Tenor Hybrid v. VTL MB-450 Sig.

Brian Welch, why the condescending attitude towards Jim? He is passionate in his belief that Brooks has his speaker but maybe hasn't realized its potential. There seems to have been a few assumptions made that I wasn't aware of until Brooks's last post. I have little doubt that Brooks has not realized the potential of his Merlins. I've owned the speakers for almost 4 years and am continually confounded by how damn good they are and how all important it is to focus on the synergy of the upstream components and ancilliaries. So far as bass goes, I really wonder how many of you guys realize what kind of bass these speakers are truly capable of in the right room?

Bobby P has one hell of a design here and the point I'm trying to make is that I'm not real sure that too many folks realize HOW special the VSM really is and the potential for an audio system of the highest order? Yes Brian Welch, it is about musical involvement. I know a guy with SoundLabs and he thinks the VSM is one of the top 5 speakers on the planet, go figure. I think the Soundlabs are one of the top 5 speakers on the planet unfortunately I don't have the room, inclination for a 200-250 watt tube amp or space, what are ya going to do?

This thread is amazing I love it!!

We have manufacturer's posting: 3+/-
TG audio/CTC engineering,
Merlin(btw Bobby we met a few years ago at Mario's place in White Plains- I still liked how that room sounded with the prototype JL2- that was my first experience with your speakers) and
Shunyata!

We have Brian the super cool guy from Essential Audio. I have never seen this much interest in a thread from so many people in the business.

On topic I am a Tenor fan, I feel they are possibly the finest amplifiers available, but clearly they are not for everybody for obvious reasons(price comes to mind). VTL's are great amplifier's as well, but not in the same league of performance as the Tenor's. There are a few questions you need to ask yourself before you jump in any one direction, how much are you willing to spend? It seems like it would be worth while to get your speaker upgraded if that is an option from Merlin. I spent a long day of listening with Bobby at Toys from the Attic a few years ago and was really impressed with what his speaker's are capable of- the tweaks and adjustments he made to the system all day were amazing(after 8 hours it sounded like a completely different system). I can understand why you like them and feel that it would be worth looking into upgrading them. If your still not satisfied and want to continue on down the upgrade path I would urge you to arrange an audition on the Tenor 150s hybrid dual mono amplifier. I have listened to the original 75watt otl's and the 300 hybrid mono's and what they do NO other amplifier can do better- transparency and resolution must be heard to be believed. If you are happy with your speakers and are looking for that last bit of performance the Tenor's would be the way to go- IMO and they would be able to power your speakers with aplomb(though I don't think that is a high priority for you). In any case the advice given to you on 1-16-04 from Grant at shunyata(aka Samuel) was the best advice I have heard in a long time- don't put a lot of stock in what any one says here, including me. Good luck with your voyage and please keep us up to date with what you decide.

Tubegroover, I didn't mean to sound condescending toward Jim2 nor to anyone else and apologize if I did. Truth be told, and Bobby knows it, I enjoy visiting his room at CES each year to play some tasty vinyl cuts...always fun... Some of my customers have Merlins, and they are treated with the utmost respect just as everyone else is...

Brian Walsh

I'm sure they are Brian, I was just surprised as it was coming from you who I hold in high regard in both your demeanor and taste. I just feel that Jim has received enough flack from everyone else, the point was well made prior to your post. Along with being a passionate Merlin owner he is also one hell of a great guy. Typed words without personal contact have a way of muddling things up a bit.

I think sometimes my words can have a little more bite to them than I intend. I am not much for BS and I try to call it as I see it. I think I remember being told I was wrong once. I don't recall exactly as I disregarded the comments.

I think this thread/string is a good example for people considering various components/opinions via the internet. Even those with a tremendous amount of experience in the hobby can offer opinions that don't entirely reflect what is so. That goes for experienced owners as well - me included. I must say that I have gotten pretty lucky with respect to equipment selection and what makes me happy. If there is any advice I can offer about selecting gear, or in this case - an amp, it's to try and spot trends of opinion from people you can discern have experience and similar tastes as yours. Would I ask Crump to recommend an amp for my use? Probably not. But he might be an ideal resource for someone else. And we're fortunate enough to have his experienced opinion. There are a few people whos opinion I consider a stone cold lock as it relates to my own perferences and tastes. And it is helpful to consider their opinions when wading through the chaff. That's my little nugget of pseudo-wisdom for the day.

Kevinkwann, you ask an interesting question. It reminds me of a conversation I had with Bobby around the time I heard about that 6th toe mod. As I recall, it was not based on rocket science but rather, "I wonder what would happen if we tried this today..." I suspect that sort of engineering accounts for much of the best gear in the industry today. I suppose it's the sort of thing that people with a passion for their product do. Whether or not it's commonplace for floorstanding speakers to have extra thick baffles the entire running length of the front, I am not certain. I don't build speakers or pretend to. I just know what I like. In any case, I am obliged to warn you of throngs of Merlin fanatics headed your way armed with slingshots and tubes. :)