Big (wide but very tall) sound stage; sweetness and clarity with great imaging as you would expect of a great speaker

Their looks would be OK in a long room with them at the end of that room. In my case however, they sit at the front of the room where you must walk close to them. They are large and not very attractive up close.

I have not heard a speaker that tops these. They sound so good that the next house I buy must have the proper room as mentioned above so that their looks blend better. A few might mistake their clarity for brightness but, to my ears, no matter how loud you play them, they sound sweet and clear. The bass is full without being boomy. I listen to all kinds of music and I have not found any that they do not shine on except cheap recordings of older (60's, 70's) music. On properly remastered things though like Electric Ladyland and some others, they allow you to experience the recordings in a new light. Highly recommended. I have a Lexicon processor, Sunfire sub, 2 amps with a total of 800 watts of power, playing through a 7.1 system. The R645's are my main speakers. They are great!

Similar Products Used:

OHM in terms of sound

reproduction of inner details, transparency, incredible soundstage, great value for the money

none except can benifit from tweaking

These R645's are exceptional speakers, especially at this price point. I have listen to the very popular Magnepan's both 1.6QR and 3.6's and personally feel that the Newforms are more accurate and natural, and has the ability to reproduce more inner details in the music. Don't get me wrong the Magnepans are excellent speakers but I feel the Newforms create a more real reproduction of the music. Nothing is over-exaggerated with the Newforms. They produce a wonderful soundstage and the ribbons are marvelous. Sounds just float through the room and woodwinds and acoustical music are so real sounding through the R645's. Listening to female voices is just amazing. And for all those doubters thinking the Scanspeak woofers cannot not keep up with the 45"ribbons, well that is not a problem here. The Scanspeaks are extremely quick, accurate and produce enough bass for most rooms. Enough cannot be said about these speakers but can be improved on. I will be experimenting with better crossovers, internal wiring, removing the crossovers from the boxes, bi-wiring, better internal damping, and removing some of these binding posts. I can hardly wait all these tweaks will do to these truly fabulous speakers. I know I made the RIGHT choice in the Newforms.
Plus as an added bonus you have the backing of John Meyer. John is a great guy who deserves alot of praise. Always responds to your phone calls and emails, extremely knowledged and helpful. He really cares about his customers and will do anything to make sure you are happy. That goes a long way in this industry. As I continue tweaking these speakers I will update my review.
You should put these speakers on your short list when auditioning a purchase, especially against the Magnepans.

Equipment List.
EVS Millennium DAC
EVS Modified Sony XE500 transport
EVS digital cable
Blue Circle BC-2 monoblock amps
Virtual Mode Veritas 3 passive preamp
Newform Research R645 ribbon speakers
Omega Micro interconnects & speaker cables
Tekline PC12W powercords

Similar Products Used:

Cabasse Aria, Magnepan 1.6QR & 3.6, Martin Logan's

Soundstage, Detail

Can be a bit harsh - an edge to the sound. It could be because they are not broken in totally yet

I come from the pro side of things instead of the audiophile side of the world. I listen to sound all day at work, and I wanted something with much more color and musical at home. A listenable speaker that has a big soundstage with presence. This speaker is a good choice if that is what you want. If you want flat studio speakers - this is NOT your speaker.

Minor criticisms - the instructions are poor, vague and the pictures are illegible. Probably never a priority for the Mfr. Packaging got opened at customs and a part or two got lost in shipment - I made do myself, but the packaging of the ribbon units is not the best either - encasing it totally in foam would be my choice instead of just anchoring it at the ends. These are HEAVY units. I recommend having someone to help when time comes to put them together. Also - if you are not using the spikes be aware that there is nasty little hardware in the base that holds the spikes (that you are not using) that will SCRATCH your floor if you pull the base unit on a wooden or soft floor. I advise a piece of cardboard to slide it on.

The challenge was getting speakers to work in a typical NYC small apartment. I am tall and didn't want to have the sound turn to mush when walking around. These speakers work well although they want room - they will deal with a small space well. I can't say that about all speakers that I have had here.

