Anybody heard of "IMF speakers"

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dee1949
dee1949 Posts: 1,425
edited July 2011 in Vintage Speakers
...I just got a pair of IMF CM3 (Compact Monitor 3). Foam on one mid range is toast.....sending them off for rebuild. Been reading about their HISTORY. Parallel's the "NEW England" sound....from Britisth perspective,......(1979-85)
...... Anybody heard them??? or IMF

...Great build quality......real WOOD veneer.

Originally had thick Foam Grilles.....long gone

Look like serious drivers....maybe "KEF"
imf.jpg 99.2K
Post edited by dee1949 on
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  • BrettT1
    BrettT1 Posts: 560
    edited March 2009
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    Some specs and different models...

    http://imf-electronics.com/
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,080
    edited March 2009
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    Yup, and they were excellent. The IMF stands for Irving M. "Bud" Fried, but the connections between IMF and Fried were convoluted and/or tenuous.

    Their big transmission line monitor systems are pretty astounding.

    Definitely KEF-esque but I don't think most if any of the drivers were actually KEF OEM.

    I am fortunate enough to have a pair of SuperCompacts, which I found at the dump. Efficient and authoritative sounding they are for such small speakers. I don't use 'em much; the MR foam surrounds are on their last legs. Gotta do something about that someday...

    IMFCompactinb.jpg
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  • Systems
    Systems Posts: 14,873
    edited March 2009
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    Yes I have heard of them.I believe it later became known as TDM ,and Fried established his own company in the US.
    The woofers in that model in the pic sure look like KEFB200's.
    Testing
    Testing
    Testing
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  • Rempstone
    Rempstone Posts: 3
    edited July 2011
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    Sorry this is an old thread but I struggled to find much out about the speakers.

    I have had a pair of these CM3s that I've owned since early nineties. Spent the last ten years stored in my garage because the wife thought they were ugly :smile:

    Are these speakers any use on the secondhand market?
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  • Joe08867
    Joe08867 Posts: 3,919
    edited July 2011
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    I know they worth about 2000 new. The used market is different though. The price is all over the place.

    Why not keep them?
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  • cubdog
    cubdog Posts: 835
    edited July 2011
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    Do some research. There are plenty of people that like those speakers.

    cubdog
    Shuguang Classic S8MK
    Emotiva XDA-2
    Bel Canto M300 mono blocks
    Bel Canto DAC 1.5
    Squeezebox Touch
    Sony SS-M7
    A/D/S L710
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  • Rempstone
    Rempstone Posts: 3
    edited July 2011
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    Joe08867:Not allowed to bring them in the house and seems a waste to leave them collecting dust!
    cubdog: That is what i'm trying to do here....

    Thanks.
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,122
    edited July 2011
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    Rempstone wrote: »
    Joe08867:Not allowed to bring them in the house and seems a waste to leave them collecting dust!
    cubdog: That is what i'm trying to do here....

    Thanks.

    Nothing like joining a Polk forum to get info on another make of speaker, especially one three decades old
    :rolleyes:...


    sell them on Craigslist, not here.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • megasat16
    megasat16 Posts: 3,521
    edited July 2011
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    I want to buy the CM3 speakers if the newbie is not living in U.K.

    By the way, do you have Craigslist in UK?

    Well, may be not every newbie is trying to unload 30 yrs old speaker.
    Trying out Different Audio Cables is a Religious Affair. You don't discuss it with anyone. :redface::biggrin:
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  • TECHNOKID
    TECHNOKID Posts: 4,298
    edited July 2011
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    Welcome to Club Polk Rempstone! :smile:
    nooshinjohn wrote: »
    Nothing like joining a Polk forum to get info on another make of speaker, especially one three decades old
    :rolleyes:...


    sell them on Craigslist, not here.
    megasat16 wrote: »
    ...Well, may be not every newbie is trying to unload 30 yrs old speaker.
    Exactly! Just a little tenacity on a search engine will eventually lead here (as many other forums) that had once started a discussion on the above speaker brand. Many on here don't even own any Polk speakers at all and no one makes a big fuss about it, right?:wink: When newbies show their virtual face for the first time on this site, why the ritual welcome with the piss poor attitude?:wink:
    DARE TO SOAR:
    “Your attitude, almost always determine your altitude in life” ;)
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,576
    edited July 2011
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    nooshinjohn wrote: »
    Nothing like joining a Polk forum to get info on another make of speaker, especially one three decades old
    :rolleyes:...


    sell them on Craigslist, not here.

    There's nothing wrong with coming here for info on another manufacturer Nooshingjohn. It happens all the time as we pop up on tons of searches since it's a diverse group of owners at Club Polk. I believe he is just looking for value at the moment and not selling them, chill out.

    Welcome Rempstone.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • Rempstone
    Rempstone Posts: 3
    edited July 2011
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    Thanks for your responses. Can't say I felt welcomed by nooshingjohn's post - but no matter. Nope, never heard of craiglist here in the uk but did a google on it and it comes up in London.

    Reconnected the speakers to my old marantz amp and they still work. Cones are undamaged.

    I guess it was a long shot to find someone who has a genuine interest in these old speakers.

    Take all.
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  • JB1962
    JB1962 Posts: 2
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    I also have a set of CM3's but I did not realize when I bought them that the midrange is not original, when I opened them up the crossover is not original either. Been looking for information on the crossover for months now and so far have nothing, do you still have these?

    Would love to have the component details on the CM3 crossovers, I have a company locally who could build me a set if I have the specs. Also, if you still do have them and shipping to the U.S. isn't too outrageous, I am interested in them.

    Thanks
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