sstalwar, I use a Merlin TSM MMe with a Leben CS600 with Winged C SED 6l6GCs. I find it an amazing combination. not upgraded for more than years now :) |
Ok, I am pumped up...any Merlin MXe owner within 100 mile radius of Tampa? I will bring beer :) |
I'm not sure what "compatability" issues the Merlins might have, they had no issues with my CAT, Atma-sphere, Quicksilver, Music Reference, or Pass XA.5 amps - and the Ars Sonum integrated. It does seem that most, not all, Merlin users gravitate towards tube amps (low NFB, not much damping), and as those who have tried OTLs (yes, Joule, Atma-sphere)will attest, it is very difficult to beat a Class A, Triode, Transformless tube amp IF your speaker can be driven by them, the Merlins are driven wonderfully by OTLs, which to me permits a great speaker to be driven by IMHO by the very best type of tube amplifiers available - OTLs. That being said, the CAT JL2, Music Reference RM9SE, and Pass XA30.5 were not OTLs and the Merlins sounded fantastic with them. What they all have in common is they are all excellent amps and the Merlins do nothing to keep you from hearing that. I know nothing of the JM Labs, but a few show auditions, and they may or may not be world-class, and you may or may not prefer them to the Merlins, what I do know is that there are very few Merlin owners that do not love them, and that form the bedrock of further system upgrades. They are incredibly resolving, fast, and very well sorted adfter so many years of continuous improvements and refinement. They may not be the right speaker for everyone, and it is a "small" speaker, but there are those that love them. I can buy most any speaker (within reason), but it was the Merlins that stopped my search for speakers, they just sound right to me. |
Toetapfactor, thanks for your suggestion of Dynaudio C1. I will see if I can audition them locally.
Martykl, thanks for pointing out similarity between Quads and Merlins. I don't remember where but I read about this somewhere which made me look into Merlins in the first place.
Thanks all you guys and especially Bobbyapalkovic for his insight in Merlins.
I wonder if there are any audiophiles in Tampa/Orlando FL area or a Merlin dealer with MXe on floor who might be willing to let me audition them. I definitely want to listen to them before I finalize. |
you know marty, i never thought of it that way. :-)
when people ask me about cable i always recommend small gauge copper/litz preferably and amps with low damping and feedback for my taste. most people that have asked are not offended by the cost of the items i suggested.
however many times i have recommended copper monster cables and low cost amps like prima luna and rega etc.
not everyone owns a heavy hitter system or can afford it.
i'll keep what you mentioned in mind.
thanks, b@m |
FWIW, I've always thought that the Merlins sound a fair bit like (classic) Quads (don't know the 989), except more dynamic and with more extended bass. OTOH, all the Focal Utopias that I've heard (again, don't specifically know the Minis) lean toward the more typically audiophile response profile - a little extra oomph in the mid-bass and some offsetting punch in the presence region. Overall, both speakers sound nicely balanced to my ear, but pretty different from each other. Nothing wrong with the Focals, but if you're only losing the Quads due to space considerations, you might want to think Merlin.
Marty
PS There is more than a little irony to the "Merlins only work with (fill in the blank) amps, cables, etc." claim. I've used mine successfully with a huge variety of amps from Cary 300Bs, to Cary 845s, to ARC VT130se, to Krell KSA 50s (SS), to TAD Hibachi (SS), to Prima Luna 6 monos, to Pancor Dyna Reissue, etc, etc. All work very, very well...although they do sound different one to the next. I'm not sure which I liked the best, so I'm hardly gonna say which you'll prefer.
The irony? Bobby's own very enthusiastic proclamations have created a bit of a cultlike following for certain system matches, so the Merlin users tend to flock that way. Although they mate nicely with a LOT of different stuff, the "only works with" label is largely of Bobby's own (inadvertant) making. |
Sstalwar...IMO, the Micro BE would be a better step up and of course the new UtopiaIII if wanting to stay in the Focal family.If it were my money I would addition the Dynaudio C1.At 4 grand on the used market there is no way you can compare the mini utopia to it on any level.Add a sub and your done.Pesonally I think the tweeter on the mini sucks especially when compared to the Esotar2.Just my take on it.Let us know what you do |
testpilot,
i thought about this for a few days before i made my response.
