FWIW: Since the first time I heard the RM30C I have sung it's praises & stated that 40 had outlived its usefullness. In fact, I believe it's a dead dinosaur that hasn't fallen over yet to decay. The 40s symmetrical woofers provide a weired phasey presentation & way too much ceiling bounce, esp w/ the midbass driver up top (I think VMPS may have finally taken my advice & not have the midbass driver up top.) I have heard other people who owned both agree. Remember also I've never recommended the RM30M because frankly, the enclosure is too small for 3 active bass drivers, producing a too high Q (the proof is no lower bass cutoff for the M vs. C.) A too high Q makes for a ringing bass quality.
George said people including himself preferred his Salk vs. the 30 minus CDW, but I don't know if they were C or M. He'll post later I'm sure.
The CDW was released way too early, before the EQ issue was fixed fall '06. But since then, especially after hearing the Salk HT1-QW, my personal opinion is the latest VMPS RM30C CDW priced similarly to the Salk, would sonically knock it out, if the electronics were up to the task.
Based on the opinion of TRL, the maker of my CD source, no computer based CD playback is even close to my CD source quality. If that is correct, the current RM30C is better than may be revealed by an inferior source such as a computer based system. The 30s apparently sounded decent at RMAF '06, but still, by my best recall, the speakers could use better ancialliary gear. Along these lines: a few months ago I got a new $7500 reference preamp. The sound quality jumped up so high that I prefer the model below the 30s to the 30s w/o the preamp. The front end gear does make as much difference as Linn's Ivor Tiefunbrun said it does about 40 years ago.
That's only my opinion. Others may & surely will disagree.
Based on this, IMO the above comparison of the 40 & Salk is completely irrelevant in today's current marketplace.
It's interesting that George, a moderator who is obviously extremely interested in the hobby/sport, refused VMPS' offer to audition the current technology free & w/o obligation.
There may be obvious reasons for the refusal, such as a distaste for Brian, &/or QC issues, which I fully understand & sympathize with. Considering George's past undertakings to compare equipment these are the only good reasons I can think of, other than maybe being uncertain of the outcome vs. his Salk's.
If any offense is taken here, I apologize beforehand & will afterward too. If I may say, George, w/ all due respect, you are beating that dead horse way too long already. You should, IMO, get over it. If not, that's fine too.
Jim,
First, I am not a moderator...if I was, what the hell does that have to do with anything?
Second, what gear I choose to audition is my business and doesn't require that I answer to you or anybody else.
Third, the comparison of the 40's and HT3's is relevant because it is the topic of this thread. A member of AC was looking for info on how to compare the two speakers in his room.
Fourth, I don't own Salk HT3's anymore. They were replaced last Fall by Vandersteen 5A's. 
I am not really sure what you think I need to get over, so I can't even comment on that.
I am glad that you are happy with your system and the components that make it up - so am I.
The fact that we are taking different paths to reach our individual audio nirvana is the great thing about this hobby.
I am not offended by your post, but rather saddened by it.
Why not simply enjoy your system and not feel the need to defend certain brands by attacking others?
I apologize to Bob for crapping in his thread and won't make any more posts that aren't on topic.
George
George
I seem to have hit a nerve & that wasn't the intent.
For you to act like someone pulled up your panties who confused "moderator" w/ "facilitator" is, as Spock would say "...quite strange..." I'll try to find out the difference to avoid this future mistake. In reply to
what the hell does that have to do with anything
One might reasonably conclude that facilitators have a higher interest level & are more interested even than your average audiophile in auditioning new gear at home for free. If you require an apology for my confusion, consider this my apology. Sorry I'm so dense. Don't think it deserved the
hell
comment but maybe that's normal language for you. If you write the word
hell
when you are NOT
offended
as you say, & rather you were
saddenned
I'd hate to see you get
offended
Frankly, in my 28-1/2 years dealing w/ severe life/death situations for a living
hell
was usually more consistent w/
offended
than it was consistent w/
saddened
the comparison of the 40's and HT3's is relevant because it is the topic of this thread
Maybe I missed it, but before your sentence above this fact was hidden from this thread. So my point was relevant at the time. Also, in case anyone more nuetral than you is interested, in the picture where you apparently did your shootout, the ceiling looks to be false & is about 7' or less. This ultra-low height so badly skews any comparison of the 40s against the 40 for the reasons I enumerated, that in my humble opinion the comparison is of the lowest in value & very highly skewed.
I suppose I already listed the most obvious reasons you may have refused the free VMPS audition. Readers can & will draw whatever conclusions comfort them, as usual. This statement implies I asked you to explain yourself:
Second, what gear I choose to audition is my business and doesn't require that I answer to you or anybody else.
Your implication is unfounded, because I never requested you explain this fact. I did posit the only opinions explaining your refusal that I could think of. You deny none of my points so that's of some very small comfort. Your overly agitated response (IMO) seems quite strange. What's that all about?
When I wrote
get over it
I was suggesting you stop needlessly reminding readers of the outdated 40/Salk event from about 2.5 to 3 years ago. Sorry that wasn't made clear in the earlier post. I personally thought your post w/ the inside joke to Wolfy was pretty adolescent, you know, like little kids in high school pointing & giggling at the fat girl that everybody enjoys to hate (this is metaphor). If you don't like my opinion just stop reading my posts whenever you desire. I think you may be able to set it up so that my posts are invisible to you.
Only someone w/ your apparent agenda (you dislike me apparently) could state that a post containing several very strong criticisms of VMPS product & the owner is trying to
defend
that very same brand & owner
by attcking others
That's pure nonsense. Minus you quoting the attack & explaining your wrong accusation I'll conclude this is just another personal attack against me. That's way off base, esp for a "facilitator". Also you imply here I don't enjoy my system:
Why not simply enjoy your system
Wrong again. Don't know why you wrote that, except to assert me as some type of malcontent, another personal attack.
Re-read my post & this time, maybe while taking a drink & breathing, you will notice my very strong criticisms of VMPS & Brian Cheney personally.
IMO, your childish multiple re-posting of the picture of your vmps/salk comparison, especially when you are a "facilitator", especially when the 40 basically sucks anyway & has been far outclassed by vmps now, is unwelcome & rather distasteful. You think it's cute IMO, but I don't.
I'm not sure about Salk but VMPS pays a small yearly fee that makes your words appear on the screen when you type. VMPS deserves a more nuetral facilitator IMO.
