35 Years of VMPS

Brian Cheney · « **on:** 30 Dec 2011, 06:10 pm »

Jan 2012 marks the 35th anniversary of our first product shipment to dealers, in the first month of 1977. Our first CES Show was in June of that year, at the Bismark Hotel in Chicago, and I still have the exhibitor list. Most of these companies are long departed, but others (such as Van Alstine, Thiel, MacIntosh) endure, though not all are under the same management or ownership, as is the case with my company.

In celebration we have revamped our website and invite contributions from any of our 23,000 owners who would like to comment. I will select as many as possible for permanent posting on the site.

Don_S · « **Reply #1 on:** 30 Dec 2011, 06:20 pm »

Brian,

Congratulations and best wishes for the next 35 years.

Phil A · « **Reply #2 on:** 30 Dec 2011, 06:28 pm »

Congrats!! - Yes, lots of companies have come and gone over the past 35 years

Mike B. · « **Reply #3 on:** 30 Dec 2011, 06:29 pm »

congratulations Brian. My first remembrance of VMPS was the small ads in Audio Magazine.

wywires · « **Reply #4 on:** 30 Dec 2011, 06:35 pm »

Congratulations Brian! Here's wishing for a whole lot more years of VMPS. See you on set up day.

fredgarvin · « **Reply #5 on:** 30 Dec 2011, 07:07 pm »

The new website is great, easy to use and looks good. Congrats.

John Casler · « **Reply #6 on:** 30 Dec 2011, 07:27 pm »

Seems like only yesterday as I read through AUDIO mag and stopped at the VMPS ads in the back, lusting after those monoliths os sonic splendor (or at least that is how I imagined them).

I'd have to check back and see when I actually purchased my first VMPS gear and became a dealer, but it was at least 1993 or so. Could it be 18 years?

Then came Harmonic Dischord and the old forum, which was a precursor to Audio Circle.

What a rowdy bunch we had back then.

Congratulations B, on 35 years. Look forward to many more.

Rocket_Ronny · « **Reply #7 on:** 30 Dec 2011, 07:48 pm »

Thanks for sharing. One of the great American audio companies.

Just goes to show what drive, persistence, and great products can do.

Rocket_Ronny

Early B. · « **Reply #8 on:** 30 Dec 2011, 07:49 pm »

Wow! Congrats as you celebrate your 35th anniversary. I'm still impressed with my VMPS speakers.

John Casler · « **Reply #9 on:** 30 Dec 2011, 08:02 pm »

To visit the new WEBSITE CLICK HERE

buddyiramae · « **Reply #10 on:** 30 Dec 2011, 09:03 pm »

What a great company! Even as of last night, while listening to the original Super Tower/R, I was moved & swore never to replace them. I have owned them since 1990 & always kept going back to them after every upgrade. Gone through Vandies, Infinity IRS, Gammas, JBL 250, many Maggies. In the end I go back to the VMPS. Brian, thank you for the speakers & your time & effort. Congratulations!

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #11 on:** 31 Dec 2011, 10:14 pm »

Thanks for the kind words. This week we refurbished a 25 year old pair of Tower II with NOS parts and modern crossover filters, and the results were very gratifying. Customer spent $1100pr and got SOTA sound.

Rclark · « **Reply #12 on:** 31 Dec 2011, 10:55 pm »

Get more distribution so we can actually buy your stuff!

rbbert · « **Reply #13 on:** 1 Jan 2012, 01:09 am »

A couple of comments on the new website.

It would be helpful to identify the location of the mid and treble pots, respectively, on the backs of the models which have them. A logical place would be in the "tuning" section where the passive radiator mass loading and trimming the aforementioned pots is discussed.

Unless I missed it, there is no detailed discussion of the tweeters in the RM50, or for that matter whether the new CDWG's are applied to any of the drivers on that model.

Although there is ample discussion of the new CDWG'S in some parts of the site, the pages for individual speaker models sometimes picture the old CDWG'S's, and I don't think any of them mention or picture the new CDWG's. Also, many models are pictured with grill cloth?

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #14 on:** 1 Jan 2012, 07:34 pm »

We will be updating the pictures on the new sites in the next few weeks. Thanks for pointing out some areas of need.

In 1995 we had 35 dealers in the US. As of today, not one is still in business. Most B&M retailers do not need another speaker line, and those that do are usually unwilling to pay with order (we do not offer credit terms). So, distribution will remain limited. Marketing was never a strong suit with me in any case.

rbbert · « **Reply #15 on:** 1 Jan 2012, 08:17 pm »

Since you are primary web-based now, some sort of reasonably up-to-date price list would seem a good idea as well.

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #16 on:** 1 Jan 2012, 11:26 pm »

"Update Price List" added to my To Do list.

John Casler · « **Reply #17 on:** 1 Jan 2012, 11:45 pm »

Quote from: Rclark on 31 Dec 2011, 10:55 pm

Get more distribution so we can actually buy your stuff!

Actually VMPS is quite easy to buy, either "direct" or through the small dealers and owner agents.

We take orders every day.

Quite likely the reason VMPS is still around after 35 years, is the marketing platform. Many of the audio companies of the past were "brought down" by large shipped orders to big retailers or distributors who filed various chapters and created insurmountable loss for small companies.

But you can easily order any of the models.

Rclark · « **Reply #18 on:** 2 Jan 2012, 12:08 am »

No, it's just that freight shipping on an approx $500 VMPS sub is not very attractive. I'm forced to look at other options. More subwoofer, less shipping cost in the deal. I understand that ultimately it might be worth it, but in the end I want to run potentially 4 subs, at least two, and the thought of how much the shipping would be on all that is a tough pill to swallow.

John Casler · « **Reply #19 on:** 2 Jan 2012, 12:16 am »

Quote from: rbbert on 1 Jan 2012, 01:09 am

A couple of comments on the new website.

It would be helpful to identify the location of the mid and treble pots, respectively, on the backs of the models which have them. A logical place would be in the "tuning" section where the passive radiator mass loading and trimming the aforementioned pots is discussed.

You can also find VMPS Set-up Guidelies HERE

Quote

Unless I missed it, there is no detailed discussion of the tweeters in the RM50, or for that matter whether the new CDWG's are applied to any of the drivers on that model.

While B, can explain the ins and outs od comb filtering and such, the CDWG's work best in Single Line Arrays. The RM50 is a DUAL LINE Array Bipole and as such already has excellent dispersion laterally/horizontally.

However the posterior pole of the RM50 "DOES" employ the CDWG since it is a single line arrary.

Quote

Although there is ample discussion of the new CDWG'S in some parts of the site, the pages for individual speaker models sometimes picture the old CDWG'S's, and I don't think any of them mention or picture the new CDWG's. Also, many models are pictured with grill cloth?

If you peruse the new website, you will see VMPS models with and without CDWG's and with and without Grills. All VMPS speakers can be ordered with and or without CDWG's, depending on your specific use.