[James Romeyn]

I posted real late, forgot one little item.  The greatest risk of holing a woofer is when the speakers were first assembled, because we didn't bother w/ pilot holes.  Because your screw holes already exist the risk of holing a driver is cut way down, I'd estimate to only about 25% of new assembly.  In your case you just have to make sure you put no lateral pressure on the screws, unless you are forced to follow a pre-existing screw hole that is angled & not 100% vertical.  Personally I prefer a medium to long screwdriver on a nice cordless drill w/ a good quality clutch that you can set & torque till the clutch slips.

Grabbers will put much more torque on the drivers, a good thing. 

The following is messy & tedious, but IMO is worthwile.  The gasket tape adds some damping between the baffle & the driver, slightly dulling transients (the tape absorbs some energy before transfering the energy to the baffle).  I think it's an audible upgrade to remove all the tape.  But sealing is required.  So you use high-quality clear silicone sealant from a tube.  If removal is required later its messier vs. the tape. 

You will live to regret ever reading any of my posts.  Stop while you are ahead.     

[refmedia]

You will live to regret ever reading any of my posts.  Stop while you are ahead.     

Don't be silly, I am asking for it
Great info! I will re-read and maybe do it myself.

[refmedia]

Here are some more pics for now

My left speaker is famous check it out, I am truly honored.

http://www.vmpsaudio.com/aboutVMPS.htm
Hey Brian do you want the original file or a different angle I would be happy to help.
Thanks Matt

[Marcus_Buick]

The DPA 4006 Matt referred to earlier is actually a circa (’94-’96) era Breul & Kjaer 4006 1/4" diaphram omni (the response chart is pictured above).  Model number 1801182.

The Schoeps cmc6, is a cmc6-XT-Lin w/MK2s capsule.  The measured mic-amp model is flat from 3Hz-40KHz.  The amp’s and capsules are matched pairs.  The Schoeps' 6-mk2s response is better than the 4006, in my opinion.  I’ve used many B&K’s and DPA’s at 48 and 130V, so I really do understand. 

I also own 17 Neumann Microphones. . .none of them for measurement. . .just to let you know. 

We are currently at the point that the Berringer DEQ cannot adjust what we're looking for at the exact frequencies and levels we would like. . .we’re not unhappy. . .but currently affording Weiss, et al, gear is out of the question.

We are quickly deciding on CPU based applications. . .

[refmedia]

I love microphones they are so cool, VMPS should make a ribbon mic.
I bet it would have great bass response.

[refmedia]

Might look like this.

[James Romeyn]

I'd say we pumped out about 3 pairs/month of the ST IIa/R & ST III (cone/dome version) while they were in production.  There's gotta be a ton of those things out there still. 

My favorite call was concerning the slightly shorter version, the ST/R.  A guy bought kits, which sat around for several years unbuilt.  He lost the instructions & called for a copy of same.  His pets had converted the empty refrigerator-size enclosures into huge cat condos! 

[lonewolfny42]

Matt....Looking good, nice setup.
I'm curious.....how big is your room ?
Thanks.......            
                          Chris

[refmedia]

Matt....Looking good, nice setup.
I'm curious.....how big is your room ?
Thanks.......           
                          Chris

Thanks for looking Chris. My room is 15 wide by 8 high and 22 deep not big or small kinda medium.
Best part is it is underground so I can crank it as much as I like.
Still a work in progress but the journey sure is fun.

I'd say we pumped out about 3 pairs/month of the ST IIa/R & ST III (cone/dome version) while they were in production.  There's gotta be a ton of those things out there still. 

My favorite call was concerning the slightly shorter version, the ST/R.  A guy bought kits, which sat around for several years unbuilt.  He lost the instructions & called for a copy of same.  His pets had converted the empty refrigerator-size enclosures into huge cat condos! 

How long was this model in production, Jim? Oh and my cats are not allowed in the studio so I will make sure they don't turn my STIII's into a condo.

[refmedia]

I connected the Airport express via toslink to the DEQ and really sounded pretty good with lossless files.
I will have to investigate this further. I am actually using my laptop to play files off my desktop to the airport so I don't have to have a bunch of hard drives in the studio, sure is convenient too.
I will A/B the airport with a CD player today.
Matt

[refmedia]

Well what can I say VMPS STIII's are finally really getting dialed in my room. Some experimentation and placement is pretty much back to where it was in the last photos.


I am Transportless at this point strictly playing apple lossless, wav and aif files or CD's right off the computer via Airport express. This sounds significantly better than any transport I have available. I am sure a proper CD player could do better or a better clock in the airport.


