Merlin speakers a new start for me

trelja's point is well taken. the spectral balance/tonal balance is a function of the equipment, set up and room.
the vsm has been manufactured since 1994 and there are many versions. to date, there are thousands of pairs of these out in the field and as i said before, i have little or no control over how people use them or set them up. this speaker is a completely different design than most things on the market and because of that, their set up should not follow a preconceived path but the suggested one. it would also be wise to call me at the plant if you are having an issue to discuss the set up. if we give the speaker a chance to show what it can do, the problems may go away. this is simply not done by many people. i go through this every day.
b

Just want to clarify my earlier comments re : VSM SE

First, I really, really like the SE - I've used it for almost six years.

Second, the tonal balance/bass character which I characterized as "lean but highly damped" strikes me as a reasonable trade (though I understand that some listeners would disagree if they prioritize a warmer balance). By way of comparison, I 've also used Verity Parsifal Encores over roughly the same time period in a second home. The Verity's provide greater bass extension and mid-bass warmth, but offer less pitch definition through the lower octaves. Both are wonderful speakers which combine overall high quality performance with well integrated (though differently balanced) bass response. I 'm sure many people (like me) could happily live with either trade-off.

N.B. - The Verity's were roughly twice the cost of the Merlins.

Third, I've never heard the more recent Merlin designs in my system. My comments apply ONLY to the older VSM SE.

Good luck with the hunt!

Hi George Again!

To further expand on the mid bass hump that David Berry speaks of, I too am of that impression with the Montana's. Now this is not to say some might not prefer this, especially when listening to classic rock music. I have a buddy that has a pair of Montana ESP's and he too listens primarily to rock. I always notice the cabinet resonance in the mid bass when I listen to his speakers. Fortunately this doesn't bother him. His impression of my Milleniums is pretty muched summed up by you and your buddies, apparently less bass (lean?) that is until I finally got the cabling right and added several pair of tube traps in my quite uncooperative room. He isn't saying they lack bass these days although he still prefers his Montanas in the bass. Of course from the mids up there is no comparison as we both agree. When I added a second Berning (a temporary situation unfortunately) what became readily apparent was how much air these speakers are capable of moving. What is always interesting is the wide range of amplification that can be used but in my experience there is no substitute for plenty of power when the music calls for it, particularly large scale. I really enjoy listening to music through his system providing it is rock which is what it is balanced for.

Speakers are indeed a matter of tradeoffs. In a large room there may be other options besides the Merlins that are in their performance peer group, unfortunately, as noted, they will cost considerably more. I look forward to owning the MX in the future but find it difficult to believe that the top end of this speaker can be improved upon too much beyond what I am hearing at present, famous last words!

P.S. We both agree that the Merlins can and DO rock. One of his favorite cuts from Alan Parson always blows him away. The sense of space and dynamics not to mention the clearly defined bass line puts him in the groove.

I have a one of the later model SEs which I've been informed uses the MM cabinetry (not sure about the port tuning, also lacks the new MM wiring harness). I have absolutely no bass defiency that isn't the fault of my room. I know Bobby has said Merlins are forgiving of placement, but my experience has been exactly the oppposite. Moving my speakers a couple of inches yields significant changes (by ear and by decibel meter). But then again, my room is a very interesting arrangement.

If you like warmth, simply mate the Merlins with warm associated equipment (most of Bobby's recommended gear are warm and/or lush). If you like very warm, then perhpas the Merlins aren't for you.

Here's how much I like Merlins: I won't be selling this pair ever. When I finally get a dedicated listening room, I will purchase another VSM pair and use my current pair elsewhere.

woopadeedoo,
any late pair of ses that are made with the pan fiber enclosure also have the new port alignment in them. your pair could be upgraded to the mm easily. call the factory for the free sixth toe mod kit so that you can use the speakers with 2 toes on the front and one in the rear. this will be more stable for you and sound a lot better too.
what i meant about them being easy to place is that they are very uniform on and off axis so they present no complications in set up. and when something shows this amount of change with a slight change of position, it is very easy to know whether you are more correct or not.
happy holidays,
bobby