About the bite in the sound. Others have written extensively about the sound quality, but it is necessary to say that either it is my ears clipping or it is just the edge to the sound that sometimes stands up and says "hello". Part of the color that is just a bit too bright at times - but it is also part of what makes these speakers so much fun to listen to . I don't think much of tube gear (sorry - as I said I come from the pro side of things) but in this particular case tubes may soften the brightness a bit so it would be worth a try if you objected to it. I don't.

Overall - really excellent colored sound, great for listening at home, don't even think of having them in a studio environment. These are speakers to enjoy with just you or friends and guests at home. Everyone will go - WOW, and you will too. Great fun speakers, excellent value.

Bravo John!

Similar Products Used:

Wide variety of pro studio gear - from the home ProAc, Caliper, Martin Logan, and the old standby - the old AR9's

Soundstage,dynamics,ease of placement,non-fatiging sound

I'm not married but if i was i think these would be put in the bonus room for their looks!

I've had these speakers for about three months now.I feel they are excellent with well recorded songs. Due to there high rez, bad sounding recordings sound just that. I don't understand the neg. comments re. bass as i feel there is plenty of bass. Work well with ht/audio systems. But look at their size/look and decide if it's for you.I love mine!!

Current setup:
Cd player- resolution audio cd 50
preamp-melos ma 333
amp-bat vk60
ic's-coincident,homegrown's
cables-analysis biovals
ps audio ps300w/mw
hovland cap upgrade
rel storm sub

Similar Products Used:

Pipedreams,martin Logan,Monitor audio,wilson's

Probably the clearest, best-imaged midrange and treble you'll ever hear (when modified with Hovland caps), small fooprint, efficient, non-fussy placement (no rear soundwaves to contend with), not outrageously priced, has dynamic bass unachievable with un-subbed stats and planars.

Really needs Hovland cap upgrade to smooth-out & extend treble response, little lean in midbass, top heavy (in California, these will be toast in an earthquake), unwieldy ribbon hard to assemble (seems like it's made of ultra-dense lead), not fully magnetically shielded, may be mistaken for a matched set of wood-burning stoves with chimneys!

Well like others here, I took the plunge, got on John Meyer's 8-week waiting list, and hoped these were the real deal. And now after 2 weeks with them and a few mods & tweaks later, I'm here to tell you they are the real deal... except for a few shortcomings, they are one of the best speakers I've owned over the last 30 years.

If you're planning on ordering a pair, you'll need to pump up your muscles to be up to the task of lifting the 50 lb. 4' tall ribbon drivers which are so massive light seems to bend around them! (Just kidding.) They're hard to handle while simultaneously trying not to damage the fragile ribbon contained inside them. Be sure to invite Arnold Schwartzenegger over to give you a hand.

At first the ribbons sounded bright, with a tendency to sound "clicky" on speech transients and "ticky" on music transients like drumsticks. But that problem worked itself out over the course of 2 weeks break-in, and after I bypassed the stock mid-tweeter capacitors with Hovland Musicaps as suggested by posters below. They really make a difference; they kick the 645's up to a state-of-the-art level of transparency and liveliness that I've heard from few speakers, at any price. Electrostatic earphones come to mind. (C'mon, John, make Hovlands standard.)

Also, instead of the supplied spikes, I recommend slipping six "No. 5" Vibrabods under the base plate to de-couple the speaker from your floor, assuming it's wood. This not only prevents transient smearing, but also goes a long way to keep the bass un-muddy. You don't need much power to drive these, but it should be clean wattage. And with no rear radiation, you don't need to treat the wall behind them, hallelujah!

Although the bass is clean and solid, I'd suggest the addition of a good powered subwoofer to really bring out the bottom octave. Hey, why stop with a magnificent midrange and treble--go for some bass slam, too! Unlike Magnepans, you CAN play "The 1812 Overature" and not hear scary "crackles" galore when the cannons blast!
I think with the cable I'm using (Nordost Blue Heaven bi-wires), there is just some mid-bass leaness, a tad too little "warmth." But it's minor. Again, this effect is cable-dependent and your mileage may vary.

