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IMF owners thread!

From THE FRIED NEWSLETTER (a report on new developments in high fidelity) I just look at Report 9-January 1,1974. It is written in " loudspeakers " paragraph: For now,you should know that only "controlled dispersion" loudspeakers like the IMF can work.Accordingly,all IMF loudspeakers have been made "phase congruent",meaning, for instance, that monitors can be combined with Compacts for "ambisonics" reproduction.We know of no other loudspeaker manufacturer which has a range of loudspeakers so designed-moral,if you don't want to be out,buy only IMF! Basic research such as the above is the life blood of IMF,and the world has acknowledged IMF's position,at the head of the quality oriented industry. The monitor III is now called the "reference standard of the world",and is used in countless labs. So like you can see Mr.Fried have made some big statement on IMF loudspeakers,Yvan.
 
Hi, I like to discuss about the active carbon technique use by Kef.For the midrange use in some Kef speakers,they say the active carbon have cavity,so it absorb the sound waves in the cabinet and permit to reduce the dimension of it like half the size.The active carbon is one of the best products for lowering Decibel and it's use as sound barrier for home cinema or dedicate for Hi-Fi room and company have made panels with it.So the active carbon is like for filtering in aquarium,you can get it loose in bag or in pad of different sizes,for my midrange tube I like to install this pad 1/2" thick,glued inside the 6" tube,and see if that will help to insulate the midrange sound to get mix with the Bass or the bass to enter in the tube.I really believed this can be a big improvment,and specially the owner of TLS 80,this have been always be more problematic because of smaller size of cabinet,Yvan
 
Yvan, Wondeful fotos of the elusive IMF "Reference Standard" model. I tried to find the fotos on imf-electronics - can you direct me to where the fotos are on the site ? How should I navigate to the fotos ? So glad you posted these fotos. As that badge says IMF "Reference Standard" - they are the ones I heard in 1974 and was floored by their sound. Were there more fotos showing the fiberglass honeycomb or was it a diagram ? Anything different inside ?

We were thinking the RS had newer foam replacing the honeycomb network, and maybe some did, but if this set or all seen are honeycomb internally, then did you see any difference to the PM III, or is your Professional Monitor III exactly the same (other than front badge) ? Maybe the badge was simply a name-only transition from previous name PM to newer name RS to prepare for next developed model RSPM, which combined the 2 names. Makes sense if so.

Thanks for these VERY rare fotos ! I knew if anyone had info on these it was you ! Thanks !
 
Yvan_donald said:
From THE FRIED NEWSLETTER (a report on new developments in high fidelity) I just look at Report 9-January 1,1974. It is written in " loudspeakers " paragraph: For now,you should know that only "controlled dispersion" loudspeakers like the IMF can work.Accordingly,all IMF loudspeakers have been made "phase congruent",meaning, for instance, that monitors can be combined with Compacts for "ambisonics" reproduction.We know of no other loudspeaker manufacturer which has a range of loudspeakers so designed-moral,if you don't want to be out,buy only IMF! Basic research such as the above is the life blood of IMF,and the world has acknowledged IMF's position,at the head of the quality oriented industry. The monitor III is now called the "reference standard of the world",and is used in countless labs. So like you can see Mr.Fried have made some big statement on IMF loudspeakers,Yvan.
Click to expand...

IMF and Fried were big on phase-coherence very early on in the industry.
 
Yvan_donald said:
Hi, I like to discuss about the active carbon technique use by Kef.For the midrange use in some Kef speakers,they say the active carbon have cavity,so it absorb the sound waves in the cabinet and permit to reduce the dimension of it like half the size.The active carbon is one of the best products for lowering Decibel and it's use as sound barrier for home cinema or dedicate for Hi-Fi room and company have made panels with it.So the active carbon is like for filtering in aquarium,you can get it loose in bag or in pad of different sizes,for my midrange tube I like to install this pad 1/2" thick,glued inside the 6" tube,and see if that will help to insulate the midrange sound to get mix with the Bass or the bass to enter in the tube.I really believed this can be a big improvment,and specially the owner of TLS 80,this have been always be more problematic because of smaller size of cabinet,Yvan
Click to expand...

Really good point about activated carbon - the porosity is abundantly nonsymmetrical in varying pore size and can easily be seen by the eye. Very lightweight & should not resonate like say wood can. It's sorta like a non-wood balsa sponge, but rigid and non-reflective.

That is an exceptional experiment, if you can try it with removal possible, just in case you prefer as is now. Never knew they made it in sheets or rolls, I only saw the aquarium type -large or small irregular "pebbles". Cool idea.
 
