Focal Mini Utopia vs Merlin MXe

which tsms n?

you know marty, i never thought of it that way. :-)
when people ask me about cable i always recommend small gauge copper/litz preferably and amps with low damping and feedback for my taste. most people that have asked are not offended by the cost of the items i suggested.
however many times i have recommended copper monster cables and low cost amps like prima luna and rega etc.
not everyone owns a heavy hitter system or can afford it.
i'll keep what you mentioned in mind.
thanks, b@m

testpilot,
i thought about this for a few days before i made my response.
imho, the merlin vsm is a critically designed speaker system with a very flat amplitude, flat impedance, high resolution and low distortion. with the e versions especially, they are as friendly to ss and tubes as they can be. the mme for ss and leaner tubes and the mxe for tonally flush tube systems, which i prefer. these pieces tend to have less feedback and lower damping both of which the vsm does not need (this is very important). a thoroughbred is a specialized design. it will work better with ancillaries that they are designed to work with. trying to make them work with other items that do not share their design goals may be not the approach to take. this is not a matter of synergy but more of neutral embellishments because the resolution of the vsm is very high. the items you mentioned are wonderful but we have people all over the world using the likes of rega amps, sugden, the stingray and cary integrateds with fantastic results. so i do not share your feelings on this point. after all you wouldn't buy a ferrari and use 88 octane fuel in it and $30 tires on each corner. if you did you would never appreciate the fine engineering that went into it.
yes there are items that are less critical and can be used with a wider selection of ancillaries but then again, they "may" not have absolute potential of a more specialized design. and this will depend on the taste of the listener because there is not one design that can make everyone happy.
i just wish you had owned the mme because it would have been much more to your liking.
merlin resale prices right now are poor as most items are due to the economic times. remember too that we have made thousands of pairs of these speakers and many have been pre owned and upgraded many times. also the resale price is a function of what they were paid for new. and no one has ever paid full retail for them. many pairs have been sold direct and at a discount to the end user. it is just a different way to market and a way that the industry is moving towards.
thank you,
bobby at merlin

paul, audio aero made a 50w class a tube power amp. i heard it and it was superb. not made any longer. juicey and dynamic as could be. 30 to 50 watts of class a tranformer coupled or otl amps are as much as i would need for my home or even to do a show. 50 being better for more complex material or show conditions.
the bel is fantastic but i still prefer tubes and you probably would too.
best, b

well paul, the bel amp is a one of a kind and everyone who has heard it loved it for its uncomplicated and robust nature. not exactly a tube but as close as one could get with the benefits of ss, wider bandwidth, less distortion and more control. i wish is had 2 of them.

about the master upgrades i hear you. at $225 each or $1350 for the 6 caps, they better be something. but in the bam, the entire signal goes them so they do what they are supposed to do. in the case of the rc network, since they are a termination for the amp providing a 10 ohm load at 100 khz, it makes sense to me that the amp being terminated with a better sounding termination sould make the amp sound as good as it can. imho, copper being better sounding than aluminum.
hope you are well.
bobby at merlin

paul, i think that you have a speaker that allows you to hear what good tube electronics sound like. your speaker also does not need the damping that ss amps provide in the bass. they prefer the dimensionality and density in the mid range of a good tube system. yours is not the only speaker like it. so there are many individuals that like ss but prefer tubes and visa versa. i think clearly it is a matter of what you have at home and what interfaces best with it. and to a lesser degree, what is the best you have heard in your system. in this regards you are way more fortunate than most.
best, b