IMF owners thread!

[SimplySound]

Luv-r, I think we should take that "timeline" on the site with a grain of salt. Obviously IMF was building speakers well before 1971 and the "Professional Monitor" they reference in 1982 is already at MkIII.

And yep.... first on Page 49 of the IMF Owners Thread!!!

 

[luvmusik]

We also associate naming the early models Professional Monitor, Professional Monitor II, and Professional Monitor III all emerging up to 1974.

Then Professional Monitor and Professional Monitor III models start up again 1981-1982 ? ? ? ? ?

 

[luvmusik]

Ribbon can also refer to Ribbon-Mahogany, if indeed they might have tried that wood on that Ribbon Monitor speaker. Can make some sense. Maybe someday we'll know.

 

[Yvan_donald]

HI,luv'r the professional 1981 as Canuck mention in previous post is a Tls80 MK II continuation,IMF call it Professional Monitor instead (smaller cabinet),nothing to do with the pevious Prof. serie.It is confusing,but that the way we have to understand.Yvan

 

[Yvan_donald]

Hi,luv'r yes for the first Prof. serie B-139 was use and the last real professional is the RSPM VII preceed by the RSPM IV.Best regards,Yvan.

 

[Yvan_donald]

HI,sorry I forget to tell I don't think the RSPM MK VII came before 1980 because the new woofer and new midrange have been develop around that year (1980).I have an IMF electronics release new woofer and mid date 80/3.Tweeter and Super tweeter later.Yvan

 

[luvmusik]

That explains it well, Thank You ! Makes sense the TLS-80 would carry over to the later "new" Professional Monitor. So, we have 2 entirely different "Professional Monitors" speakers - very old versions and very new versions.

So, for best discussion purposes, what is the best way to refer to which speaker we like to discuss ? Should dating-time enter into it, or is there a way to refer to one and not think it is the other ?

When we write Professional Monitor, how can we zero in on the right speaker & not be thrown off by the other speaker with same name ? Has anyone officially adopted a distinguishing number or letter ? ex: Professional Monitor v1 or Professional Monitor v2 ?

 

[luvmusik]

HI,sorry I forget to tell I don't think the RSPM MK VII came before 1980 because the new woofer and new midrange have been develop around that year (1980).I have an IMF electronics release new woofer and mid date 80/3.Tweeter and Super tweeter later.Yvan

Excellent point ! The imf-electronics site has had some errors in it's pages, and their dating of 1977 rather than 1980 throws us off. Good catch.

 

[Yvan_donald]

Hi,I think to zero in just for the last model "professional monitor" (1981).Please, the reference standard 1974 is like the MK III with foam inside,and because the original MK III was known to have the honey comb system(fiberglass),when changing to foam IMF have no choice, then change for "reference standard" because now they didn't use the same system.Make sense no,Best regards,Yvan.

 

[luvmusik]

Yes, that makes good sense and hits it directly on topic.

When Professional Monitor III with it's fiberglass-honeycomb system then changed to foam inside (with different sonic results) and thus calling that "Reference Standard" (1974), it also created a smooth transition in nomenclature for the next speaker in line to emerge - the Reference Standard Professional Monitor, combining the terms. This all probably made perfect sense right at the time they were doing this, smooth as silk & understandably so...it's harder to look at now as piecing it together over so many years back in time.

We think ST owns/owned this Reference Standard model, as was said the fotos were displayed at one time. I would like to see fotos of the fronts with grills on & off and the back connector-plate labelling. If so, we should save & archive those photos for this "in-between" model.

I guess (1981) may be the best way to specify the last PM-type speakers, to distinguish it from the different earliest PM-type speaker. We should avoid A-B-C,...etc., because in audio - that usually means variants of the exact same model.

However audio has often adopted v1, v2, v3, ...etc., to distinguish different units entirely. ex: Some Speaker IIC v1 and Some Speaker IIIB v1, Some Speaker IIIB v2. Just sorta adopted over the years unofficially. Some have used v1, v2, v3...etc, for minor variants, though, so it's not standard of acceptance.

(1981) seems easiest distinguishing way for the IMF; some may confuse v1 and v2 wrongly for minor variants of the same. (1981) pinpoints it well -good call.

 

[Yvan_donald]

MY X-over with capacitors Mundorf .47uf 800v(black),Kimberkap 6uf-12uf 200v(yellow),Cornell dubilier 2x30uf 250v tin lead (white)+Janzten .22 400v silver lead(gold).At the beginning I install only the 2 Cornell Dubilier caps and remove it and install the Janzten + reinstall the 2 CDs soldering to the Janzten.Just to tell you with connecting the silver lead to the X-over first (better contact and sound).The 2 Cornell Dubilier alone was not sounding good as with the Janzten,better midrange.yvan

 

[Yvan_donald]

Tls 50 MK I X-over

Hi, pictures of X-over Tls 50,this model version is probably one of the last MK I,it have the same green Hunts 2.2 uf caps on my Prof. MK III,the tweeter I have is the later Peerless with the angle wire on the front plate.On the X-over they add an other board with extra inductor + extra caps.,probably because of different tweeter or improved the existing X-over?Yvan

 

[Yvan_donald]

Wimslow audio 80's

Pages of selling products from Wimslow from the 80's

 

[Yvan_donald]

Wimslow audio 80's

other page,sorry for the quality a bit small,like you see they use to sell all the parts,Yvan

 

[luvmusik]

Nice fotos & images. In your pages, do you see any info for a Wilmslow crossover made or cross-referenced for a speaker - Fried Model R Series II (1976-) ? Not sure the length of production years here, until R-III emerged.

