MERLIN VSM OWNERS WITH SUBS


Lookin’ for feedback from Merlin VSM owners using a subwoofer. I’ve been a very satisfied Merlin VSM-Mw/BAM owner for several years; however, due to current room limitations and speaker placement restrictions my bass is a little lean & thin. Wondering if you’d share some advice. I’ve read the archives on this site and Audio Asylum and got some good info, but would like to get a little more specific.
1. Your Opinion - Best Subwoofer to mate with Merlin VSM-M?
2. Do subs integrate well with the Merlin VSM? Seamless sound and coherence with natural reproduction of the music?
3. Sub Placement recommendations.
Thanks!

Room Dimensions: L23’ X W19’ with cathedral ceilings (H8’ to 12’)
McIntosh MC-352 SS amp & C-2200 tube preamp
Interconnects Cardas Natural, LAT International, Cardas Jumpers
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Showing 2 responses by sbank

My room is similar size to yours. I found that the Super-BAM upgrade made a great improvement in bass performance.

Your choice of tubes in the 2200 could have an impact as well. Have you rolled tubes? Cheers,
Spencer
Another consideration is the room dimensions and their impact relative to speaker and seating placement. I apologize if straying too far from the original question, but just trying to help.
In my similarly-sized room, I found that measurements using an inexpensive Radio Shack sound meter and the signals from a test CD allowed me to easily plot out room response(i.e. peaks & dips at various frequencies). Changes in seating and speaker locations as small as 3-6in. made an audible difference. I thought that a larger room would allow for more bass at lowest frequencies, but in fact that wasn't the case. Some spots had pronounced bass dips as much as 10db. By moving seating I was able get smoother and flatter response. The caveat being to keep in mind Bobby's advice on speaker location. Cheers,
Spencer