RAM speakers

[57charles]

Loved the earlier RAM 1's with the Isophon tweeter and the earlier Bookshelf Monitor MK1's - again with the Isophon. I owned 200's and DS80's - later models and not so good in my opinion. Anyone with comments/thoughts on RAM?

[Audio Al]

I own 100's 150' 200's and 400's ( some I have 2 pairs of ) did I say I like them

A joint venture between RAM who did the building and Falcon acoustics who did the Electrical components

[57charles]

Falcon built the cross-overs. They were local to RAM in Mulbarton, Norfolk - RAM were in Norwich ending up at The Old Granary in Trowse.
I remember RAM taking delivery of a pair of KEF 105's for 'appraisa'l whilst they were developing the 400.
Always found the Audax tweeter on these later models to be a trifle splashy - not only in RAM's but also other contemporary speakers of the time.
Found the 200 and DS80 to be a little boomy - probably due to the 10" ABR - I thought the 150 was better balanced if you wanted bass. Best value for money of that range was the 100 - I used to sell bucket loads of 'em.
Still thought RAM 1 was the best - later version of RAM 1 had Audax rather than Isophon tweeter - not as good in my opinion but still better than later models.
I heard STL4's (now that's what I call a speaker!). RAM 2 and 3 weren't bad either!!!!
Also saw the Gemini and Scorpio (about to be released before they went bust - used Goodmans 8" see through driver ala Kappa and Sigma without the Hitachi patent V pleat surrounds) - would have blown every contempory rival out of the water - shame they went under - nothing to do with the speakers which were always well received.

[spendorman]

Mainly used Dalesford Bextrene bass/ mids, which I find pretty good.

[57charles]

The Dalesford drive units were very popular at the time and appeared in many speakers.
I thought they sounded good but I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that they weren't the most reliable of units compared to say the KEF B200 or the contemporary 8" Audax unit.
I believe the reason why many speaker 'manufacturers' (box stuffers?) used them was that they were 20% cheaper to buy in than the B200.
I remember when working in the trade so many units going off centre and going back to the factory - including 1 in my own pair of 200's.
I think some of the RAM range would be good contenders for restoration - particularly the ones that used that Audax tweeter because it's now possible to buy new drop in replacements from Falcon which would solve the ferro fluid issues in the old tweeters. I believe there's a place in Great Yarmouth that would probably be able to re-cone the Dalesford drivers (and use modern glue!) - and it's a simple job to replace the caps in the crossover - replacements are available from Falcon.
If I still lived in the UK, I'd probably have a go at restoring some models from their range because you could bring them back to original factory spec (remember, the newest speakers are now 33 years old), even if only for sentimental reasons.

[spendorman]

Strange, I had quite a few faulty KEF B200's and Audax 8" Bextrene's. Not had a faulty 8" Bextrene Dalesford though.

Certainly, the best sounding of those three, to me, is the Dalesford.

[Ammonite Audio]

I once bought a pair of LS3/5a cabinets from Falcon, which were ex-RAM bankrupt stock that Falcon sanpped up. I don't recall reading much about RAM LS3/5as, but they must have had a licence to build them. Those cabinets ended up as Nightingale Enigmas, with the assistance of Malcolm Jones, who even gave me a pair trim badges to go on the front. They were nice little speakers, using Focal double-coil bass units and Scanspeak tweeters. Richard Dunn once told me that they sounded quite 'Kan like' which I took at the time to be a compliment!

Going back to RAM, I remember seeing the range in a HiFi dealer in the Maddermarket here in Norwich. A very 'period' parade of teak boxes, very much of their time.

[spendorman]

I once bought a pair of LS3/5a cabinets from Falcon, which were ex-RAM bankrupt stock that Falcon sanpped up. I don't recall reading much about RAM LS3/5as, but they must have had a licence to build them. Those cabinets ended up as Nightingale Enigmas, with the assistance of Malcolm Jones, who even gave me a pair trim badges to go on the front. They were nice little speakers, using Focal double-coil bass units and Scanspeak tweeters. Richard Dunn once told me that they sounded quite 'Kan like' which I took at the time to be a compliment!

Going back to RAM, I remember seeing the range in a HiFi dealer in the Maddermarket here in Norwich. A very 'period' parade of teak boxes, very much of their time.

I think RAM LS3/5a's are pretty rare, my friend has a black pair.

[Martyn Miles]

I once bought a pair of LS3/5a cabinets from Falcon, which were ex-RAM bankrupt stock that Falcon sanpped up. I don't recall reading much about RAM LS3/5as, but they must have had a licence to build them. Those cabinets ended up as Nightingale Enigmas, with the assistance of Malcolm Jones, who even gave me a pair trim badges to go on the front. They were nice little speakers, using Focal double-coil bass units and Scanspeak tweeters. Richard Dunn once told me that they sounded quite 'Kan like' which I took at the time to be a compliment!

Going back to RAM, I remember seeing the range in a HiFi dealer in the Maddermarket here in Norwich. A very 'period' parade of teak boxes, very much of their time.

I once had a pair of ex. RAM LS3/5a cabinets, which were fitted ( by an ex. BBC engineer ) with Falcon Acoustics LS3/5a crossovers.
Jerry Bloomfield looked at them and took some photos when I was visiting Falcon Acoustics.

I found out they were early Ram prototype LS3/5as, cabinets later discarded.
( And obviously acquired by the ex. BBC engineer...)

Falcon Acoustics made up the crossovers for RAM,
but lost out on a BBC LS3/5a Licence.
Goodmans acquired it.

Guess who made the crossovers for Goodmans ?

Martyn Miles.

[57charles]

Norwich Hi-Fi Centre was the shop in The Maddermarket.
I remember seeing assembly of LS3/5a's at RAM during a factory visit in the early 80's.