[Yar762]

Well.... I went and did it.  Just popped a check in the mail to John C. for a brand spankin' new set of RM40s!  Thanks John for all of your help!  You are a true audio scholar and a real gentleman.

In any event, they are going to include the following:

Piano Gloss MLS Rosewood cabinet (matching Rosewood CDWG)
FST tweeters
OXO
Auric Caps

I was going to do the SR71 but was at my spend limit with either the SR71 or OXO.  I opted for the OXO instead.  Good choice I hope?

Now I'll be waiting like a kid at Xmas time for them to arrive!!  I have no speakers in my main system right now (I sold my Infinity IRS Deltas)!

Make 'em perty for me Big B!  Can't wait for that Bax Global truck to pull up in a few weeks!

Ray

[John Casler]

Well.... I went and did it.  Just popped a check in the mail to John C. for a brand spankin' new set of RM40s!  Thanks John for all of your help!  You are a true audio scholar and a real gentleman.

In any event, they are going to include the following:

Piano Gloss MLS Rosewood cabinet (matching Rosewood CDWG)
FST tweeters
OXO
Auric Caps

I was going to do the SR71 but was at my spend limit with either the SR71 or OXO.  I opted for the OXO instead.  Good choice I hope?

Now I'll be waiting like a kid at Xmas time for them to arrive!!  I have no speakers in my main system right now (I sold my Infinity IRS Deltas)!

Make 'em perty for me Big B!  Can't wait for that Bax Global truck to pull up in a few weeks!

Ray

Yes, it is time to celebrate!!

 




The order is all set and raring to go.

For only a few dollars more we can specify the Semi with Nitreous, driven by the WhiteCross addict

[john1970]

Ray,

FYI Bax Global does NOT insure speakers above the cost of $500!!  You can see my previous post on Audiocircle.  I would recommend a different carrier.  I had BAX Global deliver my first set of RM40s and the crates arrived cracked.  When I had mine rebuilt I went with AreoLogistics and had much bettter service.

Best,

John

[Brian Cheney]

We don't use BAX anymore due to their declared value limits.  AeroLogistics has provided good service (albeit at a higher price).

We will Soundcoat your 40's Monday.  The OXO was a good choice.

[Yar762]

For only a few dollars more we can specify the Semi with Nitreous, driven by the WhiteCross addict

Amphatimine eating crank-head truck drivers with nitrous huffing rigs!  Now I know why I like you guys!  I prefer the "Junkie Truck Lines" guys anyway... For a 12 pack and a couple blunts they might just help me move these monsters into my house!

My bad on the Bax Global thing - I just tossed that out there since most shippers sending big ars crates used them. 

[warnerwh]

You made the right choice with the OXO. The MLS cabinets are High density fiberboard instead of mdf. Also they're heavily braced. Inertness is excellent.

You made a good choice with the finish. Everyone loves the Rosewood RM 40's in my listening room and they don't have the piano gloss finish. I did put two coats of glaze and that increased depth but I can tell by the pics the piano gloss ones are better and are surely incredible, not an exageration, in person.

Recently I did a project and checked into the price of Brazilian Rosewood veneer. It's 200.00 bucks a sheet! That obviously doesn't include labor which is intensive because the attention to detail on the MLS cabinets is of the highest grade furniture quality.

When mine were ordered I could hardly stand waiting for them to get here. Then of course dialing my system in again took time. What is amazing is how the sound quality can continue to keep getting better as you work with your acoustics and system. I kept thinking they can't get any better than this but continually the sound became more realistic more than I've ever had happen on any other speaker. My system sounds so good it is literally hard to imagine better sound in my room. Truly enjoyable with any kind of music.

The "there" factor is superior to anything I've personally heard including the high end stores in Portland. Part of it is my good acoustics and of course you need speakers that are capable of it. Brian's engineering prowess shines with the RM 40's. I've owned 3 sets of his speakers since 96 and could live with my RM 40's permanently. They can do it all and do it well. Not to say there's not other excellent speakers but 99% of speakers in the same price class can't do as well and many flat out sound poor in comparison.

I share your enthusiasm because to me speakers are the most fun component to upgrade. It's a new world because they all have their own personalities to deal with. I wish you the best with your new speakers as well as musical enjoyment for the years to come. The RM 40s are a standout speaker in their price class.

[Yar762]

warnerwh - I appreciate your insight and comments.  I too will be pacing feverishly until they get here.  Just before I placed my order, I was almost swayed towards another small speaker company that is named after a certain state out West.  Very nice looking speakers with lots of good press, but I couldn't justify spending 15-20% more for a smaller speaker that used conventional drivers.  I stayed with the RM40s.  My only worry now is trying to figure out how I will get the beasts into my listening room.  What the heck, I love a good challenge...

