super tower 3 on bay area c/l

Berndt · « **on:** 12 Jan 2007, 05:30 pm »

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/ele/260796715.html

I've never seen these before, a 20k speaker for 1500$?
What vintage are these?

refmedia · « **Reply #1 on:** 14 Jan 2007, 10:29 pm »

Thanks Berndt for the tip! I was lucky enough to call in time and bought these on Saturday from a fine gentleman named Art. Art unfortunately hit the WAF wall sometime ago and these were soaking up his garage for a few years. Luckily I have WAF approval. They are huge (6ft 6in Tall) and my first VMPS full range speakers. Though I am familar with VMPS as I have used two larger subs for a few years. The subs are super fantastic IMHO and basically these speakers have the similar driver compliment in the bass. These are the older Tower III's that listed for about $5k back in about 1990. The pair in question is in really great condition with a few minor scratches on the light oak venner, certainly amazing actually for 15+ year old speakers this size. All the 28 drivers and 6 L-pads work though a little sticky. I am currently Bi amping with a Bryston 9bst and tried single wire and really Bi amping is significantly better all around. The tweaking has really just begun. Well needless to say the Bass output as I had expected is wonderful. The speakers outperformed any expectations I had as they are way more room friendly than I could have possibly Imagined. I guess I thought that cause they are so big they would be too much for my 15 by 22 by 8 room. I am very happy aa a more detailed review to follow as I dial in the sound. Thanks again Berndt and let me know if you would like to come by for a listen.
Matt

audiochef · « **Reply #2 on:** 15 Jan 2007, 08:01 pm »

Matt, would you please post some pictures for us to see.

thanks. Stan

John Casler · « **Reply #3 on:** 15 Jan 2007, 08:13 pm »

Hi Matt,

What a SCORE!!

Those are Classic VMPS, and the foundation for what VMPS is today.

refmedia · « **Reply #4 on:** 16 Jan 2007, 12:58 am »

These Super Tower III's really are amazing! Let's see if I can get this picture thing to work!

refmedia · « **Reply #5 on:** 16 Jan 2007, 01:33 am »

Here are some more pics for now

refmedia · « **Reply #6 on:** 16 Jan 2007, 01:39 am »

Super Tweeters

refmedia · « **Reply #7 on:** 16 Jan 2007, 01:40 am »

Focal Tweeters

refmedia · « **Reply #8 on:** 16 Jan 2007, 01:41 am »

5 inch and a quarter

refmedia · « **Reply #9 on:** 16 Jan 2007, 01:42 am »

10 inch

refmedia · « **Reply #10 on:** 16 Jan 2007, 01:44 am »

12 inch

refmedia · « **Reply #11 on:** 16 Jan 2007, 01:45 am »

15 inch

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #12 on:** 16 Jan 2007, 03:09 am »

Quote from: refmedia on 16 Jan 2007, 01:33 am

Here are some more pics for now

Looks like you got a great deal for $1,500.00....wow !!!

warnerwh · « **Reply #13 on:** 16 Jan 2007, 03:21 am »

That's a heck of alot of speaker for 1.500. They probably sound good too. Nice deal you got there.

Berndt · « **Reply #14 on:** 16 Jan 2007, 03:36 am »

congrats!
I must say I love C/L!

Berndt · « **Reply #15 on:** 16 Jan 2007, 04:26 am »

Quote from: refmedia on 14 Jan 2007, 10:29 pm

Thanks Berndt for the tip! Thanks again Berndt and let me know if you would like to come by for a listen.
Matt

Ahh, a new member for the NORCAL circle.
I'd love to visit, pray tell what is the rest of your system?
Perhaps we could have a norcal meeting at your place?

refmedia · « **Reply #16 on:** 16 Jan 2007, 04:40 am »

Listening to music and still tweaking the system... lot to tweak but results are easy to achieve really. My system is very modest, in the midst of an upgrade as you can see. Right now Denon 90's cd player into a Behringer minimon as a Pre into four channals unbalanced of a Bryston 9bst with long pro style speaker cable. Nothing fancy I have an Ipod too but CD's sound so much better. The lack of distortion at high volume is really better than most live venues really.
Matt

Se7en · « **Reply #17 on:** 16 Jan 2007, 05:54 am »

Thanks for posting those pics! They look amazingly clean for their age. Nice find!

refmedia · « **Reply #18 on:** 17 Jan 2007, 05:24 pm »

Thanks for all the great responses folks nice to get reassurance about this purchace from people in the know. Well I must say what a wonderful experience I am having with the VMPS Super Tower III's. Even after only a few days I am completely blown away and already brought a couple of people to tears. I have been in the professional audio video business for twenty years in numerous capacities and heard, seen and used alot of gear. The VMPS products that I am familar with are the larger subs and these tower 3's (I heard the RM40's at CES in 03 as well) the value and performance are on par with any equipment of any kind I have come across especially in audio. Most good gear is not always the best value IMHO and obviously there are acceptions VMPS being one of them. Typically the best gear I have experienced that has good performance is really expensive like select models from manufacturers including Meyer, L'acoustics, Tannoy, Christie, Barco, Runco, Neumann, Schoeps, DPA, Meridian, Krell and many more.
I am a bass freak and for the life of me can't figure out how so many sound systems have none or just crappy bass. Bass output in most home speakers is a distorted mess and most pro speakers usually have horrible peaking bass as well. I have not even gotten to fully tweak the passive radiators on the Towers yet and the bass in my room is as clean and deep as I have ever heard ever (yea that is two ever's). The next experiment will be to add two larger subs to the system just cause we can... probably not nececary though... should go deep huh. I will keep updating as I can but I am really busy these days.

Any VMPS fence straddlers out there should take the plunge and get in. One word or warning you will never go back to crappy @ss bass again.

Oh and Thanks Brian for making such enjoyable speakers!
Matt

James Romeyn · « **Reply #19 on:** 22 Jan 2007, 08:57 am »

Brian should remember best, but I'm pretty sure they were between $4500 & $5500 msrp/pr. The $20k/pr msrp applies only to the old SuperTower III SRE (Special Ribbon Edition) active model. Similar enclosure size but the SRE enclosure was much thicker, held only four or six active 12s, & the ribbon array attached outboard on the side. Active xo & mandatory biamp of course.

I may well have performed final assembly of the speakers pictured here, unless they were originally kits.

The supertweeter is a Foster, domes are of course Focal inverted fiberglass T90 or maybe T120 (can't remember for sure) & all the cones are proprietary vmps. I always preferred the fiberglass Focal vs. the kevlar.

Those suckers rock. Better have snacks & pop ready to make buddies w/ the cops, who you may get to know on a first name basis!