The upgraded system is all that I have ever read about and now I hear it. Thanks Bobby, et al..

None that I know of.

This is a review on my VSM/M-battery BAM and VSM/X-super BAM upgrade. I am not a professional so the wording will reflect my feelings without the tecnical terms.
I first received my VSM/M the end of May 01 and was very impressed with the packing, piano black finish and of course the very good sound in my system. Compared with my prior speakers this was a fantastic improvement in overall quality of sound.
This past spring I was in the market for a new amp and preamp. I posted the question on Audiogon "What new amp do you suggest for my Merlins?" A majority of the responses said I should get the VSM/X super BAM upgrade before I purchase new amps. Taking your suggestions I sent the BAM to Bobby and upgraded to the super BAM. Upon reinstallation into my system I noticed a significant change.
Since we were going to be traveling to New York this past summer in our RV, it became evident that I would be able to personally deliver the speakers and see Bobby's operation at the same time. I spent a very informative afternoon with Bobby, Bill and Debbie.
The upgraded speakers just arrived the end of September and I was blown away with the obvious improvement, I wouldn't have believed it could be improved to this level. I have to thank the Audiogoners for their recommendation. It was well worth the effort and cost.
My present amps are McIntosh: MC240 and C22
If you are in the same situation, I strongly recommend you upgrade your Merlins.

Similar Products Used:

Prior speakers were Bozaks

Harmonically complete, excellent presentation of details as part of a blievable whole.

Not much. They're not going to be as dynamic as horns if that's your bag, (but they still are very, very good IMHO).

About 5 months ago a large 200 pound single box showed up at my door. Once the contents were unpacked I read the personally addressed note to me thanking for me on my patience during the wait for my pair to arrive and detailed instructions on recommended setup. The whole experience definitely conveyed the fact that this was a bespoke product assembled just for me. A nice experience to be sure and indicative of the excellent customer support that Bobby provides and most of you have heard about from others.

My pair were ordered in Piano Black and the finish was simply impeccable. The finish was mirror like as to be expected for a product of this price, (expected but I’m sure not necessarily delivered from all manufacturers). I did give the speakers a thorough once over, for example, I closely inspected the edges of all of the brass inlays for signs of overspray and noticed no issues whatsoever. Obviously great care is taken in ensuring a first rate product.

To cover off my musical preferences, I listen mostly to vinyl now and lean towards mostly classical and jazz however newer releases, (Arcade Fire, The Killers, British Sea Power), seem to be creeping in more and more as well.

On to the Sound

Well, I’ll be honest and say that I’m not the worlds best at conveying what I’m hearing verbally, (and thus in text), and certainly not the way that reviewers can pick apart the entire audio spectrum but I’ll do my best to convey the experience.

I had been waiting for some time, (OK some months actually), to get my hands on these speakers so the sense of anticipation had grown so completely out of whack that short of me dropping dead of a heart attack from being so completely and utterly blown away by the experience of what I was hearing coming out of those speakers, I was going to be a little under-whelmed. I turned my amp on, (an Antique Sound Labs KI22 Fox 22w single-ended integrated), and heard… music. Plain and simple music. No ear-gasmic death rays shot out and knocked me dead. What was going on? What about all of the raving going on by owners? I gave it some time and thought I’d let things break in. Yes, some people will think I’m a raving fool and that the only thing breaking in was me, not the speakers. They may be right but what I think was going on was actually a little of both.

The more I listened the more I started to notice things that I had not heard before. Particularly what I would describe as a much more tonally accurate representation of instruments. For example drums no longer sounded like a thud, (not that I recognised that as such before), but I really started to get the very obvious sense that there was a skin stretched over a wooden frame. I could hear it actually had volume in the drum. Other instruments had a similar effect and there was a much more realistic depiction of the actual instrument. It was an interesting experience because I hadn’t noticed the absence of it with my old system. I suppose it’s probably a case of me not getting exposed to enough live music, (maybe only once every couple of months unfortunately), to come home remembering that sound and noticing the absence of it in my system.

