Tale of 2 rooms

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JoshK

Tale of 2 rooms
« Reply #20 on: 23 Jul 2003, 09:08 pm »
Long ago some of us NYer were trying to get Brian out here and we even (seriously I might add) offered to fly him out.   I would love to have him come and dial in my system.

Juan R

Tale of 2 rooms
« Reply #21 on: 23 Jul 2003, 09:12 pm »
I will like to mention that I have the RM-40  for around 9mo. and the first month was kind of frustration because my lack of expertise, but the next 8 have been pure legal fun. Not really a problem to change speaker position and setting, just pure enjoinment of my new hobby.

azryan

'ExpleeNASHON' , ....
« Reply #22 on: 23 Jul 2003, 10:07 pm »
Awww. c'mon guys... I said that I was kinda 'joking', But also that 'seriously' that's what I got out of the story.

Read how many times I said 'honestly' and said 'I'm not trying to slam..'.

fred,
Yes, I cracked a joke, but you're just 100% wrong about me, and you've wrongly insulted me before too, and I've NEVER attacked you.
I ignored you the last time, but not this time. Don't call me a buffoon you twit.

"- I suppose when you finally get your Le Amp II that it will be the best amplifier as well-"
Did I mention the Le Amp here??? No. Why do you?

And what does "as well" supose to mean?!? I never posted here that I own the best 'this or that' in the world. Don't imply that I did say that and then insult me over that lie.
 
Your post didn't add one intelligent thought to this issue (not uncommon... though you don't get the prize for 'pointless posts'. That honor is held by another).
I didn't want to get into this w/ you, but you hit me twice and I can hit back pretty hard if you keep swinging at me.

My post, while cracking a joke (and flat out admitting that I was doing so, so no one like you would flip out -guess it didn't work) also did bring up an HONEST perception that I've had even since I first looked into getting vmps speakers about the complexity of their set-up and the guess work it seems to take to set them right.

You didn't even have a single thought to explain away anything I said, but no one tells you to 'go away' like you tell me. So quit it now.

Why do you mention that I built my speakers too (for the 2nd time!)??
I didn't mention it, OR my speakers at all, OR made even the slightest hint of a refrerence to them in this thread... and don't plan to comment further about them unless I'm asked -which I have been in the ONE thread I posted here (in equal fairness to both excellent speaker designers).

You're just way off base trying to make yourself feel like you're defending vmps against me.

I had real questions. Questions that have still gone unanswered now for like the 6th time at least over the past probably 2 years. I get to be a little ticked off for that.

Brian certainly has thrown me lots of punches in that time, but I said I was willing to start over, and I don't think what I posted was way out of line at all.
He called me 'unpleasent' and I didn't cry. I cracked a joke on his story, and I'm sure he wasn't brought to tears either.
It's not the end of the world.

Tyson,
You asked what I would do to non-tweakable speakers etc...

Basically your suggestions are what I would do, and I totally understand the potential benefit of vmps's tweakability, and I get the point you were trying to make. And it was a good one. And one I've heard before from many a vmps owner.

From my own post "-highly tweakable VMPS speakers that can be made to work incredibly well in almost any room-"

I don't disagree that that's EXACTLY the awesome potential that they DO have. I thought I was clear on that already, but I say it here again to totally clarify my view.

This was not my question though.

You said -
"-As for people not being able to set it up right for good sound, I don't think that's generally the case. Most people can set it up fairly easily for good sound. But for "great" or "optimal" sound in a given room, you gotta have good ears and an understanding of how the tuning system works as a whole."

See... now that JUST the kind of answer that I was open to getting. Thanks.

I got the impression from the 'story' that this was not the case. That two audiophiles weren't able to get even good sound. I wasn't saying "they weren't able to get good sound".... I was saying "that's what it seemed like to me" from what I read. BIG difference, and I think the diff. in the people who got so pissed off and someone like you who was cool and answered the points I brought up.

IMO, my questions while challenging (which pisses people off) should be easily answerable and those answers I would guess would make the VMPS speaker design look all the better for it.
Slamming these great speakers is NOT my intention. Chirst, anyone who thinks that hasn't read what I've posted about them.

