[UTLaw]

To those in the know...

It seems like there was some discussion that details regarding new cabinets by Mark S. would be available sometime after CES.  I was just wondering if there was in progress in this regard?

     

UT

[UTLaw]

I guess this means things are a no go at this point.
     

Yes, a shameless bump of my own thread...
     

[John Casler]

Hi UT,

Oh things are a "GO", but I am waiting for a couple confirmations before releasing more specific information.

Things got "delayed" about 60-90 days from what we anticipated because of elements beyond our control.

We will likely have some product within 45 days.

I will be informing all as soon as I get a confirmation of a couple more details.

It "IS" rather exciting and I wish it could happen faster, but with all the cogs in the wheel, occasionally one gets a little stuck fo r one reason or another.

Hold tight for a couple days and I hope to have more info.

[Rob Babcock]

Will it only be the RM30s or will we see some 626r's in those beautiful cabs?

[JoshK]

I don't want to rain on anyone's parade but I hope there is some buffer factored into the equation for when China revalue the Reminbi.  Right now products from China are cheap because the Chinese central bank is keeping the Reminbi artificially low, when it revalues imports from China won't be as cheap.  Just a head's up as it is enivitable.

[Rob Babcock]

That just means we all gotta get ours first, JoshK!   Anyway, my main motivation wouldn't be price but rather quality; I haven't seen 'em up close, but in the pictures Mark's cabs look fantastic.  Basically everyone I've talked to that has seen them feels the same way.

[bubba966]

Will it only be the RM30s or will we see some 626r's in those beautiful cabs?

I thought that only the RM40's were getting MLS cabs, and that the RM30's & 626R's were still going to be done at a local shop.

[Rob Babcock]

Could be, Brian.  Still, a guy can hope.  I'd really like to hear some 626r's- size & price-wise, those would fit my needs.  And I'm pretty much the only guy here that hasn't ever heard a VMPS speaker before.   I'm betting 5 of them with a pair of nice subs would be just the ticket for MC music.

[brj]

And I'm pretty much the only guy here that hasn't ever heard a VMPS speaker before.

You're not the only one left, Rob. They're on my list of speakers to audition, but I figured I'd hold off from pestering a local owner until I was closer to buying something.  I am looking forward to it, though.  Besides, by waiting a bit, I stand a better chance of hearing the RM30's too...

[F-100]

I haven't seen 'em up close, but in the pictures Mark's cabs look fantastic.  Basically everyone I've talked to that has seen them feels the same way.

I've the Onix Ref1 birdeye maple and the cabinets are first class. Nothing even come close to the Ref1's cabinet.

[mlschifter]

I don't want to rain on anyone's parade but I hope there is some buffer factored into the equation for when China revalue the Reminbi.  Right now products from China are cheap because the Chinese central bank is keeping the Reminbi artificially low, when it revalues imports from China won't be as cheap.  Just a head's up as it is enivitable.

Hello Josh...

The peg to the dollar WILL eventually change (agreed there)... but where oh where do you think this will go...

Please remember... Hong Kong is involved as well here... and we all know (over here) that the numbers are not going to adjust THAT MUCH...

 

All the best...

mls

[mlschifter]

I haven't seen 'em up close, but in the pictures Mark's cabs look fantastic.  Basically everyone I've talked to that has seen them feels the same way.

I've the Onix Ref1 birdeye maple and the cabinets are first class. Nothing even come close to the Ref1's cabinet.

...  

with humble thanks...

mls

(wait until you all see what's coming...   )...

[JoshK]

Hello Josh...

The peg to the dollar WILL eventually change (agreed there)... but where oh where do you think this will go...

Please remember... Hong Kong is involved as well here... and we all know (over here) that the numbers are not going to adjust THAT MUCH...

 

All the best...

mls

The US, Europe, Emerging Markets, the rest of the world all will have a strong reliance on China to be one of the major growth engines of the next decade.   I don't want to get too far off topic and make this an economic debate I was just hoping the deal you and Big B struck wasn't based on too strict of estimations.  

It is generally agreed that China will first change their peg from strictly US dollar denominated to a narrow basket of currencies including the dollar and the Euro among them.  While doing this they will revalue most likely 5% which won't be enough but will be a token of more to come.  Ultimately they will be forced to do much more but only when it best serves their interest to do so.

[ctviggen]

I haven't seen 'em up close, but in the pictures Mark's cabs look fantastic.  Basically everyone I've talked to that has seen them feels the same way.

I've the Onix Ref1 birdeye maple and the cabinets are first class. Nothing even come close to the Ref1's cabinet.