Another interesting thing is the resolving power of these things. I can hear all sorts of details that I was unable to discern before. For example I can much more easily follow Paul Motian’s brush work on the 45 reissue of Bill Evan’s Trio – Sunday at the Village Vanguard. Another impressive aspect is the decay of instruments. Some pieces of music have passages where I can hear instruments fading off into nothing for a very long time. All of that being said, the details don’t jump out at you in any forced sense. If you want to focus on picking apart the music you certainly can but nothing is flung in your face. I think that the presentation of very low level detail in such an unforced way simply adds to the believability of the experience.

To go through the audiophile checklist as best as I can:

Soundstage depth width and height is all very good. It seems to be true to the recording because some lp’s have minimal depth while others have excellent depth. These speakers don’t seem to be adding anything that isn’t there but they sure as hell seem to be passing everything that is.

Resolution is excellent, these speakers are capable of conveying very small differences.

Dynamics are also very good. I’m sure they’re not going to compete with a pair of Avantgarde Trio’s in that respect but I certainly am not sitting listening to music and thinking that they’re lacking in that department at all.

Bass/Midrange/Treble – Bass is excellent. On the track Karmacoma on my vinyl copy of Massive Attack’s – Collected, (their best of), the bass is truly prodigious and I personally cannot imagine wanting more. I’m not shoe-horned into a closet either as my room is about 14 by 22 with a 5 by 6 opening into another room of similar size. I would also characterise midrange and treble as excellent. Voices have a realistic quality to them and convey much more subtle expression than I am used to. An interesting distinction between my old speakers is that instruments like cymbals now stay planted back with the rest of the drum kit. With my previous Triangle Zerius speakers I’d hear the drummer playing away at the back of the soundstage with his cymbals coming straight out of the tweeters. Kind of spoiled the illusion.

I’ve heard the Merlin’s being knocked as harmonically lean. With either amp I completely disagree with that assessment. If the record is full sounding it comes out that way through the Merlin’s. If the recording is lean, threadbare and bright, it’s going to come out that way. All I would suggest for someone who feels these speakers are lean is one listen to Shenandoah on Bill Frisell’s Good Dog Happy Man CD. Any thoughts they had of the Merlin’s being tonally lean would vanish, or something else in there system must be broken. They don’t seem to be editorializing but just play what you feed them.

Finally, about two months into things my ARS Sonum Filarmonia SE integrated arrived. Bobby distributes this Spanish made integrated amplifier and I purchased it believing that Bobby knows what best suits his speaker design. All I’ll say for now is that that amplifier brought out everything I mentioned above in spades.

OK, I’ll wrap it up. I’ve spent a far bit of time dissecting the Merlin’s but to do that is doing them an injustice. Their real strength is their ability to wrap all of their individual qualities together in a package that is very balanced and does a great job of presenting the music in a believable manner. I now thoroughly love listening to music which is the whole point to all this equipment in my opinion. I’m not saying they’re the best speaker in the world but with my music tastes and in my room I am absolutely ecstatic with them and would recommend them highly for anyone to give a listen to if possible, or be daring, (some would say foolish), and buy them sight unheard as I did.

Cheers.

PS, some may complain, "A 2-way for $10K" where's the value in that? In my opinion the value is the quality of the music and cost to get there relative to the competition, period. I stand by my 5 stars for value.

Customer Service

Absolutely impeccable and reason enough to consider buying.

Similar Products Used:

Triangle Zerius, Naia, Vandersteen 3 and 5

I have been an owner of the VSM's for several years. I go to the CES and always considered these to be great speakers. Recently I had the speakers upgraded to the MM model and the BAM modified to the SuperBAM. The speakers are now even better than before and I didn't think it was possible. I am using Joule electronics, Cardas interconnects and homemade speaker cables. Don Konicoff

Highs, mids, imaging, soundstage, bass articulation, dynamics.

lack deep bass extension, require at least mid-level tube electronics to show their potential and great electronics to shine.

I recently came across these speakers in a friend's setup. They were running off an Onix SP3 tube integrated with aftermarket modifications. Front end was a very non-audiophile Rotel player with an outboard dac from Channel Islands. Interconnects from Whest Audio, speaker cables from Anticable and DH Labs powercords (DIY) throughout. A Hubbell powerconditioner was used for the entire system.

