B&W Sig. 805 and Merlin TSM

No comparison. The newer small Merlins make all small B&W's sound broken. I got a pair of TSM-MX's to replace my CDM1NT's. After a couple of days of side by side comparison I disconnected the B&W's and never had a desire to hear them again. I'm very familiar with the 805 sound... it's a little tighter on the bass than my CDM1NT's, but I know exactly what you have and what you could have. The Merlins don't take as much power, but then, they don't need as much. The B&W's require lots of juice just to squeeze the midrange out. I have my TSM-MX's hooked up in my left and right fronts with the remnants of my B&W 5.1 system taking up center, rears and sub--for now. At some point I intend to go Merlin for center as well. Greatest joy is 2 channel, but SACD and DTS Audio sound wonderful as well.

I have listened to the new 805S 's for close to two hours. The Merlin TSM-MX's are better in nearly all respects. I have not listened, yet, to 805 Signatures, but I'm told the 805S's are a poor man's 805 Sig, and that the sound is the same or close, but that the Sig has the better finish. If so, the Merlins are better.

Most versions of 805 I have heard and the Merlins cut off bass extension at similar levels. I've heard 805's image well, although Merlins are better here. Niether have a decisive edge in dynamics. But where the Merlin TSM's really pull away from the 805's is in the accuracy of midrange reproduction. (Also the coherency of the midrange and the highs.)