Note to Bobby at Merlin Music Nov 22 2008

Hi Bobby
I have not had a lot of time with these speakers yet as I travel a lot in my work but at first blush I am quite pleased with them. They seem exactly suited to the music I prefer mainly jazz in small groups, roots music and vocalists. In particular the mids are amazing I am hearing music I have owned for years as new again because of the difference in sound quality. They are on my list of prize possessions which by the way is very short.
Your packaging was excellent absolutely nothing left to chance the thought and care that went into it is quite remarkable. A minor item is that I regret not ordering the ruby red speakers had I heard these before purchase I definitely would have chosen the red.

Thanks once again

PS
The speakers bring out wonderfully the piano work in the attached Bebo & Cigala piece from Lagrimas Negras one of my favorites.

Transparency Continuousness, Soundstaging, Dynamics, Inner Detail, Extremely natural midrange, Very well balanced

none

Merlin Music Systems VSM MMe review:I've been enjoying Merlin VSM's since 1997 and have had them upgraded throughout the years.They have never ceased to amaze me with through each new upgrade.I received the new MMe's 2 weeks ago and am blown away by the improvement over the MM's.The first thing I noticed was the "see through" quality with layers of veiling totally lifted.Nothing ever gets lost in the mix.In fact there is so much more musical information you can actually enjoy the Merlins at lower listening levels.You don't have to crank it to hear all the extra detail. Instruments were more harmonically complete which boosted the believability factor bigtime.Also dynamic resolution is greatly improved.Both micro and macro dynamics are better resolved with greater nuance which is very important to me when listening to classical music,especially piano.I find the MMe's soundstage is more expansive and better able to fill my room with a highly transparent focused 3 dimensional soundstage than ever before.These speakers have made it possible to enjoy many older recordings in a way that I have never experienced.In short, these speakers are a stunning achievement that I will enjoy for years to come.Asscociated equipment:Audio Aero Prima SE dac/preamp,OCM800 amp,Jps superconductor 2 cables, Audio Research CDT-1 Transport Theta DataII transport.

Similar Products Used:

Merlin VSM MM

Tone, Imaging, resolution, speed, everything.

None for me...

First things first…the following is my humble opinion…your mileage may vary.
This review is completely unsolicited and I only felt compelled to write a review here so others may gain from my experience.

Some background on me... I’ve been in this hobby for longer than I like to admit. It’s over 35 years ago now that I put my first system of separate components together purchased at Pacific Stereo. I’ve had so many different components…the list would go on and on and on. Just in the last 10 years I’ve owned speakers by Celestian, Martin Logan, Apogee, Revel, Maggie’s plus a few others I have wiped from my memory. This is really more than a hobby for me. I grew up in a very musical family. My parents were professional singers during the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. My dad was also a big band drummer for many years. All of my brothers were and continue to be musicians. We always had several instruments in the house from grand piano’s to synthesizers, guitars, flutes, bass, all sorts of percussion instruments and of course drum sets. I began playing the drums at age 5 and play almost daily to this day. I’ve played in every kind of band or group from orchestra’s to several rock bands. I’ve also spent countless hours in recording studios. Enough about me and on to the review…

About five years ago I was introduced to Merlin speakers. Those were the TSM’s. I was immediately drawn into their seemingly neutral tonality and lifelike imaging. Soon after purchasing the TSM’s I sent them back to NY for the M upgrade. Things just got better and I started dreaming of owning VSM’s. A couple of years later that dream became a reality. Then I started on the VSM upgrade path which leads us to today’s review. I still own the TSM’s and in fact have 3 that are the center of my HT set-up.

My VSM’s were originally Millenniums. They were upgraded immediately to MX’s. I then did the Super BAM upgrade and now finally the “piece de resistance” the “E” upgrade. “E” is the removal of most of the lead solder in the speakers.

I say the “piece de resistance” because for me the “E” upgrade is by far the most dramatic. The “e”’s are like MX’s on steroids…fuller, wider, deeper, sweeter. Even when playing at very loud levels during complex passages there is no congestion or harshness at all. Additional harmonics are audible now making them even more resolving and tonally accurate. They have become totally CONTINUOUS, from top to bottom like a one-way. It’s like the tonality has been shifted down. Where before more energy seemed to come from the tweeter it’s now the woofer. The speakers now have bass that will vibrate the furniture in your listening room. You can feel the music which makes them better for rock then before. Their personality has shifted form a mini monitor to a full range speaker. Believe me, this is not subtle. If you have any reservations about Merlin’s being this or that (lean, bright, not enough bass) you owe it to yourself to listen to the new versions. If you own any other version you MUST go for the “E”. They are so tonally perfect now it’s hard to explain. IMHO they are without fault.

