[dltonya]

I've had my RM40's for a few months now.  They were the single greatest audio improvement I've ever made to my system.  My system also consists of a Krell Showcase 7.1 pre/pro with biamplification from a Classe 101 (treble,mid) and an Acurus 250a (bass).  My input was a Pioneer DV47a running through an Outlaw ICBM for analog or digitally to the Krell so that I could make use of my VMPS Larger Sub.  I thought this was an incredible sounding system.

However, I wanted a warmer sound to my system and purchased an Opera Audio Consonance Reference 2.2 CD Player.  I'm still keeping the Pioneer for DVDa/SACD, so I hooked this player up in a way that runs the RM40's full range.

The first time I kicked off the Consonance was with the solid state XLR outputs and I was simply amazed not only by the cd player but by the RM40's as well.  I didn't realize that the Outlaw ICBM was actually robbing me of audio performance.  Running the RM40's full range without the Larger Sub almost stunned me in how much bass the RM40's could put out on their own.  I definitely prefer running the RM40's full range without the Larger Sub in the chain.

The real fun began when the tube in the Consonance came up to temp.  I switched over to the unbalanced RCA outputs and heard the RM40's sing to me in a way I have never, ever heard before from any high dollar setup from any of the boutique music shops I've visited in the past.  The midrange, especially the vocals and guitars had a stage presence that was almost indescribable.  I heard details and nuances to performances I had never heard with the Pioneer/Outlaw/Krell analog pathway or the Pioneer/Krell digital pathway before.  At the same time, I heard the RM40's render audio detail in a way that absolutely blew my mind.  BTW, crank up Dire Straits album "On Every Street", I found it to be one of my best test discs for this setup.

If I thought I was impressed by the RM40's before, I'm even more impressed now.  Thanks to the Consonance cd player, I've discovered a new level of audio nirvana I've never thought possible.  I know that system matching is an important part of a reference system, especially now that I've found the perfect compliment to the RM40's in the Consonance Reference 2.2 CD Player.  I honestly cannot stop listening to my CD collection and at one point discovered that I had been listing to discs for 5.5 hours straight!  Everything is new again and as an audiophile, I can't ask for anything more than that.

Sorry for the rambling, just thought I'd share my newly found slice of audio nirvana.

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/consonancelinear/reference_2.html

[john1970]

Thank you for the RM40 review.  I will be receiveing mine within the next few weeks (ordered on Feb. 27).  I can't wait....

[John Casler]

 Sorry for the rambling, just thought I'd share my newly found slice of audio nirvana.
...

Looks like you made friends with Your Sonic FAST

I found mine yesterday morning

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=26461

He has some very room filling, electrifying bass

Glad to hear the RM40s are Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bassy!!

[dltonya]

Yeah, the RM40's have enough bass to seriously be scary.  Case in point, my room is about 17' x 29' x 7.5' which is a considerable amount of volume.  I was playing Sony's Master Sound version of Pink Floyd's immortal Wish You Were Hear album.  The bass on Welcome to the Machine at the beginning is the kind that brings lesser systems to their knees.  

Not the RM40's, surprisingly.  From my seated position about 14' back there was enough bass to actually make my chest move!  I mean I could definitely feel the air pressure.  Not as severe as when I saw Rush back in 1991, but amazingly similar.  It's not that I listen to things at concert levels, just at a good, loud, clarity level where I can hear all the details.  This was the hardest I've ever driven the bass section since I built the kit back in October.  In some ways, I guess I've been a little cautious getting to this point.  

I definitely prefer running the RM40's full range without the Larger Sub.  I don't know if it is something that the Outlaw ICBM is taking away from the bass using a 40hz cut over to the Larger, but the impact is nowhere near as potent as when running full range.

[Russtafarian]

One way to use the ICBM without compromising sonics is to use it as a low-pass filter only.  In other words, use a y-cable or y-adaptor to run parallel preamp outputs into the ICBM and the main speaker power amps.  The parallel run goes directly to the main amps and doesn't get tampered with by the ICBM at all.  The result is the ICBM outputs feed the sub(s) only, not subs and mains.  

If you need to roll off the bass in your main speakers (as the ICBM high-pass function does), use some passive in-line high pass filters between the interconnects and the inputs of your mains amp.  ACI sells them for about $30 a pair and they sound much more neutral than the ICBM high-pass function.

Russ