[Q_surf]

The beasts are finally in da house.  First impression: they sounded like crap with beaming treble and midrange and really anemic bass.  I removed all the putty from each PR and found that one had about 25% more than the other.  But no putty adjustment seemed to bring out any reasonable amount of bass.  But then finally the bass mysteriously began waking up after over 2 hours of anxiety and furrowed brows - and it happened almost suddenly without any adjustments being made...?

By the time the wife came home 3 hours into it, they were beginning to sound 'good' but still lacking in soundstaging and palpability.  Now unfortunately, I am on a short business trip and only had last night to begin tuning.  There's lots more learning and work to be done!

QUESTIONS

1. These are used and previously tweaked - how much putty does VMPS put in the PR to begin with?  I currently have a 1/2" (rolled ball) in each.

2.  I am running the midrange at 11:45 and treble at 12:00 - does this sound crazy? (concrete floor, semi-bright room).

3.  The factory setup recommends a radical tow-in resulting in a crossover path 1 to 2 feet in front of your listening position.  Do you all agree with this?  (I'm wondering how this can result in a good soundstage)

Thank you in advance for any help/advice,
Quint

[Q_surf]

Just read John's detailed response re: tow-in in the other thread.  I'll be playing with the width as well.

[Marbles]

How far out from the wall do you have them, how far from the side walls?

The closer to the front wall, the more bass you will get.

My guess is that your amplifier is restricting the bass as the woofers need a LOT of current, and not just watts.

[audiochef]

Congradulations Q-surf,

seems to me you're initial impressions are just  a case of  becoming acclimated with the VMPS sound. In time you'll surely come to realize what a great speaker this is. Your pot settings are about dead on for the 40s.

[Q_surf]

How far out from the wall do you have them, how far from the side walls?

The closer to the front wall, the more bass you will get.

My guess is that your amplifier is restricting the bass as the woofers need a LOT of current, and not just watts.

Yeah I thought the same thing and moved them in and out a variety of distances from 10 to 16 inches from the back corners - this had a minimal effect on the bass.  But then mysteriously, they began getting much more dynamic in the bass dept. after I had played them for over 2 hours (this bass metamorphasis happened shockingly fast while jamming to some Crystal Method).  These were supposedly in storage for some time so maybe there was some sort of mini-break-in to go through?  I dunno.  Anywho, the last I heard them, they were presenting bass presence, speed, and dynamics that completely outclassed my previous Dual 12 Legacy sub.

The Adcom 5800 amp will be the next replacement.  Anyone heard the RM40's with the Odyssey Monoblocks (without Extreme makeover)?

[jermmd]

I agree with the toe in recommendation.  You should be able to fix the beaming midrange and treble by lowering the pots.  There really shouldn't be any break in period since the speakers are used.  Do you know if the bass putty was replaced by the original owner (I doubt it).  You may have too little.

Joe M.

[Q_surf]

Congradulations Q-surf,

seems to me you're initial impressions are just  a case of  becoming acclimated with the VMPS sound. In time you'll surely come to realize what a great speaker this is. Your pot settings are about dead on for the 40s.

Thanks audiochef.  Very interesting that you say this.  My previous speak's were the M.L. CLS electrostat panels (which I loved!).  So I do have to completely retrain my ears for listening to dynamic speakers and this is part of my difficulty in determining the proper settings and placements.

I can already tell these are only limited by room, source and setup so I am confident that I will be able to adjust out the problems I am still hearing.

Cheers

[Q_surf]

I agree with the toe in recommendation.  You should be able to fix the beaming midrange and treble by lowering the pots.  There really shouldn't be any break in period since the speakers are used.  Do you know if the bass putty was replaced by the original owner (I doubt it).  You may have too little.

Joe M.

Yeah, the pot settings were set really high and as I mentioned the putty was 25% more in one of them - so they were bound to sound like crap initially.  Not sure how or why the bass took so long to arrive - but I was extremely happy when it did!

How much putty does VMPS put in to begin with???  (measured circumference of a rolled up ball).  I will be vitrifying the PR's next week.

Cheers,
Quint

[Marbles]

The Adcom 5800 amp will be the next replacement. Anyone heard the RM40's with the Odyssey Monoblocks (without Extreme makeover)?..

I have their biggest baddest brothers, the Symphonic Line Kraft 400 monoblocks and it is a great combo.