Your clarification perfectly answered my question... if it had been you who heard the systems in question.

But I'll still take from your comments that your impression is that it's only the really 'optimal' finest level of refinement that really takes what can be difficult to achive tweaking. And that such tweaking can't be done w/ other speakers and often is tough to do w/ actual room treatments.
I feel though like I'm guessing and answering my own questions in a way?

To everyone (for the millionth time)... the RM-40's were my 2nd choice of speaker to get out of what...  thousands of speakers in and below that price range.
People better understand that, and know that I'm not here to cause trouble and slam vmps.

I've made many highly complementary comments about the speakers.

Tyson you also said -"With the 40's, its just a few hours of putty removal, listening to music, pot adjustment, listening to music, then more putty fine tuning, more music listening, pot fine tuning, then done. The only thing it cost me was time and some effort."

But it seems like Brian's example showed that those guys weren't able to do this? I was at a 40's owner's place and was specifically told that it's been tough to set them up, and that he wasn't done.
And yes... I only heard them for a while on one day. I make no secret of that, and have never claimed I know this speaker inside and out or anything like that, but... I heard some things that were clearly not right and the owner felt at least somewhat the same and is still trying to set them up.

I'm NOT slamming this speaker and saying 'see... no one can do it'. I was asking if there was more info that could help someone who wanted these speakers set them up optimally.

The "I'm not sure I could do it?" was honestly part of my not choosing them.

Brian I'm sure does not want to see that happen, and it'd only benefit him to be able to answer my questions for all future customers who might worry they won't be able to tweak them to sound better than a diff. non-tweakable speaker (and I'm NOT saying MY speaker for anyone who's ready to jump on my throat again!).

Tyson also asked, "-Luckily, the owner had the option to put in extensive room treatments, but what if he didn't have that option?"

True, that'd be very tough. I know you weren't really looking for a real answer and were mainly trying to make the point that (I assume) you wouldn't need much if any room treatments in that room if he owned the 40's instead? Is that what you meant?

I look at it like this... by Brian's own story both rooms had or were recommended to have room treatments despite the 40's tweakabilty that can greatly overcome room problems.

And it's been my feeling that all audio rooms probably need some room treatments or are designed so that they are the room's walls are the treatment (etc...).


Brian,

Really.... your post was very informative. Thanks.

I still thing you've 'got me wrong' in my posts intentions, and I still wish you would answer that 'pot level' question I've asked you at least 6 times. I'll probably ask it again some time I supose though.

"-From your above post I feel you disapprove of my kind of customer service, and insinuate that without my personal attention, VMPS setups will sound substandard."

No. I asked you if that was the case. I did not insinuate that it WAS the case.

And your post along w/ Tysons helped clarify that this is not the case.

I know my mixing a 'jab' at you didn't help anyone look past that and actually read exactly what I wrote and what I was really saying, but I was asking real questions.

"-You're welcome to your opionion, of course. We have 19,000 speakers in the field, and I hear owner feedback daily and have for the past 27 years. I feel I am on the right and necessary path."

I haven't formed an opinion that I 'know' this or that about your speaker design.
That's what the questions have been for (questions I first began asking you a loooong time ago). I KNOW you have a lot of experience, and that you know WAY more than I do about let's just say EVERY audio subject there is.

You don't have to claim you're 'right'. I'm not claiming you're wrong. Questioning you is not the same as calling you wrong.

If that's not 'untrolly' enough... I'm not sure what is.

Kishore,

I hope this post clears some of this up for you. You don't have to sell me on tweaking. I understand.

"-There is no standard formula where you can say for dead room=12.05 mids setting, bright room=12.30 treble etc"

Just to make it clear... I didn't say there was, and didn't ask if there was.

I asked if Brian recommends 12:00 mids, and 12:10 upper treble for a 'good starting point'. That was my exact question. I didn't get an answer.

His story had two very diff. rooms and he set both speakers to the same pot settings. It really seemed to me like he was 'getting at' that this is at the least a good starting point.
 
I don't know if that's not what he meant or what, but I DO know that he didn't mean that this was the setting for this speaker in any room. That's clear.

