rec.audio.high-end excerpts
Hi-Fi 98

"Leaving the Lamm/Artemis room while pondering the surprising difference between the solid state and tubed amps, I had the pleasure of encountering the Merlin room, hosted of course by the indomitable Bobby Palkovic.  If you've never met Bobby, rest assured that he will talk about his speakers for as long as you're willing to listen to him.  That makes the Merlin room always a neat place to kick back for a few minutes.  A new version of the VSM (does that *really* mean "Very Scary Monitor", Bobby?) termed the VSM-SE was being shown, along with the BAM - Bass Augmentation Module, a low end boost and phase management box.  The front end incorporated Resolution digital gear; attractive Blue Circle electronics once again fed the Merlins, with I believe Cardas Golden Cross cabling.  The SE was said to be superior to the normal VSM due to a number of changes: Cardas binding posts, better use of adhesives in the cabinet-making process, and a better uniformity of woofer due to the factory, not Merlin, applying a proprietary coating layer.  Additionally, the power supply in the BAM has been beefed up.  The SE was gleaming in an attractive polyurethane finish."

"The system showed itself in fine fashion, as one would expect.  It was a particularly fast, clean-sounding room which conveyed orchestral power and impact well.   I did not choose to ask that any of my CDs be played, as the selection of music was fine.  We particularly enjoyed some of the more animated fortissimos in a Reference Recordings release of A Night on Bald Mountain, war-horse or not.  The VSMs are small enough to be at home in a modestly sized room, yet strike me as powerful enough to perform capably in a much larger environment.  The electronics in this room were no slouch and certainly an asset to the attractive sonics; furthermore, it's rather obvious that Bobby knows how to voice a speaker for a correct tonal balance.  A nice room!"

- Arthur LeGrand Shapiro, Posted 6/19/98  

"The Merlin VSM SE speakers with the BAM and its updated power supply, Blue Circle BC 3000 tubed preamp and 2 Hybrid BC6 25 watt amps, a Resolution Audio CD50 was playing the new Reference Recording CD "Mephisto & Co.". This is RR's Halloween themed recording of classical pieces, like a modern RCA's Witches' Brew. The speakers were remarkable for fit & finish, and had changes to the woofer from last year's model. As in last year's show, they had excellent imaging, revealed layers of musical information, but didn't move a great deal of air or dig deep into the low bass. They did convey the essence of the performance with appropriate timbres and rhythm. The lack of low bass and air movement might have helped them work so well in a moderately small space. This could be an advantage to people with smaller listening areas who want the music, but can't support deep bass. A subwoofer to deal with the issue of the lack of that last 10 -15 Hz is planned for next CES."

- Mark L. Katz, Posted 6/15/98