P.S. The TSM-M’s are on the way to Bobby to have the lead removed from them as well.

Customer Service

Second to none...without a doubt!

Similar Products Used:

No other product is similar to the VSM

Tone, imaging, speed, clarity...basically everything.

None for me

First things first…the following is my humble opinion…your mileage may vary.
This review is completely unsolicited and I have never felt compelled to write a review here before and in fact have not.

Some background on me... I’ve been in this hobby for longer than I like to admit. It’s over 35 years ago now that I put my first system of separate components together purchased at Pacific Stereo. I’ve had so many different components…the list would go on and on and on. Just in the last 10 years I’ve owned speakers by Celestian, Martin Logan, Apogee, Revel, Maggie’s plus some others I have wiped from my memory. This is really more than a hobby for me. I grew up in a very musical family. My parents were professional singers during the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. My dad was also a big band drummer for many years. All of my brothers were and continue to be musicians. We always had several instruments in the house from grand piano’s, synthesizers, guitars, flutes, bass, all sorts of percussion instruments and of course drum sets. I began playing the drums at age 5 and play almost daily to this day. I’ve played in every kind of band or group possible from orchestra’s to numerous rock bands. I’ve also spent countless hours in recording studios. Enough about me and on to the review…

About five years ago I was introduced to Merlin speakers. Those were the TSM’s. I was immediately drawn into their seemingly neutral tonality and lifelike imaging. Soon after purchasing the TSM’s I sent them back to NY for the M upgrade. Things just got better and I started dreaming of owning VSM’s. A couple of years later that dream became a reality. Then I started on the VSM upgrade path which leads us to today’s review. I still own the TSM’s and in fact have 3 that are the center of my HT set-up.

My VSM’s were originally Millenniums. They were upgraded immediately to MX’s. I then did the Super BAM upgrade and now finally the “piece de resistance” the “E” upgrade. “E” is the removal of most of the lead solder in the speakers.

I say the “piece de resistance” because for me the “E” upgrade is by far the most dramatic. For me they changed so dramatically that I called Bobby first thing on the Monday morning after receiving them the week before and asked him “what the hell did you do to my speakers?” I truly thought he had made some major component changes and was pulling my leg. How could solder make such a difference????
It’s like Bobby fed them steroids…fuller, wider, deeper, sweeter, no harshness and at very high spl's all congestion is gone. They have become totally CONTINUOUS, from top to bottom like a one-way. It’s like the tonality has been shifted down. Where before more energy seemed to come from the tweeter it’s now the woofer. The speakers now have REAL bass that will vibrate the furniture in your listening room. You can feel the music which makes them much better for rock then before. Their personality has shifted form a mini monitor to a true full range speaker. Believe me, this is not subtle. If you have any reservations about Merlin’s being this or that (lean, bright, not enough bass) you owe it to yourself to listen to the new versions. If you own any other version I recommend you go for the “E”. They are so tonally perfect now it’s hard to explain. IMHO they are without fault.
P.S. The TSMM’s are on the way to Bobby to have the lead removed from them as well.

Customer Service

Second to none...without a doubt.

Similar Products Used:

There are no similar products to the Merlin VSM-MXe's

Quality of drivers
Balance
Cohesiveness
Easy to drive (with low power and with tubes)
Classic design and elegance
Mature concept brought to its pinnacle
Inexpensive compared with large, multidriver speakers
World class customer support

Lowest, organ pedal bass
Does not impress till the music plays

I have previously reviewed this speaker on August 4th, 2006. Well, sort of. At the time I had the VSM-MX, this review is for the new, lead free VSM-MXe. Why did I make the change? Seems to me that every update to this classic is an improvement. The speaker looks the same (got it in the same piano black), in reality, this speaker has basically looked the same for the past 20 years; the upgrades tend to be "behind" the scenes. This is a mature, evolved speaker with years of learning and testing to wring out the best performance, or one man's vision of it.

