Any Fried model R fans??
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JimPA
Distinguished Member
The R4 model came out around 1991 -92.
fried-r4-loudspeaker
The Dalesford company went out of business in 1984.
Fried used a Vifa mid bass driver.
I am not sure where he sourced the woofer from.
luvmusik
HOORAY !...ELECTRICITY !
Greetings all !,
Found two historically valuable photos of the very rare "IMF badged" Model R speakers. Really just stumbled on this today while searching for something else.
I've rarely posted here in years, but these ( 2 ) photos are from about 2009, from AK'er mortsnet in another earlier thread. He owns or owned them.
It's good to show these here for their importance, if anyone reads back thru this thread.
As discussed, the IMF badged Model R cabinet wood has a lighter color ( typically for IMF models ) than the well known darker cabinet wood on the Fried badged Model R.
Wish we had crossover fotos !
The fotos are a bit fuzzy, log in for full size fotos, but all that know both the Fried & IMF badges can see these are IMF Model R badged. You can also count the letters ( 3 large capital, not 5 ).
There they are, foam is out.
These are the company transition as the earliest IMF Model R, to the next badged Fried Model R ( series I ) model.
I heard these the year they came out & coincided with the first Fried badged Model R series I also in that same year, and they both sounded identical ( mentioned earlier in this thread ).
However, if the owner still has them, they're keepers for their extreme rarity.
Hope enthusiasts dig this.
Frank
Found two historically valuable photos of the very rare "IMF badged" Model R speakers. Really just stumbled on this today while searching for something else.
I've rarely posted here in years, but these ( 2 ) photos are from about 2009, from AK'er mortsnet in another earlier thread. He owns or owned them.
It's good to show these here for their importance, if anyone reads back thru this thread.
As discussed, the IMF badged Model R cabinet wood has a lighter color ( typically for IMF models ) than the well known darker cabinet wood on the Fried badged Model R.
Wish we had crossover fotos !
The fotos are a bit fuzzy, log in for full size fotos, but all that know both the Fried & IMF badges can see these are IMF Model R badged. You can also count the letters ( 3 large capital, not 5 ).
There they are, foam is out.
These are the company transition as the earliest IMF Model R, to the next badged Fried Model R ( series I ) model.
I heard these the year they came out & coincided with the first Fried badged Model R series I also in that same year, and they both sounded identical ( mentioned earlier in this thread ).
However, if the owner still has them, they're keepers for their extreme rarity.
Hope enthusiasts dig this.
Frank
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luvmusik
HOORAY !...ELECTRICITY !
The AK thread those fotos are from is titled "IMF Model R" posted by owner Mortsnets on Jan 23, 2009. He verifies they are IMF; I can see the badge is IMF and not Fried, they are characteristically different. He may have sold them but surely he must remember them. Hope he still has 'em. I never saw that thread until yesterday.
The only two misinformations in that 1 page thread are...op starts off post #1 mixing up his IMF Model R as being R series II ( the most exciting version sonically & Fried badged ). His IMF set is before the series I (one) Fried Model R. Then both were sold at the same time, same year.
The other point is posted by Nat who explains historical things well in post #8, but incorrectly stated they are Fried...and doesn't know IMF made Model R just before Fried did. Plus, the cabinet wood color is also another indicator for sure, as is the very early tweeter surround disc. Fried R's did not use that type tweeter surround or wood color, or badge. I'm not calling out anyone, just correcting the historical record for all.
Yes, the bottom foam in or out creates 2 varied audio presentations, I like it with foam in, the simplest fix of all ! A few say they like it out, in the minority.
I saw & heard both the IMF Model R and the Fried Model R on the same day at 2 different shops as soon as they were on sale to the public and then also another few days for both again. My friends were all buying both badges & also the IMF Super Compact model. The Fried R were a bit less costly than IMF R's, sold more and the IMF model R quickly vanished within 1 year as companies transitioned. We were and still are big IMF and Fried fans; they are really great lines of speaker models that sound very good.
