There is really only one truth at play here -- all speakers (and systems/rooms) are colored to some degree. Congrats that you found a pair of speakers that are colored to your liking, but just because you love them doesn't make them the most uncolored or superior for other listeners.
Here's an example. Both I and a bandmate of mine have very nice systems. We are both obviously musicians know what instuments sound like in real life, but we listen for and value different things in sound reproduction. He listens more like a musician and his system does a better job painting more complete pictures of individual instruments, but I listen more like an audiophile and my system does a better job clearly placing and displaying elements within a dimensional space. Is one of us wrong? Don't think so. There are just no absolutes in this ridiculous hobby (assuming a piece of gear isn't designed or built like crap of course) -- just too many variables for that.
Agree with others that this would've been a lot more useful had you added at least some cursory info on how the TSMs KO'd some of these other fine speakers -- that would not have taken up that much more space in the review. People are good at grasping relatives, but your absolutes don't really tell us much as your tastes and ears are yours and yours alone so there's no way we can interpret your assessments. Personally I'd be very interested in how the TSMs compared to the Pulsars, and did you hear them in direct comparison to the Merlins in your system? If you listened to some of these speakers in different systems and rooms or not in direct comparison to the TSMs it greatly affects the usefulness and validity of your comparisons.
All that said, obviously the TSMs are very good speakers and I'm glad you found what a lot of audiophiles never attain.
Here's an example. Both I and a bandmate of mine have very nice systems. We are both obviously musicians know what instuments sound like in real life, but we listen for and value different things in sound reproduction. He listens more like a musician and his system does a better job painting more complete pictures of individual instruments, but I listen more like an audiophile and my system does a better job clearly placing and displaying elements within a dimensional space. Is one of us wrong? Don't think so. There are just no absolutes in this ridiculous hobby (assuming a piece of gear isn't designed or built like crap of course) -- just too many variables for that.
Agree with others that this would've been a lot more useful had you added at least some cursory info on how the TSMs KO'd some of these other fine speakers -- that would not have taken up that much more space in the review. People are good at grasping relatives, but your absolutes don't really tell us much as your tastes and ears are yours and yours alone so there's no way we can interpret your assessments. Personally I'd be very interested in how the TSMs compared to the Pulsars, and did you hear them in direct comparison to the Merlins in your system? If you listened to some of these speakers in different systems and rooms or not in direct comparison to the TSMs it greatly affects the usefulness and validity of your comparisons.
All that said, obviously the TSMs are very good speakers and I'm glad you found what a lot of audiophiles never attain.