RM2 Piano Black Pictures

spons · « **on:** 30 Apr 2005, 07:12 pm »

I'm about ready to order a pair of RM2's in piano black and I realized I have not seen a picture of the RM2's in this finish.

In fact, I can't find any pictures of the RM2 here or on Harmonic Discord, other than the stock photo in the pictures sticky and dubravko's white oak pair.

Can anyone help me out and direct me to a gallery picture of a piano black RM2? Or is there an RM2 owner who will take a pic and email it to me or post it?

Thanks.
Andy

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #1 on:** 30 Apr 2005, 08:00 pm »

Good pix of the RM30 piano black (exact same finish as RM2) are on the sticky "Pictures of VMPS Speakers". The finish is a very high gloss film over MDF (no grain).

Tweaker · « **Reply #2 on:** 30 Apr 2005, 11:04 pm »

Hope this helps.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v439/guitarpick/VMPSRM2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v439/guitarpick/RM2Right.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v439/guitarpick/RM2Left.jpg

spons · « **Reply #3 on:** 1 May 2005, 04:02 pm »

Tweaker,

Thanks for posting the pics. I assumed that the front and back of the speaker were matte black and not the shiny "piano finish". That is not a problem since I listen with grilles attached. But are the rounded edges of the cabinet shiny like the sides and top or are they matte like the front and back?

Thanks.
Andy

Tweaker · « **Reply #4 on:** 1 May 2005, 05:26 pm »

spons,
The rounded edges are matte.

Jon

Marbles · « **Reply #5 on:** 1 May 2005, 06:14 pm »

The RM30's are a better speaker than the RM2 in about every respect (with the possible exception of bass) and look much nicer too.

Have you looked into the RM30's? They are not THAT much more expensive and would have MUCH greater WAF...

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #6 on:** 1 May 2005, 06:45 pm »

The RM30 lacks first octave bass, the RM 2 has it.

With the FST installed the RM 2 keeps up with the RM 30 very nicely. It's tonal balance is warmer and fuller.

spons · « **Reply #7 on:** 1 May 2005, 06:53 pm »

Marbles,

I don't mind the look of the RM2. In pictures anyway, I prefer it to the RM30. I tend to like traditional "big box" speakers. I once owned a pair of Fried G2/A's that looked like refrigerators.

Also, I have a young son who I fear may be a threat to topple a tall, skinny column like the RM30. The RM2's look to be much more stable with their 16" square footprint and bottom-heavy woofer.

Regarding the bass issue, even when I had RM1's I augmented the lowest bass with a subwoofer. Music just does not sound the same without the lowest octave once you get used to having it. I sold my subwoofer along with the rest of my system when my son was born, so it is a huge bonus to not have to go subwoofer shopping.

Andy

Tweaker · « **Reply #8 on:** 1 May 2005, 07:13 pm »

The RM2's,especially when equalized,(to compensate for room induced peaks and suckouts), definitely do not need a subwoofer. They go as deep as reasonably needed and the quality of the bass is first rate. It seems to me that adding an extra midrange panel and having a narrower baffle doesn't neccasarily equate to a "better speaker in every aspect". I have not heard the RM30's so I could be wrong, though.

Florian · « **Reply #9 on:** 1 May 2005, 07:57 pm »

The RM30's can have wonderfull bass with the right positioning and help of room acoustics. They must be placed carefully to get the optimum bass response. Plus the FST tweeter and the 3 neopanels make them sound very large scale with extrodenary dynamics. Give the RM30 a listen before settling on the RM2.

-Flo

jermmd · « **Reply #10 on:** 1 May 2005, 08:34 pm »

I have never heard the RM2's but I own the RM30's and it definitely lacks deep bass. It needs to be integrated with a good sub IMHO. You don't have to worry about tipping though, it's very solid.

Joe M.

Florian · « **Reply #11 on:** 1 May 2005, 08:59 pm »

In my room it tends to fall of below aprox. 30Hz
I had a postion in my room, which actually made it drop below 50Hz, so positioning is very imported. I have tried for a long time now

-Flo

meilankev · « **Reply #12 on:** 1 May 2005, 09:38 pm »

spons,

I have never seen nor heard the RM30 speakers. But I have spent considerable time with a gentleman here in Florida who owns a complete VMPS surround system anchored by RM2 main speakers. Other speakers are LRC, Larger subwoofers, and Ribbon Dipoles.

It's safe to say, his system is not lacking in dynamics. But his 2-channel playback is also very, very sweet.

Again, I am in no position to compare the two speakers, but the RM2s that I've heard were wonderful.

Kevin

John Casler · « **Reply #13 on:** 1 May 2005, 10:25 pm »

Just goes to show that "each" VMPS model has it's fans.

Each model has a similar sonic character, yet each has it own personality too.

I have this pair of 626R's (For Sale by the way) that sound so good, and soundstage and image so well, I can't imagine better.

The RM2 is certainly a special speaker and I have several clients who would take it even over the RM/x. It does have a warmer, deeper flavor than even the RM40.

The RM30 no doubt has the potential to challenge even the RM/x at imaging, and because of its dual 6.5" woofs can certainly provide the "punch" and leading edge dynamics that many like.

The RM40 with the new MidWoofer is no doubt many steps above its original "award winning" original configuration.

