I replaced a pair of Tannoy Ardens with a pair of Merlin TSMMX and never regretted it.
A lot more detail and information and less fuzziness, with the same coherence.
Fine speakers,just set them on proper stands and give them good amplification. |
I thought I'd share some recent experiences with the other TSM owners (or prospective owners) out there.
I finally got around to using a simple bubble level to align my speakers relative to the floor, as the manual suggests. The improvement that resulted is amazing! Tonal balance is improved, but even more, the spatial presentation is better than ever: the speakers "disappear" more than ever before, soundstage width and depth are much greater, and there's an even more coherent, seamless quality than i used to get... which is really saying something.
I wouldn't say the TSM's are fussy about placement, per se, but they do give you clear feedback on even small changes, making taking the time to make adjustments really worth the effort. Just when you think they can't sound any better with your current equipment, you try a small tweak, and they surprise you! |
Thanks, Bobby, I will definitely give the Supra 6.0 cables a try with my TSMs.
Thanks again,
Dave |
rebbi, the tsm offers very flat amplitude and a high degree of resolution. if the speakers are toed using the alignment tool (that they come with) and stand level, their contrast potential will become the best it can be. speakers as a rule have very good vertical and horizontal dispersion but the speaker's level may be many degrees off due to the floor it self. this is imho one of the most important first steps to good sound.
best, b |
TSM'ers,
I hope nobody minds me mentioning that right now I'm selling a 3-meter pair of Supra Classic 6.0 speakers cable in the Audiogon classifieds. It's great stuff!
Thanks. |
How do the Supra Sword speaker cables compare to the Classic 6? |
totally out of the 6's price range and for the six's price you can't beat them. the swords and the cardas clear are in simlar price ranges just do you know. and their physcial make up is totally different, copper litz with cold forging. not a fair comparison for may reasons.
the latter being much better sounding but not for the budget minded.
b |
The Cardas Clear and Supra Swords are decidedly not in a similar price range -- Clear are 4x the cost! But I was asking how sonically the Swords compare to the 6s, cost not relevant for the sake of discussion. |
Would anyone care to comment on Goertz MI2 or MI3, JPS Superconductor or Acoustic Zen Hologram speaker cables with Merlin TSMs? |
p, the swords and clear are much closer in price that the cost of the 6's. that is my point. are you trying to redesign the wheel? you know that the speakers are wired with cardas do you not?
b |
Bobby, No, not trying to redesign the wheel; I'm gathering information, information from users, not sellers. And, again, I'm not interested in price comparisons, only sonic comparisons... The choices in audio are huge and, absent ready-at-hand, I'm narrowing the field. |
Bobby, My bottom line is if I can move some money out of cabling and into better electronics, like the Filarmonia, I'll get closer to where I wanna be... on the theory that electronics takes priority. |
p, cables are imho more important than electronics.
the room, speakers, cables, sources and the amp.
in order of the least amount of $ spent offering the potentially largest improvement in sound.
cardas is the best bet for the speakers you own.
golden presence is a good one to consider.
b |
Golden Presence is ~$2,000 for 3 meters. No way in the world am I going to spend 2K for speaker cable. OK, if I did, that would leave me maybe 1K for an amplifier. Does that make sense!? |
p, i just mailed you directly so keep and eye out.
you should get the speakers first and listen to them for a while then we can talk and see what you are hearing. it is best to know the speaker a little imho. se 9 cardas is a very good alternative for you regarding performance and price.
b |
Most of us who don't have dedicated listening rooms end up making compromises, for sure. But I agree with Bobby that the room is key. Putting an area carpet down in my listening room, which otherwise is very "live," made a big difference for not a lot of money. Would I like to do more radical stuff to the room for the sake of sound? Sure, but domestic tranquility prevents me from doing some of that stuff. I have to take my significant other's room livability and aesthetic considerations into account. And my budget has definite limits.
The nice thing about buying Merlin speakers is that you know that the design is so sound (no pun intended) and time-tested and that the quality control is so good, that your tweaks and adjustments will be rewarded and get you closer to what you want to hear. So, for example, if the tonal balance seems off or the speakers aren't "disappearing" as they should, you can look elsewhere in your set-up because you know that your Merlins (TSM-mmi's in my case) aren't the culprit. |
Rebbi.
I agree 100% with the comment about domestic settings and at some point you just need to sit back and listen. After tweaking, trying out CD players and cables and all the rest I finally agreed with my wife to TAKE A BREAK...at least for the summer. I stopped listening for issues and areas to tweak and started listening to music. Come winter I'll probably re-start the madness, but we shouldn't forget that the music is the thing.
Now....where are those helium filled CDP isolator feet I ordered? ;')
Rob |
Next to your 12lb power cords that will blow you away.... |
Happy to be able to say I'm not obsessive about my system. Reaching "good enough" is already a lot of work -- and it's good enough. |
You are suffering from temporary sanity. |
Several months ago, I upgraded my TSM-mmi rig from the RC's to the Master RC's. I can now report that the upgrade was unquestionably cost effective and very worthwhile. The Master RC's are beginning to really break in, and the improvement from the standard RC's is not subtle: everything is even more seamless and coherent sounding, open sounding and revealing. Well worth the upgrade if you're contemplating it! |
I just got a set of Supra Classic 6.0T's to use with my TSM-MX's and must say these really do fit the bill. I have struggled recently with cables for the TSM - with a PrimaLuna Dialogue Two fitted with Gold Lion KT-77's, most cables I tried ended up sounding thin and brittle - Furutech Evolution, Shunyata Python, and even the recommended Au24. The best luck I had was with (believe it or not) Naim NACA5 which gave a nice full bodied sound at the expense of treble extension and detail. The Supra maintains this richness and adds the missing treble extension - pre-burn in, from the onset I could tell this is the right cable for my setup, fairly neutral leaning a little towards the sweet and smooth side of things. Highly recommended and a steal at the price. |
James22,
Glad the Supra's are working out for you! |
