Merlin vsm mme owners, Cardas cabling Question.

Juancgenao: The Cardas cables will provide precisely the not-so-subtle tone control element that the Merlins need. You'll be amazed.

It's the same speaker with some tweaks and TONS of marketing. Same basic cabinet, same woofer, same tweeter, same basic crossover design. To you it may sound way different but blindfold a dozen audiophiles and let them hear all 15 versions of your speaker and they'd be hard-pressed to hear much if any difference. I love your passion, though.

I followed Bobby's advice and bought Cardas Golden Cross speaker cables and interconnects and the Merlins did indeed sound way better; however, when I got a pair of Dunlavy SC-IV/A's and then switched from Cardas to Acoustic Zen it was actually startling. The speakers just got a whole lot quicker, more revealing and the soundstage improved by about 100 percent.

And, oh, by the way, John Dunlavy knew a little about speaker design. His speakers were among the best when it came to measured and perceived performance. He just wasn't the best at marketing his product, which were big and looked pretty ordinary -- not what many audiophiles who care about looks instead of performance are seeking. Good luck, Juancgenao.

For the record, I had all Cardas cables (Golden Cross and Neutral Reference) -- this was mandated at the time by Bobby and my dealer. The associated equipment consisted of a Levinson 37 transport, Levinson 360S processor, Audio Research LS25 and ARC VT100 (original and MKII versions) -- hardly mid-fi.

Bobby said the amp and preamp were the reasons my VSM SEs sounded mediocre and incoherent. He said they were definitely not the preamp and amp he would recommend for his speakers. That's kind of funny seeing that those particular ARC products have always been fairly highly regarded in the Audiogon community and beyond and are both pretty neutral.

So all I'm really pointing out is that if you decide to go with Merlin you launch yourself on a path that can easily result in replacing everything. If that's what makes you happy, by all means do it. But you might want to do yourself a favor and listen to a pair of, say, Totems -- at a fraction of the price. Or, better yet, find a pair of Dunlavy SC-II's and something like a REL Stadium III.

In the end, though, a lot of people have to spend a lot of money before they can accept that they didn't really have to spend all that much to get great sound.

Meanwhile, I, too, would like to hear what else Bobby recommends -- and how many times he recommends those choices vs. Joule and Cardas.

Robbob: No ax to grind at all. In fact, I've repeatedly praised Bobby for his passion and commitment to customers. Also, I really wanted to like my Merlins. His enthusiasm is contagious and he uses top-notch components.

Unfortunately, he made his best speakers in the early 1990s. The Merlin VSM represents a poor value. Also, note that Bobby failed to answer my question about Joule and Cardas. There's something inherently wrong with a speaker that requires tuning to compensate for spectral balance deficiencies. And of course he thinks people should ignore my posts. If I were him I would want that, too.

As for the alleged night-and-day sonic differences he's achieved by taking the lead out and through other tweaks, please provide me with even one example of another speaker that uses the same drivers, cabinet and crossover design yet sounds nothing like its predecessor. Perhaps, though, he's doing all of this with that equalizer. It is possible, I suppose.

Robbob: I wasn't referring to the TSM. I believe they were called Excalibur -- or something like that. They were tower-type speakers and looked something like Mirage or big Vandersteens.

It's your opinion that the Totems -- you don't even say which ones -- are more colored than the Merlin. Are all of the Totems more colored? And what measurements have you performed? I notice in previous posts that you're predominantly a home theater kind of guy. That's nice.

Also, I'm certainly not saying cables don't make a difference. That's exactly opposite of what I'm saying, and that's why Bobby recommends Cardas probably 90 percent of the time. Plus I'm saying that removing lead and tightening the screws that hold tweeters in place a quarter turn do not result in sonic differences. But, hey, if I spent tens of thousands on speakers and associated gear I'd want to believe all of this and more, too. Happy listening.

Robbobby: Whoa! Most speakers are colored? Slow down before you spring such radical concepts on me. I just hate that you've made your last post to this thread. I could learn so much from you.

I had no idea that most "experts" and "experienced audiophiles" (like yourself) agree that the Merlin is the best speaker on the planet. All the audiophiles and music lovers I know listened and left my dedicated listening room unimpressed. Speakers I've owned that easily outperformed the Merlin include Dunlavy SC-IV/A, Dunlavy SC-II, Von Schweikert VR-4Jr., Von Schweikert VR-4Sr. and Quad 988. As for Totem, I just think speakers like the tiny Arro are a lot of fun. It's hardly my reference. I'm sorry to have interrupted "Top Gun."

Pubul57: I notice that you have all of the prescribed components for the Merlins, affirming my position.

As for Dunlavy's belief about speaker cables, I read that essay many years ago. I'd have to read it again to be sure of his criteria, but I've been pretty clear about what I have found to be true. Cables can make a big difference, hence the need for Cardas -- or similar cables -- with Merlin.

If you're happy with your system, that's what matters most, cost be damned.

Stringreen: I had a similar experience. I have great respect for George and Colleen Cardas, but after I got rid of my Merlin speakers and bought Dunlavys I had no idea how good they were until I got some different cables. Apparently the Cardas (Golden Cross) cables act as a required filter for the Merlins -- or at least the VSM SE. But experiences vary.