Home
AudioAsylum Trader
Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: Merlin Music Inc. VSM-MX Speakers by A.J.

General speaker questions for audio and home theater.

For Sale Ads

FAQ / News / Events

 

REVIEW: Merlin Music Inc. VSM-MX Speakers

80.58.9.235


[ Follow Ups ] Thread:  [ Display   All   Email ] [ Speaker Asylum ]
[ Alert Moderator ]

Model: VSM-MX
Category: Speakers
Suggested Retail Price: $9995 +/- various BAMs
Description: Newest of the VSM loudspeaker
Manufacturer URL: Merlin Music Inc.
Manufacturer URL: Merlin Music Inc.

Review by A.J. ( A ) on January 02, 2005 at 05:41:15
IP Address: 80.58.9.235
Add Your Review
for the VSM-MX


I'm sorry if this review is "yet another Merlin post" for many of you, but I wanted to write some things about these speakers that perhaps haven't been previously said by my antecessors. So I'll try to be informative but not in the "reviewers" way.

BACKGROUND: My system has been evolving in the last years and I come from "big speakers" into a midsized room, as were the SF Amati Homage I had before getting my first pair of Merlin VSM-M. I enjoyed the Amatis, but they didn't work in the new room after we moved to this place. A pity because without being perfect, those speakers were musically satisfying with most of the music I listen to, which is all kinds but new age, celtic and rap. Then the VSM-M were a much better match for this room, and later I learnt that also more neutral and truly transparent to the recorded music, without substracting a bit of fullness and warmth, which led me to a deeper musical satisfaction with everything I listen to. I want my system to be proficient with any kind of music I wish to throw at it, and I like detail and truth, but not an excess of analysis (something often misunderstood) which makes unlistenable a high percentage of my record collection. The VSM-M after changing electronics were able to give me that.
After almost one year living with the VSM-M (they were the studio black finish with BAM) and having read rave reviews about the upgraded MMs and MX, I contacted Bobby (I can't praise enough his outstanding customer care, honest advicing and patience) to know what could I expect upgrading to the MX's other than a nicer enclosure. The piano black MXs are wonderful and my wife loves them better than the studio blacks. Me too. So I ordered a new pair of piano black MXs, perhaps if they didn't sound better, at least they'd look nicer. I had to wait for several months to receive them. Good hand-made things take their time and for sure it's worth it.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Once I unpacked the speakers and set them up in the same place the Ms were, I felt underwhelmed. Well, this was going to take some time having equal or better sound than the properly burnt-in Ms gave. I told Bobby, and he adviced to try a different room positioning, also giving them some time. That "some time" was more than 250 hours. It's not that sound was bad or cold, or anything seriously flawed, but it lacked the "magic" the old Ms had, that sense of disappearing and leaving just music which comes from a phantom place in between, besides and behind the speakers. Perhaps the speakers were too revealing and I was now noticing things in my system that the Ms were forgiving. During that burn-in time, I tried, just for fun, some other amps. I had to recognize that a small tube integrated, made them sound more magic than my usual electronics, but still not up to "the thing". Maybe I'd need tube amplification.

THEY BLOSSOMED: Yes, it happened one night (my apologies to Holy Cole fans). I clearly remember that I was listening to one of my favourite recordings, for music and to demo systems, which is Eva Cassidy's Live at the Blues Alley, and I realized that the magic had returned, that everything was "in place". I've listened to that recording on dozens of systems and I know it from memory and by heart. I felt those goosebumps you get when things sound right and you can connect with the performer, the song and the "moment" happening when sound was recorded. I was missing that since the new MXs had arrived. Then I started to play CD after CD... it would be very long and irrelevant which ones I listened, but that night I went to sleep at 4 a.m.
The following day I wanted to check that things were really settled down, and that sound was as engaging at loud levels, which I couldn't try at night. They were. The speakers disappeared, sounded big, tuneful, balanced, detailed... well, they didn't sound, the music sounded. It doesn't matter how good or bad the recording is, engineer skills are irrelevant as is that the recording is mono or stereo, you play rock or an opera, you stay in the sweet spot or in another room, it's a live recording or a studio one. This is how they sound. I've tried other amps, other sources and cables in this time, and the babies "tell me" everything about the changes, some work, others don't. So beware of placing them perfectly right and matching them with neutral, clean, but natural sounding electronics.

CONCLUSSION: I don't know of other commercial speakers, at the VSM's price or higher, that are capable to convey the same balance of resolution, cleanliness, transparency, detail, lack or distortion, and precission, while keeping the music alive, relaxed and emmotionally appealing. They're not perfect, they don't have any bass below 30 Hz (and I don't care at all), they don't sound good with every amp or source, and you cannot use them with "flea powered" SET amps (I tried them too). But for my taste and requirements to enjoy music, they almost are, and I say almost because I know that perfection is not available from humans.


Product Weakness: Very demanding on the electronics quality, you'll need very neutral and "full sounding" devices, which are scarce and usually expensive. Lack of the bottom bass half octave, if you love organ and synthesized music, they won't fill that bottom line. You'll spend hours to place them correctly into the room for having the extreme balance and dimensionality of sound they can deliver. Nothing really serious depending on your taste and priorities.
Product Strengths: Neutrallity and transparence, believability, coherence, relaxed presentation of detail and spatial clues, highs extension and purity, bass control and body, "disappearing act", small footprint, nice looks with high WAF, friendly impedance/phase curve for tube and low powered amps, relatively easy room positioning (can be placed pretty close to back wall), outstanding customer support, and above all them, rightness: music sounds as it has to do whatever style you play, you get what is recorded, not more nor less.


Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier: Audiosynthesis Desire Decade (SS 185 wpc@8 Ohm)
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Joule Electra LA-150
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Theta Data II transport + Museatex Bidat DAC. Project RPM-9 TT with VdH The Frog cart and EAR 834P phono preamp.
Speakers: Merlin VSM-M, Sonus Faber Amati
Cables/Interconnects: Cardas Golden Reference (IC's, power cords and speakers)
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Jazz, Classical, Pop, Rock, Blues, Soul, Electronica...
Room Size (LxWxH): 24 x 12 x 8 1/2
Room Comments/Treatments: Long wall positioning. Decorative reflections absorption with cushions, floor carpet, etc.
Time Period/Length of Audition: 6 months
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): Dedicated power line from break box to Salicru voltage stabilizer 1000VA unit for 230V
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner




This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
  Schiit Audio  



Topic - REVIEW: Merlin Music Inc. VSM-MX Speakers - A.J. 05:41:15 01/2/05 ( 19)