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don´t have the deepest octave

This is a review for Merlin TSM-MX Equipment: Atma-sphere MP3 Joule Electra LA150 Atma-sphere M60 MkII.3 Plinius SA102 Cary 805C PrimaLuna ProLogue One Denon 5900 Sony CDPX 779ES Museatex Bidat NA spacedeck hadcock 242 integra OL illustrious Rega RB600 Music Maker III Shelter 901 Denon DL103R These speakers are amacing, they have harmonic accuracy, transparency, big soundstage, everything I like. They want to be used with the best electronics.

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Clarity, fun factor

None for me.

I’ve had the MM’s for around 6 weeks now, and am ready to submit my review. I lived with the TSM-M for approximately 15 months before getting the MM’s, so I seriously wasn’t expecting a huge difference between the two; I was wrong. After receiving the speakers, unpacking and cussing Merlin for packing them so well, I plopped them on my stands without aligning, tacking, etc., and sat down for a listen. I listen to rock mostly, so I probably was playing Zeppelin, or something like that. I noticed a marked improvement immediately, and my amp wasn’t even warmed up yet. Raging guitars, and better bass. Wow, can it get better? Yes, it can. These speakers are truly amazing creations. Prior, I had noticed on a few of my recordings that the emphasis would lean a little left, or right. I haven’t found that to be the case with the MM. The balance is wonderful. I can actually “hear” the quiet spots behind the music, as strange as that may sound. The bass is so much better as well. My reference recording; don’t laugh, is David Bowie’s “Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust“. The first time I played it with these speakers, I wasn’t even sitting in the sweet spot, I was upstairs. I heard the bass lines, and ran downstairs. It actually sounded like the bass was under Bowie’s vocals, and this isn’t a MOFI recording or anything like that. Another thing I’ve noticed about the MM’s; sometimes when I may be standing up, or in another room, or upstairs, they still sound great. They’re not sweet spot dependent at all. I can be anywhere in my place and smile. On half way decent recordings, I can follow an instrument throughout the whole song; not real easy to do when you’re listening to rock. I haven’t found a CD yet that doesn’t sound good with these things. I have a Coltrane’s “Blue Train“, and the highs were mostly ear piercing. Not now, it sounds great. These speakers don’t disappear, they can’t because you’re always looking at them with amazement. On recordings that I’m very familiar with, I continuously hear things that I haven’t heard before. I could go on with pretentious audiophile terminology, but I won’t, it’s not needed here. I’ll end with this. I’m a 46 year old, grew up listening to and still listen to Kiss, Midwesterner. I’m not an audiophile snob. I’ve listened to products and can almost always find something I like about whatever I hear. I like everything about these. These speakers are good. I really feel like I own something that’s unique and very special. When my girlfriend, who knows nothing about audio, wants to come over to listen to music, that says a lot.

Highly resolving of all material on the disk, and extremely musical !

from 50 hz and up no weaknesses. if you require the last 2 octaves of bass to 20hz,get a excellent sub like the Mj acoustics reference line.

I have heard older versions of the tsm monitors and the new ones tsm-mm are in a class of their own.They are a little cold out of the box due to the networks breaking in.These speakers took about 200+ hours to be at their best.I had called Bob at merlin for I thought I was not getting the proper detail ,and I thought maybe the speakers were masking the detail, I was very wrong ,these speakers will bring out any deficencies down stream with the other components.To start with the cables I had were good ,not good enough though, for the highs and lower extremes were a little vague. I had just purchased audiences au 24 cables and thenonce installed the system really started to wake up .the dac which is outstanding is a audiologic mxl-24 with the stereovox digital cable ,all were just breaking in , not a good thing to do to evaluate a set of speakers . things just got better and better . I am running a MJ acoustics reference 100 sub for the last 2 octaves. These speakers truthfully will due a flat 50hz in my average sized room. I can't beleive how people will say you paid that much for a set of monitors ,when in fact for $3000.00 counting the sub,I have now a full range system that will go toe to toe with any floorstander at 2x the cost .these speakers set a huge soundstage,and the highs just soar,when I am playing Miles Davis, My neighbor thought the horn was in my room ,it is that real .ON larger works like the planets,or water works,the symphony is very resolved 2 chellos and various string instruments, I can tell you how many, and where they are seated. PLaying mingus, a stand up bass , you can literally hear his fingers sliding down the strings . The audiologic dac is ruthless in revealing nuanses,and you have to have a monitor as good as the merlins to bring these to life .I have heard the paradigm reference ,highly detailed ,although not as musical or resolved, also the sonus faber creamona,nice and warm not as engaging or resolved ,a pretty cabinet. once broken in , these monitors sing with a single voice. a no brainer .Totally musical of one sonic tapastry,would not think twice on what to buy at this price. The tsm-mx are even more resolving,I have been told ,if that is possible,A word of advice, your system has to be sound from top to bottom , these speakers are only limited by what is in the audio chain.

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paradigm reference monitors, sonus faber creamonas

Highly refined and natural sound. Instruments and voices sound real. Excellent quality.

None, really.

