The SONIC SORCERER from El Sobrante turns 30!!??

John Casler · « **on:** 14 Nov 2006, 06:07 pm »

Hi All VMPS'ers,

I'm pleased to announce, that Big B, will turn 30 on January 7th of 2007.

That is, Brian will be celebrating 30 years of VMPS'ing.

And what a 30 years it has been.

To celebrate we will be offering some interesting things, culminating with the Introduction of the RM V60 at CES.

I'll be posting one of the "specials" tomorrow.

Please join me in congratulating Brian on so many years of successfully providing musical product and reproduction to all of his faithful customers.

pjchappy · « **Reply #1 on:** 14 Nov 2006, 08:57 pm »

Congrats!!!

p

John Casler · « **Reply #2 on:** 14 Nov 2006, 10:49 pm »

I remember the first time I saw or heard of VMPS speakers was an add in the back of Audio Magazine.

I believe some fellow in FLA was selling them.

I remember they were always some TOWER this or Tower that. Super Tower, SuperTower III, and then all kinds of letter and number designations.

But they were LARGE, and I like larger speakers.

I didn't get to hear them until years later at a shop here in LA, where I auditioned the Watt Puppies, the Goldmund ($70K) and the VMPS Super Towers.

They were much lower in price than the other two, and equalled or exceeded the sound of the others, so I began saving my money.

Woodsea · « **Reply #3 on:** 15 Nov 2006, 12:48 am »

And many more...

john1970 · « **Reply #4 on:** 15 Nov 2006, 01:22 am »

Happy 30th to VMPS Speakers...making an excellent product and affordable prices.

Brian wishing you and your company many more years of success.

Best,

John

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #5 on:** 15 Nov 2006, 01:25 am »

Thanks. I was just looking at the Exhibitor's Guide for the 1977 CES high end exhibit at the Bismarck Hotel in Chicago, my first. There are 45 exhibitors, most now long gone. I shared a suite of 5 rooms with Noel Lee/Symmetry. It was at this Show I met John Curl for the first time.

If I can get the 1977 exhibitor directory to reproduce, I'll post it here.

ted_b · « **Reply #6 on:** 15 Nov 2006, 02:01 am »

I visited Big B at his home in El Sorbrante in 1987. Down in his basement, in his LEDE dungeon, were these huge towers. I had come from owning Maggie MG-IIB's and wanted something with as large a soundstage, but that could put out when my new marriage of audio-video called Laserdisc-and-a-front-screen-PJ spit out Top Gun. These were my first VMPS's:

SuperTower II A/R Special Editions

John Casler · « **Reply #7 on:** 15 Nov 2006, 02:34 am »

Quote from: ted_b on 15 Nov 2006, 02:01 am

I visited Big B at his home in El Sorbrante in 1987. Down in his basement, in his LEDE dungeon, were these huge towers. I had come from owning Maggie MG-IIB's and wanted something with as large a soundstage, but that could put out when my new marriage of audio-video called Laserdisc-and-a-front-screen-PJ spit out Top Gun. These were my first VMPS's:

SuperTower II A/R Special Editions

Very Cool Ted,

I like the fact that you have Passive Radiators on the top and bottom.

What a Speaker!!

I count 13 forward facing drivers

warnerwh · « **Reply #8 on:** 15 Nov 2006, 04:11 am »

Happy Birthday Brian. Thirty years of success in this business is certainly a creditable performance. You deserve it.

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #9 on:** 15 Nov 2006, 04:31 am »

I notice from my 1977 exhibitors' directory for the Bismarck Hotel that one neighboring exhibitor was Frank van Alstine.

Congrats to you too, Frank.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #10 on:** 15 Nov 2006, 04:50 am »

Congrats Brian.....

Here's to another 30......

Chris

Zheeeem · « **Reply #11 on:** 16 Nov 2006, 02:09 pm »

Quote from: Brian Cheney on 15 Nov 2006, 04:31 am

I notice from my 1977 exhibitors' directory for the Bismarck Hotel that one neighboring exhibitor was Frank van Alstine.

Congrats to you too, Frank.

Congrats to both of you old geezer reprobates! In 1977 I was proud owner of Frank's FET-5 Mark-2 which TAS had favourably reviewed. Frank basically rebuilt the Dyna PAT-5 matching parts values channel-to-channel. It was cheap and sounded pretty good, and made me a lifelong customer of Franks. My big regret is that it took me so long to finally get into VMPS. I must confess that I'm happy that Frank and Brian now seem to be getting the sort of attention they so richly deserve.

