[davidc]

Ok, if you don't want to hear my story about my VMPS past, just skip to the end, where I actually have my question.

So...its about 1981 or so. Im a 20 year old audiophile who loves all music, but especially rock and roll and new wave. Going to school down in SoCal and living with lots of different roommates my age. I've got a pair of Speakerlab (remember them from Seattle?) Super 7s that I built myself from a kit and loved.

Saw Brian's ads in the back of Audio magazine (yes, a 20 year old was reading that). The Super Towers seemed to be the perfect speaker for me! Super efficient so they can get super loud (no doubt a contributing factor to this now 49 yr. olds hearing loss), super low frequency response (so my friends can be blown away by the cannons on Mobile Fidelity's version of The War of 1812, where the cannon hits at 6 Hz!), super low distortion at the super loud level, but also smooth accurate frequency response across the range. Sounds like the most Super perfect speaker there could be. But, it of course cant be the truth...this is a little ad in the back of Audio magazine, an almost no name company, and you cant get all that in one speaker.

So, I called the company and spoke to Brian. Over the years, I also had to get used to his sort of direct, not many words kind of style. At first, I thought he just didn't like this 20 year old kid. After all, how can a kid be an audiophile?

I do remember Christopher Hansens in Beverly Hills, but either they weren't a dealer yet, or they didn't have the SuperTowers, of something...so, I went to a dealer up in Big Bear, CA (for those who don't know, this is up in the mountains near SoCal). This long haired ex-hippy type guy owned a RadioShack up there, and also operated a make shift stereo shop. He had some SuperTowers of his own at his house where I had a listen.

Blown away, literally and figuratively is all I can say.

So, I save up $1000 from my minimum wage part time job, and bought a pair of kits. Saved a bunch of money. Do you still sell the kits Brian?

When they arrived by truck, my roommates were blown away, especially when they saw I'd have to put them together myself! But I had done a couple of Heathkits (are they still around?), so I figured I could do these.

So, if you can imagine a typical 20 yr college kid using these super efficient super bass speakers, well...our house is where all the parties were! At one party, one of the speakers got knocked over (these are the original 5 ft tall one's). The only damage was to the foot of the guy who got hit by the 140 lb speaker!

Soon after, Brian upgraded the tweeter to the ribbon. But, as a poor college student, I had no money to upgrade. But, in my travels around the LA area, I came across an electronics/stereo store (it was basically at the intersection of the 405 and Imperial Hwy, anybody remember what it was?), that was selling what seemed to be the same tweeter. If I remember correctly, it was made by JVC. I called Brain, he told me to make sure it wasn't counterfeit, and if not, pick it up. So, for about $20ea I think, I got them. I then upgraded the crossovers with Brian's help (Wondercaps?), and put them in. Much better sound than the Motorola piezo, although I still have the Motorola piezo as the ambience tweeter in the top.

Fast forward another 8 years or so and I notice the surrounds on virtually all the mids and woofers have literally turned to dust. That, and the passive radiators spiders have sagged. Called Brian again, admittedly a little pissed that this would happen to my beloved speakers, but Brian came through, and for about $300 or so, replaced them all!

Over the 1980s and 1990s I used to go to the CES every year. Id always make a point to go to the Riveria and hear all the high end stuff. I remember every year the first two days, all the Golden Ear elites would pass by Brians room (I think back then the company was called Itone Audio) with a sort of smirk on their face. The talk in the hallways as they passed was that what he sold couldnt be any good. Too cheap, too conventional, too big (especially the woofers), not esoteric enough. Id go in the room and listen, introduce myself to Brian...he never talked much, just sat and listened and let the speakers do the talking.

By the last two days of the show, all the Golden Ears, and the designers and execs from the nose-up-in-the-air companies had snuck in and heard Brian's stuff. I knew they were all blown away 'cause I heard them talking about it back in their rooms and in the hallways. But they didn't like to admit it. They'd talk in low hushed voices.

A couple years later, after I had stopped going to the CES, I heard that Brian started winning awards and getting the respect he deserved from these golden ears. Good for you Brian!

Questions:

So, for reasons that wont be mentioned, I haven't used the speakers in 10 years. I now will bring them out of the garage and into the living room. I imagine I may have to replace some drivers, but even though its now almost 30 yrs. later, I still don't have a lot of money.

So, Brian, if I need to replace the 15 PR, the 15 woofer, the 12 woofer or the midranges, what are my options?

Is it acceptable, given a budget, to replace only the driver going bad, even though it wont match the other one?

I have heard you offer original replacements, as well as upgrades for the drivers. What are the costs of each?

Thanks for reading to everyone who made it this far!

David

[Brian Cheney]

Yes, exact replacements for the STR drivers (or modern equivalents/upgrades) are available.  The PR is $66ea, the 15" active is $120ea, the 12" active is $80ea, and the mids are $45ea.  Prices plus shipping.

After 34 years, I still don't say too much.

[Brian Cheney]

bump

[Long Ear]

Hello David, I'm the hippie-type guy from Big Bear Lake. Glad you bought those speakers!
Like you, after 25+ years I had to replace all of the 12" drivers in my Super Tower II/R
speakers & the 5" cone mid's. This really brought them back to the powerhouses of old.
About 2 years ago I replaced these (still in the downstairs computer room, never sell, never sell) with RM 40's & 2 Larger subs driven by Parts Express (via Brian) 1000 watt
sub amps & added 2 anti-mode sub eq's. As all VMPSer's are aware, you can tune Big B's speakers from lean & mean to loud & proud with just a tweak of the controls on the speakers & vol & xover freq on the sub amps. Although I can't quite get the slam of
STII/R's with the newer set-up, the imaging & vocals are far superior!
Anyway, I was very surprised & pleased to see your post. Take care, Terry

[Shear Bliss]

Much like David, was interested in the ads in Audio Magizine, Stereophile of the pictured huge boxes stuffed with big huge drivers claiming clean powerfull bass with hi-end accepted extension and clarity ... VERY BOLD STATEMENTS in a market flooded with products that went belly up faster than the ads that ran.

