[John Casler]

Brian has ask me to post a sticky listing some of the "reviews" of our speakers.

So clicking on the links below will take you to those reviews:

12/12/04 VMPS  RM30 loudspeakers

as reviewed by Roger S. Gordon

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue16/vmpsrm30.htm


The New RM30 by Frank Alles from Stereo Times

http://www.stereotimes.com/speak091204.shtm

The New Brian Cheney Signature Edition 626R review by John Beavers from Positive Feedback Online

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue15/vmps626R.htm

The 626R (non-BCSE) review by Steve Lefkowicz from Positive Feedback Online

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue9/vmps.htm

The RM40 by Marty DeWulf from Bound for Sound

http://www.vmpsaudio.com/wulf.htm

The RM40 by Peter Montcrief from the International Audio Review

http://www.iar-80.com/page47.html

The RM2 by Steve Lefkowicz in Listener Magazine

http://www.vmpsaudio.com/listener.htm



More coming soon

Below is the text to the Bound For Sound Update by Marty DeWulf.

Information on Bound For Sound can be found here:

http://www.boundforsound.com/currIssue.htm

, A month or two ago I made mention that I was receiving the new and improved version of the VMPS RM40. It has arrived. The improvements to the speaker include a new ribbon tweeter, a new low pass filter for the four planar magnetic drivers per side and a new cabinet. The price of the new RM40 is now $6,600. When I think about how "little" $6,600 will get you in this industry when it comes to some things, and how easily some reviewers heap praise on overpriced techno-boxes being passed off as high-end devices, I cringe. Yet, this speaker seems to be worth every penny VMPS is charging for it, and then some!

The new cabinet is absolutely gorgeous. Finished on all sides, save the bottom and back, in a deep rosewood, the speaker now looks every bit as good as it sounds. Small visual things like recessing the planar drivers adds a finished appearance to the speaker even with the grills off. It now looks high-end beautiful, whereas, prior to this latest makeover, it looked more like high-end industrial.

Sonically, the speaker does sound different. Remember the bit of harshness I spoke of in the upper mids/treble in the original review? I wrote that letting the midrange drivers go all the way up to 10 kHz was too high, in effect, getting the drivers into a bit of trouble. Brian Cheney responded to my comment by reassessing the sonics in that range, and lowering the high frequency cut off to somewhere around 6.9 kHz. Nice improvement. Now, there seems to be less unattributed activity in the upper ranges - it's less busy sounding. The result being the sensation of less grain, though in all fairness, the speakers never sounded grainy before...they're just less so now. Add to that a slightly changed spectral tilt where the overall balance is a little warmer, a little fuller, and a little more balanced in the lower frequencies. The speaker now sounds slightly more relaxed and a little more natural from the top to the bottom. Whereas, I often used an added subwoofer with the old RM40 just to fill things in a bit, and add the finishing touch in the lowest bass, this new speaker seems to need neither. It is so supremely balanced from top to bottom that firing up the sub would seem to be an exercise in meaningless overkill.

Break-in takes a while. Out of the crates, the speakers start off as too hot for my tastes. As the drivers get used to making music they become easier to listen to. Still, I had to turn the tweeter and midrange controls down a bit to get the most natural response characteristics in my listening room. You may have to do the same. The important thing is not to come to hasty conclusions. The mid and tweeter controls are there for a purpose; don't be afraid to use them. But, use them sensibly. The speakers come with excellent instructions regarding the room controls; let them walk you through the process. It's a piece of cake.

VMPS has taken what I consider to be one of the finest speakers on the market, and made it better! The first RM40 was groundbreaking in its ability to combine imaging, bass response and dynamic capabilities into a single package that sold for $4,200 - $5,400 (depending on the options chosen). At that time, it easily outdistanced the ultra-hype speakers touted in so many magazines and cyber web places. There is a reason that many of the speakers considered the darlings of the glossy press don't show up here - they don't sound good; at least not when compared to the VMPS RM40 or, for that matter, the Gallo Reference MkIII. This latest version of the RM40 is better yet. With what was already an exceptional speaker, they have taken the next step musically. They have improved it by refining it in meaningful ways, ways that most speaker manufacturers apparently don't recognize, or a least can't duplicate. One of the best speakers in the world has just gotten better. This is a Component of Exceptional Merit.