Only heard the Gallo is show conditions so my opinion of it is not too worth. Have owned two iterations of the VSMs the past nine years and they are to my way of listening the finest two-way speakers in the world, at minimum, highly competive with any two-way speakers in the world. You mention coherence, well that is their bread and butter. You can go to audioreview.com and see what a few hindred people have to say about Merlin VSMs - they are that good, and if you don't crave, need, or want the very bottom octave that you can get with much larger speakers with 12" woofers, you can live happily with them for a long time and build the rest of your system around them - what many Melrin owners do. |
I hear the Merlins the way Marty does. I think they do provide a fairly unobstruected view of the source with little editorial, you would need to find that with the amp, etc. |
I agree that they are monitors (on a integreated, built in stand), with bass performance that transcends the class because of the BAM, while maintaining coherency not really possible with large multi-driver speakers (though some may claim to have found one of these speakers that do have the same type of coherence, I just never heard one). I think the VSMs strikes the right balance between all these needs, but one simply has to listen a decide for themselves if the "formula" works for them. If I read OP right, he is not looking for the deepest bass, but a more musical, saturated, denser mid-range - well the Merlin midrange is fantastic in that sense. |
Juancgenao, you have very unique hearing if the Merlin sounds like a table top radio to you, with ANY cables (well, most any, I'm sure you could find something to screw up the sound of any amp/speaker). Do like the ProAcs though, owned two version over the years. |
Mapman, I think that is a pretty good take overall. I will say that within its limitations, though suprisingly minor given its "small" size, the Merlins do what they do so well, that I don't ever really think about what they don't do that a larger, more complex multi-driver box might do better, and few of them can match the Merlin in those areas it excels - but like anything else, it might not be the speaker for everyone. As Daniel Webster said of Dartmouth, "it is small, but there are those that love it.":) |
We've been waiting for a subwoofer for the VSM sans BAM - not sure it would be better overall, but one would expect deeper, more dynamic bass, but perhaps at a cost sonically in other ways. |
I was a bit suprised myself when I went from Vandersteen 3A Signatures with two 2wq subwoofers to the VSMs and first listened to the VSMs expecting a drop off in bass satisfaction - I simply could not believe what I was hearing from these "small" speakers with one 7" woofer - it did not seem possible. Is it the deepest bass possible - most certainly not, but I never felt short changed - though I do mostly listen to acoustic jazz where the demands for real low bass power is probably not the most challenging. Now that was my impression 9 years ago, and things have only gotten better, incrementally with the "e" version and then the Master BAM. Too me, the VSM is a very sane speaker for the types of rooms most of us use them in - at 13x18x9 - just about perfect to my ears. |
Bobby, is there any advantage to going much beyond 60watts with the VSMs? How much power is really needed to get the most out of them. They always seemed to sound exceptional with the VSNs at 100 watts? Any reason to go beyond that? |
I feel that way, given that I'm driving them with RM10 35watts EL84s, and 60 watts Class A, triode, Atma OTLs and never feel underpowered, but was wondering if I was missing "something" - glad to know I'm not, seems just as powerful as when I used the CAT 100 watts, and Music Reference RM9 SE 162 watts. My feeling mid wattage versions of basic circuits sound better than their more powerful iterations IF the the wattage is sufficient. Makes it alot easier to find a nice amp to drive the VSMs. |
"No losers here IMHO" - and mine too. |
Mapman, VSMs might not be everyone's cup of tea, but well worth tasting if only to know. But alas there are other tasty offerings also worth listening to - that is the fun of it. Though, I have owned MX then MXe for 9 years and I've not heard a speaker I would prefer to own in my mid-size listening room, and I stopped looking. NOS EL84s? that is another story. Cheers. |
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I have heard similar positive comments on this diagonal alignment over the years, but few folks seem to take this approach in anything but a dedicated listening room as might very have the lowest WAF in audiophilia. |
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