Home Theater owners note: Had a little problem with magnetc field leaking from bass module & affecting color of nearby TV... you need to place at least 10" away from a CRT to avoid purity problems. That's pretty close actually.

As far as dealing with John, he answered my calls and emails, but I sometimes had to mail him twice--I suppose the spreading word-of-mouth and increasing demand for these speakers is taking its toll on his availablity to answer questions and concerns, so order now before Sterophile or some such mag "discovers" them! Right now you get the personal touch from the designer, but after they get a "Class A" rating, you can kiss that goodbye! Speaking of good buys...

So--Get them while they're *not* hot, and not priced what they are worth!! Highly recommended.

System:
*VTL MB-250 monoblock tube amps
*Joule Electra LA-100III preamp
*Audio Research SP-9MkIII (Phono only)
*Sony SCD-777ES SACD/CD player
*Technics DVD-A10 DVD-Audio player
*HSU SW-10 Subwoofer w/Parasound amp
*PS Audio PS-300 power supply
*Homegrown Audio silver IC's, Blockers RF Absorbers, PowerBurst & PS Audio Mini-lab AC cords, Vibrapods & MDF boards under everything.

Similar Products Used:

Magnepan 1.6, Martin Logan Sequels & Aerius; Acoustat 2+2's, Carver Amazing ribbons, etc., etc.

Natural, well-balanced and lifelike-sound, capable of throwing an enormous soundstage, dynamic, easy to drive and set up.

They do not have stygian bass; appearance may not appeal to everyone.

This is an update to my review of 9-12-2000 posted below.

As others have reported, upgrading the crossover capacitors for the ribbons makes a significant improvement in sound: the mids and treble are even smoother, the highs are more extended, and the midrange and treble detail are increased (not by a large margin, but it is noticable and missed when when I go back to the stock crossover). I used Hovland Musicaps (which John suggested). I haven't heard the Theta caps, which a couple other people have used, so I can't speak to a comparison between Hovlands and Thetas. This upgrade is about $125 and is easiest if you bi-wire the speaker (it does sound better that way). What is great is that you do not have to open any part of the speaker to do it. If anyone wants to know how to do it, send me an email and I'll explain it. The only drawback is that the capacitors have to sit outside the cabinet. But buying some dark grey foam (like that used to pack computer hard drives), cutting out sections to fit the capacitors into, and letting the foam box sit on the top of the cabinet works great to solve the asthetics problem.

This simple upgrade pushes the soundquality and value of these speakers up another notch. It allowed me to change their orientation slightly in my room. Because of the hard plaster ceiling and walls in my listening room, I formerly had to toe-in the speakers slightly to keep them from sounding a bit hard and bright. Now I can put them in the recommended position of firing straight ahead. That orientation, and a slight repositioning of my Argent-style homemade room lenses (about $135), has brought a soundstage that with massed choral groups and orchestras is breathtaking. If you've ever been to a concert hall and experienced the reverberant ambient cues coming from the sides and back of the hall, you know that capturing that in a home listening situation rarely happens. People invest in multi-channel home theater (and its attendant problems) in an effort to get it. I've experienced that since this upgrade and the repositioning of my room lenses. The music is all around my front and sides--with just two speakers. They are amazing.

These speakers are so revealing, however, that they will point out weaknesses in other pieces of your equipment. I played a borrowed stock Adcom 555 II through them and the experience was not pleasant (bright and hard), nor was an RCA CD player that my wife brought home from her school (harsh and grainy).

A couple of reviewers have said they found the speakers "bright" or "boxy" or having a "thin" midrange. Unfortunately, they didn't say what equipment they were using. Assuming their equipment was O.K., these speakers can sound as they described it if the placement in the room isn't right and/or the materials out of which the room is composed are highly reflective. I've got hard plaster everywhere, which can make these speakers sound hard and bright if I put them in the wrong places in the room. I've also made them sound boomy and sluggish. Through experimentation, I've made the Newforms (as I have other speakers) sound downright crummy, so much so that I couldn't listen to them. But they are more forgiving of room placement than many other speakers I've had (such as the Gallo Nucleus Reference and the Digital Phase AP-2 to name the two greatest challenges I faced). But with good electronics and placement, these speakers deliver such sonic spendor that, in my judgment, they are one of the greatest bargains in audio.