[warnerwh]

If you have a hand truck moving them in and then uncrating them is the easiest way. There were just two of us older guys (50s) that had to bring mine down stairs. With the weight of my hand truck and the shipping boxes the weight couldn't have been that much less than 300lbs. So if two small guys, I'm 155 and 5'5" and my friend 170 6', can get them down a flight of stairs you surely can get them into your living room.

 Proper set up of these speakers takes time. Whatever you hear when you first hook them up is not what you'll hear once any where near dialed in. This took me months and actually I still sometimes make .5 to 1.5db adjustments here and there with the DEQ 2496. For 300 it's a super bargain and if you don't have one I recommend you do research on it.

I'm sure you'll be amazed after you spend some time getting some of their potential out of them. They weren't like other speakers, they can be tweaked and tweaked to a surprising level, at least I've never experienced to this degree before.

What are you going to be running with them? Also what is your room like? Thanks

[Yar762]

What are you going to be running with them? Also what is your room like? Thanks

I'll be driving them with a Pass Labs X350.  Sonic Frontiers Line 2, Classe DAC and transport, VPI table and a Audio Research PH3 phono stage round out the system.

My room is 14W x 20L with 9 foot ceilings.  Seating distance will be ~ 12-15' depending on the speaker spacing from the rear wall.  No room treatment other than carpet.  Where do you suggest that I position them as a starting point?  Thanks!

[ctviggen]

I have mine about 5-6 feet from the front and side walls (I can take exact measurements if you'd like) and sit about 10 feet from them.  I have them toed in to cross a foot or so in front of me, but I do not as of yet have the wave guides installed.  I also have in the neighborhood of 11 bass or broadband or highband traps. 

[Yar762]

Thanks for the input CT.  Unfortunately, my room is not large enough to get the speakers 5-6 feet from the side walls - I've only got 14' to work with.  I think I'll start out about 3 feet from the side and back walls, with the speakers toed in to cross 1-2 feet in front of me.  That will give me about 8 feet between the speakers and place me about 12 feet from the speakers in my listening position.  Can't wait to hear them.  I had to pull an old set on Klipsch Hereseys out of storage just so that I could listen to some music.  Nothing like driving a SET friendly pair of high efficiency speakers with a 140 lb, 350 WPC solid state amp!  Just a smidgen of overkill...

 

[refmedia]

I think I'll start out about 3 feet from the side and back walls, with the speakers toed in to cross 1-2 feet in front of me.  That will give me about 8 feet between the speakers and place me about 12 feet from the speakers in my listening position. 

Your room dims are very similar to mine and I have my speakers almost exactly as you describe just a little further from the back wall about 4 feet. I find the 12-15 feet is a nice distance with my set up... deep bass and still coherent up to the top octave.

I am sure the RM40's will shine like crazy diamonds.
Matt

[warnerwh]

Yar: Just make sure you don't have the side wall and rear wall distance the same or you'll create a mode at some frequency. Make sure one dimension is a good 6" different than the other.

You'll love the RM 40's. Once properly set up everything from you bass to upper treble will sound amazingly life like.

[Yar762]

After the long wait, my new Rosewood RM40s have arrived!  Two guys in a beat up blue van delivered them to my house on Friday last week.   I gave them some extra cash to carry them right into my listening room.  Worked out very nicely.  They probably bought more amphetamines for the ride home to Chicago...

The crates were well done.  I enjoyed the whole unpacking process - kind of like Christmas in March! I have to admit that they are beautiful except for the missing Piano finish.   

I unpacked the OXOs and hooked them up...well almost.  One of the tweeter wires was hung up inside and I had to pull the cover off to free it.  That's OK though - it gave me a chance to look inside of the xovers.  Very nice.  One idea though Brian - you should consider offering an optional matching finish OXO for a premium.  It would be a very nice touch. 

I have been listening and tweaking the position of the speakers all weekend.  These babies sound fantastic.  Today I integrated a Legacy Pacemaker into the system that I have had for many years (I installed that 1000W Dayton amp last week) and after much adjustment, have found that they blend very nicely with the RM40s and add that lowest octave foundation that was missing. 

I really like the CDWG - the 40's are a bit too "hot" right now on the top end without them with a digital source (John tells me they will settle down after some play time).  I also pulled out some LPs today.  Much sweeter sounding than the CD's.  I want to try removing the CDWGs with analog and see how they sound.
   