The only two misinformations in that 1 page thread are...op starts off post #1 mixing up his IMF Model R as being R series II ( the most exciting version sonically & Fried badged ). His IMF set is before the series I (one) Fried Model R. Then both were sold at the same time, same year.
The other point is posted by Nat who explains historical things well in post #8, but incorrectly stated they are Fried...and doesn't know IMF made Model R just before Fried did. Plus, the cabinet wood color is also another indicator for sure, as is the very early tweeter surround disc. Fried R's did not use that type tweeter surround or wood color, or badge. I'm not calling out anyone, just correcting the historical record for all.
Yes, the bottom foam in or out creates 2 varied audio presentations, I like it with foam in, the simplest fix of all ! A few say they like it out, in the minority.
I saw & heard both the IMF Model R and the Fried Model R on the same day at 2 different shops as soon as they were on sale to the public and then also another few days for both again. My friends were all buying both badges & also the IMF Super Compact model. The Fried R were a bit less costly than IMF R's, sold more and the IMF model R quickly vanished within 1 year as companies transitioned. We were and still are big IMF and Fried fans; they are really great lines of speaker models that sound very good.
hifitommy
Super Member
i agree that the RIIs are quite good and i believe they are still relevant today. tight if not very extended at bottom, and they image like few others. whoever the designer was (John Wright?) made a brilliant choice of drive units. the top two of which are the same as in the vaunted Rogers LS3/5a which i had owned before them. i mourn the fact that i wasn't able to keep more than one set of main speakers but the similarity of imaging was uncanny.
i mainly let the Rogers go because successfully mating a subwoofer was just not happening. that bump at 100Hz always detracted from the overall sound. i still own the RIIs (WITH the lower foam intact) and love them but my main setup includes the descendant of the LS3/5a, the Spendor S3/5 which doesn't include the 100Hz hump so mates with my Rythmik 12" sealed servo sub VERY nicely.
as a footnote, i always run my main speakers sans grills as i have never met a grill that i liked the sound of.
i mainly let the Rogers go because successfully mating a subwoofer was just not happening. that bump at 100Hz always detracted from the overall sound. i still own the RIIs (WITH the lower foam intact) and love them but my main setup includes the descendant of the LS3/5a, the Spendor S3/5 which doesn't include the 100Hz hump so mates with my Rythmik 12" sealed servo sub VERY nicely.
as a footnote, i always run my main speakers sans grills as i have never met a grill that i liked the sound of.
luvmusik
HOORAY !...ELECTRICITY !
Those R II's are outstanding, the modified Concerto crossover was changed on them to have the bass to mid cross at a lower Hz point and Bud Fried pointed out this made a big difference for his most popular model. I only have the series I and wanted to find used R II's, but the few sold were pricey.
Funny, we have the same sub ! I use the Rythmik sealed 12" in black with Yamaha NS1000 speakers with super results (and the color matches too !). I'm always drawn back to this system, the sound is fantastic.
On the IMF badged Model R, I'm also curious how the back connector plate is labelled.
If anyone else has these badged IMF (extremely rare) I'd guess enthusiasts in England would pay a fortune for a pair even with the high shipping fee across the pond.
Funny, we have the same sub ! I use the Rythmik sealed 12" in black with Yamaha NS1000 speakers with super results (and the color matches too !). I'm always drawn back to this system, the sound is fantastic.
On the IMF badged Model R, I'm also curious how the back connector plate is labelled.
If anyone else has these badged IMF (extremely rare) I'd guess enthusiasts in England would pay a fortune for a pair even with the high shipping fee across the pond.
