How well do you know your merlins?

Not only do you need to get the source right - you need to get the source
material right. I still feel that, with really good source material, the current
VSM is the best I've heard. Unfortunately, the speaker has also revealed just
how much poorly recorded music I own.

I recently added a QSonix server to my system. With 7,000 tracks (so far)
available via touch screen - I find myself bouncing around my collection much
more frequently than before. (I'm pretty sure that most listeners will fall into
this mode when they first set up a server like this). The net effect is that you
hear different recording technique from track to track. Via the Merlins, the
good ones just jump out at you.

For comparison's sake, I just subbed my Verity Parsifal Encores back into the
system. On one hand, there is an "homogenation" -if that's a
word - in that the track to track differences are not nearly as apparent via the
P/Es. OTOH, a lot of the crappy recordings in my collection are harder to take
on the VSMs. I guess it's a bit of "pick your poison", but there's
little doubt to me that the Merlins are amazing - and amazingly revealing -
loudspeakers.

Marty

marty,
what cables? power cords and electronics? any power conditioners?
i find them revealing but not critical in this manner.
perhaps a more middle of the road approach would make them seem a little more forgiving.
with a lot of gear i have on hand they play poor recordings in a musical manner. but they sure are clear so i know what you mean.
best,
b

Hi Pedrillo: What tweaks did you do?

Bobby,

I'm rotating 4 different amps - ss, kt88/kt66/el 34, 6550, and 211/845 SET with Hovland cables. A bit different sound with each amp (or even each tube in the same amp), but pretty consistent results. The other speaker that I've found this phenomenon with is the original Quad. Part of it is me, I'm sure, but the other part is poor recordings.

For instance, I've always loved the Impulse RVGs and wondered about those who found them thin sounding. I still love the recordings, but I get the criticism. I just hear a lot more through the VSMs - for better and worse. Also, I really love Todd Rundgren - he's probably my favorite songwriter of the last 50 years. His records are generally awful sounding - and the VSMs show that plainly. It's a bit less obvious on the Verities and less obvious still on the S/F Cremonas.

You should understand that my criticism is of the recordings, NOT the reproduction through the VSMs. The other side of the coin is that my best records sound better through the VSMs. I just need to learn to love better sounding records.

Marty

Donaudio,
My tweeks are displayed in my virtual system.
The last tweek I performed which I have not posted any pictures of yet is having installed acoustical foam to the side walls of my merlins. I may be looking for a different sound though? When I posted earlier here on gon that I suspended my merlins from the ceiling no one chimed in to say it worked for them as well, so either no one has done it before or it didn't work.
To me it makes sense to decouple the speaker from the room. In fact I think it would be an interesting manufacturing feat. Everyone has a different listening room, from floor to dimensions to furniture there are no two rooms that will be alike. So if a speaker is designed suspended that can be one consistency from drawing board to actual application. But how many nuts I mean audiophiles will be willing to do that or get their wife to agree? But then if thousands are spent for the sake of getting life-like sound there must be some willing to go the extra step. I wanted to post earlier this concept to the forum and probably will now that I am so content with my efforts. The merlins are total killers, thank you Bobby!!