Hi,these pictures I just find in my stuff,I have download these around 2004 from IMF web site,the link written at the bottom of the page http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/groups/g_3673446/reference+standard/108_0860_r1_1.jpg?bc48w1AB816cRZpo hope it can bring you to the fotos,lots of change in IMF website from this time.And yes reading from this Fried newsletter,it is only the reference standard logo who have been add on the MK III,I seriously believed my MK III are exactly the same (improved),like Mr.Fried say at the time the prof. was use in many laboratory sound work and add the term RS. I was readind on sound proof material, and 1 company was saying is the best products they discover for the job,yesterday I order 3X 10" x 30", 1/2 thick used in commercial aquarium filter,it is better than loose pellets, for the mk III, I need like 2 X 19" X 18" long and I could have buy piece of 10"X 18",but for the same price get 30" long.Usually the tube is fill with 4 strips of fiberglass approx. 2'X2"X 20",this stuff Kef have use in theirs speakers and they say it augment the cubic inch. so it can"t be bad.And believed me it is a problem with the tube sound transmit,that the reason the RSPM MK VII move the midranges up to insulate more,like the SACM put in different cabinet,specially at high volume,like I always say you can improved even further the original design,Best regards,Yvan
 
Hi,you know I will never use this active carbon in transmission line because it change the dimension of cabinet by augmenting is capacity,Yvan.
 
This carbon fiber pads should arrive in 3 weeks because of construction holliday,it's always a problem at this time year,can't wait,Yvan.
 
Hi, for Simplysound about the "IMF Ribbon Loudspeaker" from Fried newsletter Report NO.1-July 1,1961. This speaker uses both new materials and new drive methods,to raise the dynamic speaker even higher into competition with full range electrostatics. The great virtue of electrostatics,as we have mentioned before,is that they drive uniformly,over the entire surface rather than from the edge (as with the usual voice coil).This new and very deluxe loudspeaker has gone to extreme lengths,to improve the drive system as it applies to the cone,as follows: a. The high frequency unit is a microthin ribbon, uniformly suspendedin a heavy magnetic field. The ribbon itself is the voice coil, and is driven over its entire surface. The result is a very smooth,controlled high end. b. The low frequency unit is quite complex, and represents a unique combination of time tested and brand new features. (1) The voice coil of the woofer is 4" in diameter,the cone being a 12". Consequently, the drive is much closer to the cone extremes than with ordinary voice coils. (2) Fastened to the 4" voice coil is a center dome of thin, damped aluminum, designed for frequencies of 200 cycles to 3 KC. It is in an intense magnetic field over its entire surface, which gives it high magnetic damping. (3) Flaring outward from thr voice coil is a rigid, heavy polystyrene cone, designed to operate without breakup over a 7/8" throw, and only up to 200 cycles. The polystyrene is precision formed, so that is fits into the speaker frame as an automobile piston does in an engine. There is no edge suspension, the cone being gently centered by linear struts operating from the center! (4) A 22 pound magnet is used, with 600,000 lines,giving high efficiency and linear excursions up to 7/8". The design objective is a completely flat,smooth woofer,non-resonant in the audio band,which can produce 1/2 acoustic watt at 20 cycles,at less than 5 % total distortion. This it does,for the first time in the art of loudspeaker. And it can do this from a ten watt amplifier! The overall performance of the "Ribbon" speaker is astounding, either in measurement or in listening.The cabinet is less than three cubic feet-and it sounds more like a large theater horn system than anything else. The measured response is within 2 db. from 20 to 20 KC. So me and Luvr' have been wrong,it is a complete other speaker,but for me it is hard to visualise the speaker the way Mr.Fried describe (ribbon?),Yvan
 
Report NO 2-September 1,1961 Response to our first Report continue to be amazing. The amount of interest in loudspeakers is very great-the" good old days" of high fidelity are still here, it seems. A great many readers obviously have been dissatisfied with dynamic speakers as they have been ,to date, and have been waiting for research to update them. We were particularly surprised at the number of people who actually journeyed to our lab studio, to preview the new dynamics. We have much meeting these people, and assure you that we always welcome interested visitors. There is always "open house" at LECTRONICS. Many of you were interested in just what LECTRONICS is. We can simply explain our position in the industry, though we admit it is enterely unique. LECTRONICS is a combined research and merchandising organisation. For some years our staff has been gathering information, and investigating new products, from all over the world. Whenever we feel that we have found a basic advance in the art of sound reproduction, we bring it to the attention of the public. We then supply a channel of distribution for this new product, both to thr more knowledgeable audio dealers as well as the public itself. The speakers mentioned in report one represent the recommendation of our staff, based upon several years of testing designs from all over the world. Should you wish more detailed information on any of them, or actual point by point compararisons with older designs, please ask for them. While the purpose of our written reports is only to present new products and new information, we certainly have stacks of test reports on the products that went before. That the way M.Fried by gathering information of new products, he have discover the principe of transmission line.Yvan
 