I don't know -- have you ever seen a Wilson speaker's cabinet?  It'd be hard to match that cabinet (or the price or the ugly design).  Personally, I don't think that the RM40s look bad.  True, they're blocky speakers and not wife-friendly, but what speakers that sound great are wife-friendly?  If it were up to most women, we'd all have in-wall speakers and plasmas.  (And I'm not saying that this is a bad thing -- In fact, I'm thinking of building something to put my massive Pioneer Elite TV in and I'd love to hide the speakers.)  While I like the look of Onix speakers, I don't think their cabinetry is the end all and be all of cabinetry.

Speaking of things made elsewhere, I spoke with a person from a large company who said that the engineers are terrified that engineering is going to move to India.  After all, you can get 5 engineers over there for every engineer here.  I'm beginning to think that the only jobs that'll be here soon are those that need to be location-oriented, like doctors, nurses, etc.  Anything that can be manufactured or done on computer is going to go away.

[F-100]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  If you have seen the Onix Ref1 in person, you will understand what I mean.

Yes, I've seen those high price Wilson speakers and they're very nice too.

[ctviggen]

That's true -- beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I haven't seen Onix speakers in person (although I haven't seem RM40s either).  I currently have cherry Linn speakers, and I think these look great, and sound OK (they're AV speakers, and they are wonderful for Video; it's the stereo that's lacking in detail).

[mlschifter]

That's true -- beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I haven't seen Onix speakers in person (although I haven't seem RM40s either).  I currently have cherry Linn speakers, and I think these look great, and sound OK (they're AV speakers, and they are wonderful for Video; it's the stereo that's lacking in detail).

... and by the by, most of the Linn cabinets (which are quite nice) are made over here (I'm in China now)... at a VERY GOOD factory.

Not being argumentative or suggestive in any way here... just noting a fact after reading this thread this morning...

All the best...

mls

[UTLaw]

Since we have the cabinet man himself here....  

From a business perspective we can assume  it may not be wise to fill our heads with wonderful/specific images of VMPS speakers with your cabinets at this time - it would likely hurt Big B in moving his current cabinet inventory out the door while everyone waited for your beauties...

So lets talk in generalities...  

When you say "wait till you see what's coming" are you referring to new wood choices, cabinet designs, etc?

[TheChairGuy]

Could be, Brian.  Still, a guy can hope.  I'd really like to hear some 626r's- size & price-wise, those would fit my needs.  And I'm pretty much the only guy here that hasn't ever heard a VMPS speaker before.   I'm betting 5 of them with a pair of nice subs would be just the ticket for MC music.

No Rob, I would be, too (two).

I've got way less of an excuse than you, too, as I only live 30 minutes from Big B...and about the same distance to Jim/Ribbon Speakers.  My only excuse (lame   ) is that I only moved here 16 months ago.

.....although I'm pretty sure I did hear a pair of Towers (I guess) back in 1987 or so out in parsippany, New Jersey when Brian may have had a larger base of dealers.  To this day I can't hear Bruce Hornsby's 'The Way It Is' without thinking of that incredible sound back then.  I'm pretty sure they were VMPS', at least.

Oops, guess you're back in the solo club again Rob...

[TheChairGuy]

I don't want to rain on anyone's parade but I hope there is some buffer factored into the equation for when China revalue the Reminbi.  Right now products from China are cheap because the Chinese central bank is keeping the Reminbi artificially low, when it revalues imports from China won't be as cheap.  Just a head's up as it is enivitable.

JoshK,

A good bit of the total $ involved in a speakers cost is cabinet, particularly construction and finish.  No decent woodworker would work for less than $25 per hour here in US (figure a speaker can take 8 man hours for a lustrous finish); while a Chinese laborer can work all day on one speaker and add no more than $5 for that same labor.  Labor, when done in China, is a near non-factor in the total price $200 vs. $5.

The RMB would have to rise significantly in a free market for China to be ever priced out.  Even as labor rates rise (a much bigger problem long term) in South China (Guangdong Province)...there are many more provinces that pay considerably less.  40' containers to Port of Long Beach (where most stuff comes in to West Coast) is about $3500 all fees included last I checked...even with freight inefficent speaker cabinets on board, it still doesn't overcome the lead that lower wages plays in the equation.

More of an issue than rising currency values is longer lead times for merchandise and a committment to holding more $$ in inventory...a worthwhile 'problem' that Brian will have to grapple with in the years ahead.

It's great that VMPS hooked up with Mark Schifter...we all win: we get more speaker, with better cabinets for less.  When you have volume, as VMPS does now, it makes considerable sense to go to China to build 'em...even against a backdrop of rising RMB and labor rates.