Merlin VSM & TSM speakers: RIP Bobby Palkovich, Ten Years Ago Today

This is a remembrance for Bobby Palkovich, the Principal at Merlin Music Systems, who died ten years ago today.  I met Bobby at in Denver RMAF (Rocky Mountain Audio Fest) where I was sticking my head into rooms in search of something that sounded like *music.* After quickly ducking out of a LOT of rooms that sounded like *gear* and some that were just plain ridiculous (Synergistic Research comes to mind) I stumbled across Bobby with his Merlins and Joule Electra tube amps.  "THIS sounds like music!" I thought, and sat down for a listen.  We got to talking, headed out for some blueberry cobbler and became fast friends from that day on.  He helped me build a system around the VSMs I bought in 2007 and through several upgrades to those speakers as well as choosing components that work well with them.  He even sent me a kit and his personal torque wrench to upgrade all internal wiring to Cardas One.  I believe I bought the final pair of Black Magic TSMs he made in August 2015.  He didn't charge me enough for them.

Eighteen years later the Merlin VSMs are still holding down my main system.  All other components have been upgraded at least once.  The TSMs in my BR are equally impressive with a good sub - remarkable timber and tonality.  I recently listened to two pairs of modern speakers in the $10,000 to $15,000 range and I still prefer the Merlins.  Quicksilver Mono 60 Watt amps are a match made in heaven and outperform more expensive tube AND ss amps I've tried - even the venerable BEL 1001 MkV.

Any other Merlin owners / lovers out there?  I wish the web pages were still up as there was a LOT of detailed & valuable information about the speakers.  Very few designers have the ear, attention to detail and dogged persistence that Bobby possessed (or that possessed Bobby :o)  Rest In Peace, My Dear Friend - and TURN IT UP!!  :o)