For the amount of money that the entire system cost, it was a sonic revelation. These speakers deserve all the praise they've gathered. I heard the latest version with the SuperBam and it puts many manufactureres to shame. I won't reiterate what previous reviewers said about the sonic signatures of the Merlins. It's relatively hard to get much better, even if one can spend a lot more. The extension in the highs is among the very best I've ever heard. Midrange is just beautiful. Bass is tuneful but not very deep, probably the only real limitation of these speakers. It is an easy sacrifice though, cosidering what you get for the money. I can think of at least a dozen speakers in the same price range from Martin Logan, Magnepan, B&W, Dyaudio and PMC that cost more, offer considerably less and also require more watts to drive.

These speakers can do real life dynamics with tube power in the 30-50 watts range. They are amazing. Some people have noted that they became bright at higher volumes. It is possible that these reviewers were attributing the sonics of their front end gear to that of the Merlins as they are very revealing speakers. It may also be that the SuperBam cured those woes.

These speakers deserve a full 5 out of 5 in my opinion, especially considering that today you can spend over $100 000 on speakers which will play louder, deeper and smoother in the highs (Acapella, Von Schweikvert, Kharma, German Physics, Dynaudio); needless to say that if you consider any of these speakers, the cabling alone required for their setup will exceed the cost of the Merlins. For the money, they offer one of the best packages in the affordable range of audiophile gear.

Customer Service

never owned them so I don't know.

Similar Products Used:

Martin Logan Aeon i' and Clarity's, PMC OB1's and FB1's, B&W 802's and 800's, Dynaudio Confidence 5 and Evidence Temptation, Revelation Audio Mistral S6 with sub 6, Wilson Watt Puppy 7, Revel Studio Ultima, Paradigm S4, Monitor Audio GR60's and S8's.

tonal neutrality
sound-staging, pristine clarity
dimensionality--is this a word?!

not the last word in bass "effect"

About one year ago, i began researching my first audiophile purchase.
I knew i wanted a reference quality system, and with no particular end
point in mind, or pre-conceived bias, i began making extensive use of
audiogon and other web sites. i quickly became overwhelmed--tubes vs
solid state, separates vs. integrateds, audiophile terminolgy for which i
had no reference. this reaction may be common, the volume of
information was overwhelming.

weeding through tons of info, i came to the conclusion that i would
begin from a reference quality speaker and move backwards through as
transparent and natural an acoustic window as i could find. by location, i
had no access to live auditioning, which would have been optimal. so i
began searching for a speaker that could be purchased over the phone or
on-line, and from someone who i trusted, would be willing to walk me
through some baby steps, who would be available via email or phone, and
who seemed uniformly well reviewed.

very quickly, merlin music and bobby palkovich began to stand out. i
called bobby about his speaker line. in truth i was about 75% sold before
even talking to him, but as you can gather yourself, talking wih bobby
is a treat. i very quickly decided on the VSM-MX in piano black.

my goal all along was elegance and simplicity. musical transparency,
life-like sound staging, and the absence of coloration were my
end-points. bobby's design fit absolutely with these goals. symbiosis was also a
paramount consideraation, and i leaned heavily on bobby's suggestions
for creation of the whole system. per bobby's rec's, i went with the
audio aero prima cd player (maybe on day i'll step up into the capitole),
ARS sonum filarmonia intergrated amp, cardas golden reference power
cords for the cd and amp (GR power cord included with the filarmonia), and
cardas GR speakers cables. audio aero cdp is balanced on walker audio
valid points, per rich's suggestion at signature sound. (thanks rich).

a word about room dimension and musical tastes. my "listening room" is
my living room, and the spatial volume is huge. vaulted ceilings maybe
25 " x 30" in a rough rectangle, probably 20 ft floor to celing. i
listened in college mostly to grateful dead and various jam bands, but a 5
yr stint in new orleans re-centered my musical tastes more towards
acoustical jazz. funk, R & B, world music (i.e. fela kuti, reggage, etc . .
.) also well represented. rock (i.e. flaming lips) and hip-hop (i.e.
blackalicious, del la soul) as well.

