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Merlin owners, AC or battery for BAM?

I recently purchased Merlin VSM-MM's with the Super Bam, simply wonderful speakers! However, I am experiencing a rather unexpected result in preferred modes of Super Bam operation. I find myself much preferring the full AC mode to full Battery mode (PC unplugged). In battery mode the sound is simply too dark, warm, resonant and lacking in dynamics, the sound is simply blah! In AC mode the sound is much punchier and involving; greater dynamics, more presence and tighter bass. There is also absolutely no loss in refinement, the noise floor seems to be just as low, no issues with grit or grain.
I am simply stunned by these results having heard so many good things about the battery BAM vs. the AC BAM. I can only surmise that all the work I've done with my AC is responsible. This includes dedicated, seperate AC lines for both digital and analog, dedicated grounds and power conditioners; BPT 3.5 Sig. for analog (I plug Super BAM into this) Shunyata Hydra 4 for digital, VH Audio AirSines, Shunyata Cobra and Python VX and Purist Audio Dominus power cords. I'm thinking that my AC noise floor is competitive with Battery mode, and the negative things I'm hearing with the Battery mode are symptomatic of this mode of power.
I recall reading a number of reviews over the years in which battery powered equipment has been criticized for some of the symptoms I'm experiencing, could this criticism be legitimate in this instance? I have also personally experienced some of these same symptoms with a N.E.W. DCA 66 amp I own which further reinforces my thoughts on this.
I'm just wondering if any other Merlin owners have experienced these symptoms, or whether it could be some lack of synergy in my system that is causing this?
I also experimented with different power cords on the Super Bam and this further changed things, ie. I'm thinking a real nice PC here will further improve things, any thoughts?
Equipment:
Perp. Tech. P1A, P3A, Monolithic PS, Modwright Signature mods, Revelation Audio cables, P3A chassis out of case (case adds capacitance)
Audio Logic 24mxl
Proceed CDD
Joule Electra LA 100 Mk. III
Art Audio Carissa Signature
IC's-Cardas Golden Ref., Purist Audio Venustas and Dominus, Ridge Street Poiema
Speaker-Synergistic Resolution Ref FX X2 biwired
Also full room treatments-Echobusters, Doublebusters, RPG Pro Foam and Skylines, DIY 16" tube traps
sns
dgarretson
2,592 posts
 
Sns,

The VSM-MX's I bought used were about 2 years old & came with the standard BBAM (pre-SuperBAM). The batteries were giving out after about 4-6 hrs of use in battery-only mode (vs. advertised 12 hrs.) After taking the BBAM apart, I determined that two of the four NiMH batteries could not take a full charge. But even so, the battery-only mode still sounded better than AC-only mode or AC/DC hybrid mode.

I decided to upgrade the BBAM myself to much higher performance with low-impedance SLA batteries, more & better filtering capacitors, and most importantly, removing & bypassing the 3-pin DC regulation stages. The improvement for the system was on the order of 40-50% in smoothness of treble & midrange, resolution, transparency, dynamics, bass extension and control. I have spoken with Bobby about the SuperBAM. He believes it achieves similar improvements with upgrades to NiMH batteries, filtering cap, 3-pin regulators, and AC converter. He told me that the AC-only mode of the SuperBAM sounds better than the battery-only mode of the standard BAM, but that the battery-only mode of the new BBAM is better yet.

Dave
bobbyapalkovic
729 posts
 
hi sns,
if you paid very close attention to the discussions concerning the super bam both on agon and aa you would find that the feelings on the subject are both obvious and virtually 100% in favor of the battery ops. i will say that there is a softening of information in your system and that is allowing the more detailed and less resolved and quiet battery operation to be preferred. the la 100 is certainly less definite sounding than a 150 for example. the 100 was a reference of mine so older merlins were a touch thinner and brighter and the 150 replaced it. the super bam ac ops is better than the old bam's battery ops and the super bam battery ops is a full 30% better than the old. there is nothing wrong here. if you prefer the ac go ahead and be so inclined as it will interface better with some systems. you may also want to experiment with the bam following the the cdp/or in a tape loop or between the pre and power amps.
you might also have the older battery supply in the super bam before we changed over to the 200 mah cells. those batteries did indeed sound softer and that was one of the reasons that we changed them.
there is no doubt that you may find a pc that is even better suited to your system than the stock cord.
work with it, get your system to sound exactly the way you want it to sound. there is no right and wrong here.
just have fun!
bobby@merlin
brooks
55 posts
 
" I have also personally experienced some of these same symptoms with a N.E.W. DCA 66 amp I own which further reinforces my thoughts on this."

Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Don't blame batteries. Maybe it's just the amp that is not dynamic. I have a DCA33 and I don't think it suffers in the dynamics dept. Of course it's a completely different amp than the 66, so it's impossible to make direct comparisons w/o having them side by side. Also because it can only run in battery mode, you don't know that it would sound beter running on ac.
bobbyapalkovic
729 posts
 
correction sns,
"i will say that there is a softening of information in your system and that is allowing the more detailed, less resolved and noisey ac operation to be preferred."
this is imho.
regards,
bobby
sns OP
3,003 posts
 
Thanks everyone. I just got off the phone to Bobby and it appears I have some synergy issues, also I do have the newer 200mah batteries. I will make some cable changes per Bobby's recommendations, and possibly go to the Joule Electra LA 150.
As things stand, I never meant to complain in any way about the sound I'm getting with this system, it is simply wonderful. I would just like to experience the Super BAM using it in the way it was voiced to sound best.
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