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Speakers free of grain, glare and steel?

$2,000 or less used/new speakers free of grain, glare and steel, but with detail, extension, imaging, and tonal accuracy and balance? Acoustic Zen Adagio, Merlin TSM MME. Gallo 3.1, Frafrotski SE? Most speakers are competent, some are outstanding, a few deliver magic. Which speakers are the most musical and easy to listen to, rising to the top of a crowded field given their price point, and the most "forgiving" of their associated components? Which have magic?
pmboyd
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,180 posts
 
Pm,

Let us know how the Merlins work out with the TAD Hibachi 125 monoblocks.

I suspect this should be a match made in heaven.

I know the TADs are working out extremely well with my little and fairly easy to drive (like the Merlin with RC I suspect) Triangle monitors, which is all I need out of them currently but I suspect they are capable of a lot more with bigger, more full range monitors or floor standers.

The TADs are also working out very well with my Stax sr80 electret headphones, which are pretty demanding in regards to amplification, much more so than my Triangles and I suspect perhaps more so even than the MErlins.
pmboyd OP
391 posts
 
I haven't ruled out the Ohm Walsh 2000s, but now I'll have to wait and see how the Merlins work out.
unsound
7,329 posts
 
Good luck, I hope you like them.
martykl
3,578 posts
 
I just responded to your other thread. Your comments there were enlightening. To paraphrase my response to them, I'm just about 100% confident that you will love the Merlin's strengths - they seem to be right up your alley. As to the tonal balance thru the presence region and top end (i.e. "glare"), it will be very interesting to see how these line up with your stated needs. It's really room and system dependent and, in the end, very much a matter of personal taste.

Either way, you have IMO ordered a wonderful speaker with some great, great capabilities.

Marty
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,180 posts
 
One thing I have observed with the TAD amps is that they seem to have a lot of zing and zest in the upper midrange and up into the higher frequencies, similar to what I have heard with what I would consider to be the better tube amps I have heard, like VAC for example, which are tube amps that I think more resemble good SS amps as well compared to some others.

The Triangle monitors tend to have these very revealing traits as well, but the TADs seem to bring it out more so than any prior amp I have used.

Many other more modestly priced tube amps I have heard are more "relaxed" or rounded and perhaps also less "detailed" in the upper frequencies.

LEt us know what you find once you get things set up. As I mentioned earlier, I suspect the results will be quite good indeed. It seems you have done a lot of good research into this so I suspect it should live up to expectations.
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