the amp and cd player arrived first. the amp is stunning out of box,
heavier than i thought, and still gets the most attention and whistles.
after a time (be patient with your speaker order) the speakers arrived
in a huge package. the finish is just gorgeous, and matches exactly the
trim around my pioneer plasma TV. very elegant, understated, and
substantial. a friend helped me set-up the feet spikes and set and level the
speakers, which i balanced on pre-1987 pennies on my hard wood floors.
the spikes are brutally sharp (seems dumbly obvious, but i still
managed to puncture my left thumb twice, once out of stupid curiosity "to see
how sharp they were," a second time on accident), the speakers are very
heavy, and whole process in retrospect was almost comical. no one was
killed, and the speakers were ultimately aligned and balanced per
bobby's very pointed instructions.

the cables terminals are hilariously exotic for a neophite, and the
Cardas GR cables and interconnects are beefy (probably #2 in comments to
the filarmonia). after a little mix-up (the GR interconnects are
directional), the system was set-up and ready to rip. filarmonia break-in
lasted about 50 hrs (again, bobby will walk you through this process), and
i would estimate system break-in at about 200 hrs, with big leaps in
sound quality at 40 and 120 hrs.

now, the fun part. the sound is heavenly. i honestly expected more mid
range coloration/sweetness from the tubed filamronia, after reading the
on-going SS vs Tube back and forth. what i found instead was an overall
sonic "correctness." whatver was originally recorded, you're getting.
almost as if you sitting in the sound engineer's chair, AT THE ORIGINAL
SESSION. this can have a hair tingling effect when listening to a
coltrane, bill evans, miles, getz, anybody recording which you THINK you've
heard a million times. quickly i realized that i would have the
pleasure of re-discovering all of my albums. think of it as re-buying your
entire collection. one note, poor recordings sound like what they are,
poor recordings. i now search out high quality re-masters.

overall and across genres, my system sound tonally neutral, sonically
correct, but also dynamic and life-like. the epicenter of the stage
centers about 3-5 behind the speakers, and arcs above and behind me in the
best recordings. i heard someone else liken this to being in musically
in the bow of a boat, which is very accurate. bill evans key notes have
a viscerally palpable crescendo and decay. the clarity makes the
sound-stage, as you can clearly locate in space all the instruments. the
blackness of the stage allows your mind to separate all the insruments, and
ultimately makes the speakers themselves disappear. i actually leave
the speakers grills off, for the purpose of exposing them. they disappear
even more with the grills on, and people have come very close to
bumping into the speakers.

these qualities have been discussed here at length, and they are true.
the system is slightly bass lean to my ear, but bass accurate. maybe
lacks some of the low-end "effect" of the bass attack, but not the tonal
bass response. scott le faro bass with bill evans, for example, sounds
absolutely pristine. i attributed this to my room size, but i just sent
the filarmonia back to bobby for an upgrade which he says will improve
overall performance in the mid and bass frequecy audibly.

whew, hope this helps someone. i'm very happy with my purchase, and
thankful to all the audiogoners and merlin web family whose posts helped
me get to this point. i'm very proud to be in the merlin family, and
will re-post as i re break-in the filarmonia with its upgrade.

thanks also to bobby, whom i truly consider now a friend. hopefully one
day i'll be able to shake his hand in person, sit back in front of a
pair of merlins, and drink a cold one.

bravo bobby!

Similar Products Used:

no similiar products
last owned--bose 4.2 speakers, carver receiver and 5 disc changer

Everything good

None

Let me start by say that this is more a story about the evolution of a speaker and a stereo system then a review. I’m no reviewer, but I am a music lover and a somewhat fanatical (ask my wife) audiophile since before high school. I also play music. I’ve played the drums for over 40 years in many different bands and types of music. The story of the ever evolving system that has had many components I’m sure I don’t even remember. Some of you may experience the strange feeling when you go and visit an old friend you have not seen in a few years and you see some interesting looking old speakers in his living room. They may look familiar at first and then you remember those were mine. Oh yah, I sold them to him 18 years ago…

Well here I am 30 years plus later still searching…however the search is getting much closer to being over (it will never really be over until I’m dead or there is no more money). You may know the feeling when a component just feels totally right. The one that’s staying at least until all others have been changed at least once and some twice… Well, for me that component is the Merlin VSM-MX with the Super BAM.

