First VMPS Experience, the Novel

SWG255 · « **Reply #20 on:** 16 Dec 2003, 04:04 pm »

I have some recordings of friends playing "guitar jazz" in a basement studio which I'm very familiar with, both as reproduced sound, and as live sound in the recording venue. My RM40s present the sound of that particular drum kit better than ANY other speaker I've auditioned it on. This includes the leading attack of the toms, the ringing of the cymbals, and the "buzz" of the snare as it sympathetically vibrates when other drums are struck. The kick has fabulous speed and good depth. Perhaps the impact would be improved with a VMPS larger sub, but at the listening levels I've tried so far, I don't find the sound from my RM40s wanting for impact. I have the FST and TRT. I'm also using the Carver ZR1600 amp, and it really does seem to grab the RM40 woofers and keep them under control, even at 95+ dB SPL.

I also have to agree with Tyson, this is the best all around speaker for any kind of music for anywhere near the money I spent on it. I too am particularly impressed with its ability to reproduce classical music, from solo cello to a full symphony.

So, to answer the question asked of Redbone above, I would do it again in a heartbeat!

lkosova · « **Reply #21 on:** 16 Dec 2003, 04:13 pm »

swg25,

The setup I listened to was not mine,so you are probably more correct then I. But in this room the larger sub made it shine.

Larry

SWG255 · « **Reply #22 on:** 16 Dec 2003, 04:43 pm »

I have no doubt that a VMPS Larger sub may add impact to the RM40s, but I don't miss that impact yet in my room. I've owned several speakers over the years with sub-30 Hz. frequency response, and the RM40 has nothing to be ashamed of in that region. In fact, I feel I'm hearing things in the bass more clearly than with any other speaker I've owned. If Brian delivers this kind of detail and control with his subwoofers, then they must be truly remarkable indeed!

Quote from: lkosova

swg25,

The setup I listened to was not mine,so you are probably more correct then I. But in this room the larger sub made it shine.

Larry

lkosova · « **Reply #23 on:** 16 Dec 2003, 04:49 pm »

He does and they are!!!

Larry

Q · « **Reply #24 on:** 16 Dec 2003, 06:00 pm »

Thanks for the input.
neither of my auditions of the RM40 were in a properly setup room, I DO know that.
Question now is: RM30s with subs, or RM40s??

I currently have the Legacy Pacemaker Sub, and it does a great job in the low end. However, I really prefer stereo subs...bass IS directional when you excite other things around the sub and the sub cabinet into harmonics. It drives me crazy to hear more bass in one ear than the other. And to put your sub in the center of a HT is usually impossible. Plus, I probably would like to cross the subs over at freqs that begin to be directional. One more point is that mono bass can cancel signals that approach out of phase, so you may be missing some bass info during playback. Hell, maybe I'll just go with a pair of largers, and a pair of 40s! (but that means i need crossovers and an amp)

doug s. · « **Reply #25 on:** 16 Dec 2003, 07:07 pm »

the rm40's have been on my short-list for some time now. (budget is an issue...) so now the rm30's are also on the list. in any event, if i were to get the rm-40's i certainly wouldn't consider unloading my larger subs...

doug s.

Redbone · « **Reply #26 on:** 16 Dec 2003, 11:10 pm »

Okay, so I'm a freakin idiot. Sometimes I wonder what I'm doing with speakers like this in the first place. I just hooked up my old speakers for a sound check, no sound. Huh ?

To make a long story a bit shorter, I installed these speaker cables over 10 years ago when I bought the house. I soldered the ends (with electrical solder I hope) to keep them clean but they are quite tarnished now. So I cut off the old ends of the cables and stripped off about 3/4" of clean, shiny copper wire. What a difference ! The volume is much louder (on the RM40s) at the same setting. My amp can now drive the speakers. Cables can make a huge difference. I will install a new set of cables shortly. Wow, it just never occured to me. Anyone out there with old cables, I highly recommend replacing them or at least resurfacing the ends.

This is really turning into quite an experience. I suspect that a good amp(s) is going to make a bit of difference also. Right now I am looking at a QSC RMX 1850HD for the bass. Any comments or suggestions ? I believe that I have already stated how stubborn I am but if someone had of mentioned checking the cables I would have probably gotten around to it a bit sooner. Well, I guess I can't blame anyone but myself.

lkosova · « **Reply #27 on:** 16 Dec 2003, 11:24 pm »

Redbone,

Funny story and good amp.

