Sol, thanks very much for the recommendation! I'll definitely check it out. I should have been clearer about my PSBs, as I'm a PSB HUGE fan. While the Golds could occasionally seem to disappear into the soundstage, the effect was only transient and would end once the particular song was over and a new one came on. However, my new speakers have brought new meaning to me in all areas, including soundstaging and imaging. There are some live recordings where I've heard the singer moving his head as he sings or actually note the location of individual guitar strings! What type of bearings do you use? Do you have a link? I'd be interested in at least looking at these, so I can mention these to a future buyer. I guess you don't use spikes on quarters or the padded feet for non carpeted floors?
RX8, I know you'll love that chevy engine :-). You are correct about the Strad. review. In reproduced music, you have to find the traits that are most important to YOU. For me, I have come to find soundstaging (and the ability to vanish) and imaging as very, very important, though I didn't find these nearly as important before I purchased my current speakers. In addition to making for a more realistic sound in general, I find imaging, soundstaging, a disappearing act to make for a more enjoyable and complex sound which consequently makes for more involving listening sessions.
I also feel a speaker that does everything quite well is much more enjoyable than one that has a MAJOR strength, be it tonallity, imaging, bass extension, etc. while being obviously weak in other areas. While I feel I have found a speaker that does it all incredibly well, not all speakers can be all things, so I feel anyone looking to upgrade speakers find the qualities that are most important to them. As suggested to Sbank, listening to a variety of speakers, if only to learn what is possible is important. Before I heard the Merlins, I wouldn't have rated the "vanishing act" very important. Now, I don't think I could buy a speaker that can't disappear. There are always tradeoffs to a degree in purchasing a speaker; the individual speaker buyer must decide what he/she can and can't live without.
Cheers,
Jason
RX8, I know you'll love that chevy engine :-). You are correct about the Strad. review. In reproduced music, you have to find the traits that are most important to YOU. For me, I have come to find soundstaging (and the ability to vanish) and imaging as very, very important, though I didn't find these nearly as important before I purchased my current speakers. In addition to making for a more realistic sound in general, I find imaging, soundstaging, a disappearing act to make for a more enjoyable and complex sound which consequently makes for more involving listening sessions.
I also feel a speaker that does everything quite well is much more enjoyable than one that has a MAJOR strength, be it tonallity, imaging, bass extension, etc. while being obviously weak in other areas. While I feel I have found a speaker that does it all incredibly well, not all speakers can be all things, so I feel anyone looking to upgrade speakers find the qualities that are most important to them. As suggested to Sbank, listening to a variety of speakers, if only to learn what is possible is important. Before I heard the Merlins, I wouldn't have rated the "vanishing act" very important. Now, I don't think I could buy a speaker that can't disappear. There are always tradeoffs to a degree in purchasing a speaker; the individual speaker buyer must decide what he/she can and can't live without.
Cheers,
Jason