The version I will be describing is the MM version. I have an additional 2 weeks on these speakers since my discussion on AA. The best description I can think of for the TSM-MM is 'refined'. The sound is natural and realistic. Their ability to resolve detail is uncanny- yet lesser recordings still come thru as musical. The midrange is full and clear- and that's where the music is. High frequencies are extended and have the sparkle of live music. The bass is natural and articulate. I can detect no artificial mid-bass "hump" that can be found in some designs. The TSM-MM's have an extreemly smooth frequency respnse. They took about 9-10 hours of break-in to sound their best, with subtle improvements after that. At first, the sound is somewhat 'small'- but fear not- after a day or so, the soundstage is big. If you close your eyes while listening, you would swear you're listening to much larger speakers. I have a large room and these little guys fill it nicely. The resolving ability of the MM's is good at low listening levels as well as at higher listening levels. They can play loud enough to impair your hearing if you're not carefull. Recommended amplifier power is 30wpc min., and I would agree if your room is "live" or if your room is small. If your room is more acoustically "dead" (probably a good thing) then, you may desire more power- but you won't need a behemoth of an amp by any stretch of the imagination. I would suggest 50wpc + or - for most applications. The TSM's sound so real, so natural, and so engaging that you will find yourself being re-introduced to your music collection. As hinted at before- your good recordings will startle you- and even your older or less-than-optimum recordings will sound like music. As I mentioned in my AA "review"- I was concerned that some of my older lp's and hissy tapes would be unlistenable with such revealing speakers. Not true. The MM's have the ability to simply sound like real music no matter what. Magic? Others here and elsewhere have praised the various versions of the TSM's and I am one more. I won't try to use terms like the professional writers use- because I'm not a writer. Just an avid music listener. These speakers please me more than any speaker (or any other component, for that matter) that I have ever owned. If you like your music to sound natural and real; prefer the imaging abilities of stand mount speakers; and can appreciate all types of music from orchestras to small jazz combos and everything in between; you can likely do no better at any price. One thing I will repeat from other reviews of Merlin products- Bobby Palkovic has created an amazing product; and is very helpful with questions regarding his products and how they perform with gear from other manufacturers. He has answered my questions with much patience and courtesy. A quality guy producing a quality product.

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Nothing in this league. Have auditioned B&W 805 and 705 monitors (and others) and nothing even comes close.

Silky smooth mids, natural transients, dynamics, imaging- just all around enjoyable to listen to!

Wife doesn't like the styling, but who really cares!

It took me a half a year to just enjoy these, but I had to give kudos to Bobby once again. After I got my pair of VSM's, I was so impressed that I had to try the TSM's for my Home Theatre system. I've always had problems with 2 channel music from my home theatre system because of the room size and ceiling height. Speakers of all types and prices just didn't want to come to life in that room. I must have tried 12 different speakers in that room, but nothing really impressed me- until I got the TSM's. Now with these running with my Vandersteen 2WQ subs, I finally have what I've been looking for- proper imaging, depth, and dynamics- all with a warmth that is never fatiguing. I wish I could be more descriptive and not repeat all of the typical cliches associated with good systems, but these have received such high raves on this site that it seems like everything has been covered already! I've upgraded (sometimes the upgrades were downgrades) over and over again over the past 4 years- but since I bought my TSM's and my VSM's, I have not changed my system in 6 months and I have no urge to either! I bought my first pair of Merlin's over 15 years ago- if I would have just stuck with Merlin's, I would have probably saved about $20K or even more on buying and selling speakers! So even if you have to save up to get a pair of Merlin's, remember that it will probably cost you a lot less in the long run!

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Have owned or auditioned extensively- Westlakes, Sonus Faber, System Audio, RBH, ProAc, Thiel, Tannoy, Epos, and other $1000 - $3000 small speakers.

Everything in the TSM-M's but more-so.

Can cause extreme time lapses to occur during listening sessions

This review is for the TSM-MX upgrade of the Millinium. I originally posted this review at Audio Asylum but thought it would be helpful here also. I've had the Merlin TSM-MX upgrade up and running for about two weeks now and am happy to report that this is one excellent upgrade. As there are a number of reviews for the TSM-M, I won't go into the strenghts and weakness of the standard speaker, but if I was to describe the MX upgrade in one word it would be "MORE". More detail, even at lower volume levels, More three dimensional (front to back) imaging, and More encompassing sound. Bobby has somehow figured out how to balance the clearer details with a smoothness that pulls you into the music. Female Jazz vocals are just amazing and even with harder rock and at higher volume levels everything seems to stay together extremely well. I've actually found myself breaking out older hard rock vinyl that I haven't listened to in years. (it just didn't sound right before, I thought I was just getting too old.) I've always had low expectations for upgrades as many of my past cable, tubes, and assorted tweaks, have yielded some marginal performance benefits but this upgrade has not only surpassed, but has shattered my expectations. The MX's are true team players, sort of in the Larry Bird tradition, in that they seem to make all the other components in the system play better. It's pretty funny that while the TSM's were in the shop getting their steroid injections, I was seriously contemplating upgrading my amp but after listening to my sytem over the past couple of weeks, I'm set. This upgrade actually saved me money. If you're looking to take your TSM-M to the next level you should definitely give Bobby a call. If you don't currently own Merlins, pick up a pair of the TSM-M premium finish and send them in to Bobby and for relatively short money you will have a pretty amazing speaker.