CornellAlum · « **Reply #12 on:** 16 Nov 2006, 02:43 pm »

Quote from: John Casler on 15 Nov 2006, 02:34 am

Quote from: ted_b on 15 Nov 2006, 02:01 am
I visited Big B at his home in El Sorbrante in 1987. Down in his basement, in his LEDE dungeon, were these huge towers. I had come from owning Maggie MG-IIB's and wanted something with as large a soundstage, but that could put out when my new marriage of audio-video called Laserdisc-and-a-front-screen-PJ spit out Top Gun. These were my first VMPS's:

SuperTower II A/R Special Editions

Very Cool Ted,

I like the fact that you have Passive Radiators on the top and bottom.

What a Speaker!!

I count 13 forward facing drivers

What did those bad boys cost back in the day? In 1987, I think I was 8 years old

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #13 on:** 16 Nov 2006, 03:07 pm »

The Special Edition STIIa/R (with the four Focal T120 tweeters) retailed for $3880pr back in 1987, its last year of production.

dubravko · « **Reply #14 on:** 16 Nov 2006, 06:19 pm »

An extract from Stereophile article written by Anthony Cordesman in 1986. It was a review of Infinity RS-1B.

"At the end of it all you'll still "hear the mechanism creak." The RS-1Bs have good, deep bass, but hardly very good deep bass. The larger VMPS cone speakers (which are much cheaper) provide far superior bass power, control, and transients. So do the Entec subwoofers. No matter what you do, the RS-1B's bass will either be a bit slow and unconvincing, or will have to be set slightly lower than the panel to allow the lower midrange/upper bass output of the midrange EMIMs to dominate the sound.

The RS-1B's bass columns simply do not seem capable of proving both deep bass and good bass articulation or transients in any installation I've heard. This evidently requires bigger enclosures, new drivers, or something more dramatic than crossover changes. I am tempted to suggest that Infinity should put its EMIT or EMIM drivers on a VMPS tower, or get Entec to design their next subwoofer, but as this would just get everyone angry, I'll not even hint at such a thing, much less mention it in print."

http://www.stereophile.com/historical/485infinity/index4.html

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #15 on:** 16 Nov 2006, 06:34 pm »

I remember that review. Still waiting for Harman Intl to call me in to consult.

John Casler · « **Reply #16 on:** 16 Nov 2006, 06:35 pm »

Quote from: dubravko on 16 Nov 2006, 06:19 pm

An extract from Stereophile article written by Anthony Cordesman in 1986. It was a review of Infinity RS-1B.

The RS-1B's bass columns simply do not seem capable of proving both deep bass and good bass articulation or transients in any installation I've heard. This evidently requires bigger enclosures, new drivers, or something more dramatic than crossover changes. I am tempted to suggest that Infinity should put its EMIT or EMIM drivers on a VMPS tower, or get Entec to design their next subwoofer, but as this would just get everyone angry, I'll not even hint at such a thing, much less mention it in print."

http://www.stereophile.com/historical/485infinity/index4.html

How funny

, but Tony forgot another possible alternative, which did come to pass.

VMPS finding drivers that were better than the EMIT and EMIM and building a speaker, which Brian did.

Wonder if B, read this article?

John Casler · « **Reply #17 on:** 16 Nov 2006, 06:36 pm »

Quote from: Brian Cheney on 16 Nov 2006, 06:34 pm

I remember that review. Still waiting for Harman Intl to call me in to consult.

Ooops guess so.

Housteau · « **Reply #18 on:** 18 Nov 2006, 11:05 pm »

To be fair to my most loved speakers, Mr. Cordesman also said:

Quote

Keep in mind that virtually all the competition has worse problems in trying to provide fully integrated deep bass. I don't know of anyone who provides a better set of compromises in blending deep bass and midrange in a full-range system near the price of the RS-1Bs than Infinity.

Afterall, they were his reference speaker and continued to be.

In truth though, my RS1b system does use a modified active crossover and feedback circuit. My bass goes deeper and has more impact than the standard consumer model. Originally the bass would start to roll off just below 25 Hz. Mine is flat down to 17 and is -3 db at 16 Hz.

However, I also remember that article and it is one of the reasons I have been drawn to keep up with all recent developments here at VMPS. I can only imagine that I would hear a similar, but improved sound from the larger VMPS systems, than what I have now. I have never had the opportunity to do so, but I still remain a believer.

I have always found Mr. Cordesman's opinion very close to my own, as he did review several other pieces of gear I have owned over time, such as the Original VMPS Subwoofer, Acoustat 1+1s, Audio Research stuff etc.

Dave

John Casler · « **Reply #19 on:** 19 Nov 2006, 12:30 am »

Dave,

I think you may be a very happy camper around the first week of Jan or maybe sooner.