I have owned the Merlin VSM-SE (w/BAM) for about one year. They were to serve as monitors in my home recording studio, but I like them so much that I now use them in a room where I relax and listen to music, rather than make my own. In addition to Merlins, I own Proac 2.5s and Gershman RX-20 Avantguards. The Merlins are unsurpassed for accuracy and pinpoint soundstaging. The midrange and top end have a clarity which makes my other systems seem almost too laid back. My experience suggests that Merlins should be driven with a top-notch solid state amp, even though I own a fantastic OTL tube amp. The reason for this is that Merlins can seem a little bass-shy, and my Plinius SA-100 mk III compensates for this in a way that my tube amp cannot. The Esotar tweeter doesn't require the stark transparency of OTL tube design (IMHO) because it is so revealing itself. The Plinius marries well with those Esotars and then gives the Merlins a tight, substantial bottom end. If you want to stay with a tube amp/Merlin combo, "ImJerryS" within this forum highly recommends the use of a REL subwoofer, and I'm sure he's right. Once you've set up Merlins properly, it's hard to go back and listen to other speakers because Merlins are incredibly revealing. They are truly exceptional.

During the music playback, it seems like there is no speakers in the room.

Have not experience any.

Recently, I ordered the "T" package Millenium upgrade for my Merlin VSM-SE speakers. On this past Saturday, the delivery came. After I set it up, and have ran it for about 10 hours now, I would like to share my initial impressions I have on the upgrade.

First thing I would like to say is The Millenium upgrade made a very positive improvement to the standard VSM-SE. On the bass side, it is now becoming much more defined and extended. There are more of the "slam" in the playback, and some of the tracks I played, the bass response seems to have the subwoofer type of effect to it. This is for sure a nice improvement. On the overall playback, the improvement in
richness is very positive. Clearity gets another forward step, and the sound stage have more and better depth to it now than ever. Another interesting part that made a very positive impression is the layering. Instrument placements are much more easy to identify, and this made the music much more 3-D like. Some of the tracks I played, before the upgrade, there are some sections of the recording that is somewhat bright, but now the brightness have gone away, and the clearities still remain. Music in the room become fuller, and I can turn the volume up higher now without feeling being "pushed". The whole room is fill with music all over the place, this was not quite there before the upgrade either. Overall, this upgrade made the highs, mids, and bass areas a giant step forward. To sum it up. This is one "sweet" upgrade I have done to my system, and I am very happy that I did the upgrade.

For anyone that is interesting in the Merlin speakers, I would say for sure to check into the new Millennium, and for the cost of the upgrade, I think the exsiting VSM-SE owner should really consider it.

In the end, I would like to say that I am very impressed with the result, and I am also very happy to own a product that the company is willing to spent time to investigate and coming up with the upgrade kit like this.

Good listening.

Kevin.

Coherence, Natural tonal balance, Resolution, Soundstaging and Imaging, liveness and immediacy

None that I can detect

Here we go again. Well what is it about this speaker that everyone that owns it wants to tell the rest of the world how great it is? Damn, not another Merlin review, boy aren’t they an overbearing bunch. What got me interested? The Merlin’s just kept on popping up everywhere. They caught my attention. Descriptions about their sound seemed very consistent for the most part. Something that I don’t find often in Audiophilia Land. I got interested and started reading everything I could get my hands and eyes on. Of all the products I read about, the Merlin’s just kept coming up as a “must hear” product. So what do you do when there is no dealer anywhere close? Do you take the leap of faith and just buy it sound unheard?

Well not exactly. I’m a practical guy. I work hard for my money and am not about to throw it away at expensive products without looking at all the possibilities. Before I was willing to take a bath I thought I would at least try and find a pair on the used market. This way if the speakers weren’t to my liking I would at least be able to resell without losing too much. It is a funny thing how a product can be so well described that you just KNOW that it is what you are looking for. In reality you never know until you listen but I really felt that this was the real deal, the Holy Grail, my truth. This is the first time and probably the last I will ever do something like that again even though as it turned out it was one of the absolute best purchases I ever made audio or otherwise. More than that I would gladly pay the retail price or even more for these speakers knowing now how very special they are. And it keeps getting better.

