Excerpt from the Hi-Fi '97 Show Report
Published July 1997

Down the hall and around the corner was Merlin Music Systems and Blue Circle Audio. They may have looked like the VSMs that Marc Mickelson reviewed in the May issue of SoundStage!, but they weren't. These were the brand-new VSM SE priced at $5,950. The SE sports a further improved crossover, some other enhancements, and most notably, the BAM (Bass Alignment Module). About a year ago I heard someone say, "Bobby Palkovic always seems to get great sound regardless of the circumstances." Despite being in a rather small room, the VSM SE was set up diagonally and sounded rich and full bodied with exceptional detail. Dynamics and bass extension were also very impressive.

Driving the VSM SE was Gilbert Yeung's new BC-6 amplifier. No one would believe that the Blue Circle Audio BC-6 was a 25 watt amplifier until Gilbert repeated it three times (I still don't know if they really believed him). And why was their any doubt? Because it had no problem powering the Merlins to wailing-high levels with great bass extension and solidity. The BC-6 stereo amp ($3,700) uses a similar topology to the 75 watt BC-2 monoblock amplifiers that sat quietly through this show (Todd Warnke has the BC-6 at his place right now for future SoundStage! review) . Both the BC-6 and BC-2 are single ended, class A designs that use tubes and solid state devices. Completing the room was the all tube BC-3 preamplifier with an EAD CD Player atop a Vibraplane (from Sounds of Silence). Blue Circle's new Power Line Pillows were used for power conditioning. All in all, an excellent room by Merlin and Blue Circle.

...Doug Schneider