This is a review of the latest Merlin TSM-MXr Monitors. The full text of my review along with a few photos would not fit here. You can read it at http://carew.synthasite.com/.

When you're looking at speakers in the 2-3K range and up, you've already heard a group that's started with wonderful designs like the Revel M22 and Dynaudio 140 along with the added cost of good stands. You may have forgotten costs altogether and listened to some of the super-high end monitors from Focal and Revel. You've probably spent time with Dunlavy and Proac and explored the fine offerings from Totem & many others. This is true high end territory and a lot is expected.
Though I was told they put some hours on them at the factory, I let these play for a few days, racking up an additional 100 hours or so before I really sat down with them. They're still breaking in and improving.
In short, these are the best monitors I've ever heard and they are among the best speakers period. I prefer them to my wonderful Magnepan 1.6 pair and they make music better than anything I've heard from Revel, Dynaudio, Snell, Focal, Totem, B&W and pretty much the who's who of the speaker world. But read that again! I said that they make MUSIC better. They MAY not out-resolve the top of the line B&Ws, nor do they offer the punch of the top drawer Revels or the womp of some super duper multi array monsters. Those are "speakers" and quite excellent indeed. The Merlin TSM-XMr is something else and much closer to being a musical instrument than any other speaker I've heard. They open an extreme window of clarity into a recording that is quite remarkable, allowing for a layered image where even complex passages still convey a very real sense of space around individual instruments and voices. For music lovers this is the greatest compliment I can give any speaker designer and builder. I felt much the same way about my Royd speakers many years ago, a true hero of small speaker design. And audiophiles take note, if you love to play with gear as much as listen to music, the Merlins will also oblige by being utterly transparent, allowing component characteristics to penetrate with ease. It's no shock that some Magnepan owners have upgraded to Merlin speakers. And with that many will say that the Merlins DO in fact resolve with the best when better gear is mated to them. But there are limits both to my sanity and funds to explore those grounds. A good friend said, after hearing my Merlins, "These would suit anyone because they are completely gear transparent."

What they did best....
Vocals were beyond critique, bordering on SPOOKY for being so lifelike. On better recordings the imaging and boxless sound impressed by simply removing the speakers from the room. The same went for small ensemble recordings where the human ear can focus on a single instrument with ease. The Merlins did not just reproduce the violin; they got out of the musical path almost entirely, or such was the effect. It sounded like it was "in the room", a rather tired expletive in the high end world, but very applicable here. This effect was something I often enjoyed with the Magnepans, but the Merlins do it even better and without the need for an exact sweet spot. Additionally, on vocals the Maggies often presented a singer as "larger than life" conveying a three dimensional image, but also one that was not scaled correctly. Perhaps, due to their size, the Merlins handle this issue with ease. On more complex classical passages the Merlins once again played the recording with a minimum of coloration. Incredible detail met resolution but not in a way that broke the music down into components. They stood out as both analytical and outstandingly musical. Coherence and continuity is at such a high level as to challenge monitors I heard costing 3 times the price. The overall continuous nature of drivers and cabinet remained intact to the point where I often felt I was listening to a single driver! I fought to hear the speaker, but usually the music carried me away. Treble was grainless, liquid and honest sounding. Midrange characteristics seemed completely controlled by the amp and associated electronics. With the Stingray the presentation was slightly forward, which is what I like as it tends to be more involving for me. Bass response was a true delight. While the TSM's don't plumb the depths, neither do they demand a sub. Against my stone fireplace wall, they generated a good amount of kick on Lyle Lovetts' Pontiac. In my theater room they were more bass challenged, the bass thinned out considerably, but sounded even more rhythmic and quick. Adding the MJ sub was a requirement for me in that setting.

Where they failed to excel....
To be honest, the only shortcoming of the Merlin TSM-MXr is that it's not a VSM; it's larger and costlier brother (I have only heard the older VSM). It has usable bass below 45hz and that's certainly impressive, but don't expect anything close to a visceral bass slam without a sub in the mix. I see no reason to play heavy metal or club music on these speakers. Those recordings are rarely well done and the Merlins will simply expose that. Large scale orchestral music will never be as impactful, even with a sub, as on a big speaker. That's not to say they don't do extremely well, but if listening to great organ recordings was my #1 hobby, I'd look for a different speaker and certainly not a monitor of this type. When listening to orchestral passages I could not generate the pressure levels of such an event, but I am certain that I heard more of the music than on larger systems. Again....These are windows into music. To reinforce my impressions I had a friend come by for a listen. His systems include speakers like Magnepan 3.6, Totem The One and his own pair of older TSM-MM's. He's part owner of a audio shop so he changes systems like the wind. Upon hearing a Verve recording of Billie Holiday on the new Merlins he said it was the best vocal presentation (of her) he'd ever heard. Next up was Norah Jones and the immediacy and realism was downright startling.

