j, cable performance and sound quality is relative to the speakers and system used. therefore your present cables and their thin sound complemented the vr but does not the merlin. the fuller, muddy and slow sound as you call it, will be better suited to the merlin. get some to try first and by all means, be open minded because a great revelation may be at hand. and by the way, cardas sounds nothing like what you decribed. what is that telling you?
best, b
best, b