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Merlin VSM-mm's a good value at $3000 used?

Hi,

Quick question. I am looking to spend about 3K used, and several people seem to be very happy with the Merlin floorstanding monitor VSM-mm. These are going used for about $3000. Would you say this is a good value at the used price? Preferred music is jazz, classical, and some modern, electronic jazz mixes (I love THE NECKS, for example). Room is about 11x18x10 (with some spillover into a larger room at the end). I would also have the option of a 14x24 room. Electronics TBD-whatever works best, as I have no issues swapping out my current gear with something more suited to the task. I guess the only thing that I am worried about is the lack of low-end: I would like to get a true full-range sound (although I don't listen to organ music, but would hate to partially lose the bass lines so prominent in jazz, which has happened with past monitors I have owned). Most of the speakers in this price range are 3 to 5 ways, so it seems hard to believe that a simple 2-way can reproduce the full-range of the larger speakers. Darn, I wish I had an audition, but there is nobody within a few hours of me here! Obviously there are lots of options for $3K used (Legacy Focus, Tyler Sig System, Audio Physic Virgo III) but it seems difficult to find a bad word about the Merlin's, with several people going through mulitple upgrades over time, as new models come out. Thanks for your help!
dawgcatching

Showing 3 responses by shadorne

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shadorne
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Most of the speakers in this price range are 3 to 5 ways, so it seems hard to believe that a simple 2-way can reproduce the full-range of the larger speakers.

I believe the 6.5" Scanspeak 8545 driver has a lin Xmax of +/6.5 mm. This is in the upper range for this size of driver. I'd take good quality bass sound before full range but not everyone would agree with that. Our ears are very sensitive to harmonic distortion in the bass. Fletcher-Munson egual loudness curves imply that 3rd order harmonic distortion from a 20 Hz fundamental needs to be below 1%, or over 38 dB down, in order that it is less loud than the 20 Hz fundamental!!! This is probably why reasonably priced full range speakers that are flat to 20Hz tend to produce "one note bass". (Low harmonic distortion in the extreme LF is fairly expensive and difficult to achieve)
shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
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Gregm and Swampwalker,

Sorry I was unclear.

Hearing sensitivity rises very rapdily from 20 Hz to 100 Hz. The slope is roughly 24 DB/Octave. This means a fundamental note at 20Hz and its third order (80 Hz) harmonic will sound equally loud when the third harmonic (80Hz) is played at 38 db lower level than the fundamental.

In practice this means that we are ultra sensitive to harmonic distortion from extreme LF notes...often the perception of bloated/boomy/one note bass is due to harmonic distortion. Speakers with apparently awesome bass output for their size usually exploit this distortion to good effect.....but it isn't music its just distortion!
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shadorne
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2nd and 3rd harmonic distortion will cause bass to sound overy full, ill-defined and in extreme cases, wooley, mushy or fuzzy. In the mid-bass/ mid-range mild distortion can sound “warm and full” but at higher distortion, it can sound like a guitar fuzz-tone sound. In tweeters it can sound grating or eeky.

Boomy-ness is more a factor of over pressurizing or “loading” up the room. Bass likes to couple to large flat surfaces ie: wall and floors and in doing so (depending upon the length of the surface verses the frequency) can result in as much as a 12dB gain for that frequency (standing wave) thus the one note bass effect.

Thx, bobby you explain it much better than me. "Overly Full, ill-defined, warm and full, wooley, mushy or fuzzy" is more what I meant with regard to harmonic distortion....I like Gregm's "bloated" too.... how about "Muddy" LOL.

The difficulty comes when some may say that a correct sounding bass with very little harmonic distortion is "overly tight, dry, anemic, lacking warmth, fatiguing, tiring or thin" sounding.

Therefore some consumers will prefer a distorted speaker over an accurate one. Go Figure! It ain't even close to accurate music reproduction...but it sounds pleasant and they prefer it and they don't lack for bass!!!

Typical speakers can have upwards of 10% harmonic distortion at ultra LF (when played at high but not excessive SPL's)...not yours of course.
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