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Harbeth Compact 7 or Merlin TSM

I am in the market to buy a pair of large bookshelf speakers. Instead of looking for a 'Hi-Fi' speaker that give you all of the descriptions that you will find in the audio review magazines or websites, I am looking for a pair of musical speakers that will get my 'emotion' involve when I listen to them. I have narrow down to 2 pair of speakers that I believed are capable of achieving that based on the owner reviews and experience I read.

So, I am looking for anybody have experiences with both of them and share some of your opinions with me.

Thanks,
Tuck
tthean
tpreaves's avatar
tpreaves
2,681 posts
 
What is the equipment you will be using them with?
tthean OP
21 posts
 
Mostly tube amps. I have a PP EL34, SE300B and SE KT88. I have a small listening room, only 14'x14'.
macd
103 posts
 
The 300B may have trouble driving the Harbeths...its something to look into if you want to keep using that amp. Maybe some people that own that speaker can comment on that.

I have experience with some other Harbeth models and have owned Merlin VSMs. The Merlins are every bit transparent and revealing as people hype them up to be. They are capable of reproducing the human voice extremely accurately. Although, if you want musicality, the Harbeths will sound better to your ear if that is what you are searching for. The Harbeth sound is a perfect match between resolution and musicality where else the Merlin just gives you a boat load of resolution and transparency...if your amps are good enough that is. For your description, I would recommend the Harbeth hands down. Just my two cents.
bobbyapalkovic
729 posts
 
tthean, which version of the tsm?
bobby
bobbyapalkovic
729 posts
 
macd, what version of the vsm did you own? earlier versions sounded somewhat raw and as time passed their musical nature was profoundly enhanced. the tsm is a lot more forgiving than the vsm and latest tsms are renouned for their easy listening character.
i would not recommend anything earlier than the mme if musicality is important to you.
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