imho, the merlin vsm is a critically designed speaker system with a very flat amplitude, flat impedance, high resolution and low distortion. with the e versions especially, they are as friendly to ss and tubes as they can be. the mme for ss and leaner tubes and the mxe for tonally flush tube systems, which i prefer. these pieces tend to have less feedback and lower damping both of which the vsm does not need (this is very important). a thoroughbred is a specialized design. it will work better with ancillaries that they are designed to work with. trying to make them work with other items that do not share their design goals may be not the approach to take. this is not a matter of synergy but more of neutral embellishments because the resolution of the vsm is very high. the items you mentioned are wonderful but we have people all over the world using the likes of rega amps, sugden, the stingray and cary integrateds with fantastic results. so i do not share your feelings on this point. after all you wouldn't buy a ferrari and use 88 octane fuel in it and $30 tires on each corner. if you did you would never appreciate the fine engineering that went into it.
yes there are items that are less critical and can be used with a wider selection of ancillaries but then again, they "may" not have absolute potential of a more specialized design. and this will depend on the taste of the listener because there is not one design that can make everyone happy.
i just wish you had owned the mme because it would have been much more to your liking.
merlin resale prices right now are poor as most items are due to the economic times. remember too that we have made thousands of pairs of these speakers and many have been pre owned and upgraded many times. also the resale price is a function of what they were paid for new. and no one has ever paid full retail for them. many pairs have been sold direct and at a discount to the end user. it is just a different way to market and a way that the industry is moving towards.
thank you,
bobby at merlin |
Toetapfactor, I have owned the original line all the way up to Grand Utopia speakers and I suppose I have fairly good experience with their overall character. I have had moments when I thought they were ordinary (mainly in the bass area). Proper placement is the biggest key in my opinion. I have made them sing..or lets say they made me sing everytime. They are not without flaws though eg, grand Utopia just needs a very big space away from all the walls and still can feel not so tight (?congested) in base region. On the other hand there is a lot to love for in Micro and Mini Utopia monitors (midrange, highs, presence, imaging...). They are not the ultimate in base but to my ears they are very musical. BTW, with proper placement my mini Utopia can easily go down to 40Hz and I feel the punch. I guess I am looking to experiment different "brand" sound for a change, so feel free to make a suggestion. |
"that blow those mini yucks out of the water let us know!!!!"
Wow! You must have gotten really hurt. Did Frenchy break your heart? - LOL |
I owned the Minis for well over a year and never could get them to sound even close to good..Tried Pass labs 150.5/McIntosh 402 as well as numerous tube amps including AR/Cary/Wavac( paired up with a couple different subs) Loaned them to a buddy and he came up with the same results.Ive never heard the Merlins but they have to be better than those Focal minis,IMO..If you decide to open the thread up for speaker recommendations that blow those mini yucks out of the water let us know!!!! |
Stanwal, the Minis are first generation Utopias. Beryllium tweeters came with the second. I've often wondered if would be feasible to swap out the older generation components (tweeters, drivers and crossover) for current Focal SOTA. |
I am using SS with mine, either Musical Fidelity NuVista M3 [300 watts] or Meridian 605s [150 watts]. Both work well. Mine have the Titanium tweeters, did they make a Beryllium tweeter version? The ones I have do not lack anything in the highs for me. |
I've been using my Minis with a Mystere ia21 integrated amp with 50 watts and love the sound. Very robust and dynamic. I've used both the Mac MA2275 tubed integrated and the Mystere and have found tubes to be great with the minis, or at least the tubes I've tried. |
Sstalwar, I've always used tubes with the Minis. Currently, I'm using a 25W/ch integrated. It actually sounds more dynamic and performs better at the frequency extremes than a 70w/ch amp that I was using. I guess it should since it's significantly more expensive than any amp/preamp combo that I've used. Like you, I listen to mostly jazz and classical but I'm not trying to reproduce anything near concert level volumes. |
Phaelon, I liked OTL with Quad 989s. I definitely agree with your assesment about Mini and would not use it with mini. I use Krells with my mini. Curious though, anybody using mini/micro with tube gear with success? I loved original micro (best imaging with lots of air around instrumments..). |
I own the Mini and would not suggest an OTL. The Mini's impedance gets pretty wild below 100 hz. |
I have McIntosh gear and they sound terrific. So much for that assessment. |
Ive owned the Micro Be (sorry, not the Mini, I know) and the Merlin VSM-MM. Without question, I would recommend the Micro Be speakers. My biggest gripe with the Merlins is that they only work with a few companys pres and amps to sound good. Take a look at most Merlin owners systems; they are all the same i.e. Joule Pre, Joule or Atma Sphere amps, plus Au24 or Cardas cables. The Micro Be sound good with both tubes and SS and can be matched with a lot of high quality equipment, unlike the Merlins. The Utopia line of speakers are also works of art and built like a tank. Resale on the Micro is also good, unlike the Merlins. |