Evolution of a speaker

I’ve had quite a few speakers over the years. I really don’t recall how many, but at least 25. I came across Merlin a few years ago through a dealer friend of mine. Started with the TSM’s. Had them upgrades the MM. Then my dealer friend ended up with a used pair of VSM-M in the premium finish. They needed some work. So after contacting Bobby at Merlin I sent them back to NY. While there Bobby brought them up to the current highest standard VSM-MX’s. The TSM’s moved to my HT system where a center channel TSM was also added.

Now two years or so later the Merlin’s are the only piece of equipment that has not changed. With every change, small or large, be it a new amp or a new tube, the improvements can be heard through the Merlin’s and I continue to have no desire to sell them…ever! Plus, the great thing is they (the speakers) keep getting better.

About a year ago we move to a new house very close to the beach where houses all have lots of windows and hardwood floors, concrete, metal, etc. This creates obvious difficulties for optimum sound. You also lose bass of which I like lots of. Well I’ve been able to get things sounding very good with lots of work, but I still can’t get the bass response I was getting in my old much more “dead” house. I’ve even been augmenting things with a REL sub.

Hello Super BAM

So here is how the speaker keeps getting better. Bobby comes up with his newest upgrade. I’m a little skeptical as the BAM did not seem to me to do “that” much. Plus with a sub I was not lacking any bass (at least in the old house). I’ve always trusted Bobby so after a couple months of debating I send my BAM to NY.

Okay, so now in my new house where I can hear everything clearly due to the open lively sound, without the BAM my systems sounds somewhat harsh and lean. Not good at all. A big difference and all this because of the missing BAM. In fact, it was so wrong that I unplugged everything and waited for the return of Super BAM. I now had become a believer in the BAM, not just for some bass, but for other reasons.

A couple weeks later the Super BAM arrived. Thank goodness…I was dying for some tunes. Plugged everything back up and fired it up and let it warm up for a few hours. BTW, I pulled the sub out of the system (put it with the TSM’s in the HT set-up) hoping I would not want or need it. I was not sure and I really thought it was a long shot that the speakers could generate enough bass to satisfy my tastes in my new living room.

The wait was over…put something on and immediately everything was back to where it should be. The harshness was gone and a new sense of body, a richer, fuller sound was happening. Plus, something I had not heard before…really deep bass. Sub woofer type bass. Amazing…from such a small speaker. It’s beautifully tight and tuneful. Seamlessly blended and surprisingly deep. I no longer need the sub. It’s out for good. If you have not yet or are still considering the super bam upgrade- let me tell you…it is an absolute must. And for those who think VSM’s can’t put out decent bass you’re wrong. Things have never sounded this good. I mean “best of show” good.

A couple of weeks ago I attended the HE 2006 show in Los Angeles. It was just 15 minutes away and very convenient to attend. Anyway, I have not been to a show in a few years and thought it would be interesting to hear some great systems. Well to my surprise I heard a lot of “Hi Fi” with little or no soul. No synergy or very little. No emotion. I left feeling incredibly good about my own system. I’m very content and feel like the journey is probably not ending but at least it’s slowing down. I know for sure the speakers aren’t changing unless Bobby comes up with something new…It’s been said many times before, but for me it’s true…the Merlin’s are amazing speakers. They have something few other audio components have…emotion, soul, feeling and most of all…the ability to connect you with the music.

