Excerpts From Issue 13 (May/June 2004)

                                                               POSITIVE FEEDBACK ONLINE - ISSUE 13

HE 2004 Highlights
by Mark Katz

The Merlin speakers are a product of perpetual refinement and always worthwhile to check out. This year the VSM MX ($10K) played with Joule Electra VZM 100 Mark IV amps ($18K), LA 150 preamp ($5K), Audio Aero Capitole II $8.7K with Walker Valid points and JPS Illuminata cables and power cords, rounded off with Equi-tech power filtering. The first day, it was merely very good. Apparently the BAM (bass augmentation module) used was not yet broken in. On later auditioning, with another BAM the Merlin room was superb—subtle, detailed, clear without edginess. This was heard across different recordings. Continual evolution has its advantages. When I asked Bobby Palkovic if the pricier MX eclipses the Merlin VSM MM, he answered with "it depends". Apparently the more revealing MX rewards the best electronics, but the MM would be a better match to anything less than top-notch equipment upstream.

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Art goes to Home Entertainment 2004, Part 3
by Art Shapiro

Another room that consistently impresses me is the Merlin system, with each year's version of the VSM (Very Scary Monitor) speakers. As has been consistent the last several shows, the VSMs were being powered by big Joule Electra monoblocks. Here's one of my few traditional straight-on photos of this fine system.

I've had the VSMs in my home for review, and have always liked the fact that these medium-sized speakers produce a surprisingly big and powerful sound—an asset in my book—and seem comfortable reproducing all forms of "serious" music that I've thrown their way. I have to share a contrarian viewpoint from reader Loren Frumker, who was walking around with me a couple of the several times I entered this room. Loren expressed the opinion that he has tried several times over the years to like the Merlins, and they just never have registered positively on him. He prefers speakers that offer a little more transparency. As Loren owns big Legacy Whispers, which are not conventional box speakers, I can understand and respect his sonic preferences. For myself, a "tonal accuracy" and "power" afficianado, this system is one I can sit back and enjoy for hours on end. I've actually toyed with the idea of ditching my big ESP Concert Grands for the VSMs, but I've gotten the ESPs sounding so good, after years of diddling, that now it probably won't happen. But I trust this shows how much I appreciate the Merlin sonics.