I also have a dual mono Odyssey with 626R's and think it is a very good combo.  

I can recommend the RM40's and the Stratus mono's based on this experience.

That used Cinenova Earthquake 5 channel amp in the Traders Circle looks pretty good if you were thinking of a combo 2 channel/HT system as well.

[Q_surf]

I also have a dual mono Odyssey with 626R's and think it is a very good combo.

I can recommend the RM40's and the Stratus mono's based on this experience.

But will the Odyssey mono's 180 watts be enough to 'command' the RM40's?

[Marbles]

Yup, I think so.

I wouldn't worry about watts so much as current, and the Stratos monos have plenty of current.

[Q_surf]

Yup, I think so.

I wouldn't worry about watts so much as current, and the Stratos monos have plenty of current.

Let there be sound!  I just made an offer and ordered a pair - used.  Having them sent to Klaud for bias adjustments and checkout.

Thanks for the advice.
~Q

[Q_surf]

RM40's are now living up to my high hopes and expectations.  Still tweaking with positioning, PR loading, and pots, but finding some radical improvements in the bass extension and dynamics.  Soundstage not yet on par with the CLS's but not that far off either.  In most catagories, they are significantly better than any speaker I've heard.  I think I still have a lot of learning to get these completely dialed in.

Will have the Odyssey Monoblocks within a week - so I expect to need to redo my settings.  120 amps each - yeehaw!!!

Anyone know how much PR clay the 40's come with from the factory (rolled ball circumference)?

[jgubman]

I think Brian says if you get a roll of mortite caulk from a hardware store, measure off 7" and then roll that up.

I *think* that's the factory default.

I know Brian's mentioned this several times around here, do a search on mortite in this forum.

[jgubman]

whoops, 8"

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=11034.msg93346#93346

[SCUBADON]

I would discard the puddy that came with the used RM40's and get new and measure the 8".  That is what I did with my used set.  The cost is less than $5.00.  You will get enough puddy to last a lifetime.

Had a bad water leak at the house from Hurricane Ivan, used some of my left over puddy to fix it.  What a deal!

I could not find it at Lowes or Home Depot.  Found it at Ace Hardware.

Good luck, you are going to love your RM40's.

SCUBADON

[Q_surf]

whoops, 8"

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=11034.msg93346#93346

Thanks!

[Q_surf]

I would discard the puddy that came with the used RM40's and get new and measure the 8".  That is what I did with my used set.  The cost is less than $5.00.  You will get enough puddy to last a lifetime.

Had a bad water leak at the house from Hurricane Ivan, used some of my left over puddy to fix it.  What a deal!

I could not find it at Lowes or Home Depot.  Found it at Ace Hardware.

Good luck, you are going to love your RM40's.

SCUBADON

Thanks SCUBADON.  Will be on the putty prowl after work today.  Based on your 8" recommendations, I strongly suspect that I am putty-deficient (I believe Dr Freud wrote about this issue).

I already love them!  Just ask my eye-rolling wife...

[Q_surf]

Finally located some mortite and found out that the rm40's were slightly underdamped as I received them (used).  Even more bass extension and a little bit better overall integration.  Pretty sure I had some congo's and tenor sax playing in my living room last night...

Does anyone have reservations in keeping the bi-amp wiring hooked up to the top binding posts when switched to playing a single amp?  In my mind these binding posts are switched out of the circuit path so it shouldn't matter.

Selling both of my Adcoms amps and so will have to suffer music-less (boombox?) for days before my monoblocks showup next week.  I guess this is a great time for me to vitrify and wool them.

[Q_surf]

New mono's in and housebroken, lots of adjustments and claymolding, things are truly locking in.

Holy S#!T - these are good speakers!  To say they are sounding better than anything I've ever heard in reproducted music is putting it lightly.  They are blowing the minds of anyone who unknowingly wonders in front of them (that's mostly me).

Thanks Brian, your speakers have added an emotional level to our music we get to hear and enjoy every day.  My love of these speakers is almost illegal.

Q-SURF'S NAME ON THE LINE: #1AAA best recording I know of: Shirley Horn "You Won't Forget me" - the most hair-raisingly perfect recording I've ever heard - and I believe the 75% of music on it to be among the best Jazz ever made.  The one cd if I "were stranded on an island..."

Lates,
Q