I will not repeat what I previously wrote, since what was true then remaoins so, but the speaker has indeed been improved. The speaker is even more cohesive. By that I mean the integratation between drivers is seemless, like a single driver or electrostatic. But even more important, it is cohesive from bass to treble. There is no apparent emphasis on any particular part of the spectrum, it does not empahsize this at the expense of that. The speaker is spectrally neutral, neutral in the best sense of the word. It does not impose itself on the music. What do I mean? Is the speaker bassy or bass light? Does the speaker have a deep sound stage/ or flat? Is localization of instruments precise, or blurred? Are she speakers warm or cold? Does the speaker get timbre just right? or do altos sound like tenors? etc. The answer is yes. But the key is that these characteristic don't belong to the speaker. They belong to the recording, to the source equipment. This is what I mean when I say these speakers do not impose themselves. They open themselves to the recording and sources. Every recording sounds different through these speakers, that is there gift. They let the music come through as recorded, with little impose signature, and so they will live up to whatever you put before them. Great recording, Great Source equipment, great amp and pre - well through the Merlins, very few speakers will sound better.

The "new" speakers do everything a little better, but the one trait that seems most noticible is the ability of the speakers to disappear and release the notes. They are more effortless than before, and the bass, which is always found to be very good and satisfying is better yet - more natural, present, palpable. In short a great American, classic speaker has upped the bar yet again. Don't let the fact that there are just two little drivers fool you - that is part of their brilliance, with the BAM - these are in the upper echelon.

Many professional reviewers, when they really like something, will tell you they bought the review piece. Well, I'm not a professional reviewer, but I do love listening to music, and I bought these not once, but twice - well sort of. I've stopped looking, these speakers do it for me, and if you are a music lover, you owe to yourself to audition these speakers.

Customer Service

Does not get any better, but remember, when you order them they are built for you, they are handmade and handcrafted and they are not pulled of a shelf. You have to wait for the many coats of paint to dry - when you get then you know the wait was well worth it.

Similar Products Used:

Proac 3.8
Alon Lotus SE
Vandersteen 3A w/ (2) 2Wq Subs
many more

Resolution, transparency, speed. A natural, organic clarity. Soundstage, imaging.

Lowest bass reproduction, in my room.

I once read a review that said something along the lines of "something that sounds good, sounds good right away." I have found that to generally be true; I know what I like when I hear it. It's that simple.

Since I'm not an audio reviewer/writer please bear with me, but I felt compelled to post my impression of the Merlin VSM-MMe now that I've just passed about the 200 hour mark since unpacking these beasts. They replaced a pair of TSM-MM monitors that I bought about a year and a half ago.

My reasons for upgrading were two fold. First, several times I found the TSM-MM a speaker that was incapable of playing at volume levels I needed. Not all the time, mind you, but on occasion I crank things up and the material is often just too dynamic for the TSM. The woofer would bottom out and the tweeter distort on loud, complex passages. This is not a "defect" per se, just the product’s limitation in my situation.

Second, I grew to love the Merlin house sound as I changed components that reacted in positive synergy with the TSMs and wanted more, in every way … capacity, resolution, transparency, inner-detail, clarity, etc. and my readings on this forum lead me to believe these were realistic goals. I am thrilled to report that the results far exceed my expectations.

Two aspects of the VSM sound were immediately apparent right out of the box, and that is one serious box Bobby! Merlin's attention to packaging detail and durability should be every manufactures priority. Too many boxes of heavy equipment turn to squishy marshmallows with just one trip across the county, IMHO, but I digress.

The TSMs, while one of the finest speakers I've owned, have a slight glare on the upper mids and congestion with complex material that was not apparent to me until I compared them to the new VSMs. There were times when I would slightly cringe when certain passage were coming up that simply are handled cleanly and with no evidence of strain by the VSMs.

I find this kind of performance similar to a free revving Audi 4.2 V-8 that redlines with no rough machinations or feeling of strain as compared to a less refined 3.0 liter six that tends to sound like in might fly apart as you push it to its limits.

I'm not a PRAT kind of guy so I can not elaborate in those terms, but I will say the VSM-MMe display a level of resolution, speed, transparency and inner-detail that, in my experience, only a Quad ESL-63 electrostatic can match. Couple that with the VSMs organic clarity that displays no crystalline nastiness or harsh edges, as well as superb overall dynamics ... I find them to be about as "complete" a speaker as one can possibly desire.

The VSMs simply disappear with holographic soundstaging that, as appropriate with the recording, consistently emanate from two pulsating spheres in space that extend outside the boundaries of the speaker with layer upon layer of stage depth. Instruments are rendered in space with natural timbre, presence and decay with amazing tonal accuracy and sense of realism. Vocal duets are resolved no matter how closely aligned with both voices clearly distinct from one another. Attack and decay of percussion instruments such as cymbals are precise and uncannily realistic.

