.....it may take some time to collect my thoughts on this question. As it covers almost a year of auditioning. First of all this time around I decided to shop for speakers and then find proper amplification for them. True I did want to go single ended but what I really wanted was one hell of a pair of speakers. I wanted a pair that not only could do visual displays but more importantly be able to convey music properly. Having a tonal balance from top to bottem. Well, at least I did want to be in the mid 30's. Most speakers do NOT do this. Most offer awesome imaging and a week midrange. Soundstaging that is immense but treble that is edtched. Speakers that cost 5 digits and yet use metal domes. I could go on and on. The speaker industry is a very crappy industry. With a lot of well reviewed speakers being flawed. I can name a few and so can many. Now at the speaker level I demand that a speaker be able to at least produce the frequencies and in between in which it is rated at. Many speakers have dips and peaks that are far from this. Now I don't mind coloration as all transducers offer a different color. However they do need to be able to reproduce the mid-bass and midrange and offer smooth treble. Integraing bass into the scheme of things. Very very few companies offer this. So I went out and decided that I would find the best pair of speakers that I could afford and offered a decent sensitivity so they could be powered by low powered amplifiers. Though I did listen to some of the less effecient speakers. However I did notice that the lower the impedance and the lower the sensitivity the more forced the sound was. Also the more sensitive the less forced the sound the less accurat for the most part. Trade-offs......well actually I can name a few speakers that offer little tradeoffs. Though this is not the industry standard. Also Jack I believe that I might have been the one that told you about the Avantguarde Buckinghams. As I remember telling you about them on AR and also telling you that they were not going to use the Altec 604 due to the fact that production of the 604 ceased. Then I remember that you commented that they could probaly be had for a good price. Yep, there were a few pairs floating around for $3600-3900. Hey, wait a minute a week or two later you bought a pair if memory serves me right.....heeheehee... So lets talk speakers.....let's make a list. Though it will be from memory so I am sure that I will leave a lot out. Heres the ones I can remember. Also these are brief descriptions and are all my opinions for those who may be ofended. Proac 2.5....box is tuned low which gives you a good low end and is a good marketing ploy for the US but the lower midrange suffers. Treble also isn't as smooth or clean sounding as other speakers in it's price range. Proac 3.8.....gets more right than that of the 2.5. As the upgraded tweeter proves to be smoother and more resolved. The midrange more precise due to the implementation of a second 18W/8545 woofer. Audio Physic Virgo....smooth ass treble, dissappears.....big deal as the midrange is veiled and wrong to my ear. A B it with any of the Praoc's above and it is very easy to hear this. Listen to it alone and it may fool you. Also these guys are extremly picky with what kind of gear is used with them. Is it because they are accurate or is it because they are flawed...this question is up for grabs. Von Schweikert VR4, 4.5, and 6's.......all good in a big room and excel in macrodynamics however they offer little to no finesse and I wish Von Schweikert would use soft domes. The VR6's do look good. Ares I and II.....the II is a sleeper. Made for those who love tubes and low powered ones at that. As they are easy to set up and are very giving and HIGHLY MUSICAL.......they are 90db effecient and have one of the flattest impedance curves i have seen. As I have been told that they are no more than 1/10 of an ohm minimal as opposed to their nominal rating. Maybe this is why the Cary CAD-300SE signatures had no problem driving them. They are rated down to 30hz, however they do roll of rather fast below 40hz and probaly boast usable bass down to around the mid thirties Wilson WATT/Puppy 5.1 and Witt II.....5.1 imaging junkies will love however they can be harsh, cold, are to bass heavy, and lack a true midrange. Just unplug the Puppies and listen........oh did I mention listener fatigue...even my 3.2's were hard to listen to for more than an hour. The 5.1 continues the tradition. Also I am told that the speaker measured down 5db from 200HZ and up....interesting lil' flaw for such an expensive beast. Also a speaker that will suck you in and after a week make you regret it. Just look at all those used pairs on the market. Meadowlark Shearwater and Heron......I like the Shearwter way better than the Heron....the Shearwatter offer value and loves tubes Thiel CS1.5, 2.3, 3.6....tinny bloated speakers that I really don't get as I can't get buy the sharp treble and bloated bass. Also they love power and hate tubes for the most part. So the brightness only gets worse! Sonus Faber Electa Amator II's, Concertino, and Grand Piano.....all highly musical. Though I liked the Concerto and Amator over the Pianos. Martin Logan Request, Aerius, SL3.....ummmm...transparent but lacking dynamics. Woofer also doesn't fully integrate with the panel on the Requests especially. As the panel is too accurate and fast for the coned woofer. Many will dissagree but listen to some fast hard transients over and over.... Odeon La Traviata and No.30......good hybrid. As the horn marries extremly well with the horn. Not the last word in accuracy however very open, spacious, and musical..they make you melt.... AvantGarde Uno......woofer doesn't integrate as well as the Odeons. As the treble and mids seem to flow free while the bass seems a tad forced. I like the Odeons much more. Thats about all I feel about writing for now. As I realize that I may be here for days. Other sspeakers include the Shakespear, whachever model their black tiled speakers are, Aerial 10T and 7B, Tannoy unsure of model, Spendor SP9, Avalon Avatar and Eclipse, B&W 801's amonst others, Dynaudio Confidence 3, Dunlavy SCIII, and IV, PSB Stratus Gold, Proac 2S, Montana can't remember models off hand Avantguarde Buckinghams.....Ok, my mind is fried. As I am forgetting some. I am sure I will remember others as soon as I post. IMHO the Merlins were the best. Well, unless I spet twice their price. They dissappear, are fast, offer finesse but not like that of a horn or a full range speaker, they are dynamic but lack when compaired to speakers that use bigger woofers. They offer much more than a wide deep soundstage as it is very layered..........Most importantly they are well balanced and natural sounding. As they go pretty low, not finding them bass shy at all. They also roll off gradually which is very welcome. Treble is smooth rightous. The midrange is perfect. As the most important thing that they do is reproduce the music part of music. Sure they offer all the visuals one could ask for like imaging and soundstaging. However thhey can actually produce the frequency spectrum in which they were intended to. All this and they love tubes. 8 Ohms nominal and 6.5 minimal. Sure they are only 89 db effecient which is low from a SET standpoint however my 25 watts is serving my needs and actually is more than enough. I know of a few people that are uing single digit power and I know and half talked with someone who is using a FI 2A3 amplifier. Noting that volume is the only limitation and he listens at moderate levels so he is happy. Very interesting as I have always wanted to own a 2A3. Jack I could go on but it is pointless. The Merlins are that good and while they are hyped they are far from being all over the place and unheard of by a lot of people. I will agree that the TSM may not be a SET fan as it may like pp's better. The VSM on the other hand loves tubes. Even the finicky OTL love em.
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