Trelja you're probably right, as I am trying to recollect a conversation from 1994,
I was talking with Bud at at the CES show in 1994, and from what I remember he said something to the effect that while he was in England he had made the IMF's. He also mentioned that he was in the military over there, but he did not elaborate as to when, what, and where. He did talk about other designers in England, some of whom he thought highly of, but who he came to realize upon meeting them, did not know any more than he did about speaker design, which was his fear, overcame. Bud went on to say something to the effect of, when he moved back to the states he began working on the Fried line. As he was a bit vague it left allot up to personal interpretation. Regardless, the IMF's our friend is in possession of are no doubt Buds, and I to date, have not heard a better TL speaker from another designer. Of course, owning the pair of Studio 5's I was listening to with him in Alexes Park in 1994 may make me a bit biased. So for "free" our friend here has made quite a leap in upgrading in musical truth.