Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: VMPS Large Subwoofer Speakers by Pete J

I just had to add this sub to your site. Checking my receipt, I have owned this for 12 years. I have read that this speaker has been modified to a more friendly size. It truely is a brute--39"H, 21"W,17" D. I have never understood why these never seemed to get popular with DIY enthusiasts. When I bought mine, the kit version cost $439, and I have seen the current "Larger" model advertized at less than $500 at HCM audio (www.hcmaudio.com). The original design was unique because it used a mass tuned 15" passive radiator between the main speaker volume and a small ported chamber. I use one sub on its side with the port in the corner of my 19X13 living room. A smaller sister of this sub has been reviewed years ago (It was Stereophile V8 #4)and the only negative aspect regarding its sound was that it was slow and needed to be used below ~80 hz. Because of that, I have used a 65 hz crossover point for my system. With that and good main speakers and a steep electronic crossover, I get no impression of slowness. The sound of drum sets is very tight. So is the sound of plucked bass. Also I never have found this sub calling attention to itself once the relative volume between it and the main speakers has been properly adjusted. I have an Audio Control Richter Scale III crossover which includes a warble tone generator for frequencies to 22.5 hz, and a calibrated microphone to set up an equalizer for the sub frequencies. The speaker frequency response has varied a bit from changes to upstream components that affected the relative gain of the sub and main speakers. But, in general the response at 22.5 hz has been about 2 db below a reference frequency at 200 hz. In my room there is a broad hump of about 6 db at about 45 hz. This can be equalized out, but I prefer to lower the sub overall gain by about 2-3 db relative to the mains and leave out the equalizer. I use the 15" driver for the left channel and the 12 " driver for the right. To really get a sense of the power of this sub, only an organ can give you the musical depths. I prefer the Dorian recording of "Pictures at an Exhibition" (DOR90117). This recording has such power that the calves of listeners legs begin to throb as my floor joists go into resonance and all the hardware in the room starts to shake. Same happens when the volume is real high on the "Coyote" cut in the "Hush" album of Bobby Mcferrin and Yo Yo Ma (Sony SK48177). The engineers seem to have boosted bass frequencies tremendously there. I hope this will encourage someone to try the latest version of this sub. If I had room I would try to use 2 of them for under a thousand bucks. Two would produce > 95db/watt at 1m. Oh, one other negative, they are crude pieces of furniture. Fake walnut slabs top and bottom with all sides wrapped in grill cloth (actually the grill cloth is attached to a 3/8" mdf/plywood? wrap around cover for the 3/4" mdf box. I don't know if it affects the sonics.

REVIEW: VMPS Large Subwoofer Speakers Review by Pete J at Audio Asylum