And the RM/x is the quintessential "ultimate" speaker for many.

As far as SUBs, I personally like to use Subs with "ANY" speaker. With rooms being what they are, with all the nodes, modes and interaction, I don't think you can expect to get your best bass, from a single speaker pair unless you are absolutley very lucky.

I spent the better part of the morning, moving my subs about 6" backward, and I'm not even going to comment, since it begins to sound like a broken record. (no I don't mean literally

)

I will say this: I use a pair of LARGER Subs as speaker stands for my front 626R pair. During this adjustment, I was careful to place the 626R, on the LARGER in such a way that the "acoustic center" of the 626Rs are aligned with the "acoustic center" of the LARGERs.

I will also say yes, I heard a positive improvement.

And here's a tip. Patricia Barber "Cafe Blue" has some of the best bass you might ever hear. Add it to your "bass test" CD arsenal. "Ode to Billy Joe" is stellar!!!

As another note, I would guess we will begin hearing from those who have been receiving the new "1000w Powered Subs" soon.

I have one client who called me "very late"

one night after receiving his, and said he couldn't contain himself till the next day. He had hooked it up, and he said it was mind blowing the quality, and quantity of bass he was getting from his LARGER, now.

He was rambling on and on about "effortless, natural, room filling, air shaking, yet musical, bass".

spons · « **Reply #14 on:** 1 May 2005, 11:27 pm »

The only reason I sold my RM1's was that I found a good deal on some Thiel CS-6's and I jumped at the chance to have a "real high-end" speaker. Who wouldn't think the Thiels would be a huge step up from RM1's? Well, in my system, the Thiels were thin, fatiguing, and unnatural. Huge mistake.

I listen to a lot of jazz - especially piano trios. Pianos sounded like toys on the Thiels. And I know what a grand piano sounds like since I have one in an adjoining room. I can't wait to get the big, robust VMPS sound back.

Tweaker · « **Reply #15 on:** 2 May 2005, 01:02 am »

We may disagree on which VMPS model is "best" but I think we can all agree that they are all significantly better than the competition. (flames expected from non VMPS owners

) I recently spent a couple of days auditioning speakers at some high end stereo stores here in Seattle. On Roosevelt Way in the University District there are several all in a 2 block area so it was easy to go from store to store. I dragged along my wife on the second day. I won't name the speakers I auditioned as I don't want to seem to be dissing someones favorite. (You can PM me if you're curious to find out what I auditioned).
I can tell you that my wife and I were sort of stunned at how flat and lifeless sounding some very highly regarded and expensive speakers sounded compared the the RM's. A couple did do the imaging thing astonishingly well but that was about it.
The RM's have them all beat in dynamics, transparency, top to bottom frequency extension (shocking how many large floorstanders have limited bass), and what my wife and I both agree is tremendous "vibrancy". The RM's are vibrant, full of life speakers and everything else that I have listened to pretty much pales by comparsion.
If there are better (non VMPS) speakers out there in the same price vicinity I would love to hear them. After listening to what some consider "reference quality" loudspeakers, being driven by some very good electronics, I kind of doubt there are.

meilankev · « **Reply #16 on:** 2 May 2005, 06:38 am »

tweaker,

I own RM40 speakers, and I am very, very happy with how they fit in my system. However, comparing how they sound in my home system against how other speakers sound in a dealer's showroom is not a fair comparison at all. Few dealer's showrooms will be a place where you can accurately judge the merits of a speaker's capabilitites.

Don't get me wrong - it may very well be true that if someone hauled all those speakers into your listening room in a mega-comparo, you would still prefer the VMPS speakers, and maybe even by a wide margin. I certainly wouldn't bet against it.

Kevin

Mad DOg · « **Reply #17 on:** 2 May 2005, 06:57 am »

Quote from: spons

The only reason I sold my RM1's was that I found a good deal on some Thiel CS-6's and I jumped at the chance to have a "real high-end" speaker. Who wouldn't think the Thiels would be a huge step up from RM1's? Well, in my system, the Thiels were thin, fatiguing, and unnatural. Huge mistake...

the big Thiels are not easy speakers to drive. they are a speaker that only a handful of amps can drive properly and will sound exactly as you've described with the wrong amp. of course, you can't really go wrong w/ any of the VMPS speakers.

spons · « **Reply #18 on:** 2 May 2005, 12:13 pm »

I had a Classe CA-200 driving the CS-6's which was probably not big enough. One observation about the Thiels in my setup - they needed to be played loud to sound natural. I finally came to the conclusion that they need a bigger amp AND a bigger room than I was able to give them.

Tweaker · « **Reply #19 on:** 2 May 2005, 12:24 pm »

meilankev,
Actually all but one of the showrooms I listened to speakers in were very ideal in size, shape and acoustically treated as well. In two of the stores all other speakers had been moved out and the auditioned speakers carefully set up with similar type electonics to what I own as I had called before hand to arrange for an audition of a specific model. I wish my own room was as ideal! It's not that any of the speakers were horrible or anything. Just lackluster, for want of a better word, by comparison. And all but one actually was much better than the RM's in soundstaging. The one criticism about the RM's I have is all too often the sound is obviously coming from the speaker where as some of the speakers I listened to in the stores pulled a disappearing act that was amazing.
Ultimately though, of course, it all boils down to a matter of personal preference.