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Merlin VSM MXr vs Thiel 2.4 vs Dynaudio C1

Hi, I got a lot of good recommendations from viewers of my other thread "Best speaker under $3K". I wonder if I stretch my budget to around $4K- used, what would be the choice?

A few people mentioned the Dynaudio Confidence C1, Merlin, Thiel, etc. Anyone have experience with these fine speakers? How would you differ them?

FYI, I listen to a variety of musics - orchestra, chamber, vocals(female and male), jazz, pop songs,etc and prefer natural, accurate, musical sound with smooth treble and good bass as well as excellent sound stage and imaging.

I had experience listening the Vandersteen 5A and was very impressed by the dynamics and details it rendered. But it's way beyond my reach.

Realistically, I would consider the few candidates mentioned above and maybe the Reference 3A Veneer. My listening room is about 13 x 15 x 9.

Thanks for your help.
r0817
mechans
3,048 posts
 
Your amp counts in this question. The Theils are notoriously power hungry, followed by the Dynaudio then much less power is needed to drive the Merlins which are relatively tube friendly. What are you planning to use for power? Tube or SS and how many wpc as a start?
xti16
1,525 posts
 
I haven't heard the Merlin's or Thiel's but as a Dyn C1 owner all I can say the C1's are a great speaker for the type of music you listen to. Very natural and smooth (some may say a little laid back). Also as Mechans stated the amp is also part of the equation. I had a Bryston B100SST rated at 180 w/ch into 4 ohms which I thought sounded pretty darn good. Then I demoed an Octave V70SE tube integrated (in my home) rated at 70 w/ch into 4 ohm. The Octave just destroyed the Bryston in every way. With the Octave I can roll tubes to change the sound without having to buy new electronics or cables :).

Another speaker you may want to consider would be the Sonus Faber Creamora Auditor M. But at the same MSRP the Dyn C1's sounded much better to ME.

Good luck
rhmmmm
25 posts
 
I have had the Dynaudio C1's for the past two and a half years and really love them. Previously I had the Contour S3.4's and enjoyed them very much which was my impetus for upgrading - I wanted more of the same, which I feel I got in the C1's. I drove the S3.4's and the C1's with a Krell 400xi, which was an excellent value for the price. I felt it hands-down beat the McIntosh MA6900 driving these particular speakers and I demoed both amps side-by-side. It was no contest.

Recently, I upgraded to a setup similar to Xti16's with the Octave V70SE and the combo is everything he says it is - I couldn't be happier! If you're interested in Dynaudio, check out the "Dynaudio Owner's Thread" on avsforums.com for a ton of information on those speakers (just Bing/Google it). A few others there have the Octave/Dynaudio combo and love it.

OP, the speakers you mention are all great but system synergy (with amp and source) are key. I'm sure the McIntosh amp sounds great with others (I've seen them paired with B&W a lot). You probably just want an answer, but everyone's ears and taste is different. If possible, you should demo them all (ask the dealer to swap the amps, so you can try different ones) to really find out what sounds good to *you* and then you won't be disappointed!
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