If I was sitting here w/ 40's I don't know what I would get from Brian's story that wouldn't make me wonder if he would come to my house and find that I didn't have his speakers set correctly, or what I could do to make sure that I do have them set right.

That answer would help any VMPS owner, and maybe it's a tough question, but it's not an insulting evil trollish question.

John,

I also hope this post clarifies my last post for you too.

I thought the 'joke' was funny. AND I tried to explain that I was also mostly serious about the question of what to get from the story.

Really, Brian didn't make a point to the story, he asked people to draw their own lesson from it. Yes, I made a joke, but the rest was totally serious as I didn't see the benefit of the story as a lesson.

I know I wanted to improve the bass and the imaging of Eric's 40's as I heard them, and I suggested room treatments.
It seems like Brian's trying to say that you can do so much more w/ the speakers themselves before room treaments -if any are even needed?
I know Eric's lookig into room treaments since after I came over. Maybe that's not needed? I certainly didn't want to steer him wrong.

Maybe I'll get a pair of 40's someday... I don't know? I certainly STRONGLY considered it in the past, and don't rule it out for the future.
I'd like to know how to tweak them, and some of the questions I've asked and have not been answered have been in the interest of learning how to do get them to work best.

"-Maybe you should check your previous post that the manufacturer of your speaker kit had to call you up and give "you" placement advice. Does that sound familiar?"

You're clearly getting mad. Please don't.
You tried to distort this same comment in relation to Eric's system too and I tried to clearly show you there are differences. Big ones.

So again... Danny suggested I move them to a diff. spot. I told you the diff. wasn't huge. I also told you that I didn't in the end place them where he suggested based on what I heard in my room.
I also said that where they were before I moved them was where I First placed them on 'Day One', and had intended to readjust them after break in -now having moved them from that spot all of 'one time'.

Also... I told you I didn't have a problem with how they sounded where I first put them, but as they are now the soundstage is wider giving more air around the instruments. Almost nothing else changed in the tonality, image sharpness, bass loading, etc...(as I hear it).

I got from Brian's story that at least the one room was not right sounding at all. Maybe I got it worng though. If I did all Brian has to do is say 'the rooms sounded very good before I tweaked them, and my tweaks just refined the sound even further. Something you can't hardly do w/ any other speakers.'
But then I'm answering my own questions again.

Seriously... I'm not a bad guy.
 
I do ask tough questions sometimes, and get ticked if they get ignored and I have had Brian insult more than one pair of speaker I own with opinions I found untrue and many others (who own and/or heard those speakers) found untrue.
You just don't know what has gone on in the past between Brian and I in the past. One-sided it has not been, but both Brain and I are clearly hard asses.
We hit back even when he think someone else is swinging -even if they aren't.

I'm a good friend w/ a happy VMPS owner and he himself has told me he thinks Brian and I are probably a lot more alike that different -which has probably helped us lock horns more than once.

I don't think I gave Brian too a hard time in this post though at all, and clearly Tyson found a great way to ignore the 'joke' and reply to the things I said.

Brian himself did too, but again... some direct answers to direct questions still have not come.

"-While I have seen that you can have a reasonable gentlemanly exchange, your venture here is not exemplary."

True enough. I swear I'll never ever claim to be a saint, but c'mon... it wasn't that bad was it?
 
It's like I killed someone here. It was a small joke, and really even if you found it not funny at all (which is understandable) and in horribly bad taste (which is bit too defencive imo).... it was a kinda clever punchline wasn't it?

Like I said to you before -I feel like 'the enemy' here and it's been hard to question Brian in the past, and maybe I don't care about sounding so super polite anymore. I try not to go so overboard though, and think maybe I could get along w/ everyone here if everyone was totally openminded about where I'm coming from.

I would have made that SAME joke on a diff. forum and probably gotten a diff. reaction from assorted people.

Doesn't this long winded post trying to clarify myself count for something in getting those points back?  :(

Maybe if Brian is in town to hear/adjust Eric's system he might want to come over and hear mine? Who knows maybe he'll laugh his ass off at how horrible it sounds? I don't know? I'm still learning, but I stand behind the impressions I had of what I hear.

