I will flat out state I don't want it to sound exactly the same as "live" in my room. Can you imagine a drum kit, horns, and guitars all playing in my average size room. It would sound like crap and be way too loud for comfort.
We only have recordings to listen to, not the real live band. We also have the ability to regulate the sound level of a recording within in our listening space. We don't know the SPL of the original recording, but if we did, and our room and chosen equipment could achieve that SPL, recreating that level would make the replay closer to the original event.
Musicians can play their chosen instrument loud or quiet, but it is a different technique to effect that change. It's not like the thing we achieve with a volume knob.
Do you really want to listen to every performance at "live" levels? I certainly don't. So any reduction in playback level is an instant but essentially necessary distortion. Now we get to the illusion part of the program. How good is your imagination? How many sonic clues does it take for you to accept and find pleasure in the illusion? Do you like row "A" or row "S" in the hall? There are so many choices and so many perspectives. There is no one right choice for everyone or we wouldn't be here.
To the OP, you purchased speakers on reputation/recommendation not your own needs and bias. You want a speaker with big bass and that is not Merlin. Find what you like and buy it. There are thousands of speakers and amps to choose from. BTW I always like Merlins at the shows. I don't own them.
We only have recordings to listen to, not the real live band. We also have the ability to regulate the sound level of a recording within in our listening space. We don't know the SPL of the original recording, but if we did, and our room and chosen equipment could achieve that SPL, recreating that level would make the replay closer to the original event.
Musicians can play their chosen instrument loud or quiet, but it is a different technique to effect that change. It's not like the thing we achieve with a volume knob.
Do you really want to listen to every performance at "live" levels? I certainly don't. So any reduction in playback level is an instant but essentially necessary distortion. Now we get to the illusion part of the program. How good is your imagination? How many sonic clues does it take for you to accept and find pleasure in the illusion? Do you like row "A" or row "S" in the hall? There are so many choices and so many perspectives. There is no one right choice for everyone or we wouldn't be here.
To the OP, you purchased speakers on reputation/recommendation not your own needs and bias. You want a speaker with big bass and that is not Merlin. Find what you like and buy it. There are thousands of speakers and amps to choose from. BTW I always like Merlins at the shows. I don't own them.