Review: Merlin Music Systems Merlin TSM-MMI Monitor

Oh no, what has Merlin done…..what are all the Merlin TSM/VSM-M, MM, Mx, Mme, Mxe owners going to do now knowing that their speakers are NOT upgradeable to the new series due to different cabinet material and internal structural changes?

brf, they simply do the upgrades that can be done to their speakers, to make them as good as they can be. not everyone has to have the latest but if they must...
best, b

One of the greatest appeals of Merlin was their upgradability. It was only a matter of time until Merlin found a better cabinet material and internal construction design which would result in the end of the upgrade path for older versions. I guess you can’t get in way of progress, but at least Merlin had a good 10 year run with their 2nd generation cabinet construction.
IHO, previous upgrades have been baby steps, but this latest change along with the Master Bam and Network upgrade looks to be a giant step forward. I am very interested in hearing the new design.

brf, thank you.
the 3 combined are certainly significant in what they do.
next stop is denver and the rmaf. if you are there come by for a visit.
best,
b

Actually, Bobby's products have been upgradable, to his credit. There comes a time when that's no longer possible--that was inevitable. However, given the Merlin reputation, selling and buying the new version probably wouldn't cost that much more, I'm thinking. Either way, you know you'll be getting a dramatically better product.

Larry

I’m not much of a writer but I feel the need to try to put into words the listening experience that is Merlin. I’m in the process of breaking in my first pair of TSM MMi’ s and I’m finding it hard to turn them off and walk away. They have become extremely seductive.

I know it’s a cliché but I really am discovering my music collection all over again. I am hearing them with a richness and clarity that I have never known before. I’m hearing the vibrations of the guitar and bass strings, the nearly silent inhale of a singer in-between verses.

These are a very refined and “grown-up” pair of speakers. They present music as I believe it was intended to be heard. Some recordings sound as if the person is actually behind a mic in my living room. On more than one occasion they has fooled the sensitive ears of my cat, scanning the room as he tries to figure out where that voice is coming from. I know that sounds strange, but I’ve never had a pair of speakers do that before.

The really fun thing about these speakers is how they disappear and simply leave the music to hang in your room. Yes, they sound great in the “sweet spot”, but I have found that they sound equally great in just about any other spot in my room.

I have been through a number of loudspeakers in that past two decades, and this is what I have been looking for from day one. Bobby spent the better part of an hour explaining the concept and execution of his design, and it really was an education for me. I’m very proud to be a part of the Merlin family.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Bobby for his passion and dedication, and for giving me something I have been chasing for a such a long time, that I wasn’t sure if I would ever find it.

I have finally found “it”

If more audio manufacturers treated their customers as Bobby does, there probably wouldn't be much trading or selling of used gear and maybe no Audiogon--most would have found a home, a product and a partner they could live with for a long, long time.

Larry

thank you larry!
the truth of it is that we have made thousands of pairs of tsms and vsms since 1994 and very few of them ever go up for resale. people like them and keep them.
they also seem to enjoy our upgrade options which allow interested parties to stay close to the pinnacle of developments.
some people like this and some do not. i wish i could do this with many things i purchase.
best regards,
bobby