I listened to the VSM-MMEs today for over four hours straight, my longest stint yet, with zero fatigue and no sense of time passing. I just wanted more, one LP/CD after the other, as if I could not stop until I had listened to my entire music collection again for the first time. Granted, this has happened before with similar quantum leaps in performance, but changes this dramatic are priceless with regards the increase in enjoyment of music they provide.

Past speakers I've owned have been built by KEF, Acoustat, Quad, Janus, Vandersteen and Green Mountain. In each case I eventually found reasons to move on and while I would never-say-never, the VSM-MMe currently contributes greatly to the finest music reproduction system, in my home, in over 30 years and I see no changes coming for a very long time. With deliberate consideration to synergy of the source and amplification combination, the VSM-MMe deserve serious consideration.

Customer Service

As good as it gets ... in fact better than that. I've yet to meet a business owner that approache the interest in his customer's satisfaction that Bobby Palkovic offers.

Similar Products Used:

Mentioned in summary above.

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier: Cary V12R, 50 WPC Triode
Preamplifiers: First Sound Presence Deluxe Mark II, ARC SP-10 Mk II
Sources: Esoteric DV-50, Modified Lenco L75, Alphason HR100s, BM Reference 2 Silver
Speakers: Vandersteen 2Wq subwoofer
Cables/Interconnects: Zu Gede, TG Audio HSR
Music Used: Eclectic, heavy electric blues, jazz
Room Size (LxWxH): 21 x 16 x 9

The incredible soundstage, clarity and musicality of the speakers. The passionate beyond-customer service. The sheer value. And most important, my wife thinks they're gorgeous (as do I).

Weaknesses??

My equipment was banished to the living room when we moved into our home in 1998. Why? Because my wife loved the sound of my B&W 801's (for 19 years), but hated their size and style. "Ugly" was the word most often used to describe them. Ouch. On my last birthday, she graciously invited me to move my gear into the family room (the room of choice in our home). In return, I decided to replace the 801's... to find a better looking speaker with a smaller footprint. And that was my criteria. Lotsa style. And hopefully some substance.

I found an online list of used speakers at a local audio dealer. The least expensive ones were Merlin VSM-MX'es. I googled 'em. They looked nice. I called the dealer. Told him I'd buy them if they sounded half as good as they looked.

The joke was on me. They sound exponentially better than they look. How so? Well, for the past couple of decades, B&W defined how I heard music. When I hooked up the Merlins, it was the functional equivalent of peeling away the coloration. All of a sudden, I heard just the music and all the music. I listened to one of my favorite songs first. I suddenly realized that the vocal I have loved for two decades was not a single voice. There was a second singer doubling the melody. Yikes. I spun up a few of my benchmarks. Ronnie Earl's version of "Drown in my Tears". His guitar riff sounds like liquid gold. Fathead Newman's sax is round and full like never before. Then I spun up Rachmaninov's "All Night Vigil". You're right there. The depth and timbre of the voices. Finally, the soundstage on Paul Simon's "Homeless". Cascades across the room (beyond the speakers) and you can pinpoint every singer. It's simply amazing.

The details? Soundstage is breathtaking. I followed Bobby's (more about him later) instructions to place the speakers 6 ft. apart. And the soundstage feels wider. Although some folks have commented about the bass, there's plenty of bass for me. The clarity. The musicality. And after all that time with the B&W's, the midrange. I'm completely smitten. They blow away the 801's. And it's clear to me that I'm not maximizing the sound. My current equipment isn't a great match for the Merlins (which will no doubt lead to a thinner wallet.)

The Bobby thing: So, I'm on the verge of purchasing the speakers and I pick up the phone and call the factory. I end up talking to this guy named Bobby. Turns out he's the big cheese. He spends a lot of time walking me through everything I need to know. He has helped me with cabling. He urged me to buy a couple of lead-free jumpers, new batteries for the S-BAM, and a new lead-free power cord. And the difference was dramatic. Next on the agenda is taking the speakers to the factory for de-leading. And the coolest thing is he's as excited as you are about the system sounding better.

Buying Merlins is more than buying speakers. It's like joining a family. In fact, Bobby's first words to me were "welcome to the family". So you end up getting these incredible speakers and someone who's helping you get the most out of your system. Does it get any better?

Nope.

Customer Service

What you get with Merlins is beyond customer service. It's the best service I've ever had on any product I've ever bought. Not just audio equipment. Any product. Bobby truly does treat you like family and spends your money as if it was his.

