Why Merlins sound better then Sonus Faber

admranger, this is a very good question.
the black magic versions are more relaxed in the lower treble and upper mids so they do not suffer from the additve aspects of boundary refelctions (like the prevoious models). plus they may benefit from the additional boundary reinforcements for you as well. usually, when you move a speaker back in the room like this the focus and layering suffer. the only way around this is to damp the reflections on the rear and side walls. not necessary with the black magic edition. the bme's are much more user friendly.
thank you for the thoughtful question.
bobby at merlin

Ladavid, for your reading pleasure here is an urban and old definition of the noun 'troll' :

1. One who posts a deliberately provocative message to other posts and/or messages with the intention of causing disruption, disagreements and/or argument. 2. A, mythical, cave-dwelling being depicted in folklore as either a giant or a dwarf, typically having a very ugly appearance.

On a more serious note, I hope you have the new black magic version of Bobby's speakers. A local seller here came over with his older TSM MMM for a comparison and results are truly different.

As for Sonus Faber, which model did you hear? and was it with the same electronics in your home?

vangster, fyi, your black magic merlins use the vented renaissance tweeter, a greatly improved cryoed musicap, a solder formulation change and termination enhancement. agreed, the black magic tsm is "truly different" sounding than the original master tsm, the mmm.
thank you.
bobby at merlin

I'm curious now!

I own the SF Concerto Grand Piano and enjoy them a lot. In my own experimentation I have heard them sound awesome (like now) and so-so with some gear/cable.

For you guys that have heard the Grand Piano, should I seek the Merlin?? Or do you feel synergy is key to these huge differences in opinion?

Just asking opinions, no other agenda.

08-30-14: Uncledemp
I'm curious now!

I own the SF Concerto Grand Piano and enjoy them a lot. In my own experimentation I have heard them sound awesome (like now) and so-so with some gear/cable.

For you guys that have heard the Grand Piano, should I seek the Merlin?? Or do you feel synergy is key to these huge differences in opinion?

I have a pair of Mirage M5si's that I bought in 1996. I still have them and use them as L-R in my HT 7.1 array. But even when I play stereo audio playback I still marvel at how real they sound, how quick, accurate, and deep the bass it, how honest the midrange, and how natural and unaggressive the treble is. But they're not Concerto Grand Pianos, so why am I telling you this?

Not long after I bought these, I heard the Sonus Faber Concerto Grand Pianos and was struck how similar they sounded in tonal balance, responsiveness, frequency extension, etc. Like my Mirages, the Concerto Grand Pianos simply get a lot of things right--coherence, tonal balance, soundstage, imaging ... They are very easy to listen to for long periods of time and musically very satisfying. I have been satisfied with my Mirages for 18 years, and it doesn't surprise me that you still have your Concert Grand Pianos. They're that good.

Over the years I've found that the better the upstream components and cabling, the more I'm rewarded with the resulting sound. The Mirages have proved to be remarkabley durable in sonic satisfaction over such a long time. I don't doubt that if i had the coin, I'd hear even more benefits with better amplification and cables. I suspect you'd get the same with your Concertos.

When you have something that sounds so consistently right, it's hard to find a reason to switch out.

Check the pertinent audio forums and you'll find that the original Concerto Grand Pianos are highly prized and the most sought-after version of that product offering from SF.