What about those other speakers.....
The minute someone tells you that their Flagasm 407's blow away the Nookem Super 9's, you know you've got an "audio racer" or just a flat out snob on your hands. I heard the Focal Utopia line and they are a great speaker. But I found them less musical and certainly quite colored Could it have been the associated gear and room? You bet. Speakers at this level are often so good that any tiny element can tip your ears to favor one or the other, but the Merlins are the least colored of ANY monitor I've heard to MY ears. Do I think the Merlins are better than the Utopia? Yes. Do I think that some will prefer the Utopia and be just as right as I am? Absolutely. I happen to like the Revel M20, which is a colored speaker that I enjoy. If you want everyone to agree that you bought the best speaker, car or cigar, life will be a tad frustrating!

Finally....
Few people will be unhappy with a pair of Merlin TSM-MMi or MXr speakers. They will not play to ear splitting levels or slam you in the belly with bass. But they will provide a musical experience that few speakers at even triple the cost can replicate.
Bobby told me that that these speakers are his life's work. He has entered the ring with some very heavy contenders and has proven that you can still score a knock-out in a very crowded division of high end audio. Unwilling to rest on his past successes he continues to refine the product. This is a superior execution of speaker design that gives up no real ground to far pricier designs and it's ongoing evolution is part of that success.
If you're looking for the world's best monitor, the newest version of the Merlin TSM is certainly a strong contender. Depending on your room and associated gear it may be the knockout you're searching for.

Again, please read the full review at http://carew.synthasite.com/

I wanted to post a few comments on my new speakers, the Merlin TSM-mmi. It is a two-way, monitor, stand mount type of speaker with a 6 1/4” woofer and 1’ silk dome tweeter. It is a sealed acoustic suspension design with a frequency response of 55-20kHz +/-2dB and a nominal impedance of 8 ohms and a minimum of 6.5 ohms. My speakers came with a textured black finish which is very well done and the overall fit and finish is outstanding. The unique Cardas binding post on the back of the speakers are the best I have used and insure a solid connection with your speaker cables.

You might find the system I’m using the Merlins in interesting. I have a very modest system to say the least except for the speakers. The rest of the system consists of an NAD 325BEE 50 watt integrated amp, NAD c542 HDCD cdp with Analysis Plus Solo Crystal Oval interconnects and Oval Nine speakers cable. The room the system is in is approx. 16.5‘x13.5’x8’ with five and seven foot openings to other rooms at either end of the room.

I’ve wanted new speakers for a long time now and have over the years auditioned at length (either at home or dealers) many speakers. After a listening session of the floor standing Merlin VSM I knew that I wanted a set of Merlin speakers. They just sounded so right. It was a bit disconcerting because no other speaker had that effect on me. But that is what is great about this hobby, you know very quickly when you hear something right for you.

So, I had settled on the TSM but was hesitant to take the plunge. First, because of budget (We have the usual bills that everyone has and two girls in private school). And second, because I had such a modest system. Conventional wisdom says you can’t use a high end, highly resolving speaker in such a “inadequate” system. Well, my wife helped me make the move on the Merlins by surprising me for my birthday by ordering them for me. I was completely floored when one afternoon at the front door was my wife and a delivery guy with a box marked by the Merlin logo and indicating it was filled with the TSM-mmi.

I’ve had the speakers now for three months and in a nutshell they are here to say and I couldn’t be happier with them. I’ll try to briefly convey why I enjoy them so much. The first thing I listen for in a speaker is good tone. The TSM has fantastic tone. Everything from piano to upright bass, from violin to screeching electric guitar sounds right. I believe Todd Warnke of Enjoy The Music summed them up perfectly in his excellent review. He talks about the bass and mid range having remarkable tonal density (paraphrase). That is the best way to describe it.

I’m a bit of a bass freak. You may be wondering, “how can this guy be a bass freak and he uses a two-way sealed monitor?”. Well, I want to hear all the bass I can, from the attack to the finish of the note. That is what the TSM does for me. I couldn’t believe how much of the tone of bass instruments I was missing until I got the Merlins. Even pipe organ is a treat to listen to. Of course they don’t move the air like multiple a large driver speakers do. But in my room and for my taste there is plenty of energy from the TSM (the energy coming from these speakers is dumbfounding) and they deliver a good visceral impact considering their size. The work well enough on the low stuff that I even have a REL T1 sub that I don’t use.