Tyson

Tale of 2 rooms
« Reply #23 on: 23 Jul 2003, 10:45 pm »
azryan,
you ask good questions.  I suppose brian could send out the speakers and say "remove 10 grams of putty and set the controls to 12 o'clock to get the speakers to match anechoically flat response.  The question is whether this would actually help anyone or not.  

The problem is that I don't think enough people trust their own ears when tuning.  They want to be led by the hand by someone else.  That just isn't feasable.  The method I used when I first got the 40's was to experiment with wildly different settings on all aspects of tuning, and was gradually able to "hone in" on what I felt was best sound.

The question of optimal sound is tricky.  What sounds optimal to me is not necessarily what sounds optimal to others.  This has happened on more than one occasion when poeple have come over to my house.  I've got the speakers set to optimal sound for my preferences, which these people did not share.  So I re-tuned them to match the visitors preferences.  Once you understand how the damping and pots work together it's not difficult at all (it's only 3 variables, after all).  

Also, NO speaker is going to sound great in a bad room.  Put the 40's in a bad room, and you might be able to get "better" sound than a non-tunable speaker will get, but still not "great" sound.  Tunable speakers do not (and probably cannot) overcome poor room acoustics.  But they can at least sound better than they otherwise would without tuning.

Assuming you had a perfect room, tuning is still imprtant for getting the best sound out of various partnering equipment.  I can't tell you how many times I've re-tuned after getting more tweaks to the Mensa DAC or changing cables, amps, preamps, speaker wire.

I don't know what to say to someone that cannot figure out the tuning, other than experiment as much as possible.  Remember that the tuning is probably more about getting the sound to your preference than it is about getting a sound that is supposedly "correct".  It's an art, not a science.

Kool39

  • Jr. Member
  • Posts: 7
Tale of 2 rooms
« Reply #24 on: 23 Jul 2003, 11:19 pm »
"I don't know what to say to someone that cannot figure out the tuning, other than experiment as much as possible. Remember that the tuning is probably more about getting the sound to your preference than it is about getting a sound that is supposedly "correct". It's an art, not a science."

That should go down as one of the single best comments of this forum!

Thanks Tyson

soundguy3

RM40's ....learing curve..........
« Reply #25 on: 24 Jul 2003, 12:00 am »
The RM40's are an incredible sounding speaker....but it takes patience, experimentation with pots and putty,  then you are rewarded with a great sounding speaker that mimics LIVE music.

Sguy3

Brian Cheney

  • Full Member
  • Posts: 2080
    • http://www.vmpsaudio.com
RM 40
« Reply #26 on: 24 Jul 2003, 01:45 am »
azryan:

You're welcome to come to this forum any time and ask questions, or even question the VMPS party line.  I don't learn from the happy customers, and skeptics have their place.

A 12 o'clock setting on one speaker is not the same as the 12 o'clock setting in another, due to winding tolerances.  I am amazed that a change from basically, 12 o'clock to one winding high or lower that also appears to be 12 o'clock makes such a difference.  We're talking less than 1/20 dB here.

I recently improved the sound of my "ideal" LEDE listening room by substituting 16" ASC Tubetraps for the homemade 12" bass traps I had been using for 10 years.  It was not subtle.

When I started out I quickly noticed that my speakers sounded so different in various environments that adjustments in each frequency range were necessary.  So in 1979 I invented the slot-loaded, mass-loaded tunable passive radiator.  Four years later at an AES convention, I saw that Klipsch had taken my idea for one of their models, and felt justified.  There's no patent to protect so no worries there.

Most listeners prefer a sound that is reduced from "anechoic flat" by perhaps 1 dB or so.  This is not to say rolloff, just reduced level.  Therefore the controls on mid and treble.  The bass damping adjustment is necessary to compensate primarily for source impedance, but also helps with lively wooden floors and some room modes.

If I do my job, the system measures and sounds flat.  Unfortunately speakers are passive devices dependent on rooms and associated equipment.  I try to help audiophiles tune their speakers to overcome common problems.  Some are more receptive to the idea, others have no talent for it.  If a customer is having severe problems I try to do a home visit.  I have always been able to improve the sound by doing so.