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hifitommy
Super Member
what do you consider to be pricey for the RIIs? i heard the NS1000s loooooong ago and they may have been on the floor, therefore sounding tubby. but on stands, i am sure they sound just fine. with my preferred Rythmik that would be very tasty!
the IMFs i am used to hearing (MANY hours) are the Monitor IIIs improved. bud fried offered the improved xover card after my friend bought them and MAN, did that ever transform the sound to near electrostatic like speed. in addition, he acquired the RSPM IVs with their integral stands. also great. once you get used to low bass to 16Hz flat, you are addicted.
the RIIs go to about just under 40Hz and the Rythmik finishes it off to the cellar. a pair of subs would be better but another Rythmik is out of the question but i came into possession of a 10" Velodyne which i haven't hooked up yet but soon; both will benefit from that new set up.
accompany my Spendor S3/5 monitors.
the IMFs i am used to hearing (MANY hours) are the Monitor IIIs improved. bud fried offered the improved xover card after my friend bought them and MAN, did that ever transform the sound to near electrostatic like speed. in addition, he acquired the RSPM IVs with their integral stands. also great. once you get used to low bass to 16Hz flat, you are addicted.
the RIIs go to about just under 40Hz and the Rythmik finishes it off to the cellar. a pair of subs would be better but another Rythmik is out of the question but i came into possession of a 10" Velodyne which i haven't hooked up yet but soon; both will benefit from that new set up.
accompany my Spendor S3/5 monitors.
Robint
Super Member
Fried R1 used the modified KEF Concerto crossover. Fried R2 used a totally different crossover, in post 48 in this I show the R2 crossover. If you google KEF concerto crossovers you can see the difference. I measured the inductors and posted pictures. My pair are now R2i following the tweeter mod on the schematic JimPA posted.
luvmusik
HOORAY !...ELECTRICITY !
Hi Robint,
Yes I remember this now looking back at your post; it's years since we revisited the thread. Great you have the inductor values, Jerry from Falcon said he can make the R-II crossover & inductor values were needed...I believe he has a schematic.
All of those diagrams came from great AKer laminarflow graciously to me and I gave them to JimPA. They found there rightful place here on this thread thankfully. laminarflow had a close relation with Bud, doing his demos, owning nearly every Fried model, and attended all or most of Fried's audio lectures.
We only briefly talked about the sound difference...so, how do you find the sound presentation differences from your original R1 compared with the modified renewal to your R2 ? Any sound details are appreciated, and good for the thread, please.
Yes I remember this now looking back at your post; it's years since we revisited the thread. Great you have the inductor values, Jerry from Falcon said he can make the R-II crossover & inductor values were needed...I believe he has a schematic.
All of those diagrams came from great AKer laminarflow graciously to me and I gave them to JimPA. They found there rightful place here on this thread thankfully. laminarflow had a close relation with Bud, doing his demos, owning nearly every Fried model, and attended all or most of Fried's audio lectures.
We only briefly talked about the sound difference...so, how do you find the sound presentation differences from your original R1 compared with the modified renewal to your R2 ? Any sound details are appreciated, and good for the thread, please.
luvmusik
HOORAY !...ELECTRICITY !
Hi hifitommy,
Yes, I have the NS1000 (2 pair) on stands...for now they work perfectly well on very nice looking 12" cube black milk crates. It's like they were made for each other & the Yammy heavy weight keeps them very stable on top the crates. Have 1 set 3 feet away from all walls, but the other set is with their backs near the wall. They were designed to actually work that way in studios, and sound great either way. I have the matching Yammy stands for 1 pair in storage buried somewhere, they're hard to find, got the stands on ebay. One NS1000 pair came from the final mix room at the now defunct renown "The Studio" in Philly and are mint. That Philly studio and also Sigma recorded all the famous artists, The Studio had a long hallway about 20 ' wide by 60 ' long with a 25 ' high ceiling... the framed gold records went ceiling to floor the whole length of 1 wall lined up next to each other ! As the Yammies were in the final mix room, we often say just imagine what music came out of them there that no one else heard !