Larry

Tyson · « **Reply #28 on:** 16 Dec 2003, 11:54 pm »

Some people insist that cables make no difference. Likely they are not listening to speakers as revealing as the 40's.

covermye · « **Reply #29 on:** 17 Dec 2003, 11:56 am »

Redbone,
I recently purchased a used Odyssey Stratos with the cap upgrade, and also replaced my DIY-type cables with Odyssey's own Groneberg interconnects and speaker cables. I also had Klaus make me a short pair of "jumpers" to bypass the biamp switch on the speakers.

The difference is so incredible that it's hard to put into words. I've had the flu all of the last week and the worst part isn't the way I feel (although I feel like crap), it's that my head's so stuffed up I can't enjoy my new equipment for a whole week!

I don't know what your $$ threshold is, but if you haven't heard the Odyssey, I suggest you give it a shot. You can find a used one for around $800 or less with a cap upgrade, it has a transferrable 20 year warranty, and it widely considered one of (if not the best) bang/buck amplifier in hi-fi...

Redbone · « **Reply #30 on:** 17 Dec 2003, 02:41 pm »

Quote from: covermye

Redbone,
I recently purchased a used Odyssey Stratos with the cap upgrade, and also replaced my DIY-type cables with Odyssey's own Groneberg interconnects and speaker cables. I also had Klaus make me a short pair of "jumpers" to bypass the biamp switch on the speakers.

The difference is so incredible that it's hard to put into words. I've had the flu all of the last week and the worst part isn't the way I feel (although I feel like crap), it's that my head's so stuffed up I can't enjoy my new ...

Thanks covermye, this is exactly the kind of info that I am looking for. My sympathies on the flu, I've had a mild cold the last week and know what you are saying about the hearing. I'm still a bit shocked at how big a difference just refinishing the end of my old cables made. It should be part of the install instructions that come with the speakers, IMO.

SWG255 · « **Reply #31 on:** 18 Dec 2003, 01:26 am »

Redbone,

Hearing your story has enboldened me to chime in with my wiring story and my RM40s. When I received the speakers, they had the smaller pedestals installed, and they weren't stable on my carpet. Brian sent me a pair of the larger pedestals, which a friend and I installed on the RM40s last Friday evening.

When my friend disconnected the speaker cables from the left-hand RM40, he noticed that the bi-wire jumpers were wired out of phase as compared to the main connection. This was also out of phase as compared to the right-hand speaker. A different friend helped me wire the RM40s up after he and I unpacked and positioned them fresh off the truck.

During the two weeks (approx.) that I was living with the speakers mis-wired, I'd been complaining that i couldn't get a center image. I had a very solid, albeit not very large, right-of-center image with the speakers. Fixing the bi-wire jumpers solved this problem, I now have a rock-solid, spacious and open center image from the RM40S. In addition, I have substantially more mid-bass output from the system. I think it is a major credit to the quality of the sound coming from the RM40s that I thought they sounded fantastic in terms of instrumental detail and tambre even crippled in this manner. I don't know how long I'd have lived with the imaging problem, I wasn't ready to fine tune their positioning in my listening room until I got the larger pedestals, so all the pieces of the puzzle just fell into place.

I don't see very well, and therefore I missed the mis-wiring, and my first friend isn't an audiophile, and he didn't get the hang of how to wire the bi-wire jumpers.

Not only do the wires matter, but connecting them correctly is a good idea too. If I could get the hang of those immodicon/icon things on the left of this message, I guess I'd need a red-faced icon or two!

Quote from: Redbone

Okay, so I'm a freakin idiot. Sometimes I wonder what I'm doing with speakers like this in the first place. I just hooked up my old speakers for a sound check, no sound. Huh ?

To make a long story a bit shorter, I installed these speaker cables over 10 years ago when I bought the house. I soldered the ends (with electrical solder I hope) to keep them clean but they are quite tarnished now. So I cut off the old ends of the cables and stripped off about 3/4" of clean, shiny copper wire. What a diff ...