I doubt I would dislike your GR Alpha's.  I've met Danny and talked with him at length, and heard nothing but good things about his stuff.
I'd be happy to visit you in Arizona when I'm there.

JoshK

Tale of 2 rooms
« Reply #27 on: 24 Jul 2003, 01:55 am »
That was among the most encouraging exchanges (Brian and Ryan) that I have seen on this forum.

wshuff

Tale of 2 rooms
« Reply #28 on: 24 Jul 2003, 02:10 am »
I'll second that.  Vigorous debate and questioning doesn't have to become name calling or worse.  It can be quite educational for people like me.  Before getting 626Rs and an LRC I considered the RM2, and I still dream of the RM40, but I have to admit that I was intimidated by the idea of tuning and putty.  I'm hoping to learn more here.  Plus, it's nice to know that if you hit the wall, BC is just a plane ticket away.  :D

MaxCast

Tale of 2 rooms
« Reply #29 on: 24 Jul 2003, 01:41 pm »
I have the same concerns as ryan has about the tweeking of VMPS speakers.  I for one am glad he asked the questions.  I don't think he was trying to be an ass.  Brian said himself that he dosen't learn from the "happy" owners.  He learns from the the people that are not getting it just right and from the people that are on the fence about buying his speakers.  I'm sure this issue is a real concern for people considering VMPS RM speakers and AC gives all this chance to learn more about VMPS' products.

Another question I've had about the RM speakers is the pot.  What kind of pot is it?  And, how does it work?  How is it constructed?  We've all heard about the good and bad of volume controls, and less in the signal path should be more.

Couldn't quite swing the 40's right now, but if a pair of 626's went on tour, I'd be the first to sign up.

JoshK

Tale of 2 rooms
« Reply #30 on: 24 Jul 2003, 03:01 pm »
Quote from: MaxCast
...What kind of pot is it?


If Brian is getting it from Humbolt I bet it is good pot.

MaxCast

Tale of 2 rooms
« Reply #31 on: 24 Jul 2003, 07:15 pm »
Quote from: JoshK
Quote from: MaxCast
...What kind of pot is it?


If Brian is getting it from Humbolt I bet it is good pot.


 :smoke: = :mrgreen: = :sleep:

ekovalsky

Tale of 2 rooms
« Reply #32 on: 24 Jul 2003, 08:37 pm »
Good pot... the ultimate audio tweak   :smoke:

wshuff

Tale of 2 rooms
« Reply #33 on: 24 Jul 2003, 10:29 pm »
I'm sure Casler's going to chime in and tell us all that's it's best to use the pot while in the sonic cockpit with your favorite lady. :lol:

Sa-dono

  • Full Member
  • Posts: 845
Tale of 2 rooms
« Reply #34 on: 24 Jul 2003, 10:34 pm »
Quote from: wshuff
I'm sure Casler's going to chime in and tell us all that's it's best to use the pot while in the sonic cockpit with your favorite lady. :lol:


Too good :mrgreen: :notworthy:

:rotflmao:  :rotflmao:  :rotflmao:

John Casler

Tale of 2 rooms
« Reply #35 on: 24 Jul 2003, 11:28 pm »
Quote from: wshuff
I'm sure Casler's going to chime in and tell us all that's it's best to use the pot while in the sonic cockpit with your favorite lady. :lol:


Trimming pots and simultaneous sweet spot occupation with a "special" female, is one of my favorite pastimes (and I also like to listen to music occasionally) :wink:

rosconey

Tale of 2 rooms
« Reply #36 on: 24 Jul 2003, 11:51 pm »
now if only all posts went as well as this one-good questions and answers for them without any pissing.
this has been a good read  :mrgreen:
humbolt :bounce:
humbolt :bounce:

azryan

Tale of 2 rooms
« Reply #37 on: 25 Jul 2003, 05:36 pm »
Brian, Tyson, etc...

Thanks for the great replies. I waited to post my thanks 'cuz I didn't want to monopolize the thread with my constant rambling, but since everyone's talking about pot and babes I'll chime in -heh

Brian, if not sure I get what you were saying about the pots on one speaker are not the same for another?