I have owned the VSM-SE model with Battery Bam since late June of last year. I upgraded to the Millennium model approximately 2 months ago, which coincided with a new room to place them in. The first thing that struck me about these speakers when I first hooked them up is the clarity. Also the bass wasn't ’s as apparent as the NHT 2.5i’s they replaced. Another thing I was struck with was the natural tonality across the frequency spectrum. I was listening critically for anomalies in this all-important area. It is my experience that this is the one area where most speakers will lose their appeal over time. I wanted a speaker as accurate as possible without any obvious phase and tonal irregularities. What I wanted was a transducer to produce what is on the recording as accurately as possible. I wanted a system that would work well with a wide variety of components and that could be placed in a real living area without making it’s presence as some monument or glaring pachyderm. I wanted a speaker with a big sound not some small mini-monitor speaker that sounds great only in a closet. And most importantly I wanted a speaker that would transport me to the music without ever bringing attention to what it doing other than recreating music naturally. And I wanted a product that doesn’t specialize. I DO NOT just listen to vocals, jazz and acoustic music. I also listen to rock, blues and concert music from early Baroque to Modern and everything in between. All of this is a tall order and in reality I have never owned such a product and have really only heard a few, most of which would be too large for my space requirements. The reviewers and the show reports consistently told me the Merlin’s could do this. And boy let me tell you, do they!

I’m not too big on my speaker is better than yours is nor am I big on bashing other products even if I don’t like them. Realizing your own personal objective is much more important and encouraging others to realize theirs is much more satisfying. What I am going to say is that I have NEVER heard any speaker system do ALL that these speakers do at less than 10k. In addition their virtues appeal to me more than many much more expensive systems I have heard through the years. The ONLY thing they don’t do on a reference level is provide bone-crunching bass. They do however provide nimble quick and deep bass but it won’t rock the walls. This really is of little importance to me when listening to music. In order to provide that type of bass requires a cavernous room with non-parallel walls with high ceilings or the result is standing waves which drive me nuts. Most big bass sounds slow, never like it does live. I’m still waiting to hear it done right. If you listen to the 1812 Overture, Organ recitals and the like this type of bass may peak your interest. The Merlin’s sound is balanced across the board and it would take one hell of a quick driver to keep up the rest of what they do so well. So I’ll happily settle for the excellent bass performance they do give.

Now to get to the really good stuff. Like soundstaging and imaging. On a very good live recording with proper mic placement these speakers are capable of capturing the width and depth of the venue without ever bringing attention to themselves. And I’m talking about big images, fast, clear and on the best recordings a live quality that I have heard on very few occasions. Their speed or alacrity or whatever you want to call it is about as real time as it gets. The result of all these things, which this system does so effortlessly, is a closer connection to the music. Resolution is SOTA. There are ambient cues throughout the recording that most speakers will never spot on that these speakers resolve with ease. This adds to the realness and immediacy that you feel for the music. The only speaker I have heard to compare in this area are possibly Apogee’s and Martin Logan CLS’s although tonally the Merlin’s are much better than those two. They are neither rich nor thin sounding. They just honestly convey the information fed them. They are as coherent and seamless as an electrostatic. Yeah, sure they are. Well they are! Oh the possibilities they open up.

This is where I am with these speakers at this point in time. It took me a while to get here because I didn’t have the money to just go out and buy the level of components that a system like this requires to realize what I am currently hearing. I have struggled with them but in reality it was never the Merlin’s, it was everything in front of them. They work with SET’s, OTL, SS (with the proper wire harnessing on the Millennium model, but I’m not a ss guy so it is a moot point for me) from 20 watts to 250 watts. They are playing now in a fairly large L shaped room with a 25 watt OTL amp. Prior to that I was listening with a 100-watt tube amp.

Another very important point in considering these speakers beyond the absolute performance and value they offer is the company itself. I have dealt with many fine people in the hi-end industry. Especially the smaller manufacturers seem to thrive on satisfying their customer base. Bobby Palkovic is certainly no exception. He will go as far as necessary to help his customers realize the potential of his products. I have exchanged many e-mails and phone calls and he is ALWAYS accessible. It is so very special to have someone so committed to what he is doing to take this time. I personally believe in addition to the value offered by his products his attention to the needs of his customers is the reason Merlin will continue to grow in this competitive industry. In the long run there is no better advertising than word of mouth and I am here to spread the word.