The highs of the TSM are splendid. They are the sweetest most resolved I have heard. Speaking of resolution, the TSM is one of the most resolving speakers I have ever heard. I am hearing deep into my music. Depending on the recording the TSM transports my to the event or venue or brings it to my room. I don’t know how they do it. My guess is their tonal density along with their resolving power has a lot to do with it. I also believe they are a very low in distortion. I’ve rarely been able to listen to any speaker above 85dB peaks for extended periods. I startled myself one day when I was listening with a friend and he happened to turn on the spl meter and we were listening at length with peaks nearing 100dB. I’ve had to be careful with my ears on extended listening sessions. The TSM just invites to turn it up and get lost in the music.

The soundstage and imaging of these speakers is world class and I have never experienced a speaker that disappears like these. Every time I listen I just marvel at how there is just music in the room. I cannot localize the music to the speakers. There is just a “sound picture” in front of and around me. It, quite simply, is a blast.

It has been great enjoying these speakers and I look forward to many years of musical pleasure with them. I hope you get a chance to listen to a pair. There are some great professional reviews on these speakers. Those will give you an even better idea than I ever could about how wonderful these speakers are.

Thanks to Bobby and Bill at Merlin for making such a wonderful speaker. Merlin is a great company with outstanding customer support.

Thanks for reading.

Cheers,

Scott

Merlin TSM Mxe.
I was al little worried at first because I bought these speakers used. And I found one minor blem that no one seems to have known about before hand. But that's how it goes when you buy anything used.

And then I listened to them.

listening immediately erased any concerns I had. The detail and resolution are far above anything I have ever heard.

I exchanged several emails with the maker of these speakers and followed his recommendations on set up and the use of the "RC" Zobel Networks that came with the speakers. After experimenting with few different configurations, I found the best sound for me and the equipment I'm currently using. But let me please emphasize that after the first five seconds of listening - I knew I had a pair of keepers!

In my 15x16x8' room with my equipment, the little RCs really opened up the inner detail of the top end without emphasizing any particular part of the entire range. It's hard to describe. I read reviews of these speakers that said things like "there is music in my room but I can't tell where it's coming from..." or something like that. I thought "right! that guy's check's in the mail." Nope. Now I know what they meant. That sweet top end resolution adds to the disappearing act. It's true!

Also, this monitor has great low-mid reproduction. It's all there but I prefer to use a small (good quality) sub for anything below 60hz. With proper positioning and a good quality source components, in a medium or small room- the TSMs are going to be VERY hard to beat at any price. It's just a beautiful speaker in my opinion.

Price Paid $0.00

Summary:
This is a review of the new TSM-MMI Merlin Speakers. I have previously auditioned a pair of Merlin TSM-SE speakers. I am biamping the speakers using a pair of Cary Rocket 88 power amps, a Rega P9 table, a Rega IOS phono section and a Cary preamp. I have about 100hrs playing time on the speakers. The speakers have been placed using Bobby's setup instructions. The TSM-MMI are much more transparent than the older model, although the older speaker is still a very transparent speaker. The amount of detail I am hearing is unbelievable. The bass that is reproduced is very tight and true sounding. I can not believe how low the bass can go for this size of a speaker. I have listened to a lot high end speakers and the new Merlins reproduce the music as accurate as the best of them. I can highly recommend the speakers to anyone who wants a pair of speakers that reproduce the music the way it should be reproduced.

Pros-Great company support, build quality, great musical presentation, at $3100 easily outperform speakers many times the price, making them a great value.

Cons-None at this time, wished I had bought them earlier

I bought these speakers after listening pleasurably for just over two years to a pair of Spendor S5e’s, which I absolutely loved. The Spendors had a warmth and tonality that suited my Cary SLI-80 and Primare D 30.2 perfectly, or nearly so. Ultimately I found myself wanting a sound that was slightly less “romantic” and closer to neutral, without being overly analytical. After much research I settled upon the Merlin TSM-MXe’s.

Dealing with Bobby directly at Merlin, and reading the vast amount of information available from Merlin’s website, I was reassured that everything about this speaker and its manufacture would be undertaken with the greatest attention to quality. Bobby was extremely informative and helpful, even calling me at home (in Canada!) to follow up on earlier discussions. I have been in this hobby for some time and have never before received such helpful attention from any retailer, let alone a manufacturer with a dynamic business to run.