Is that meaning 40's vs. RM-1' or 2's? It seemed like you meant from the left speaker and right speaker in a random pair of 40's (or any VMPS w/ pots)?

That plus the '1/20th of a db pot adjustment making a siginificant diff.', and 'dust scrapings' on the putty... it's sounds so hard to do in addition to the room effect so typically giving people a hard time.

It's like the tweakability is so intricate and such small changes make such a big diff., it seems a daunting task to even know where to begin.

That's totally NOT a slam at all.
Your speakers are clearly more complicated than most (any?) with the design intention of being able to be set up better than most (any?), but is there anything that might help the end user tweak these easier?

Maybe a special test tone CD w/ bits of tracks and your comments on what they're supose to sound like in your preference?

And/or info on 'where to start' if problem 'X, Y, or Z' pops up?

Say... "My imaging is blurry".

And you comment about the room postion the speakers may work better in, or that the pots might be the first thing to adjust etc...
Like an 'order of attack' for various problems?

If that'd be to hard to write things like that, does that speak to the level of complex variables that set up involves?

I don't know... just stuff I thunk up.

thanks.

Audio Al

POT QUESTION
« Reply #38 on: 25 Jul 2003, 07:12 pm »
I'm glad this question of pots in the signal path came up.  I'e always wondered how "good" the VMPS pots are and whether taking them out would make a significant improvement.
Back in the 70's I bought a pair of Infinity speakers (Q something or Kappa something, I can't remember, maybe too much pot) that had a 12" woofer, a dome mid and an EMIT (ribbon) tweeter.  There were 2 pots to control the mid and hi's.  After a few years these pots would burn out and cause dead spots and noise when they were adjusted like a noisey volume control.  I bought new speakers but keep the Infinity's untill a friend of mine expressed an interest in purchasing them.  I spoke to a design engineer at Infinity to get replacement woofers (surrounds rotted) and also questioned him about removing the pots from the path.  He asked me where I had set the pots and suggested a resistor value to install in place of the pots.  I did this with a high quality resistor and the speakers sounded GREAT.  They also had better power handling. I was almost sad to sell those old friends as they were built very well with real SOLID walnut cabinets.

I now wonder if Brian has ever experimented with substituting the pots with a resistor.  Has anyone figured out what values are right for certain settings of the pots?  Once your speakers are dialed in how much better would they sound with only a hi quality resistor in the path?

azryan

Tale of 2 rooms
« Reply #39 on: 25 Jul 2003, 08:33 pm »
I guess the 'potential prob' Al would be that you'd no longer be able to adjust the speakers if you moved them to a diff. room, or place you live,  etc..
Sounds likt you understand that though and are just asking thait if someone accepted that fact... 'would there be a benefit' to replacing the pots w/ an actual resistor.

I guess along the lines you're speaking, I'd wonder about a pot free speaker w/ a pas. rad. that's set so the entire speakers is anechoically as dead flat as it can measure (in essence what many conventional speaker designs attemt to do -though 'Yes' debatable that that should be the designer's goal), and if you've got any sound problems you accept that you'd have to deal w/ the room that's causing them (like you would w/ any other speaker)?

Would that work? You could still adjust the pas. rad. putty if you wanted to I guess right? Does the pass. rad. damping effect the panels output?
I can see it effecting the dual woofers, but the neo panel's too? Not the upper tweeters though certainly as their sealed right? Both the spirals and new FST?


Also... Is there a photo of the putty as it's stock from the factory?

Is it a little 'blob' on the rad. cone? What if you remove 'none' of the putty, but you were to spread the putty out so it covered more surface area?
I feel goofy asking that, but since dust scraping and fingernail pinches make a diff. then it seems like a valid question.

'Where' exactly the putty is should also make a diff. in damping right since diff. sections of the rad. cone resonate differently? no?

I guess I'm thinking of like w/ wind chimes... you can hold the tube about a 3rd of the way in and it doesn't much effect the sound, but if you hold it in the center, you kill the sound (there's a specific math formula for where to drill the hole to hang it based on that).

Don't cones resonate along those lines?