A final comment. There is certainly no speaker for everyman and the Merlin’s won’t work for everyone. But anyone in the market for speakers up to 20K should be advised of this, you could easily spend that much without getting the across the board performance offered by the Merlin VSM-M. They optimize what is possible from a 2-way floor standing speaker. I can’t recommend them highly enough.

Room L-Shaped 16'X 18'X 10'; 8'X12'X 10'
Speakers are placed 40" from back wall, 6' apart and 5' from side walls. The room is quite open with egg crates behind the speakers on the wall.

Amplifier Transcendent T8 LN 25 watt OTL
Pre-Amplifer C.A.T. SL-1 Mk-1
Turntable SOTA Sapphire w Premier MMT Arm and various cartridges
CDP JVC 1050ZN Transport Bel Canto DAC-1
Speaker Cable MIT 770 Reference Series 2 Tube
Interconnects Harmonic Technology Truth-link throughout

Various genres of music were used to reach my conclusions. What was quite notable is how recordings I am familiar with revealed information that I was completely unaware of both spacially and so far as musical information. I am still discovering this on many old recordings. An ongoing rediscovery process.

Similar Products Used:

Vandersteen 2C's (owned), NHT 2.5i (owned), Listened to B&W 802N, Vandersteen 3A Signature, Wilson, Montana, Soliloquy; NHT 2.9

Superb build quality, the finest parts, small foot print

None...maybe black color is a little dull...but it is the finest quality black I have seen.

I have the VSM Generation 3 with a/c single-ended BAM soon to be upgraded to VSM standard w/millenium mods. The Gen 3 is by far the finest loudspeaker I have ever owned! The bass is solid, deep and well defined (w/the BAM), it is OK without but..... buy the BAM! Imaging is precise, dead center and life-sized, soundstaging is deep and holographic - sounds appear for the first time (like surround sound, but no processor) all around from recordings that I know extremely well. Overall sound is very natural and extended - close your eyes and transport yourself to the actual recording event! And Bobby from Merlin is a very passionate guy regarding his creations. I cannot comprehend what the upgrades will do sonically.....can it be better than this? We'll see!

Similar Products Used:

KEF, Meadowlark, Tyler, Proac, Audiophysic

Wonderfully rich and detailed and best of all...musical!

I worry when someone gets close to my speakers. I want to put a do not touch sign on them!

The Merlin VSM -SE has just received a radical (and I might add) wonderful new upgrade called the Millennium. Bobby Palkovic has a made a dramatic improvement to an already excellent speaker. For the cost of a modest pair of interconnects, Bobby took my speakers and gave them what he offhandedly described as a new brain. Basically, the electrical engineering was lost on me. I have the impression that the new elements somehow cleaned up tiny abnormalities in the signal that has palpable effects in the listening experience.
The speakers now deliver a tangible and present bass. On Miles Davis' Kinda Blue the bass is now so rich you can touch it. The high end seems more integrated (less forward?) with the music and there is a deeper richness in the mid-range (more reminiscent of my old, bass and highend-shy but beautifully voiced, Quad ESL 63s). The speakers also seem to sound louder with more overall impact. It is also safe to say that the soundstage seems significantly wider. Sometimes I used to feel that Merlins for all their gifts tended to be a little bright and a little to specific as to where the voice was coming from. Now I sense they are more musical more dynamic and dare I say, more perfect!
IMHO, if you have the cash, get the upgrade to the Millennium, if you don't, start saving your money. No other upgrade to any component I have has made even half the difference.

Steve

Similar Products Used:

Quad ESL 63

Completely transparent, open and highly detailed sound. small footprint. beautifully finished. phenomenal bass. lifelike imaging. stunning midrange. perfect timbre. sounds like live music.

soundstage width and height may improve with breakin

The Merlin VSM-SE is now available in a Millenium model. I recently received a pair in Merlin's Rubyheart Red, which approximates a light maroon automobile in color and glossiness.

The speakers arrive in a single carton and are obsessively packed with masking tape, plastic, and styrofoam, the better to preserve their stunning finish. The speakers sound good right out of the box and seem to improve quickly . The bass driver is tiny but because of the design and the bass augmentation module (BAM) the output is amazing in both quality and quantity.

The midrange is the best I have ever heard. The female vocalist sounds life-like and lovely, with no trace of nasality or honkiness.