Similar Products Used:

B&W 801's

The incredible soundstage, clarity and musicality of the speakers. The passionate beyond-customer service. The sheer value.

Did someone say weakness? None.

My equipment was banished to the living room when we moved into our home in 1998. Why? Because my wife loved the sound of my B&W 801's (for 19 years), but hated their size and style. "Ugly" was the word most often used to describe them. Ouch. On my last birthday, she graciously invited me to move my gear into the family room (the room of choice in our home). In return, I decided to replace the 801's... to find a better looking speaker with a smaller footprint. And that was my criteria. Lotsa style. And hopefully some substance.

I found an online list of used speakers at a local audio dealer. The least expensive ones were Merlin VSM-MX'es. I googled 'em. They looked nice. I called the dealer. Told him I'd buy them if they sounded half as good as they looked.

The joke was on me. They sound exponentially better than they look. How so? Well, for the past couple of decades, B&W defined how I heard music. When I hooked up the Merlins, it was the functional equivalent of peeling away the coloration. All of a sudden, I heard just the music and all the music. I listened to one of my favorite songs first. I suddenly realized that the vocal I have loved for two decades was not a single voice. There was a second singer doubling the melody. Yikes. I spun up a few of my benchmarks. Ronnie Earl's version of "Drown in my Tears". His guitar riff sounds like liquid gold. Fathead Newman's sax is round and full like never before. Then I spun up Rachmaninov's "All Night Vigil". You're right there. The depth and timbre of the voices. Finally, the soundstage on Paul Simon's "Homeless". Cascades across the room (beyond the speakers) and you can pinpoint every singer. It's simply amazing.

The details? Soundstage is breathtaking. I followed Bobby's (more about him later) instructions to place the speakers 6 ft. apart. And the soundstage feels wider. Although some folks have commented about the bass, there's plenty of bass for me. The clarity. The musicality. And after all that time with the B&W's, the midrange. I'm completely smitten. They blow away the 801's. And it's clear to me that I'm not maximizing the sound. My current equipment isn't a great match for the Merlins (which will no doubt lead to a thinner wallet.)

The Bobby thing: So, I'm on the verge of purchasing the speakers and I pick up the phone and call the factory. I end up talking to this guy named Bobby. Turns out he's the big cheese. He spends a lot of time walking me through everything I need to know. He has helped me with cabling. He urged me to buy a couple of lead-free jumpers, new batteries for the S-BAM, and a new lead-free power cord. And the difference was dramatic. Next on the agenda is taking the speakers to the factory for de-leading. And the coolest thing is he's as excited as you are about the system sounding better.

Buying Merlins is more than buying speakers. It's like joining a family. In fact, Bobby's first words to me were "welcome to the family". So you end up getting these incredible speakers and someone who's helping you get the most out of your system. Does it get any better?

Nope.

Customer Service

Beyond customer service. Simply unparalleled and better than I've ever experienced with any product I've ever bought. Not just audio equipment... any product.

Similar Products Used:

B&W 801's

Disappearing act, let the music through like no other speakers I've owned/heard, naturally warm, immensely involving

Maybe lack of extreme deep bass but I suspect one could get more than I do with a bigger amp anyway.

When I got my first pair of Merlins a few years ago, I thought « This is the end of the quest ». I was right and wrong. Right as I’m still using VSMs, wrong as I just received the latter iteration, the MME.

Now I am a simple man. I remember with some nostalgia the time when I hadn’t drunk from the audiophile cup, and when I enjoyed music so much on my basic $1000 stereo. With audiophilia came years of joy and frustration, both intertwined, one never far from the other.

For the first time in years, I’ve managed to reconcile the music lover and the audiophile in me.

I could describe the MME in audiophile terms but I don’t think that’s the point here. In all departments but deep bass, they match the best of other speakers. Yes, the treble is as airy and delicate as with Focal’s Berylium tweeter, the imaging as solid and expansive as with Avalons, the midrange as delicate as with the best of Jean-Marie Reynaud’s, the transparency as stunning as with electrostatics. But what the Merlins do is bring all of this in one package, which no other I’m aware of do.

I can’t really compare them to the previous version as my system has changed since. All I can say, as mentionned above, is that I’ve never felt so close to the music, to the musical genius of a performer. For me, the VSM MMEs are to other speakers what a mountain landscape would be to a great photography of that same landscape. They both show the same thing. But one will let you feel the wind in your hair, will engulf you in an overpowering emotional experience. You will become part of it as opposed to just a spectator.

