"This is a Component of Exceptional Merit"

Brian Cheney · « **on:** 30 Nov 2004, 06:51 pm »

Marty deWulf in Bound for Sound #160 Nov 04 about the updated RM 40:

"One of the best speakers in the world has just gotten better....improved by refining it in meaningful ways, ways that most speaker manufacturers don't recognize, or at least can't duplicate...."

Get Issue #160 from Bound for Sound, price $3.50, from DeWulf Publishing, 108 E Division St Kewanee Il 61443.

I wonder what other Components of Exceptional Merit make the list with the new RM 40's? Marty?

Hantra · « **Reply #1 on:** 30 Nov 2004, 07:02 pm »

Impressive recommendation.

Congrats!

John Casler · « **Reply #2 on:** 1 Dec 2004, 12:15 am »

Quote from: Hantra

Impressive recommendation.

Congrats!

Of course "DITTO" from me.

Campindog · « **Reply #3 on:** 1 Dec 2004, 02:39 am »

All of Brian's ribbon models are "Components of Exceptional Merit" at different price points. Somehow I found myself with 5 channels of VMPS when I wasn't even looking to swap speakers

Well done Brian

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #4 on:** 2 Dec 2004, 01:23 am »

The following upgrades were included in Marty's RM40's:
mls rosewood cabinet
FST tweeter
6.9kHz treble xover
TRT caps
vitrified PR cone
toggle switch eliminated

ctviggen · « **Reply #5 on:** 2 Dec 2004, 01:29 am »

How about the lambswool?

meilankev · « **Reply #6 on:** 2 Dec 2004, 03:28 am »

Brian,

Congratulations on yet another rave review of one of your products. Although I don't think anyone can make me feel any better about my speakers than I already do, it always makes me happy to see you get the praise you deserve for your work.

I admire your ability to press on in the "world of turmoil" that you (and your company) try to do business in. It appears there's a flock of vultures who just sit and wait until they see an opportunity to badmouth your products and/or you personally. I would have thrown in the towel a long time ago.

These times of relative calm are so refreshing.

Kevin

Tyson · « **Reply #7 on:** 2 Dec 2004, 03:58 am »

Listening to Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto #4 on my Auricaped RM40's w/FST tweeter & vitrified PR's right now. What can I say other than I have no desire to change anything, I just sit here night after night enjoying my music collection.

Jay S · « **Reply #8 on:** 2 Dec 2004, 04:26 am »

Quote from: Tyson

Listening to Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto #4 on my Auricaped RM40's w/FST tweeter & vitrified PR's right now. What can I say other than I have no desire to change anything, I just sit here night after night enjoying my music collection.

... share a great musical experience with an SO while sipping a fine single malt and life doesn't get much better!

jermmd · « **Reply #9 on:** 2 Dec 2004, 04:36 am »

Is the 6.9Khz treble crossover an upgrade? Where is the normal treble crossover set and if 6.9Khz is better, why wouldn't it be standard (or cost more)?

Joe M.

Tyson · « **Reply #10 on:** 2 Dec 2004, 04:37 am »

Speaking of fine single malt, you gotta try the Clynelish 14 year old and the Old Pulteney 12 year old. Two amazing bargains I recently stumbled across and am enjoying the heck out of!

John Casler · « **Reply #11 on:** 2 Dec 2004, 05:15 am »

Quote from: meilankev

Brian,

Congratulations on yet another rave review of one of your products. Although I don't think anyone can make me feel any better about my speakers than I already do, it always makes me happy to see you get the praise you deserve for your work.

I admire your ability to press on in the "world of turmoil" that you (and your company) try to do business in. It appears there's a flock of vultures who just sit and wait until they see an opportunity to badmouth your products and/or you personally ...

Kevin this is an excellent sentiment, and as one who knows Brian pretty well, you hit the nail on the head.

More than once in a private setting, Big B, has gotten around to his serious side (believe it or not) and his underlying and constant goal is to produce and offer what "he thinks" is a total speaker product that is worth multiple times what he charges for it.

While beauty (in this case) is in the "ear" of the beholder, I think he succeeds quite admirably and occasionally awards and reviews like the ones we have seen over the last couple years bear that out.

In a world of "specific" rules and guidlines which make many expensive top offerings sound very similar, the "Sonic Sorcerer from El Sobrante" still works his magic the old fashion way, by listening to, and tuning each speaker he makes.

For those who get "sprinkled" with "VMPS dust", it is darn near impossible to listen to anything else, and enjoy it as much, if you have had an opportunity to have heard them at their best.

Think about it. Most speaker manufacturers give you a choice of model and finish. Big B, gives you that, plus cap options, driver options, soundcoat and wiring options, and in some cases will even modify the speaker to your specific request (such as extra binding posts)

And then....when you get your speakers home, ya get to "play" with them. While other speaker manuals suggest where to place the speaker for best results, VMPS has L-pad adjustments and damping adjustments to the MR/HF drivers and Passive Radiator's putty.

Most of that "point to point" soldering and X-over windings are perfromed by none other than the Maestro himself. So each one of you have a little B, inside that speaker, and luckily it leaks out each time you light them up

So Gentlemen, smokem if ya gottem

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #12 on:** 2 Dec 2004, 03:57 pm »

Marty's new RM40's did not have the lambswool.

ctviggen · « **Reply #13 on:** 2 Dec 2004, 04:49 pm »

Speaking of binding posts, is there an easy way to get them closer? On both my RM40s and my RM30C, I had to cut apart my biamped cable in order to get the cable to fit the widely-spaced posts. (And I don't care about this too much -- I never see the cable anyway, but it would make it easier to get cable on the binding posts.)

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #14 on:** 2 Dec 2004, 07:39 pm »

Our binding posts have the industry-standard 3/4" spacing. Anything closer risks shorting out today's 1/3" spades.

shokunin · « **Reply #15 on:** 2 Dec 2004, 07:52 pm »

Quote from: Brian Cheney

Our binding posts have the industry-standard 3/4" spacing. Anything closer risks shorting out today's 1/3" spades.

I think Bob was wondering about the vertical spacing between the upper and lower sets of binding posts. I know from my previous set of bi-wire cables that it was a tight fit.

zybar · « **Reply #16 on:** 2 Dec 2004, 08:14 pm »

To be safe, you need to have 11" jumpers or that much space between sets on a bi-wire pair of cables.

You also need to factor in that the posts are near the recess walls and accordingly that might dictate how you can attach to them.

George

ctviggen · « **Reply #17 on:** 2 Dec 2004, 08:27 pm »

Oops! Sorry for being so unclear. I didn't mean the width of them, but the distance between sets of jumpers. And, George brings up a good point about how close they are to the cutouts. I had to cut the casing holding my speaker wire together, then tape the casing back on with tape (I used electrical tape). The good news is that I've done this twice so far (once with copper cables and once with silver/copper cables), so I probably won't be doing it for a long time.

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #18 on:** 3 Dec 2004, 04:16 pm »

jermmd:

The treble crossover was moved from 10kHz to 6.9 kHz to take advanctage of the FST's superior LF response and improve the directivity of the system in the 5 to 10kHz range.
There is no extra cost involved. All FST speakers now have this hinge point.

rlcordeiro · « **Reply #19 on:** 3 Dec 2004, 04:52 pm »

Brian,
When did you change the treble crossover? I got my RM-40's with the FST's and TRT caps last december. What would I need to do to accomplish this upgrade and would it really make that much of a difference?