Merlin Music Systems VSM-MX: $10,500/pair  "Strip away its exotic accoutrements," suggested MF, "like the automotive clear-coat finish and the metal inlay strips, and the VSM is your basic two-way vented box---a floor-standing mini-monitor." Outboard BAM bass equalizer, available in both single-ended and balanced configurations, applies 5.2dB boost at 35Hz. A chamber at the bottom of the cabinet is filled at the factory with 23lbs of sand, and, unusually, an outboard Zobel network consisting of a series Hovland capacitor and a resistor placed across the speaker terminals. Sound? MF: "What drew me in first was [the VSM's]  smooth, airy, graceful top end, delicate yet detailed. It sounded downright luxurious without being syrupy or unctuous." The VSM's retrieval of microdetails "was among the best I've ever heard from any speaker at any price." And with no glare or congestion. Dynamics? "It conveyed plenty of macrodynamic punch, though it didn't pack a really big wallop," decided MF. MF's auditioning of 2006 production samples continues the recommendation. The MX edition boasts improved floor coupling and stability, a revised port said to minimize turbulence, and new proprietary conductors for lower distortion and a cleaner, more organic sound. The speaker's Super BAM bass-enhancement module has also been upgraded to draw 20% more current from the battery pack. MF noted an added weight that gave the VSM-MX a greater sense of authority than earlier versions. (Vol.24 No.9, Vol.30 No.1 WWW)

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