I"ve owned VMPS speakers now on three occasions, the first being the Super Tower/R bought on audition from ? in South Bend, Ind. on a road trip to hear them, from Detroit. ..... The 2nd pr. was yrs later, I beleive the Super Tower IIRs in a verticle array, much improved cabinet also. Had the two 12" carbon woofers/ribbon tweeter, freight delivery. I never fully understood the bass loading (morite putty) so off they went, again for something else, something to fill my 20x13 audio room.

About two yrs. ago bought a pristeen pr. of RM-1s ... local on C-list (450.00) cheap, vowing this time, I was"nt going to let the bass loading beat me! Read/Asked questions on the proper loading, etc. and am now in shear bliss with them. I upgraded to the Mega-Woofers and I"m very pleased with that improvement. They fit my room very nice.

Yes Brian a man of few words, ask 1 question, will get a proper reply... usually works best. Hey the mans busy!
DW.

[Long Ear]

Sorry for the typo, should have been CLEAN & MEAN.

[davidc]

Hello David, I'm the hippie-type guy from Big Bear Lake. Glad you bought those speakers!
Like you, after 25+ years I had to replace all of the 12" drivers in my Super Tower II/R
speakers & the 5" cone mid's. This really brought them back to the powerhouses of old.
About 2 years ago I replaced these (still in the downstairs computer room, never sell, never sell) with RM 40's & 2 Larger subs driven by Parts Express (via Brian) 1000 watt
sub amps & added 2 anti-mode sub eq's. As all VMPSer's are aware, you can tune Big B's speakers from lean & mean to loud & proud with just a tweak of the controls on the speakers & vol & xover freq on the sub amps. Although I can't quite get the slam of
STII/R's with the newer set-up, the imaging & vocals are far superior!
Anyway, I was very surprised & pleased to see your post. Take care, Terry

Terry! That's right! Dude, how are ya?!

Wow, real blast from the past now! If I remember, didn't you have them in the downstairs? Like a basement? Real big and concrete walls all around? But, you wouldn't have called it a computer room back in 1981 huh?!

Man, I was so blown away when I came up there to listen to yours. I new what I wanted in a speaker for years, but I just figured that no one in the world produced them. I wanted efficiency to play loud, low distortion while playing loud, extended low frequency response while playing loud, and flat response while playing loud. I still remember when I saw the ads in Audio, "no, nobody can produce a speaker like that...it's never been done"

Then, I found the closest place to listen to them was 2 1/2 hrs away in the mountains! It was probably winter to, but that I don't remember. You sold me on them Terry, and you were very, very nice to boot. I think I may have met your wife or girlfriend also?

You still living up there? And by the way, the hippie comment was a compliment!

Dave

[davidc]

Much like David, was interested in the ads in Audio Magizine, Stereophile of the pictured huge boxes stuffed with big huge drivers claiming clean powerfull bass with hi-end accepted extension and clarity ... VERY BOLD STATEMENTS in a market flooded with products that went belly up faster than the ads that ran.

I"ve owned VMPS speakers now on three occasions, the first being the Super Tower/R bought on audition from ? in South Bend, Ind. on a road trip to hear them, from Detroit. ..... The 2nd pr. was yrs later, I beleive the Super Tower IIRs in a verticle array, much improved cabinet also. Had the two 12" carbon woofers/ribbon tweeter, freight delivery. I never fully understood the bass loading (morite putty) so off they went, again for something else, something to fill my 20x13 audio room.

About two yrs. ago bought a pristeen pr. of RM-1s ... local on C-list (450.00) cheap, vowing this time, I was"nt going to let the bass loading beat me! Read/Asked questions on the proper loading, etc. and am now in shear bliss with them. I upgraded to the Mega-Woofers and I"m very pleased with that improvement. They fit my room very nice.

Yes Brian a man of few words, ask 1 question, will get a proper reply... usually works best. Hey the mans busy!
DW.

Yeah, I never got the loading thing with the putty either, I don't think my ear was educated enough to know what to listen too. So, I'm gonna try that again this time around. I did alway find though that the bass was overpowering most of time if I didn't position them in the room just right.

[John Casler]

Not too many things make Brian happier than hearing how people like his speaker, and have for over three decades.

As a long time VMPS owner (and of course dealer) it is difficult to really explain to someone just how magnificient they can be when you get it all right.

Hard to imagine just how many of the VINTAGE VMPS are out there.

Just received these photos a few days ago.

Notice the baseball bats to ward off anyone looking to cart the speakers away

[underdawg]

Those speakers John posted are mine.I am in Amarillo Texas.
I just purchased megawoofers for the and external crossovers.
I will let everyone know how it goes once I recieve them.

[underdawg]

I completely rebuilt them once 2 years ago with John Caslers help.
I replaced the ribbon tweeters with Heil teweeters because the originals went up in blue flames, no kidding,had witnesses while we were trying to test biamping.
I had the Heils laying around and asked the people here if they would be a suitable replacement as there were not original replacements available.