[James Romeyn]

This is Brian & John's forum.  I'm to be forgiven this because I heap so much praise on Brian for every ribbon speaker he makes.  

Would just one member with a VMPS ribbon at home (other than me) please try the $2200ea Sunfire True Sub Sig EQ?  I wish I wasn't the only member to have heard it with a pair of RM30Cs, 626R or RM40s.  I believe it best to use a high quality active high-pass xo on the VMPS ribbon.  Distortion is lower, maximum output increased, dynamics even better, & greater ease throughout.  In my case my pre-pro has a built in hp xo.   If your active high-pass introduces a lot of distortion don't use it.  

By my estimation this sub is the most affordable & easiest to use method to get the best currently offerred by digital EQ.  Plus you get a state of the art 2700WRMS sub in a 13" rosewood cube.  The sub sounds great x'd at 65 Hz internally with a second XO in series at about 80 Hz (the pre-pro).  Beleive it or not, the RM30s were improved with a HP XO at 110 Hz!  (Again, XO in pre-pro utilized.  Improvement may be partially because of the huge 80 Hz room mode.)

[zybar]

While I think the TACT is most likely a great system, it also costs $5,400.  That's a ton for me (and I'm a patent attorney!).  Also, I personally would rather treat my room, as I feel that the room is going to have to be treated anyway.  The  TACT is in my future, it's just years down the road.

And why is it that certain people who used to have VMPS speakers now denigrate them?  I personally don't understand the animosity on these forums, and I don't think I'm going to be here much longer because of it. ...

Bob,

I apologize if at times I get a little too excited and over the top with my comments.  I hope that doesn't push you away from AC and I will do my best to be nicer.

Speaking as a current VMPS owner (haven't sold everything yet), they still are very good sounding speakers but to my mind they have issues in some areas (as everything does).  I have raised these issues along the way and I am not saying anything today that I didn't say yesterday.

The fact that I have found something I enjoy more now doesn't eliminate or invalidate my previous enjoyment of VMPS speakers.

George

[ScottMayo]

Would just one member with a VMPS ribbon at home (other than me) please try the $2200ea Sunfire True Sub Sig EQ?  

Sure thing. Ship me a free one and I'll review it mercilessly. Always willing to try experiments.

[James Romeyn]

I'm not a dealer.  But there might be one nearby allowing in-home auditions.

[ekovalsky]

I'm amazed at the resistance to dsp/digital eq'ing that I run across at times. It (digital eq) has made a stunning improvement in the sound of my system and I'm only talking a couple db here and a couple db there. Not going for flat, mind you. The goal is to not only even out the peaks and valleys but to set up a target curve. Lots of discussion about that at the AudioAsylum and other forums but the curve I have set up is with a very modest midrange boost, a modest boost to the bass below 125Hz, and a gentle roll off of the high fequencies to keep the treble from being too bright. Thorsten Loesch has a great articl on target curves for the Behringer Ultracurve but of course can be used with any equalizer. Here's a link:
http://www.prijsindex.net/tmp/room%20acoustics%20and%20eq.html

Tweaker,

That's a great article.  I hadn't seen it before, and I will try implementing a few of the suggestions via the TacT.  Thanks for posting the link!

The monopole versus dipole/omni discussion is interesting and generally accurate.  I would add that there is one advantage of operating the midrange and treble in dipole which is the absence of cabinet resonances.  My current speakers operate in dipole mode above 400hz ad I have the wall behind them treated with 2" fiberglass absorption panels as well as thick, lined fabric drapes.  Therefore most of the rear wave is absorbed before it can be reflected back into the room.  I will be adding diffusors between the speakers and the wall, and along the side walls, in the future.

[Tweaker]

You're welcome.
The mistake, (understandably) that people make when using an equalizer of any kind is going for a flat response. Lifeless sound is the result. I remember years ago when I purchased a Numark graphic equalizer and used it to set the response of my then speakers (AR 17's) flat. I was expecting amazing things because, after all, isn't that the holy grail of speaker design?  Needless to say I was very disappointed and eventually I sold the Numark as it really did not sound good at all in the circuit.
 I have modified Thorstens recommendations for a target curve very slightly to suit my personal taste. The BBC dip at 2500Hz is set in the parametric section of the Ultracurve so I can easily take it out of the curve as my soundstage is already quite deep. A gentle roll off in the high frequencies really is important as a flat response there will sound too bright and that is not what cd's need any more of.