The speakers arrived across the border amazingly well packed in form-fitting foam and double boxes, and they were beautifully finished. They needed some time to break in, and didn’t start hitting their stride until 80-90 hours or so of playing time, but right out of the box I realized that they were special. The Morel tweeter is very quick and extended without in any sense being brittle or hard, and the only way I can put it is that it seems to get out of the way and let the high frequencies emerge organically and naturally. It took a while for the bass frequencies to naturalize, but I now own speakers whose propulsive thrust, attention to the finest detail, and musical honesty is unlike anything else I have heard at anything near their price. They are simply extraordinary.

As a side note I should say that the Merlins were able to allow me to hear that my amp’s bias, which I had deliberately set higher than Cary’s manufacturer’s spec in order to compensate for some of the Spendors' sweetness, was introducing considerable and unwelcome distortion into my music. I’ve rebiased back to the recommended levels and think it wonderful that the Merlins have allowed me to make better use of the rest of my gear.

One last thing worth mentioning is that Bobby’s printed instructions on speaker setup and break in times corresponded exactly to my experiences with my pair; indeed after using my ears to determine the best placement and toe-in I used the included protractor to determine that in fact my ears only confirmed what Bobby had written. He understands these speakers intimately, and his ability to pass on his knowledge to his customers is an extra value when purchasing a pair.

If you really love music, you will really enjoy these speakers. They are non fatiguing, transparent, very natural sounding, and they simply make music. When you first listen to them, it will be as if a veil has been lifted and the music finally shines through. Great dynamics for a monitor. These speakers could easily be the last speaker for many in this hobby. You will be able to follow any instrument and enjoy the musical flow ( actually hear all the instruments) with a 3 dimensional organic sound.

These can be played with both solid state and tubes with great results. I have used the Audio Research 100.2 with great results as well as the McIntosh MC275. I do think they like tubes a little better. That might be personal preference.

Speakers designed for a music lover by a music lover. You will know this immediately once you listen to them. They are very addicting. I cannot imagine how the VSM would sound on my system given how great my system sounds right now.

I have heard systems that cost at least double what it cost for my setup and through these speakers, I can honestly say my system sounds better. A very full, natural sound. They are that good.

Depending on your taste, a good subwoofer may be a consideration. the Rel Strata seems to have a really good synergy with these speakers. Once setup up, you will be in musical nirvana without the boom and vast coloration of some designs. The good thing about monitors is you can have this very option and really tailor the sound given your own personal taste.

They are truly one of the greatest values in audio today and have great customer support that will help you get the most out of your system. What more could an audiophile ever want?

You will get to the point where you don not even realize how good and revealing they are until you hear another system and come home and fire yours up. You may be very pleasantly suprised when you realize what you have.

They are very, very special indeed.

happy listening!!!!


Associated equipment:

VPI Aries Scout
McIntosh C220
McIntosh MC275
California Audio Labs CL-15
Rel Strata III Subwoofer
Sound Anchor stands
API Isolation Wedge Ultra 1116
Audio Research 100.2 amplifier
Marantz KI Pearl CD Player
Cardas Golden Reference and Golden Presence connections
JPS Labs Interconnects

This is a review of the Merlin TSM-MME, which is replacing a ProAc 1SC in my smallish dedicated listening room. The ProAc is a good speaker; it’s going into my second system. IMHO, however, the Merlin is even better. It’s an extremely musical and revealing speaker. Sounds good at low volume, too, which is a benefit for an apartment dweller like me.

The Merlin reproduces acoustic jazz recordings, like “Miles from India”, with remarkable detail and separation of instruments, but without harshness, smearing or exaggerated glare. The result is an absence of listening fatigue when listening to jazz and other kinds of music as well.

With the Merlins, there’s a lack of compression and a natural balance that allows me to listen deeper into the music. This is obvious on classical music and rock too. Voices are reproduced with three-dimensional accuracy and delicacy—the voices of The Hilliard Ensemble and Bob Dylan’s wounded croak come through equally well.

Of course, the TSM-MME is not a full range speaker. Nonetheless, bass reproduction is accurate, well-defined and tuneful. All in all, the TSM-MME is one terrific small speaker.