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3 DIMENSIONAL INCREDIBLE VOCALS INCREDIBLE SOUND STAGE, IMAGING DEPTH

NONE YET

I just received these a few weeks ago, and need to tell people about them. I love to read reviewS before buying something and hope that the review is accurate. Besides winning the Audio Review 2003 Choice award, 24 5 star reviews should mean something. Well they Do and this is #25. I am an Audiophile for about 20 years, and I am obsessed with Speskers. They truily are 70% of your system. I have had over a dozen different pairs of speakers and always found a problem with them. This is not to say that they were not good, just after a while they are missing something. These include B&W 805 Matrix (Fabulous) Proac Tablette (Great), Martin Logan CLS (very good) Magnepan 1.6 (Very Good), Audio Concept Sapphire II (very good), NHT 1.3(good) DBX Sondfield 10(good) Polks, RDLs,Allison,and many more. The bottom line is that most sound great at different times, but all add something to the music to detract for me. Well, I listened to the Merlins, which I had never heard of until reading the review, and what I found is this>> NOTHING! What that means is they add absolutely nothing to the recording which is a tremendously wonderful thing! After all its the pure music we want to hear. Another thing they have that I could not find before is DEPTH. Usually, you hear two dimensions of height and width, but they are then flat. The Merlins exhibit all of that, and they go backwards into the room as well, Very Rare!. I bought these based on the amazing reviews, and I whole heartedly agree! Please E-mail me to discuss anytime

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LISTED IN REVIEW

clarity and detail of the sound, easy to use binding posts, all accessories included, manufacturer that cares about customers

no low bass: that goes with bookshelf speakers

I recently purchased these speakers, TSM-M, as a replacement to the N805s. The TSMs are "fuller" than the B&W with more detail but not analytic. They sound more "right" , especially vocals, to me even without the Merlin recommended Cardas cabling. These speakers are a "final purchase" for me. I would also like to say say something about Merlin the company, Bobby Palkovic in particular. After purchase, all my e-mail questions about cables, etc were answered promptly. The packaging and documentation were also first rate. Everything needed to get up and running is supplied (jumpers, Zobel network, gauge for toe-in). Very highly recommended for a bookshelf speaker.

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N805, Snell B-Minor, KEF 104-2, Meridian M-1000

Clarity, build qualilty, packaging, customer support. This is a truly special product.

I wish I'd gotten one of the painted finishes.

I have had these for about 7 months now, so it's time for me to post my first review. I've recently, ( the past few years ) have gotten back into audio, and I don't profess to being a pro, or and audiophile. This is my first review here. I listen to mostly rock music, and since coupling these to the Osiris stands, I've been very happy. Bass was originally lacking, I thought. The coupling has made a huge difference. That being said, I can see where a sub may be needed when I get a house. The soundstage with these things is huge. Truthfully, at times I look at these while listening, wondering why the guitar is coming from a point a foot outside of where the speaker is located. There have even been times where it sounds as if the drumkit is higher than the other instruments, just like at a concert. Bass is tight, and I hear a lot of bass lines that I didn't even know existed on some recordings. After listening to Built To Spill - Keep It Like A Secret, last weekend, I think I finally know what imaging is. And I thought that was one of my worst sounding CD's. I'm currently in a loft apartment, and I believe it will be even better once I move into a house. For some reason, to me, live recordings sound especially good with these speakers. Bobby is the man. I have called and emailed constant times with questions and comments. I'm always greeted with " Hello, Mr. Lutes ". He's a true profesional, and a gentleman. I couldn't be happier. I think that if I were to upgrade in the future, The MERLIN VSM's would be my only choice.

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Imaging, detail, encompassing sound, and Looks(the Ruby Heart Red Finish is very cool)

Non Found

These speakers sound fantastic. I was having a difficult time deciding whether to upgrade from my Paradigm Studio 20's, because imaging is very important to me and the 20's do a great job at this, but after setting up the Merlins...Wow, not only do the TSM-Ms have tremendous imaging, but they also add a level of realism on piano and female jazz vocals that just wasn't there before. My reference test disc has always been Roger Waters “Amused to Death” which was recorded in q-sound (sort of a surround sound through two speakers). After one listen of this disk, I knew the TSMs were never going back. If you’re too young for Roger Waters, try Stupid Dream, by Porcupine Tree. It is just amazing. It’s funny, I never expected for these speakers to impress me this much, but I found that over time as I listened to them more, that I stopped doing other thing, like reading magazines doing computer work, etc., and started just listening to music. Sources: Jolida CD100 CDP Rega P25 TT Joule MKIII Pre-amp/Phono Stage If you’re looking for great sound from a monitor size speaker, you definitely want give the TSMs a listen.

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Paradigm Studio 20