That’s the magic of the VSM MME. Like the real thing, they are laid-back and let the natural warmth of music shine through. They are detailed but are the exact opposite of cold or analytical.They’ll open a big hole in your listening room onto another dimension. The effect can be quite spooky and exhilarating, be ready to sleep less. Even on bad recordings, which they won’t sugar-coat but won’t make sound worse, they will make you connect to the performance like no others, and you’ll end up listening to the whole record. Albums that I’d previously discarded because they sounded compressed or thin I now listen through. The VSM MME have changed the way I listen to music, or rather, they’ve made me listen to music the way I did before : for the music itself.

And all of this while feeding the audiophile monster in you until you hear him say « I’m not hungry for more ». God, the sound of those Wiener Philarmoniker strings… Piano, which I think is the hardest instrument to reproduce, sounds right at last. Plucked guitar strings have the speed and sweetness of the real thing (I play the guitar, so I’m quite attached to that). Cymbals shimmer and die into nothingness… I could go on forever.

I think what makes them so amazing is their utter lack of mechanicalness. Something you don't know is there until is gone. Through the VSM, music flows unimpeded, organic, enchanting. You have to hear it to understand what I mean.

Now do they have shortcomings ? Not for me but two details are worth mentionning. They do great bass but are not exaggerated in that departement, so not for the headbanging crowd who likes to hear twice as much bass as is on the record. They can rock, no worries, they just won’t shake the walls with bass. I feel no frustration whatsoever in that respect. The second thing is that the BAM just has one input, so you’ll have to switch interconnects if you have more than one source and are using an integrated amplifier like me (unless it has a tape loop). Once more, it’s meaningless compared to the musical experience you’re about to embark when you press « Play » or drop the needle in the groove.

A friend of mine came the other night and he’s heard some of my previous system without batting an eyelid, or rather thinking «Sounds good but I wouldn’t spend so much money on that ». I played him a few records and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets. He’s now saving money to get the smaller TSMs.

Add to that Bobby’s impeccable customer service, probably one of the best in the industry, and you’re in for a treat. Bobby will help you through anything you need, I actually keep wondering how he manages to devote so much time to his customers and design those wonders.

Enough said, go have a listen for yourself !

Customer Service

Superlative

Similar Products Used:

A lot.

Imaging, width, depth, timbre, etc... (insert expletive here)
Best customer support in the business
Component and Build quality
Ten year warranty

Handbuilt, you will have to be patient while they are being assembled.
Limited network of dealerships to audition

Review for Merlin VSM-MM Super Bam (Balanced/SE dual operation) Studio Black.
Been using the Merlins for about a year give or take a few weeks and felt it was
time to contribute my two cents.

I'm no stranger to Bobby's black magic. I've owned several versions of his TSM
monitors used in conjunction with various subwoofers (settled on a REL Strata).
The TSM-REL combinations worked well but having never heard the larger VSM
I kept wondering what I was missing.

With no local dealer to audition, I called Merlin direct. I think it should be noted
that Bobby Palkovic (chief sorceress at Merlin) is a credit to his profession.
I've called him on numerous occasions with questions almost to the point of my
being annoying. Bobby always answered the phone and my questions in spite
of how mundane and frivolous they may seem in retrospect. Bobby's enthusiasm,
knowledge, and eagerness to help is the benchmark which all others should apire.
Thank you Bobby.

The Merlin VSM is the "only" speaker that I have kept longer than a few months.
Suffice it to say that although I would hesitate to regard myself as an audiophie,
I do know what I like. As good as the TSM were, the VSM are better. One of the
things I love is when friends visit. Almost always I have something playing and
eventually we find ourselves with drinks in hand parked in front of the Merlins.
What has endeared the Merlins to me is the way they go about their business
without drawing attention to themselves. They literally disappear. Even after a
year I am still amazed at what these speakers. For a modest two way design,
it is truly incredible what the VSM are capable of.

Bottom line is this...there are bigger and perhaps even better speakers out there,
but if you're looking for that speaker that when you're listening late into the night
and everybody else has gone to bed and that nagging voice in the back of your
head keeps reminding you that you have to get up early for work but yet you just
can't seem to stop listening, then this is your baby. I've gone to work on more than
one occasion wishing I had gotten more sleep.

Similar Products Used:

Merlin TSM (various revisions)
Devore
JM Lab
Dynaudio
Magnepan