"You build a fine speaker and I am not going to get into why I greatly prefer the Kharmas, because like you, I am in the industry and have a vested interest."
You just gave one Jtinn. Your passion in your preferences is well documented as are mine and others. It really comes down to musical involvement, not better or closer to real. As an example, I own the Berning amp which in many ways seems closer to neutral than the Joule amp with the Merlins yet the Joule has a more "realistic" presentation of the harmonics of instruments, timbre accuracy is another way of putting it. Which one is right? My answer is there is no right, just priorities and preferences so why all the fuss? Maybe the fact that a 10K speaker can be compared to one at 22K in a favorable context? On an absolute level it gets back to preference of how recorded music is presented and the involvement factor, nothing more or less. I think we are talking about 2 superb 2-way speakers that offer different priorities. I have never looked at the Merlin as somehow being compromised because of their price but of offering an extraordinary value in light of it. Why do you seemingly qualify many of your remarks with "at the price". It isn't the first time I've seen you do it. It seems to me some sort of validation or justification for the prices of the components you sell. No offense meant but it is irksome to me.
You just gave one Jtinn. Your passion in your preferences is well documented as are mine and others. It really comes down to musical involvement, not better or closer to real. As an example, I own the Berning amp which in many ways seems closer to neutral than the Joule amp with the Merlins yet the Joule has a more "realistic" presentation of the harmonics of instruments, timbre accuracy is another way of putting it. Which one is right? My answer is there is no right, just priorities and preferences so why all the fuss? Maybe the fact that a 10K speaker can be compared to one at 22K in a favorable context? On an absolute level it gets back to preference of how recorded music is presented and the involvement factor, nothing more or less. I think we are talking about 2 superb 2-way speakers that offer different priorities. I have never looked at the Merlin as somehow being compromised because of their price but of offering an extraordinary value in light of it. Why do you seemingly qualify many of your remarks with "at the price". It isn't the first time I've seen you do it. It seems to me some sort of validation or justification for the prices of the components you sell. No offense meant but it is irksome to me.