Of interest related to IMF-badged Model R series I speakers, in the document for the different Fried R-III series Fried states ..." The R/III is manufactured in England". However, the IMFried Model R series I document states " The Model R was the first loudspeaker of IMFried manufactured in the U.S." Since the series ran R-I, II, III, IV, and ? lastly ? V, I think, it adds confusion for manufacturing sites, in almost opposite of what we'd assume. Noted is combination company name IMFried. (journal StereOpus volume 1 #4 issue printing).

This StereOpus review article on IMFried Model R took place right about the time the two companies (IMF and Fried) were seperating as quoted in the article footnote - regarding name IMFried - "formerly IMF Products. The IMF logo is now being used by IMF International, who is marketting updated versions of the British-made loudpeakers formerly marketted as IMF Products. IMFried products now bear the logo 'Fried'. There is as of this writing, something of a legal donnybrook going on concerning the right to the logo 'IMF'. The reader should be aware of this to avoid, if possible, confusion as to who is marketting what".

This was the badge transition period bearing logos IMF or Fried. So, if anyone finds a true (not scammed) IMF-badged Model R loudspeaker still for sale used, it may be worth quite a bit if authenticity can be proven (like original sales receipt bearing brand name, corresponding rear-connector plate labelling IMF Model R, etc). Very cool period as far as rare crossover badging concerned, and probably very small limited numbers displaying the opposing badge ! The sound was the same despite the 2 different brand badges, so worth-value is based on cosmetics and external cabinetry differences. Not sure if anyone opened up an IMF-badged one (they are ultrra-rare to find) in direct comparison to the well recognized inside of the Fried badged R, but general thinking is that all inside was identical probably, because they sounded the same to those hearing both.

 

[luvmusik]

The IMF "Reference Standard" model mystery is solved ! Thanks, Yvan, I had been stuck & wondered over 40 years to get the answer. Well done !


Another fun speculation regarding the "Ribbon Monitor" naming - I doubt this is the case, but worth mentioning. As IMF was developing a dynamic-driver speaker first for pro-studio-application, then moving into home application, they may have pointed their offering targetting others' ribbon drivers as an alternative presenting high transcription. But, their zest with that purpose naming intent would leave out some of their best IMF attributes - the T-Line bass, and seem more mid-driver-centric in scope. Just a thought and doubt it; if that gave reason for naming it Ribbon Monitor - it left them short without extolling their unmatched bass at the time.

Like to find out what Ribbon Monitor meant as SimplySound uncovered it - something to dig into !

 

[Yvan_donald]

Hi,luv'r I will check for you but I don't remember seing it.Yes when Mr.Fried begin selling is speaker's with under IMF name without approbation,the fight begin,too bad they did agree to work together after all.I have never look at Fried products because my IMF satisfy me.So many possibilities to improved them.Yvan

 

[luvmusik]

What's cool is since both companies aspired to reach a similar sound characteristic successfully, we have these wonderful speakers, with much respect to both brands. I only spoke on the phone 1 time to Bud Fried, and he was a much nicer person than the press sometimes reported; but those who luckily attended his many lectures & seminars on audio knew that. After all, he did get the IMF brand imported into North America so we could all enjoy the IMF here !

Could we only imagine how much it would cost today to ship a used set of RSPM or Professional Monitor from UK across the pond to North America now ?!? Wow, we are lucky the way that importing occurred anyway. Owning both brands, I am loyal & neutral to both. Both companies made some fine loudspeakers up to IMF PM, RSPM, SACM and the Fried Reference ($25,000 per set in 2005) back in the day.

Some may not have seen the Fried Reference, I can try a link of a layman's financial magazine report about it, but it has no foto.

 

[Yvan_donald]

Hi,I don't think you have to look very long or far for your ribbon monitor,my understanding he is taking about a ribbon prize winning like you have said before,nothing else.English is not my language but if you read between line that's what he means by ribbon monitor,because this text is all about his new speaker's with flat and neutral sound.But I gonna tell you mr. Fried was some very clever salesman,He new how to put in phrase a good story,with is knowledge because of is curiosite to always find new products,method,info on any improvment.He is a great story teller,believe me.One of a kind,you don't see often in a life time.Yvan

 

[luvmusik]

Here is a foto of the Fried Reference.

Not at all sayin' if anything is better than anything else - just sayin' that we have so many great choices of models to chose from with both IMF & Fried; which model appeals to someone is up to personal taste !