All this really means is the STIII's and largers are extremely revealing of upstream components and room adjustments.
I only have the DEQ on parametric with one fifth octave filters -3db_35.6Hz, -6db_71Hz, -3db_141H, I tried several narrow filters and it really helped find the room boom but ultimately did little to tame anything in a tunefull manner. Oh all the other modules in the DEQ, graphic EQ, dynamics etc... are totally useless in my system.
.

The L-pads on the STIII's for me are really are all about getting the most out of balancing the 5 inchers and the 10 inchers. Once these play nice together all the other drivers fall in line easily.


Well I have always monitored my listening levels and I noticed even though the sound is fuller and sounds louder and can really get louder.
 

Bottom line I am listening about two db less in room .

 I think it is the room coherence, I can compensate for my slightly over dampend room better with the L-pads and DEQ and of course the STII's and largers are definitely fullrange.

These speakers are classics and reveal the dynamics of music in a marvelously tuneful way. Sure the mid range is better with the NEO panels, only makes me wonder what these would sound like with neos and megawoofers? Gosh!
Thanks for viewing and I cannot recommend VMPS speakers any higher unless you are "buying a price tag" as Brian might say.

[John Casler]

Can you imagine?  All that fun and a moderate price

You can't buy a reasonble "bookshelf" speaker for that money

And you have the Towers of Power!!

[James Romeyn]

Your large room dimensions provide a long listening distance.  Your ST III has a lot of drivers, lowering distortion exponentially compared to the smaller models of the era.  So the two are a good marriage.  

Even listening to the ST III casually while burning in at the Plant, its dynamic capability & low distortion were apparent.  Everything just sounded more dramatic, in a good way, not a caricature way.  B usually picked classical music during burn-in.  The quiet passages disappeared, the peaks jumped w/o compression, more so than even one model down (ST/R earlier, ST/R SE same era).

A long way of saying, in your room, at your listening distance, playing large scale program material, the ST III would probably be preferred to the smaller current ribbons, & would give the mid-size ribbons a run for their money.  

I definitely preferred the ST III over the earlier ST IIa/R & I never was as fond of the later FF-series till the SRE versions arrived.

The last day of one CES at the Riviera, Brian had the ST IIa/R finely tuned, finally satisfied after four days of constant tweaking, maybe the best I've ever heard them sound.  Moncreif came in & loved them.  Two young men from the midwest walked slowly & timidly into Brian's dark lair, dumbfounded staring at the speakers.  They said they had just auditioned the B&W 801's.  I like the 801's, but they couldn't match the sound Brian had that day under any circumstance, esp in that large room.  Their mouths opened.  Whatever was playing sounded large, dramatic & dynamic.  I said, "This is a real 'full range' speaker".                  

[duggie]

john, have you tried running your rear subs out of phase?   

[refmedia]

 They said they had just auditioned the B&W 801's.  I like the 801's, but they couldn't match the sound Brian had that day under any circumstance, esp in that large room.  Their mouths opened.  Whatever was playing sounded large, dramatic & dynamic.  I said, "This is a real 'full range' speaker".                  

About fifteen not ten (correction) years ago for a year or so I lived with a guy who had 801's and furniture sized a Krell amplifier (I forget which model but this thing was super huge), with a Krell Pre and player all balanced. Great system in a huge room we even had room treatments, I always loved it, and the first high end system I ever lived with. Many systems since then have sounded better of course but I always liked the 801's because of that experience and still do. That said the Towers make the 801's of that era look and sound like mini monitors.
Matt

[John Casler]

john, have you tried running your rear subs out of phase?   

Oh yes!

However since they are directly behind (and I mean touching) my listening chair and "facing" the rear wall, they seem to offer a greater power and clairity when "in phase".

But who knows, I'll probably change it next week. aa

[refmedia]

john, have you tried running your rear subs out of phase?   

Oh yes!

However since they are directly behind (and I mean touching) my listening chair and "facing" the rear wall, they seem to offer a greater power and clarity when "in phase".

But who knows, I'll probably change it next week. aa

Facing the rear wall how close are the subs to the wall they are facing?
That is cool and old school. I heard an amazing 16 sub phase aligned floor array, the system acoustical cancels rear waves and man did it work, a Meyer sound demo in a massive room about a year ago. An old technique Meyers kinda re-did but similar in theory to your set up. what you are doing takes at least taking some pressure off your front wall between the speakers. Cool!
 
Matt

[duggie]

john, have you tried running your rear subs out of phase?   

Oh yes!

However since they are directly behind (and I mean touching) my listening chair and "facing" the rear wall, they seem to offer a greater power and clairity when "in phase".

But who knows, I'll probably change it next week. aa

ya, outta phase, it seems to me , would work very well when the rear subs are near the rear wall, a ways from the listening position...