Merlin VSM-M or VSM-MX vs. Kharma CRM3.2 series

Hi Daveyf,
Ok, here I go.
I think that you really enjoy music and your system but you feel that live unamplified music is quite superior. You then asked me if I was disappointed with my work/product as a musician.
I think that most musicians like to hear a centered presentation that allows them to hear if their instrument is in tune. It must be uniform, resolved and accurate in timbre and lack dynamic compression. I think that most music enthusiasts like a focused, wide and deep soundstage. They want the presentation to be transparent and tonally rich, extended and dynamic as hell. IMHO and what I strive for in my designs is a sense of accuracy that is a balance between the two and not loaded to either extreme. The two offer a substantial difference in perspective and image density and while I enjoy both extremes I like to hear a presentation that does as much right as possible. IMHO, having one or two incredible characteristics at the expense of others does not offer a balanced product or presentation.
I spoke to a man yesterday that rebuilds and restores saxaphones. He has a Tenor amp and two expensive and famous pairs of speakers. After the work is completed on an instrument, a recording is made and played back through his system. He felt that one of his pairs of speakers was tonally challanged and that the other compressed perspective through the mid band altering the character and dynamics of the sound. This is a perfect example of a musician having trouble with his equipment because his recording does not sound as good as the sax sounds live.
I think that are a number of designs and system combinations that can present a more live and believable presentation. I think that Daveyf may ultimately never find one that thrills him in the same manner but he can find one that gets him perhaps, a lot closer.
Am I happy with my work? Absolutely! I've been working on the VSM project for ten years.
Regards,
Bobby

Bobby brings up some intresting points in his reply. As a former musician (drummer) as well as an audiophile, I've looked to build a system with components that do more "right" than "wrong" in my search for the absolute sound. It is this fine line that the VSM M speaker walks so well IMO.

This balance between what a musician "hears" and what an audiophile "craves" for is the designer product we know as the VSM speaker. It has been and continues to be an evolution and refinement of design by Bobby. 10+ years of development that has evolved argueably into one of the finest speakers in our hobby.

The VSM has gotten me a lot closer to this thrill than many other speakers. That's why I get a bit peeved when I hear a dealer say "Most of us who have heard the Kharma's and the Merlin's would say the opposite". What BS! Opinions are opinions. We all got'em. They ain't the facts, they are just opinions formulated on multiple factors; our experiences, preferences, compromises, likes and dislikes.

I trust my ears and my experience both as a former musician and a 35+ year audiophile to make my own judjements as to what brings me closer to the absolute sound. I don't need a panel of self-appointed expert(s) to reach that or any other conclusion.

Panorama,I wouldn't sell my Kharma C1.0 if i like it.
As i said that they are fatiguing for MY EARS,not yours or others. If you like them,i'm happy for you.

I haven't heard the Rockport TT.
The price tag for $73,500 and A+ review could be 99.99% great sound,but not 100%.

I never get upset when someone didn't like their components which were coincidently I own or love. I respect their taste.

No hard felling please !!

I cannot comment on the Kharma as i do not own them, but I can comment on the merlin vsm m and bobby so I will. He is a musician and I have had the opportunity to have many interactions with equipment and musicians like Bobby. (Ihave worked in professional music studios and also a few retail hifi stores.) The merlins are not perfect-what is outside of my wife-but they are close for the money. They are accurate and fair, and I only wish that some of the other speaker companies I have dealt with have guy like Bobby in charge.

There are many good products out there-the kharmas are one to be sure-but there are not many guys like Bobby out there;, honest, intelligent and dedicated to the music. We would all be more fortunate if we could have more of him, not less.

I thought we were comparing the Kharma 3.2 focal or diamond which in my opinion is levels above Ceramique 1.0. Do you think the 3.2 is on par with the 1.0? Your statement says Kharma's are fatiguing. You cannot say by hearing one model they all are the same. Think about it.