Re: the R2 pricing,...this was many years ago I searched & only saw 3 sets ever for sale over about 3 years, the pricing was nearly the same as the RSPM IV. I was itching for both, so I got a mint R1 set instead for @ $350, the R2 were priced too much for me, and then also got the RSPM IV, but for too much; better sets sold at the same price. That set I wrote about a lot on the "IMF owners thread!" here on AK...I blew a driver, still have them (they are phenomenal) and they sit here unplayed a long long time. It also needed another driver or 2 and I got all the parts, including new caps (Falcon supplied match), but this is a future project....way too many projects here. I'm hoping I didn't fry any crossover parts, there was not too much wattage into them, but I smelled a burn & a driver failed. A very nice & helpful AKer described in detail how to recap them, and they have a very complicated crossover. The other IMF I use in a small room are the IMF Super Compact II which are great & surprisingly dig deep down in HZ for such a small speaker...not sure if anything this small gets down deeper. Very clean, natural sound.
Very nice Spendor you have, and that Velo is an awesome pairing ! Yes, the Rythmik are special, some guys use them with Maggies, which are picky for subs speed to keep up with them, the servo must be really fast.
Yes, I have the NS1000 (2 pair) on stands...for now they work perfectly well on very nice looking 12" cube black milk crates. It's like they were made for each other & the Yammy heavy weight keeps them very stable on top the crates. Have 1 set 3 feet away from all walls, but the other set is with their backs near the wall. They were designed to actually work that way in studios, and sound great either way. I have the matching Yammy stands for 1 pair in storage buried somewhere, they're hard to find, got the stands on ebay. One NS1000 pair came from the final mix room at the now defunct renown "The Studio" in Philly and are mint. That Philly studio and also Sigma recorded all the famous artists, The Studio had a long hallway about 20 ' wide by 60 ' long with a 25 ' high ceiling... the framed gold records went ceiling to floor the whole length of 1 wall lined up next to each other ! As the Yammies were in the final mix room, we often say just imagine what music came out of them there that no one else heard !
Re: the R2 pricing,...this was many years ago I searched & only saw 3 sets ever for sale over about 3 years, the pricing was nearly the same as the RSPM IV. I was itching for both, so I got a mint R1 set instead for @ $350, the R2 were priced too much for me, and then also got the RSPM IV, but for too much; better sets sold at the same price. That set I wrote about a lot on the "IMF owners thread!" here on AK...I blew a driver, still have them (they are phenomenal) and they sit here unplayed a long long time. It also needed another driver or 2 and I got all the parts, including new caps (Falcon supplied match), but this is a future project....way too many projects here. I'm hoping I didn't fry any crossover parts, there was not too much wattage into them, but I smelled a burn & a driver failed. A very nice & helpful AKer described in detail how to recap them, and they have a very complicated crossover. The other IMF I use in a small room are the IMF Super Compact II which are great & surprisingly dig deep down in HZ for such a small speaker...not sure if anything this small gets down deeper. Very clean, natural sound.
Very nice Spendor you have, and that Velo is an awesome pairing ! Yes, the Rythmik are special, some guys use them with Maggies, which are picky for subs speed to keep up with them, the servo must be really fast.
Robint
Super Member
Hi luvmusik,
I haven't listened to the R's in a while. Daughter had knee surgery and she moved into the mancave as she lives in a second floor apartment. The only way to tell if they are R1 or R ll is to look at the crossovers. Mine came with R ll crossovers even though there was no Fried Signature sticker on the back. At this time I am using the bedroom system which consists of the Q/3's and The Fried Subwoofer triplet system.
I haven't listened to the R's in a while. Daughter had knee surgery and she moved into the mancave as she lives in a second floor apartment. The only way to tell if they are R1 or R ll is to look at the crossovers. Mine came with R ll crossovers even though there was no Fried Signature sticker on the back. At this time I am using the bedroom system which consists of the Q/3's and The Fried Subwoofer triplet system.
luvmusik
HOORAY !...ELECTRICITY !
Hope your daughter has a speedy recovery. That is so cool you got the best R2 crossovers in your set. If the "white papers" are still up on the IMF site, Bud describes in words the sonic differences that the R2 crossovers present. It really made the R's the best they could be (plus tweeter mod). Not sure if those papers were lost when the site lost most of it's information, but it's worth a look.
