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Have you heard the latest Merlin VSM-MXe speakers?

Have you heard the latest Merlin VSM-MXe Speakers? — "Wow!!!" That's what I said after setting up these wonderful and beautiful speakers and listening for about one minute to a very familiar CD. I mean straight out of the box with only about 8 hours of playing time at the factory they simply overwhelmed me! Where have they been all my audiophile life? Why did I not find Bobby Palkovic's masterpiece before now?

How could he make this kind of music with two drivers in not so big, but absolutely drop-dead gorgeous piano black lacquered, cabinets, and an electronic box called a 'Super BAM'? I don't know! Wow!!! In my 50 years of putting systems together... including such speakers as double KLH-9 and Martin-Logan electrostatics... Fulton Premiers... the biggest of the Magneplaner speakers with the four bass panels... Wilson Watt Puppies with the Whow... and, on and on. Merlin VSM-MXe's are the BEST!

I've had them breaking in for 10 days now, and they have compelled me to listen to one favorite CD after another into the wee hours of the night. They are so musical! They have just the right texture... female vocals have that "slobber" factor... strings twang with all the nuances. They are coherent and transparent... and, oh so dynamic! The soundstage is deep and wide with the right height. And, when you close your eyes they simply disappear, leaving you with the people and the instruments performing right there in your living room. They make music!

Folks, don't ever listen to these speakers if you can't buy them... you will be sick until you can. Bobby, you did it!

I first purchased the Merlin TSM-MMe Monitors about one year ago after a respected dealer told me I should try them. I was totally satisfied with the sound, even though I was missing a little on the bottom end. They are the best monitor speakers I've ever had. But, I kept thinking, "If the TSM's are this good, how could the VSM's be so much better?" So, I just had to see... you know... the audiophile thing.

If you have never had Merlin speakers, the TSM's are a good place to start, and they will wet your appetite. But, just know that one day, as I was compelled to do, you will have to step up and get the big ones. They are complete! You will instantly hear what you have been missing in other speaker systems.

Now, I can sit back, relax, and enjoy the music. It's all there!
Skooks
skooks
57 responses Add your response
bobbyapalkovic
729 posts
 
m, does the pre have a processing loop?
you want to hook the bam up so that it is buffered by the tube line output stage of the pre amp and then it will sound as it can. between the pre and power is after the tube line output stage so the bam is not buffered. the bam also has a capacitive input and used between a pre and power amp will sound leaner and less complete.
try calling the pre manufacturer and see if they will add a processing/tape loop for you.
just a thought.
also just to see what i mean, try cdp out to bam and bam to cd input and then compare to bam between pre and power. you will hear it both ways and sense what you are missing. this is a worthwhile experiment and says it all.
best,
b
mariasplunge
174 posts
 
Bobby,
Thanks for your response. I certianly am open-minded I just have not set up the BAM yet. I will though. I mostly us a TT. In this case, is it not better to set it up between my pre and amp? Pre is a tubed unit.
bobbyapalkovic
729 posts
 
arkio,
if you want to fill a large room and play all sorts of electronic music then consider getting a sub or two with the mxe. why give up the magic that the speaker has to offer for a few % of the music when you can augment this. and they can put out tons of bass and impact but it depends on your room size and ancillaries and how well they do this on their own. howards question is important and needs answering.
howard,
skooks may be older but he has had a number of champion systems and his comments are welcome because he speakes in a relative sense.
m,
put you bam between the cdp and pre.
is your pre a tube unit.
if you read the two reviews of the vsm mme or mxe on the main page of www.merlinmusic.com it says clearly why not to use the bam between the pre and power.
and if you want to hear the speakers sound the most linear, most continuous, complete and without distortion, then put the bam in and leave it in. the speakers will sound over bright from distortion and lacking body without it.
read marty's bfs comments about this very point. same thing said in the review from italy from igor zamberlan and another from uwe kirbach in germany (to come).
be open minded. if you use the speakers the way they were designed to be used, they will sound much better and play way more music in an enjoyable manner.
best,
b@m
swampwalker's avatar
swampwalker
5,138 posts
 
You are not beginning to hear what these speakers can do w/o the SBAM.
tabl10s's avatar
tabl10s
1,075 posts
 
Arkio
Skooks is a grandfather. He can't help you. What system do you have now?
mariasplunge
174 posts
 
Skooks,
Just recieved mine in the mail and set them up yesterday. Just a few hours of listening so far but i am very impressed. I have not set up the BAM yet though. Should I expect that much more!? I'm a bit concerned about the BAM influencing the very nuetral uncolored sound that I have sought to achieve through my system. I fear it might constrict things as well. Of course I'll have to experiment. I have no tape loop in my pre so I'll have to run it between amp and pre. Any thoughts there? I'm glad your enjoying them as much as I am!

Cheers
arkio
74 posts
 
What kind of music do you listen too? How are they with Rock, metal, industrial, prog rock, pop, and electronic? I too have been thinking about these speakers but because 80% of my listening is the genres I just listed I am very skeptical that even with the BAM in place that a two way can push enough air to give you what say a Vandersteen 5 can do. I am pretty sure the mids and highs are about as good as they can get but what about the bass. They can probably play clean to 110db but thats not all there is too it. I recently heard a 2 way Audio Physics system playing some 'Porcupine Tree' at a friend's house and it sounded constricted and thin and just did not sound right no matter what we tried. It was loud thou - gave me a headache. A speaker thats only good at a few genres of music at a decent volume don't cut it IMO.
Anyhow, don't mean to burst your bubble, like I said I am very intrigued by these, just a bit curious about whether they can do it all. I used to have a dealer nearby, now I have to travel quite a ways to hear them. Maybe someday.
Good listening
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