Yvan_donald said:
Hi, for Simplysound about the "IMF Ribbon Loudspeaker" from Fried newsletter Report NO.1-July 1,1961. This speaker uses both new materials and new drive methods,to raise the dynamic speaker even higher into competition with full range electrostatics. The great virtue of electrostatics,as we have mentioned before,is that they drive uniformly,over the entire surface rather than from the edge (as with the usual voice coil).This new and very deluxe loudspeaker has gone to extreme lengths,to improve the drive system as it applies to the cone,as follows: a. The high frequency unit is a microthin ribbon, uniformly suspendedin a heavy magnetic field. The ribbon itself is the voice coil, and is driven over its entire surface. The result is a very smooth,controlled high end. b. The low frequency unit is quite complex, and represents a unique combination of time tested and brand new features. (1) The voice coil of the woofer is 4" in diameter,the cone being a 12". Consequently, the drive is much closer to the cone extremes than with ordinary voice coils. (2) Fastened to the 4" voice coil is a center dome of thin, damped aluminum, designed for frequencies of 200 cycles to 3 KC. It is in an intense magnetic field over its entire surface, which gives it high magnetic damping. (3) Flaring outward from thr voice coil is a rigid, heavy polystyrene cone, designed to operate without breakup over a 7/8" throw, and only up to 200 cycles. The polystyrene is precision formed, so that is fits into the speaker frame as an automobile piston does in an engine. There is no edge suspension, the cone being gently centered by linear struts operating from the center! (4) A 22 pound magnet is used, with 600,000 lines,giving high efficiency and linear excursions up to 7/8". The design objective is a completely flat,smooth woofer,non-resonant in the audio band,which can produce 1/2 acoustic watt at 20 cycles,at less than 5 % total distortion. This it does,for the first time in the art of loudspeaker. And it can do this from a ten watt amplifier! The overall performance of the "Ribbon" speaker is astounding, either in measurement or in listening.The cabinet is less than three cubic feet-and it sounds more like a large theater horn system than anything else. The measured response is within 2 db. from 20 to 20 KC. So me and Luvr' have been wrong,it is a complete other speaker,but for me it is hard to visualise the speaker the way Mr.Fried describe (ribbon?),Yvan
Click to expand...

WOW.... 1961!!! That is like 4-5 Years before we had Fried working with IMF! I wonder if John Wright was involved in this at all! It doesn't sound like the "Ribbon Speaker" was even a TL!!! That woofer is wild in description and I wonder if the ribbon is a Decca!!! :scratch2:

Man, this raises soooo many questions!!! Thanks for digging this up Yvan!!! :thmbsp:
 
So here's the timeline and it seems Bud did start in 1961, but the "British Branch" didn't get started until 1968. So there was about 7 years where Bud was developing speaker technology independent of John Wright. I wonder when John and Bud actually met!

At the suggestion of Saul Marantz, the IMF (Irving M Fried) trademark was registered in 1961, a trademark that was eventually applied to many advanced developments in music reproduction: cartridges (IMF - London, IMF - Goldring), tone arms (SME, Gould, Audio and Design), amplifiers (Quad, Custom Series), loudspeakers (Lowther, Quad, Celestion, Bowers and Wilkins, Barker, etc.)

In 1968 a British branch of IMF was opened. This combined Anglo-American company produced the now legendary IMF Monitor, the first truly wide band loudspeaker the world had seen (examples of which are still being used today).

In 1975 the English and American divisions of IMF were split, and the trademark FRIED was thenceforth used on all of Bud's designs. The new designs were based upon the same inexorable laws of acoustics that had created the IMF Monitor in addition to new technology as it became available. FRIED benchmarks include the Model H System, the first modern satellite/subwoofer system, the Model M (1977), the first satellite transmission line subwoofer in one unit, the SUPER Monitor (which many still consider to be one of the premier speakers of our day), and the B satellite series (1976 to 1979).
 