Equipment: Stan Warren modified Adcom 5400 (a sonic marvel for the money), modified and upgraded Hegeman Hapi 2 preamp, Rotel RCD-975 CD player used as transport to feed an Electronic Visionary Systems Millennium DAC 1a, original Sonographe SG-3 turntable w. Grado Signature arm and Goldring Electro II+ moving coil, Silver Audio (formerly Dlinn Audio) Silver Bullet 4 interconnects, Belden 1585A speaker wire (bi-wired configuration), Brickwall AC surge protection filter, ferrite RC blockers on all cables and power cords, room treatment with 5 do-it-yourself Argent-style room lenses.

Similar Products Used:

Gallo Nucleus Reference, Silverline Audio Sonatina (for one-week audition), Martin Logan Quest/Sequel/CLS II, Magnapan 3.6, Digital Phase AP2, Pentagram P-10, Dunlavy SC III, Legacy Focus.

Musically and dynamically seamless;no perceptible sonic signature, conveys the input signal like no other speaker I've heard. Without exception, friends and visitors praise the way that the speakers 'disappear' in use

The appearance is odd and is generally thought to be unattractive: I disagree strongly with this, but find me a handsome loudspeaker and I'll wrap myself in ribbons (not Newform Research)

These speakers are the best value bits of hi-fi I've ever bought. They give the listener (at least me) the best sound regardless of the associated hardware, though they show up the recording engineers/studios style and ability. For many recordings, where I was present, the speakers reproduced the ambience and hall characteristicslike no other speakers I've encountered.
I started using the R645s with valve amplification (Beard), a rebuilt Sony 337es CD player, and a JVC tuner - all OK, but then,realising how good the speakers are, I got out my Gyrodec and had it serviced, adding a Delphini phono-stage, and switching cartridges from a Van den Hul Spider to a Koetsu Gold Signature, bothe mounted on FR arms (I also use an old Oracle Delphi when feeling slightly off my rocker). Not wanting the digital lobby to be forsaken, I got a Sony 777ES SACD player and a 777ESDAB tuner. Then I got Musical Fidelity Nu-vista M3 Integrated amplifier, and some upsampling gubbins from MSB - great fun to compare the sound from this with the sound from the Sony 777ES in standard CD mode (without exception people plump for the Sony). Ny next, and final purchase is the Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista CD player. I forgot - cables - I cannot afford N.American cables, though I tend to buy them. The ones I buy are described by reviewers as low to mid-fi - obviously I cannot divulge their name, but the cost of the interconnects and speaker cables are greater then the speaker!
I am not a tweaker, but do recommend that you get in touch John Meyer about a modest change to the cross-over (add a couple of capacitors).

If you listen to music and care about it, get these speakers, they have to be the biggest bargain currently available - they knock socks off stuff on which I spent more than 4 times as much.

Similar Products Used:

Boxes- Meridian, Mission, ProAc (various), Snell, Castle, LS35as, Linn, ATC, etc.; various panel/ribbons: Quad ESL 57/63, Magneplanar, Stax, Martin Logan

Incredible imaging, impressive rendering of human voice (both audio and a/v application), realistic bass

Speaker wire connections, cannot get an upgraded crossover from factory

These speakers are indeed the real thing. I was actually going to order a pair of Vandy's when I decided to call John Meyer and really find out what his product was all about. First, John is a total pleasure to work with. Even though some have posted negative experiences with the product, I have never seen anything negative about John or his company honoring their return policy (I shant be returning mine).

The setup was a bit of work, but if you have someone to help with the ribbons, not a big deal. These are tall speakers, so don't be surprised when you see them. Their appearance might not be for everyone, but I call them my "Woopie Goldberg" speakers - they may not be the best looking things out there, but when it comes to performing, what a cream puff!!

