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What amp should be used with merlin vsm's?

Maybe merlin owners can help me with this, I am looking for an amp to go with my merlins. Should I get a belles 150a hotrod or sim w5 or a b&k st140. Are there any other amps I should look at? Which of these can bring me the best sound? I would like to get joule's vzn100 but am not financially ready, but if there is a tube amp that costs less- something under $3500 used, I would consider it.
pedrillo
bhoage
112 posts
 
Tab110s, I know what you mean about it being smaller than you thought. I don't know if I didn't realize it was a little smaller than average or simply forgot between ordering and receiving it. Anyway, after more than a year I can say it looks fine to me, (I got used to the size), but as Pubul57 said, it certainly doesn't sound small. It's a great amp.

I'm sure you'll enjoy it
tabl10s's avatar
tabl10s
1,093 posts
 
Kyyuan
Thanks.
Bhoage
I loaned it to a friend who tried it on his PSB's and loved it. He wanted to use it on his Vandy Quatro's, but couldn't since the speaker filters need a pre-in/pre-out whcih the Ars doesn't provide.
Richard Vandersteen said I could modify the amp to make it work, but I know my limits.
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
Any Merlin SS amps users out there? What are your experiences? While I use two tube amps with the Merlins, I find the Pass/First Watt Aleph J works very well indeed, though frankly the Atma-sphere OTLs are at the top of my list after having tried many with the VSMs. Perhaps the Aleph J works well because it behaves a bit like OTL in having dropping wattage into dipping impedances (not a problem with Melrins), very low NFB, and tube like damping factor (2).
martykl
3,578 posts
 
For mostly logistical reasons, I switched out the Odyssey monos for the smaller chasis TAD ss monos. They are a happier match with the VSMs and probably the best ss match I've yet found. Still go back to tubes pretty frequently, though.

Marty
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
I don't know if it is the case with all speakers, but to my ears, the Merlins clearly and consistently show the superiority of tubes, no matter how good the SS. That being said I can live with the Pass gear. But at the end of the day, they're still not tubes. Just my personal preference, some may actually like SS better. But for me, Atma-sphere and Merlins are a world-class combination. Still, I would like to have an SS "back-up" or option and the best I've heard so far are the Alephs and the XA30.5.
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