The highs are smooth and open. The sound is not bright or speaker-like. It sounds live and transparent regardless of the volume level.

I am hearing details in familiar music that I never noticed before, and every change in setting, whether it is phase reversal, or adjustment in filament level or bias, or insertion or removal of a Black Diamond cone point set, is readily audible.

I am using the units with the Joule-Electra VZN 100 watt OTL tube amplifier, MK100 mk.III preamp, and Cardas Golden Cross cables. These are a perfect match for the Merlins and it shows. I have heard other owners complain of brightness, but nothing could be further from the truth with my system.

The Millenium upgrade uses improved Bulldog cones and a custom wiring harness inside the speaker which is said to be a large improvement; I have no point of reference between new and old.

Setup is simple, but somewhat tedious. It is worth it when you do it right though. Merlin provides detailed instructions and a setup protractor to make the process idiot proof. I noted that the speakers sound excellent when setup less than perfectly, and make your jaw drop when they are locked in. We sit on the couch across the room and your jaw drops in one seat, but it almost drops in each of the other positions on the couche.

To the credit of Merlin, it would have been easy to ship the product without the upgrade but Merlin is fair to its customers, and has shipped this upgrade to me on a pre-announcement basis. I probably would not have known the difference. Thanks, Bobby.

These speakers are not cheap. The units were almost $8,000 including the custom finish and shipping, and this is a big step up from the B&W, Thiel, and KEF of my previous experience. But when I hear the sound, and I see the smile on my wife's face, it seems like a bargain. Bill Clinton has almost turned her into a republican, and Bobby Palkovic has almost turned her into an audiophile!

If you have the right equipment, you need to hear the Merlins before you commit to anything else.

All best wishes.

Similar Products Used:

B&W Matrix 804; Thiel CS 1.5; KEF 101's

Close your eyes... listen to well recorded piece of piano music.... you will hear the sound of a LIVE piano in your listening room.... These are the BEST two-way speakers in the WORLD!!! At 6,000.00 for the pair, they are a bargain.

I am thinking...... oh yeah.... It would be nice to see what the Merlin sub will sound like when Bobby is finished designing it.

I get a big kick out of going into stereo salons, because invariably, the salesman tries to crush you under his heel. He tries to establish that he knows more than you do. In doing so, he can take control of the 'sale'. And he can lead you around... knock you when you speak... make you feel that he has all the answers....

I love it when they ask what my amp/pre amp combo is... when I tell them Audio Research (LS-8MkII, VT100MkII), they sorta backup a bit.

Then they try to attack my speakers.... hoping they can sell me a pair of better speakers... of course, they ask... "what are your speakers?"... when I say "Merlins", they are stumped. They don't know what to say....... because they have never heard of them....

In a way, I am glad they haven't heard of them.. I like knowing something they don't.....

Ten minutes later, the salesman has moved on.... and I overhear him telling his next customer about all of the benefits of an all-in-one BOSE system....

It is really fun to find a product such as the Merlin line of speakers. If you can get past the idea of spending as much on a system as some people spend on their cars.. and you really want to experience recorded audio at its finest... please seek out these speakers.... listen through tubed gear..... go home listen to your old gear... go back listen to the merlins... go home listen to your old gear.. go to the bank.. withdraw alll of your money... then go back to the dealer and order these speakers.... they are made to order... so, you have to wait... and if you can't wait for a speaker like this,,,,,, well... then... you are a turkey :)... take home the BOSE.

(written mostly in fun, but I am dead serious about these Merlins)

Similar Products Used:

Audio Physic Virgo, Dunlavy SC-III

Accuracy & Detail, Imaging, Soundstaging & Versatility w.r.t. all types of music.

None that I know off

I originally purchased the VSM-se in February 1998 and
had them upgraded to Millenium status in November 2000.

I spent the better part of 1998 discovering a variety of details in recordings that I thought I was already quite familiar with - talk about a revelation... Now with the
Millenium upgrade, this speaker gives a whole new meaning
to transparency and deep bass foundation; It's amazing
how something so good just got that much better and I'm
quite certain that changing from a regular BAM to a
battery BAM plays some part in this substantial improvement.
It's obvious that when you have this level of performance, any changes are that much more noticeable.