Current System:
Merlin VSM-MX Super BAM
Nottingham Space Deck w/Ace Space arm/ Benz Micro
Audio Aero Prima CD
Cary SLP 98
Manley Snapper’s
Audience AU24 interconnects & speaker
Cardas Golden Ref power

Customer Service

The best

Similar Products Used:

Nothing compares

Plays music like you wouldnt believe it
Imaging
3D precence
Very relaxed
Natural
Very continuos

Might lack the latest slam for those who are craving bass freaks

I Bought this speaker used of Audiogon. I bought it in France - Europe. And i live in Norway - Europe. I have been an audio enthusiat for over 14 years and i have listened to a lot of speakers. My english grammar might not be that good so please be forgiving. ?

Theres the intro for you lets get tothe review:

This is one amazing speaker! I fell in love with this speaker on my second listening round whith them. I just couldnt believe that this speaker were so good. It just has it all! I have not heard any other speaker which can even resemble what the Merlin WSM MX can do. I have heard speakers so big and so expencive and many of them costing 3, 4 and even 5 times the amount of cash that Bobby at Merlin charges for his speaker. And non of them are that good in comparison.

The Merlin VSM MX is a small speaker in HiFi terms, It is absolutely beautiful to look at. My pair comes in a grand piano black finish. The finish reflects the surruondings in the same way which as the music just flows right through it.

The biggest thing about the Merlins is that they do everything right. And that is over the entrire spectrum in which it works in. They are so continuos over the entire frequency band its a bliss to listen to. One does not focus on treble midrange ore bass. Non of that gets your attention. The music does! All the details are there they are just not trown in your face. Its all natural and very listenable.

It has the smothest highs i have ever heard. It never gets bright ore edgy,. It is just silky smooth, no grain ore any other artifacts which a lot of use are accustomed to with bad tweeters. It has great dynamics both in macro and micro terms.

The midrange is to die for! It is open and vivid. Varm and inviting. Presenting the music in an effortless way. It flows and is very natural. I do not think when i hear music through the Merlins I feel. I feel the soul of the music and the Merlins take you there. One of its finest qualities is that I forget about the system and just listen to the music.

The bass is incredible. Its smacks a a mighty punch fora 6 inch woofer. It is very tuneful. And it procesess rythm like you would never believe.

It also plays incredible loud without breaking up and becoming agressive. It just gets louder. And more fun.

Is it the best speaker in the world? I dont know cause i havent heard them all. But it is among the finest speakers that there is out there at this time. And that it is not more popular than it is, is a shame cause it is simply marvelous.

Customer Service

Bobby is one of the people in the world which i truly admire as a person, a salesman and as a designer of one of the most remarkeble speakers in the world.
He must have the greatest customer support there ever is. I have talked to him severeal times on the phone through email, nad he has always been helpful with tips and recommendations. The support is unrivaled.

Similar Products Used:

Audio Physic Virgo 3,

Not used but listened to. Used to work in hifi shop.
Audio Physic Avanti, Burmester 909, Martin logan, Wilson, Proac, B&W + many others

The music just flows.
There is a continuosness and rightness.
Holographic imaging.
Fit and Finish.
Unmatched support from the manufacturer.

Not for pipe ogan.

I have been an audio enthusiast for more than 20 years. I listen to music on a regular basis and it is part of my life. There are times when I can listen for 10 hours in a week and other times I may not get in much listening time at all. I listen to a variety of music, but I spend most of my time listening to jazz (both instrumental and vocal) along with music from singer- songwriters, as well as rock and classical music

I have noticed that many people get very caught up with this "hobby." Instead of enjoying the music we are critically listening to what our system sounds like. The Merlins allow you to revel in the music.

Approximately 2 years ago I decided that I was going to upgrade my stereo system. At the time I had Audio Physic Tempo 3 speakers, a Nottingham Spacedeck (with a Shelter 501 cartridge), an Ah! Toeb CDP and a Densen Beat Integrated Amp. While being very enjoyable to listen to, I knew that I wanted more. I went to half a dozen high end shops in my area. Most of the salesmen were qute helpful. I auditioned some very excellent speakers including Dynaudio, B& W's, Proac, Vandersteens,, Verity Audio, JM Lab and the like. I limited myself to speakers that were less than $10,000.