Yvan_donald said:
Hi, for Simplysound about the "IMF Ribbon Loudspeaker" from Fried newsletter Report NO.1-July 1,1961. This speaker uses both new materials and new drive methods,to raise the dynamic speaker even higher into competition with full range electrostatics. The great virtue of electrostatics,as we have mentioned before,is that they drive uniformly,over the entire surface rather than from the edge (as with the usual voice coil).This new and very deluxe loudspeaker has gone to extreme lengths,to improve the drive system as it applies to the cone,as follows: a. The high frequency unit is a microthin ribbon, uniformly suspendedin a heavy magnetic field. The ribbon itself is the voice coil, and is driven over its entire surface. The result is a very smooth,controlled high end. b. The low frequency unit is quite complex, and represents a unique combination of time tested and brand new features. (1) The voice coil of the woofer is 4" in diameter,the cone being a 12". Consequently, the drive is much closer to the cone extremes than with ordinary voice coils. (2) Fastened to the 4" voice coil is a center dome of thin, damped aluminum, designed for frequencies of 200 cycles to 3 KC. It is in an intense magnetic field over its entire surface, which gives it high magnetic damping. (3) Flaring outward from thr voice coil is a rigid, heavy polystyrene cone, designed to operate without breakup over a 7/8" throw, and only up to 200 cycles. The polystyrene is precision formed, so that is fits into the speaker frame as an automobile piston does in an engine. There is no edge suspension, the cone being gently centered by linear struts operating from the center! (4) A 22 pound magnet is used, with 600,000 lines,giving high efficiency and linear excursions up to 7/8". The design objective is a completely flat,smooth woofer,non-resonant in the audio band,which can produce 1/2 acoustic watt at 20 cycles,at less than 5 % total distortion. This it does,for the first time in the art of loudspeaker. And it can do this from a ten watt amplifier! The overall performance of the "Ribbon" speaker is astounding, either in measurement or in listening.The cabinet is less than three cubic feet-and it sounds more like a large theater horn system than anything else. The measured response is within 2 db. from 20 to 20 KC. So me and Luvr' have been wrong,it is a complete other speaker,but for me it is hard to visualise the speaker the way Mr.Fried describe (ribbon?),Yvan
Click to expand...

Honestly had no idea how IMF fabricated their earliest tweeters. Regarding the Ribbon Monitor, Yvan found the answer ! Among many guesses, I took a wild guess in post #719..."maybe they toyed with ribbon voice coils..." I didn't know their high frequency driver used a ribbon voice coil. And, it figures they took on the electrostatics at the time, had a good hunch in post #736 they were targetting others' ribbon drivers for their development, (ribbon, planar, electrostatic).

Yvan solves another mystery ! Well done ! If the Fried papers say anything about model R's earliest version offering with IMF badges on it, please post that - fotos are rare of them until a set rarely sells. If we see a set selling (I only saw 3 used sets sold in 40 years, other than 1 new set at dealer in early '70's) we should save & archive those fotos.

Good job on info, really enlightening.
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmission_line_loudspeaker

Many here have already read this, it shows the History relationship between Olney, Bailey & Radford in t-line development, along with some other info morsels of goodies. Goes on in "Classic" about Fried in 1961 for his marketting & development then on to say Fried, Wright & Hayes met in 1968; wiki is not always accurate but often has good info.
 
Hi, in StereOpus magazine vol.1,number 4 on IMFreid model R "formely IMF Products. The IMF logo is now being used by IMF international, who is marketing updated versions of the British-made loudspeakers formaly marketed by IMF Products. IMFried products now bear the logo "Fried". There is, as this writing, something 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 marketing what. And luv'r,it just happen not long time ago I download these pages from IMF website and I have never listen to Mr.Fried products or lower model IMF below the Als 40. Best regards,Yvan Donald.
 
Hi, it seems M.Fried was craving for new products and for him easy to do joint ventures with others like IMF-Jordan-Watts speakers, just found IMF Kelly Ribbon,maybe someone know's about this Mr.Kelly? Yvan
 
Yvan_donald said:
Hi, in StereOpus magazine vol.1,number 4 on IMFreid model R "formely IMF Products. The IMF logo is now being used by IMF international, who is marketing updated versions of the British-made loudspeakers formaly marketed by IMF Products. IMFried products now bear the logo "Fried". There is, as this writing, something 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 marketing what. And luv'r,it just happen not long time ago I download these pages from IMF website and I have never listen to Mr.Fried products or lower model IMF below the Als 40. Best regards,Yvan Donald.
Click to expand...

:beerchug:

See middle of post # 735 quote !

Not much info is available for the transitional-badge year period. Maybe it occurred quickly & transitioned fast. But, maybe some more info will turn up on the transtion badged model(s) such as the rare IMF badged Model R series I (original) to Fried Model R, and if any others also. I guess Fried history could tell us which brand new models were made in 1974-1975 for a hint if any other models transitioned in badging.

Quoting a Fried document on the Model R series II..."Model R Series II is the first of I.M.Fried's Signature Series (it bears the full company name, rather than the designation IMF), designed to meet high performance standards and suitable for critical applications." But, it is already after the fact on the badging name, since the transitional badges for both IMF & Fried appeared on the prior Series I Model R, changing then to all Fried nameplates. I believe the quoted document was reprinted from High Fidelity May 1976 magazine issue.
:beerchug:
 
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