Wonderful Q/3 and The Fried Subwoofer system ! I bet that sounds great too ! Back in the thread on 8/8/20 post 55 I put up a foto of of "The Subwoofer", one of my pair. Just went by name & had no Fried model number. I use the pair stereo with a set of EPI Stat450, true electrostatics using stat panels for both the mids & highs; they are a hybrid with a 10" woofer, sealed cabinets, in a bedroom. I think we may have the same subwoofers ! My R1 and IMF Super Compact II are in other bedrooms. Here's a pic of the stats.
Wonderful Q/3 and The Fried Subwoofer system ! I bet that sounds great too ! Back in the thread on 8/8/20 post 55 I put up a foto of of "The Subwoofer", one of my pair. Just went by name & had no Fried model number. I use the pair stereo with a set of EPI Stat450, true electrostatics using stat panels for both the mids & highs; they are a hybrid with a 10" woofer, sealed cabinets, in a bedroom. I think we may have the same subwoofers ! My R1 and IMF Super Compact II are in other bedrooms. Here's a pic of the stats.
hifitommy
Super Member
i ALSO have Maggie MMGs which pair nicely with the Rythmik, i know. getting back to RIIs...i even went so far as to buy the intended stands from Fried but they were and are inadequate for the weight and girth of them. once, one fell over backwards and broke a binding post, and easy fix but then i had to set about getting sturdier stands. AudioAdivisor had an orphaned pair of 14" square steel tubing stands that i bought for the RIIs and thay have worked out quite well. i used them as stands for my Rogers LS3/5As and at the distance i was listening, the tweeters were aimed at my ears. i still have them but they're not in use at this time.
somewhere i had heard that Bud's son marketed them but i can't verify that at all.
somewhere i had heard that Bud's son marketed them but i can't verify that at all.
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luvmusik
HOORAY !...ELECTRICITY !
hfitommy,
Always wondered about the R stands Fried sold...I put a foto I found of the rectangular ones here earlier in the thread. Fried has those plus also some circular ones seen in their adds. Not sure if they sold both types...what shape were yours ? With my IMF RSPM IV the matching stands are iron, very heavy and work well as those speakers are very heavy.
There is a foto of the R circular stand in one of those many attachments earlier in this thread that JimPA posted.
Always wondered about the R stands Fried sold...I put a foto I found of the rectangular ones here earlier in the thread. Fried has those plus also some circular ones seen in their adds. Not sure if they sold both types...what shape were yours ? With my IMF RSPM IV the matching stands are iron, very heavy and work well as those speakers are very heavy.
There is a foto of the R circular stand in one of those many attachments earlier in this thread that JimPA posted.
luvmusik
HOORAY !...ELECTRICITY !
EPI M100 walnut were my very 1st speaker bought new as a teen ! One of the greatest tweeters ever made; I corresponded with Winslow Burhoe & he never patented the tweeter (sore spot for sure). Focal took his design, patented it & put it in their hi-end speakers using a different cone material. Hue at human speakers makes the tweeter with aluminum concave cones as a replacement new. 100's still hold their own sonically today...outstanding sound !
Your Maggies are fine performers ! Cheers !
Your Maggies are fine performers ! Cheers !
hifitommy
Super Member
my stands were the rectangular ones with slight back tilt and really undersized for such a massy speaker. the RSPM IVs with their dedicated, integral stands are just the thing. the previous model by IMF was the Monitor III improved. it had no stand and the finish was stressed formica, that is it was somehow stretched ever so slightly during application until the glue dried. this is claimed to reduce resonance. these were one of the speakers used by the BBC for monitoring. like the RSPM, flat to 16Hz and out to ~23kHz, all frequencies could be heard as they would be mastered.
Great post, I bought a used pair of Series R Signatures in the early 80s. Seller had gotten the Fried upgrade. I have two serial numbers, 7745 and 79__ with an L for left sticker over the remainder. Has round woofers not the racetrack type. Made in England with mud driver toggle+/- 2db. Had the mids refoamed by Bill Legally of Miller Sound in 2013, lazy me is getting ready to finally reinstall. I have a pair of Legall reworked A2s in my current system. L
