on 8 Dec 2012, 11:22 am

Hello Everyone,

I am Brian's daughter, Terra Cheney, I was very very close with my father, and I want to thank you all for all the years of support in my father's business and thank you for all your loyalty to his products. I very much appreciate all of the condolences. As a favor, I'm asking anyone who knew Brian and happen to have pictures of him (especially with speakers) would be willing to email them to me for his memorial service, I am setting up a slideshow for it and I would love to have pictures of him that are VMPS related (or any pictures at that, since he didn't like taking pictures very much). Thanks again everyone, never forget VMPS Audio.

-Terra

My email is heronlyescape@aol.com

orthobiz · « **Reply #69 on:** 8 Dec 2012, 03:46 pm »

Never met him, never heard his gear but I have read many posts over the years and know he was an audiophile of the highest caliber and has enriched the lives of many on and off this forum. I am saddened by this news.

Paul

WGH · « **Reply #70 on:** 8 Dec 2012, 04:05 pm »

I have always been in awe of Brian's creations.
Rest in Peace.

Wayne

Early B. · « **Reply #71 on:** 8 Dec 2012, 04:06 pm »

My first "real" pair of high end speakers were VMPS. After reading through the VMPS website a hundred times, I realized the importance of investing in a designer who's philosophy and approach to music resembled my own. I drove several hours to another state to buy them used. Every time I contacted Brian, either by phone or via email, he would respond within 30 minutes, and I appreciated his exceptional customer service and keen insight for speaker building. The audiophile community bids farewell to a great pioneer who championed the development of affordable high end audio.

glineus · « **Reply #72 on:** 8 Dec 2012, 05:12 pm »

I am so sorry to learn of Brian's passing. I have learnt of his speakers through a fellow audiophile (Randolph) who was always echoing the merits of his designs. RIP Brian. My thought and prayers go out to his family.

Stimpy · « **Reply #73 on:** 8 Dec 2012, 05:27 pm »

I hate this. I hate thinking that there'll be no new VMPS designs. No new Live-vs-Recorded demo's at CES. No new dry-witted posts from Brian here at AudioCircle. But, I hate, most of all, thinking that there's no Brian now...

I do fondly remember meeting Brian, at CES, when Brian introduced his RM-30's. I remember a man of few words. It struck then that Brian was willing to let his designs speak for him. That he was happy, if the listener was happy. Simple as that! That's a rare quality, today or at any time.

One final thought, that makes me happy. We can keep Brian alive. As long as we post here, share stories about Brian, still ask questions when they arise, and simply relay our enjoyment of Brian's creations, Brian will always retain a place in our hearts! And that, I don't hate...

Love and Best Wishes, to Brian's Family, and to all of his Fans,

Stewart

Captain Humble · « **Reply #74 on:** 8 Dec 2012, 05:53 pm »

R.I.P. Brian.
Condolences to your family.

thunderbrick · « **Reply #75 on:** 8 Dec 2012, 06:34 pm »

Audio will come, and audio will go. Keep in mind that the greatest loss is to his family.

Shear Bliss · « **Reply #76 on:** 8 Dec 2012, 08:09 pm »

Very sad to hear as Brian was our guiding light and will always be to us lucky VMPS owners. Gods speed big B.

Chris from Lafayette · « **Reply #77 on:** 8 Dec 2012, 08:43 pm »

Just a edit of what I previously posted on Audio Asylum:

They don't make guys like Big B anymore - a real design innovator with both a knowledgeable ear for music and a real appreciation of value in the items he sold. I've had my RM-2's for years and will not part with them.

The last time I saw Brian was this Spring when we (and our wives) flew down to LA to see Dudamel conduct the Frank Gehry staging of Mozart's "Don Giovanni". The Walt Disney Hall production left a lot to be desired, but the company of Brian and Shirley was stimulating to say the least. Many people don't realize what a font of Disney-knowledge Brian was, and during a chauffeured tour of Hollywood (I was the chauffeur!), Brian regaled us with stories and anecdotes about growing up almost as part of the Disney family. (His mom worked for the company, and he had all kinds of interesting "insider" information.) Little did I know that that trip would be the last time I would see him - it's so sad, because he wasn't that old.

I was also part of his "live vs. recorded" demo at The High End Show in Las Vegas a couple of years ago - what a daring concept (although I realize that similar demos had been done many years before under different circumstances)! As another poster noted, Brian's demos never received the amount of coverage in the audio press that they deserved. I'll never forget Brian's visits to my house to practice his cymbal parts for our looney arrangement of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. Nor will I forget one poster's comment (at another site) about those performances (". . . and the musicians were A LOT BETTER than I thought they were going to be!").

Anyway, hail and farewell, Brian. You made a lot of folks happy during your time here!

Darac · « **Reply #78 on:** 8 Dec 2012, 10:17 pm »

Very sad news, with Brian one special generation of designers go to the heaven. R.I.P.

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #79 on:** 9 Dec 2012, 12:22 am »

Rest in peace Sir.