Merlin Owners - Opinions?

I've been reading so much about the Merlin/OTL combinations that I'm feeling the NEED to hear it. Does anyone in Northern California run this combination? Or even the Merlins with a different type of amp? If so, and you don't mind me coming over for a listen, I'd appreciate it if you contacted me directly.
Thank you so much.
Howard

hi howard,
the vsm ms are great but if someone contacts you with the opportunity to hear the mm or mxs, that would be better yet.
regards,
b

The VSM should work fine in your room. I'm currently using VSM-M's in a room that's a tad smaller than your's. Their top end is exemplary and the mid range has electrostatic clarity. Compared to other fast detailed speakers I've owned in recent years (e.g., Martin Logan requests, aerius i's, Dunlavy, Khorus, 10Ts), the VSM's are brighter, but their top end is so refined I've never found them to be fatiguing, etched or hard.

At the same time, as with other revealing speakers, the VSM's won't smooth over bad recordings. Still, I've found bad recordings tend to be more listenable through VSM's than, say, Martin Logans.

Another characteristic I've noticed of fast detailed speakers is that they can sound a bit lean compared to "warmer" or "lusher" speakers that suffer from driver overhang and extraneous overtones. The VSM's are no exception - depending on gear, they can sound a bit lean. A bit of a trade-off and matter of taste. Some like their music more meaty at the expense of some detail loss. Nothing wrong with that. I happen to favor clarity.

I guess what I'm getting at is you should probably try to audition the VSMs if you can (then again, I haven't talked to anyone who didn't like the sound of the VSM's). The VSM-MX and MM purportedly have a somewhat fuller sound and the VSM-M, though I haven't heard those models and can't confirm. I'm currently using an Aloia PST 11.01 inductive preamp which has a cogent midrange with good presence and makes the VSM-M's sound satisfyingly full (at least in my system with Cary V12 and ECD1).

I would also suggest contacting Bobby for any questions and recommendations. He knows the speaker line better than anyone. And I've found him to be very responsive, knowledgeable and supportive.

I have not heard the TSM's, just an owner of the VSM-SE, VSM-M, and soon the VSM-MM. Djjd has expressed very well my experience. Case in point: I had a Sonic Frontier Line 2 SE preamp and found that with the Merlins, the sound was, I suppose, "lean". To incorrectly compensate for this, I bought a REL Storm III subwoofer, EVEN THOUGH the Merlins with the SF preamp went strong to 30 Hz. I decided after a couple of months to go with the many suggestions of a Joule preamp (LA 100 MKIII) and a different speaker emerged. I sold my REL and SF preamp. This is one highly resolving, musical speaker.

Long story short and to directly answer your question about room size - no, your room is OK especially as Bobby suggests that the speakers be no more than 7' apart. In addition, as there is nothing boomy about this speakers' bass, it will not "overpower" your room as other speakers could.

david's post is a very good one because it is totally indicative of how resolving the speakers are and the effects of the ancillaries tonal balance on the sound of the system. i have said for many years that the speakers have a full extended sound but if you use wires or amps that sound lean, that is the way the system will sound. the speakers use many forms of damping to remove distortion and resonance. that being said they have a minimum of their own color. using them with equipment that offers a neutral tonal balance will get the most out of them as david has found.
b@m