I had heard of the Merlins from a friend, but there was no local dealer at the time. I also thought the name of the company was, quite frankly, corny. I went to the Home Entertainment Show in NYC in April 2005 and heard the Merlins for the first time. I immediately liked them. They were relaxed and natural. They did not "blow me away" immediately as some speakers do. I listed for about 20 minutes and vowed that I would return to the Merlin room after I had heard more at the show. After about3 hours of listening to other systems, I returned to the Merlin room. It was like an oasis. Everything seemed right, correct. Before I left the show at the end of the day I returned back to the room twice more.

The system I heard was with the Audio Aero Capitole (an excellent and expensive CDP) and Joule Amps (expensive and preamp. All cabling was Cardas golden reference. I thought that the entire system would be out of my range for quite some time so I began to try and figure out what I could change to make the system more affordable. I spoke or emailed Merlin's founder, Bobby Palkovic no less than 20 times beofre ordering the speakers. He promptly answered all questions and was completely helpful. He said that the Cary Sixpacs would mate well with his speakers. He made other recommendations as well, never putting down anyone else's equipment. I must say that the level of service from Bobby is without equal.

AT THIS TIME IN THE REVIEW YOU PROBABLY THINK THAT I DRANK THE COOL AID, but this is not true. What the other reviewers have said is true. Now to the speakers themselves.

My speakers were ordered in Lexus Briarwood Beige Pearl Metallic. The speakers are finished beautifully, do not take over the room and have a high wife acceptance factor. One would think just by looking at the size of the speakers that they would not have great bass. This is not true. The super bam (which is supposed to be an improvement over the past bam that received good reviews) seemlessly helps this speaker go below 30 hz. While is does not have the bass as say a subwoofer, the bass it provides is tight and tuneful. If you listen to a lot of pipe organ music you might want to look else where. If, on the other hand, you listen to the type of music that I do, the lack of bass below say 25 hz is not really noticed. It is clear why the prior reiteration of the speaker received a Stereophile Class A rating. I would like to see this speaker reviewed again as it will most certainly receive the highest of accolades.

My system consists of Cary Sixpac monoboc tube amps (50 watts), a Joule LAP 150, a Modwright Denon 3910 and Cardas golden reference interonnects, Cardas golden reference power cords for the Modwright, Joule and Bam; Signal powercords for the amps and an Equitech Son of Q, Jr. for the line level. The speaker cable is the (quite inexpensive Cardas SE 11).

The Cary Sixpacs (EL 34 based) are an excellent combination with the Merlins. Others on audiogon and audioasylum love the combination. The musci that emanates for the speakers is tremendous. The images are holographic (especially on well recorded material), the tone and timbre of voice and instruments true to life. The speakers throw a large soundstage. There is a continuousness to the music which pulls you in. The Merlins don't do it in the clobber you over the head way (which in most cases gets quite fatiguing in the long run). There is just an "everything is right in the world" and a feeling of I no longer need to continue upgrade.

On that note, I must state that you do not need outrageously expensive ancillary equipment to mate with the Merlins. The sixpacs cost $2400. Bobby is also now distributing a tube integrated called the ARS Sonum Filharmonia which I believe retails for $3500 which is supposedly a wonderful match. I would suggest tubes with these speakers.

Suffice it to say that the 103 people before me reviewing these speakers cannot be all wrong. Make the extra effort to hear these speakers. If there is not a dealer in your area, call Bobby directly. Don't be put off by all the praise lavished on these speakers --- it is very well deserved.

Customer Service

Magic.

Similar Products Used:

Vandersteen 3A, Quattros
Verity Fidelio
Dynaudio Contour Series
Proac 3.8
B&W 803
Eggleston Fontaines
Theil 3.6

I don't want to repeat other reviwers findings, what I can say is that those comments about the MX speakers are true.
I want to add that the MX is two levels better than my B&W N803.
There is no problem to use VSM spears in a larger room, mine is 500sqft*9ft.

This is not a through review, but to point some special characters in my listening.
My room is 500 sqft*9ft(high). I put the speakers 106 inches apart and 70 inch from
the real wall to get better space feeling. My room's floor is carpetted.