In any event, these are not leaving my house!! 

Later - gotta go listen a bit more before I hit the bed.

Ray

[John Casler]

After the long wait, my new Rosewood RM40s have arrived!  Two guys in a beat up blue van delivered them to my house on Friday last week.   I gave them some extra cash to carry them right into my listening room.  Worked out very nicely.  They probably bought more amphetamines for the ride home to Chicago...

The crates were well done.  I enjoyed the whole unpacking process - kind of like Christmas in March! I have to admit that they are beautiful except for the missing Piano finish (that's an oops - I could have cried) and three tiny nicks on the cabinets (Brian - packing and shipping something that heavy that far probably makes those very tiny nicks unavoidable.... is there any way that I can touch these up?)   

I unpacked the OXOs and hooked them up...well almost.  One of the tweeter wires was hung up inside and I had to pull the cover off to free it.  That's OK though - it gave me a chance to look inside of the xovers.  Very nice.  One idea though Brian - you should consider offering an optional matching finish OXO for a premium.  It would be a very nice touch. 

I have been listening and tweaking the position of the speakers all weekend.  These babies sound fantastic.  Today I integrated a Legacy Pacemaker into the system that I have had for many years (I installed that 1000W Dayton amp last week) and after much adjustment, have found that they blend very nicely with the RM40s and add that lowest octave foundation that was missing. 

I really like the CDWG - the 40's are a bit too "hot" on the top end without them with a digital source (John tells me they will settle down after some play time).  I also pulled out some LPs today.  Much sweeter sounding than the CD's.  I want to try removing the CDWGs with analog and see how they sound.
   
Even though I am disappointed that the Piano finish was missing, I can assure everyone that these are not leaving my house!!  I guess that means that I have a credit now with John... Hmmmm, what else can I buy???

Later - gotta go listen a bit more before I hit the bed.

Ray

Hi Ray,

Glad you like the new sound, and yes, I owe you big time  for not properly checking the Piano Finish Box.

But as much as you like them now, just be prepared for them to get that much better over the next few months, as they break in, and you perform a bit of tweaking. aa

Looking forward to your Ohhhs and Ahhhs over the next 6 months

[Brian Cheney]

John and I both feel bad that you did not get the piano finish you ordered.  Double-checking the PO I see it was not specified.

However, there is a remedy.  I can send you piano veneered CDWG's to replace the ones you have.  You can use your refund money to hire a local teenager to apply the glaze (I will supply necessary quantity to you no charge) and buff it.  Sears sells a 10" buffing machine for $45 that does the job well, indeed we use it at the factory.  The glaze is applied, allowed to dry, and then polished.  It takes about an hour per  cabinet.

Let me know if you want to do this.

Sorry about the hung up wire.  We push the wiring back inside the OXO after testing so it won't scratch the OXO finish.  It's 2ft long and usually comes right back out again.

We're going to post the setup instructions as a sticky on this Forum so if they go missing, you can access them at any time.

[John Casler]

We're going to post the setup instructions as a sticky on this Forum so if they go missing, you can access them at any time.

DONE

[Yar762]

You can use your refund money to hire a local teenager to apply the glaze (I will supply necessary quantity to you no charge) and buff it. 

Thanks Brian - but instead of a local teen I think I have a line on a couple of those "Girls Gone Crazy" stars.  It will a cost me quite a bit more but in the end I will be much happier...  aa

Sounds like a fair deal on the Piano gloss CDWGs and the polishing compound.  I already have the Sears buffer - wife bought it for me for xmas a couple of years back.  I'll give the glazing of the cabinets a shot.

I was surprised to find that you now pre-tune the passive driver - I.e. some putty was already removed.  I got all paranoid and thought I got a pair of used speakers by mistake!    I called John and he straightened me out - Flew right in from CA and put me in a headlock with those big biceps..  I guess I picked a bad time to stop taking pain killers... 

You didn't comment on perhaps offering matching OXO finishes in the future.  Is that I possibility?  Am I the only one who thinks this would be cool?

In any event, I just finished listening to my favorite Dead Can Dance CD.  Absolutely incredible.  I turned off all of the lights and closed my eyes.  All of the various percussive instruments occupied independent spaces across the very wide stage in front of me while the vocalist droned away center stage.   My room has never sounded this good.  Period.  Money very well spent.

[ctviggen]

I think the soundstaging of RM40s is outstanding.  If there are three singers, for instance, I can envision exact locations of each of the singers.  One think that helps is placing realtraps between the speakers -- I think that helps the imaging.