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  1. Hope this helps the next person landing on this page... Short answer: If you've dented the dome and broken the AMD - you probably want to find a VR-M parts speaker. Probably best is a VR-MC, since it goes for less $ on auctions. Chances are, if the tweeter looks fine, it is fine. The VR tweeters were extremely difficult to damage from hard use. Now, if you just have a dented dome and you're willing to do some mild surgery, read on... Long answer: I've got several Bostons with various versions of the VR aluminum tweeter. They differ in a few ways: The plastic frame/housing that includes the AMD arch. There is also a common plastic inner-housing that is basically the tweeter body. Appears to be the same on all. The dome itself - anodizing color and what looks like coatings/treatments on some of the silver colored domes. The heatsink, and how it is fixed to the housing or tweeter. If you want an easy swap (or if you have a broken AMD) you need to match the plastic frame and the heatsink. That's tricky with the VR-M50, 60, 80, and 90. They all used a dark gray plastic that does not appear to match any other series exactly. Just aesthetics, but the VR-Ms are very pretty speakers. In terms of compatibility between the various speaker models using the VR tweeter. By model/series... VR, VR9xx, and [strangely] the VR-MX and VR-M/EX: All used plastic frames with an arc along the edge that matched the speaker basket frame - since they were placed right up against each other to achieve a "point-source" effect. The CR-8 and CR-9 used the exact same frame with their soft dome tweeter. I don't have the center channels from these series but VR10/12, VR910/920 appear to use the same frame between all of them - but it's got one flat/squared edge where the stereo speakers have a rounded edge - different from non-center siblings above. The inner plastic tweeter body is just pressed into the outer plastic frame (from the back), but the two parts are held together with the heatsink on the back - because the heatsink is mounted on 4 plastic posts on the back of the outer plastic frame that are then melted in place once the heatsink is positioned. So you can harvest the tweeter easily if you cut away the melted plastic posts holding the heatsink on. But - all of the tweeter domes were all bright/silver finished and will not match VR-M50/60. The bright colored domes started getting a kind of satin finish look during production of the VR900 series and I've seen different levels of that coating as the years went on. Micro90 series: The Micro90x and 90xII used a color-matched plastic frame (white, black, and later a gray). Two Allen screws rather than the 4 wood screws on the VRs above, (7/64" allen key). There is no heatsink on any Micro90x speaker. It uses the aluminum front baffle (which is molded to fit the back of the tweeter) as one big heatsink. So the tweeter just has some thermal grease to transfer heat and the allen screws hold it tight. The inner plastic tweeter body is fixed to the outer plastic frame by a tiny melted bit of plastic. Looks easy enough to cut if you want to harvest the tweeter from a Micro90x or 90xII. The 90x has a bright/silver finished dome. The 90xII is black anodized like the VR-M series. The gray Micro90xII (there was black and also gray) might be a color match to the plastic frame on the VR-M50/60. The rare Micro100x also has a black anodized dome, but a completely unique outer plastic frame. VR-M50/M60/MC (and probably M80 and M90): I have not cracked open my VR-M60s to check, but looking through the bass port it appears that the plastic outer frame has some heatsink mounting plastic tabs on the back rather than melted plastic posts like other VRs. The heatsink is smaller and does not have the holes for those plastic posts anyway. That would make this another unique plastic frame with AMD - not just another color. Would the Micro90x plastic frame bolt-in? Maybe. But you need a way to attach a heatsink. Maybe a good adhesive thermal pad would be good enough? VR1/2/3/B/C/X: This series uses a different plastic frame as well. It looks similar to Micro90 and VR-M with 2 screws, but the shape around the mounting screws is larger and would not fit in a VR-M50/60. I am sure the tweeter body is probably unchanged inside the frame and using one of the methods above could be harvested. Probably cheapest to source a VRC. The good news is that the tweeter domes in this series were black anodized and should match okay. That's about all I can speak for. The VR tweeter was also used in the Micro110/120/130 series, the Bravo series, several in-wall models (maybe also some Voyager outdoors) and finally the P-series and E-series aluminum bodied speakers. I think it had a very long and successful lifespan because it was mass-produced (very consistently reliable) and ahead of it's time with AMD - able to achieve superior clarity over silk or plastic with an aluminum dome while removing the harsh ringing of other failed implementations. Best of luck, Brian
  2. Steve, You're a scholar and a gentleman. Makes perfect sense now. I have probably read most of your posts here by now (at least the BA forum). Admittedly, with irrational jealousy (as another product manager). Reading through your experiences working between and within R&D, Sales and Marketing, you were/are what I would recognize as a true product manager for a company whose products I have enjoyed a great deal for the past 22 years. You've had a role in the development of most every BA product I own, with a few exceptions I suppose. Maybe it's all older stuff by now - but cared for, and most of them are used daily: VR30 (new to me) VR-M60 (my personal favorites). Music (and pretty much any music) is just life-changing heard through these. I have a VRC center that seems to match really well with the VR-Ms for HT as well. VR500 - pair of these (most overachieving sub I know of at 100W!). Micro90x - paired with a CR400 sub. CR55, 65, and 75 - pair of each and a CRC (after your time, but I prefer them to the 1st gen). CRC not a great center though. DigitalTheater 6000 system (provided me with perfectly acceptable HT through a 7 year stint in Europe, using a step-down converter). MicroMedia System (my original GW2K package - I'd love to hear the development story behind this one). Recepter Radio (1st gen) - after your time, and perhaps a "me too" product by the time of release, but what a product it is. So, your years of fine work has kept my ears happy for decades. Thank you sir! - Brian
  3. I just bought a pair of mint condition VR30s while impatiently waiting for a pair of VR40s to turn up somewhere. I've got a few questions for the experts in here: 1. I've not had a pair of speakers with this kind of hybrid 3-way, and I'm wondering what the crossover is actually doing. The old product brochure for the Lynnfield VR series calls it a "two-and-one-half-way" system with "unique low-frequency driver configuration." I understand the concept, with mids and bass going to the upper driver and low-end bass support via the lower driver (which is visibly a different driver than the upper). But I'm wondering how the two drivers responses actually overlap? Is it just down to the two different driver designs? Sounds tricky. Or is it just marketing trickery and a 3-way after all? Any insight from the Boston designers on the forum? 2. I've seen serial numbers on these in the 012000-range that are Lynnfield, MA labelled. Then somewhere in the 013000-range (mine) they are Peabody, MA labelled. Both "Made in USA." When did the production on these move to Peabody? (just curious about their age). 3. I'm shopping for a decent stereo receiver or integrated amp to drive them with, having only my oldish Onkyo TX-SR501 AVR free at the moment. I'm fairly brand-loyal to Onkyo and Integra, but does anyone have a recommendation for specific models or minimum power to drive these well? (...and potentially the VR40...one day.) Thanks for the help - glad I found this site. Good info and good experiences shared in here. - Brian
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