GMA Callisto VS. Merlin TSM

Finally, I managed to get a pair of TSM-MM over Audiogon!

Well, I must say I love the workmanship and the sound.

They are extremely transparent, revealing, seamless, tonally right and, most importantly of all, musical.

What a pleasure when you can breathe every detail of the music and feel it to your bone!

They are also very sensitive for recording, equipment and positioning, and I will have to do many experiments to dig out every potential of them.

Thanks so much for all your opinions, suggestions and helps! Also special thanks to Bobby of Merlin for his pro-willingness to answer all my quetions and give a hand!

I have yet to get a chance to listen to GMA Callisto however I am so much hooked by Merlin TSM now.

Minbean, what are you driving them with?

he is an amp desiner jim.
his own gear.
bobby

Perhaps Minbean can give us some details regarding the specs of the amp he is using? Tube/SS, power, feedback, etc...

Hi, sorry for a delayed response.

The system I am driving merlin is described as follows from the front end;

CARTRIDGE : Ortofon SPU AE with tuned original brass stabilizer and spacer mounted on SME 3009 on Thorens TD-124, SME stock cable

PRE-PRE AMP : BB OPA27 base gain amplifier, 18 times voltage gain , 100 ohms and 600pF input loading

CABLE : low capacitance teflon silver cable

PHONO AMP : passive RC RIAA filters between 12AT7 cathode ground resistor load gain and cathode follower buffer amplifiers

LINE AMP : FET-bypolar solid state with cascode differential front end, full symmetric over positive and negative rail

POWER AMP : bypolar differential front end with J-FET base constant current source, MOS-FET (2SJ50/2SK135)rear end, full symmetric, full thermal conjuction of positive and negative rail active devices, 136000MF and 600W class transformer in the power supplier

SPEAKER CABLE : 12GA silver plated copper strands in teflon insulation single pole wire used in random spacing between the wires

ROOM : 166" X 94" X 280", medium level damping with carpet and furnitures

OTHER : zobel network, jumper cable and speaker positioning instruction from Merlin was carefully applied - worked really well!

REMARKS : It is extremely transparent/sensitive and very picky for recording. I am going to try different phono stages and cables to make it more forgiving for some situations I have to play lower-fi recordings.