I've been quite fortunate to be able to audition a variety
of loudspeakers in my system as a result of working for
a manufacturer (Simaudio) and, I can honestly say that there's virtually no speaker anywhere near the price point
of the VSM-M (w/battery BAM) that even comes close to the
kind of performance I've been experiencing for the past
3 months.

If accuarcy and tranparency are your thing and you enjoy
all types of music, then this has to be the speaker for
you - No doubt about it! Even better, it works well with
both solid-state and tube amplification.

Buying a Merlin VSM-M allows you entry into a "special
club" reserved for, what I feel is, the most demanding
audiophile who really listens to music. A bonus to
"membership" in this "special club" is that you can
always get in touch with Bobby Palkovic; the man behind
this wonderful product and one of the REAL GOOD GUYS in
this industry.

I could say so much more, but I've kept it brief because
I believe that hearing is believing; Go audition this
speaker and you'll know what everyone here is talking
about.













Beware: A long break-in period (4-6 weeks of constant playing before these babies are fully optimized) but
very well worth the wait.

great imaging, soundstaging, and detail

None thus far

Review of Merlin’s VSM Millenniums
By
Joe

The Merlin VSM Millennium (VSM-M) represents a major improvement in the VSM line of speakers. I have been a long-time Merlin owner. I had the original VSM’s the Generation III’s, the VSM-Special Edition, and now the Millenniums. The change from the VSM-SE to the Millenniums may be the biggest step forward in the speaker’s progression.

While most people agree that the original VSM’s were lightening-fast and had tons of detail, some felt they needed more warmth and musicality. The current Millenniums sound far richer and more musical and have lots more detail than each of their predecessors. More information has been added to the total spectrum as the speakers have evolved from generation to generation. The improvements have come through parts-upgrades and exhaustive research that have created a blacker background, incredible imaging and more weight and solidity to the music.

I was very content with my VSM-SE’s and didn’t think they could be improved, but the new Millennium’s are much more liquid, richer, textured and detailed and are more cohesive and complete from top to bottom.

I’m a fan of great vocals, (Nat King Cole, Diana Krall, Sinatra, etc), the Millennium’s give a more palpable, better sense of realism to vocals and piano than any speaker I have heard, at any price. The speaker accurately reflects a recording--great recordings sound great—bad recordings sound bad.

One of the most important parts of the speaker-system is the BAM. It is far more than just a base-box. Of course it goes deeper, but it also adds significant low-level detail. This results in a wider, deeper more solid soundstage. The battery BAM fully optimizes this affect, giving you unbelievable mico-dynamics and placing voices and instruments exactly where they should be in both space and time.

Merlin is Bobby Palkovic. This is about one mans “Quest for Excellence”. No listening panels, no marketing gurus, no accountants screaming about parts-costs, this is one guy driven by his sense of how live music should sound and his obsession to reproduce it. It is refreshing to deal with someone who is more concerned with getting it right than meeting a marketing niche.

Why do so many people in the audio industry own Merlin’s, I believe it is because they share Bobby’s passion for recreating live music as accurately as possible. There is no one speaker that is right for every system, but if you have or want to build a great system, the Merlin VSM Millenniums are a must audition.

Similar Products Used:

Martin Logan, Thiel, Nearfield Pipedreams

Incredible detail, Extremely true to the recording

Finicky set-up, but worth the effort

I traded a pair of the new Maggie 3.6's for a pair of SE's and have never looked back. I could not enjoy listening to 90% of my rock/R&B/Alternative through the Maggies, even after extensive break-in. the bass response from a planar speaker is just horrific.
The Merlin's offer equal to or better mids and high's and the lower mids and bass are to die for. Thes speakers are so clear and accurate that you will never look for another speaker again..EVER!! At least until a new improved Merlin is designed...we'll probably just get a sub to go with the SE's which is what I'm waiting for.
The owner took the time to help me set-up the speakers in my listening room and his help really enhanced the sound. A truly top notch company to do buisness with. I cannot say enough great things about this speaker. I confess that I am using top of the line components up-stream and can't comment on what these speakers sound like with lower quality electronics.
You won't see these speakers reviewed in "Stereophile" because Merlin does not advertise in there magazine, hence no courtesy review. Do not let this keep you from auditioning these speakers... Phenominal!!!!!!