My gears:
Speakers: Merlin VSM MX with Super Bam
Table and Arm: VPI TNT-6 with JMW 12.5 arm (TNT6-HR)
Cartridge: Transfiguration Temper w
Phono Pre: Manley Steelhead Version II
Amp: Berning ZH270
Cables: Hovland MG-2 phono cable, Cardas Golden Reference ICs, Cardas Golden
Cross spk cable.

Power: PS Audio Ultimate Outlet and P300 Generator

Customer Service

Bobby is excellent in helping all the audiophiles.

Similar Products Used:

B&W N803

After a couple of weeks in the spa, my speakers were back and better than ever. The speakers arrived one day and I set them up without the BAM and immediately I knew we were in for a treat. Without the BAM, the speakers had more of everything: dynamics, bass, and the continuity that Merlin is known for. Without the BAM, right out of the box, the MX sounded better than the Millennium with the BAM. The BAM arrived a day later, and its addition was a revelation. Suddenly the VSM was transformed into more than I had expected. The sound was bigger, the dynamics were better, more bass, better soundstage, lifesize image height. All snapped into focus. My wife noticed the improvement immediately; she has hypersensitive hearing but is not obsessive about describing the improvement. She doesn't care if it is better; only when it is worse. When she feels compelled to comment favorably, that is a benchmark of a successful upgrade in my system!

You get bass benefits of the bigger speaker without the baggage. The MX has the bass that rivals the big boys, has the ability to disappear that they dream about, and an integrated sonic continuity from using two small high quality drivers in a compact design that make them sound superior and perform better in my house than a big speaker would. You can't believe how the get such a big sound --- bigger than ever --- out of such a small box. And the small size, great value, excellent sound, and super cool look of the Ruby Heart Red finish keeps my wife smiling.

I have not auditioned a speaker that I would rather own. The custom finish is a strong statement that my friends feel compelled to comment on. They look so good that they are the center of attention in my living room. In an iPod world, people wonder about your priorities, until they hear what these sound like. No other weaknesses noted.

This is a review of the VSM MX upgrade that I recently did for my VSM Millennium speakers. I bought the original VSM Millennium and got one of the first ones in 2000. I use these with Jud Barber's excellent OTL amps, and this is the setup that wins best of show all the time. I got the upgrade bug after a few years and decided to get the speakers to Merlin for a Super BAM, 6th toe, and VSM MX modification. For $1650 I have taken my set up to a whole new level. The VSM Millenniums are not shabby, and I have been very happy with them. But the MX is a major step up. The VSM MX mod reworks the crossover with cryo treatment, new parts and some proprietary Merlin magic. The Super Bam increases the impact of the BAM and requires reworking all the electronics and power circuitry. There is also some Cryo involved. The 6th toe adds another foot to the front so the triangle has two feet in the front instead of the back. If you have the Millennium, go for the upgrade. And if you are in the market for a pair of speakers, buy the Merlins with the auto grade finish. You won't be sorry and your wife will thank you.

Customer Service

As the process developed, I spoke to Bobby Palkovic about the benefits, arranged shipping, and Bobby stayed in touch with me every step of the way on the process. He coached me through the packing and shipping process, kept me apprised of the process on his end and any issues that came to his attention. He counseled me on some easy treaks and a future upgrade path for the balance of my system to equal his prize-winning show set up. He even threw in a couple of surprises when he shipped them back.

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The Merlins are my third set of audiophile grade speakers in the last 25 years. I have resisted the urge to upgrade often, but stopped here after B&W Matrix 804s most recently and KEF 101s years ago. I had Fried Model R's and Advents before that. I have flirted with other high end setups and seriously auditioned the Audio Physics, Verity Parsifal Encores and Wilson Watt Puppies. I have also spent some time with the Avant Guard DUO's in someboby's else's home. All these speakers sound great, but I am so glad I stuck with my Merlins, particularly after the MX upgrade. They do it all, and they do it all well, but are most inexpensive speaker of their peer group, which include the Parsifals and the Watt/Puppies, often by several thousand dollars. If there were a rating higher than 5 stars, the Merlin VSM MX would be on the short list for it.