These speakers accurately reproduce symphonic music which is my main listening venue. However, after reading some negative reviews and comments on rock, I of course had to hear for myself. I found them nice performers on any musical venue. Jazz (try the Manhatten Transfer "Vocalise" - Wow), classical, soundtrack (Gladiator really comes alive - CD or DVD), country, or rock (the Hair soundtrack was incredible). You definetly will not like poor recordings on these speakers (that's why I have 27 year old Klipsch's).

These speakers have no characteristics I do not like. I personnally like their appearance, footprint, and of course sonic performance.

My advice to anyone looking for excellent speakers that has high end electronics to drive them is to speak to John Meyer and try one of his products.

I am planning to buy a set of 630's for rear surround sound next year.

John - Thanks.

Equipment - ADCOM 750 CD/Pre-amp, 5802 Power Amp, Audioquest Cables

Similar Products Used:

Auditioned: Magneplanar 3.6's, Thiel 2.3's, Vandersteen Sig. 3A's

Accurate

Stock Cross-over

This is a very accurate speaker. At first it sounded thin and forward to me. I updated the crossover with the so called "KSU" (kitchen sink upgrade), which also includes the "Black Hole" insulation. I also left the stock insulation in the very bottom of the speaker as well.
I have owned the speakers since May of 2001, and let me tell you. It took well over 3 months for these speakers to settle in properly. I can understand some of the bad reviews that have been posted, but I think most of the negative views on this speaker would fade quickly if the reviewers had a chance to listen to these speakers after the upgrade and the lengthy break in time. I have listened to a lot of speakers over the years, and I can safely say that there are few that are any better. They handle the whole audio spectrum extremely well, with accurate timber, balance, and weight.
The speakers thin profile and minimal vertical dispersion results in very accurate imaging.
The upsteam components as with any speaker are extremely important in the end sound, but I find that they are relativly forgiving of 'average' recordings. It must be pointed out, that for any system to sound great, you must have a properly recored CD or record in the first place. They do need a lot of room to breath, and with any speaker, proper room setup is very important. Set up right with good equipment and recorded material will reward you with an audio system that is very satisfying. Proof that you don't have to spend ten thousand dollars or more on a pair of speakers to get accurate sound reproduction.

Similar Products Used:

Martin Logan SL3 Electrostatic Hybrid Speaker

Imaging, Bass slam, extremely fast transient responses, micro and macro dynamics

WAF

I have thoroughly enjoyed these speakers over the last year. I spent a huge amount of time, listening to many different speakers at stores and in peoples houses. I was able to hear a pair of R645s at a friends house and they blew me away. His wife didn't like the looks of them and was always harping on him to get rid of them. I talked him into selling them to me and it was the best Audio purchase I've ever made.

Every positive post I have read in Audio Review has rung true with me, so I won't go into repeating all the positive aspects of this speaker.

Two months ago, I followed the lead of several other Newform owners and upgraded my R645s, with great crossover parts, better connectors, internal wiring and Blackhole 5. I also upgraded the ribbons with a $90.00 Theta Cap. This was the best upgrade I've ever heard. The improvements were mind boggling and brought tears to my eyes. The speaker was great to begin with. Now it is in a totally different ballgame. I would now put my speaker in the $15,000 plus speaker category.

Now, as far as some other negative posts I've seen, where they give this speaker a one star. There is no way that all of the other reviewers, give this speaker 5 stars and then along comes someone that goes to the total extreme and gives them a 1 star. I would think that that person either somehow got a damaged speaker or their room has incredible problems.

I do agree with one negative poster, where they recommend you listen to them. If anyone is interested, they should make a post on the following Newform Forum and I'm sure they'd get a chance to listen to them: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Newformgroup

My existing equipment:
Odyssey Stratos Monos
Wadia 27ix DAC
Wadia 270 Transport
Sonic Frontier Line 3
Nordost SPM bi-wire speaker cable
Nordost Quattro-fil IC's

Similar Products Used:

Maggies, Martin Logans, Totems, B&W, Mirage,