What a product! What a company! I have a very unusual listening area. Quite simply it is very odd in shape and dimension. I have gone through many brands of speakers over the years, all of which are highly reviewed and regarded. I could never get the "Magic" with any of them. One would have great bass but no image. Another imaged well but lacked musicality and so forth. I decided to buy a pair of Merlin TSM-mme monitors partly based on all of the rave reviews. I purchased my speakers from a Merlin dealer on the east coast. I had them shipped to my home on the west coast. Unfortunately the TSM's were not properly packed by the dealer and the tweeters were damaged on arrival. I called Merlin and was immediately well served. They took care of my tweeter issue very quickly and continually kept me informed and posted on the speaker repair. In short Merlin's integrity is beyond reproach. Bobby and Bill the owners personally called me and took care of me. This is a company that stands behind it's product like no other.

Now for the sound quality. Merlin speakers produce bass well beyond what you would expect. They throw an amazing sound stage. They have been the ONLY speaker in my room that does piano and violin work with correct timbre, color and richness. I just purchased the new beatles reissues and I heard words to songs I never heard before when played on other speaker brands. In short these have been musical and magical. I would not own another pair of speakers...period.

I use an all McIntosh tube system, and VPi phono.

PROS - Company integrity and support, build quality, value, bass performance, ease of placement, overall musicaliry, image quality. These speakers at $3100 have easily outperformed other speakers at 4 times the price, making them a superb value.

CONS - None so far. Maybe causing me to think about a pair of VSM's.

It has been a gradually increasing pleasure to listen to the TXM-MME speakers these past several months! Because there are so many previous reviews which address the soundstaging, imaging, and other properties of these modest but powerful monitors, I was determined in my review to focus as much as possible on the musical characteristics of the speakers.

In Seattle we are blessed with a wonderful symphony orchestra and a stupendous symphony hall. Listening to the Seattle Symphony live has never led me to expect or even aim for a close approximation in my home listening. The overall power, denseness of sound, and physical impact is simply at a scale that I cannot believe we will ever get that close to with our stereos,

But - a BIG but, I might add - there are several charcters of the TSM-MME that on a vastly smaller scale are striking and eminently musical. These include (1) the timbre of instruments, which are vastly clearer and therefore in my opinion more musical; (2) the reduction in distorition, which continues to capture my fancy; (3) the solidness of instruments, voices, and (4) the real dynamics as one hears a crescendo. When I was waiting on the arrival of the speakers, I mentioned to Bobby Palkovic that the most beautiful aspect of listening to the Seattle Symphony in Benaroya Hall is the magic of a massive momo image with natural "stereo" distribution of the instruments within the mono image. While we all have certain preferences, I have come to recognize that for my ears the most musical sound is one where there is denisity to the center image. Sooundstaging and discrete instrument placement come in very much a second or third place.

I have had some very good speakers over the past twenty years, including Hyperion monitors, the Von Schiekert VR-3, the Thiel 3.6, the Mission 782, and my favorite of them all - the Kef 104/2. The latter of very musical speakers, very easy to just enjoy. However, they have much more distorition and the stability of the image as well as its density is significantly weaker than the Merlin's. It's quite interesting how well Bobbyt knows his two "children," his description of what would be different with the TSM-MMEs compared to the KEF 104/2 was spot on.

I could be happy with the KEF's. I am very happy with the Merlin's. Although I know that there is much room to grow up from the ancillary equipment (Musical Fidelity pre and amp, California Audio Labs CL-15), I think I'll take a breather and enjoy the music for a while without following the upgrade pull. The cost of getting Bobby's recommended CD and amplifier, not to say the cables, is daunting. Perhaps if we had installment methods for high-cost equipment similar to automobiles....

It's of course of pleasure to support a fine father like Bobby Palkovic. His model is one very much worthy of our support (squeezing the maximum out of a limited number of items).

Every aspect of the tsm-mm's is improved with the upgrade to the lead free-me's.

This review is of my tsm-mm that were recently upgraded by Bobby P. at Merlin-
I had called him about upgrading my amp-he felt it would be better to get the most
from the tsm--they would be upgraded to the me-version-lead free.It took less
than 2 weeks--from the second I hooked them up I was amazed-the difference
was astounding.Every aspect of the sound was improved--sound staging--
highs---lows----anyone who owns Merlins--I recommend you consider this upgrade--you will not believe it--it takes the tsm to new level.

Customer Service

Everything you read about Bobby P. at merlin is fact--customer service that is the
finest

Similar Products Used:

B&W cdm1se---805's--802 series 80
klipsch
AR
ESS amt1b-still own these