Merlin VSM-mm's a good value at $3000 used?

gregm and shadorne,
some interesting facts about the 8545-06 and the superbam.

Driver/Superbam response V.S. Distortion

1) A small driver with a long X-Max ( linear response offers clean, high spl). This is equal to a larger driver with a shorter x-max.

2) The Superbam speaker management system offers a high pass filter on the bottom end (28 Hz) plus a very narrow boost at 35 Hz which raises the spl of the bass and keeps the driver in linear response longer at higher output.

3) By keeping the driver in linear response ( X-MAX) and out of non-linear response (X-MECH), 2nd and 3rd
order harmonic distortion is minimized at higher spl.

4)The design of the driver itself ie: re-enforced cone, cone damping material and a copper shorting ring, minimizes doppler effects and harmonic distortion.

5) 2nd and 3rd harmonic distortion will cause bass to sound overy full, ill-defined and in extreme cases, wooley, mushy or fuzzy. In the mid-bass/ mid-range mild distortion can sound “warm and full” but at higher distortion, it can sound like a guitar fuzz-tone sound. In tweeters it can sound grating or eeky.

6)Boomy-ness is more a factor of over pressurizing or “loading” up the room. Bass likes to couple to large flat surfaces ie: wall and floors and in doing so (depending upon the length of the surface verses the frequency) can result in as much as a 12dB gain for that frequency (standing wave) thus the one note bass effect.

7) With BAM keeping the low end excursion of the driver in check, the speaker can play louder in linear and non-linear modes before actual damage to the driver.

8) With the Bam keeping the driver in linear response (voice coil in the magnetic gap) the voice coil is being cooled much more effectively (as opposed to out of the gap/non-linear response) therefore minimizing power compression and the resulting distortion.

bobby at merlin

2nd and 3rd harmonic distortion will cause bass to sound overy full, ill-defined and in extreme cases, wooley, mushy or fuzzy. In the mid-bass/ mid-range mild distortion can sound “warm and full” but at higher distortion, it can sound like a guitar fuzz-tone sound. In tweeters it can sound grating or eeky.

Boomy-ness is more a factor of over pressurizing or “loading” up the room. Bass likes to couple to large flat surfaces ie: wall and floors and in doing so (depending upon the length of the surface verses the frequency) can result in as much as a 12dB gain for that frequency (standing wave) thus the one note bass effect.

Thx, bobby you explain it much better than me. "Overly Full, ill-defined, warm and full, wooley, mushy or fuzzy" is more what I meant with regard to harmonic distortion....I like Gregm's "bloated" too.... how about "Muddy" LOL.

The difficulty comes when some may say that a correct sounding bass with very little harmonic distortion is "overly tight, dry, anemic, lacking warmth, fatiguing, tiring or thin" sounding.

Therefore some consumers will prefer a distorted speaker over an accurate one. Go Figure! It ain't even close to accurate music reproduction...but it sounds pleasant and they prefer it and they don't lack for bass!!!

Typical speakers can have upwards of 10% harmonic distortion at ultra LF (when played at high but not excessive SPL's)...not yours of course.

shadorne,
the real issue is that a review or comments are made on a product and individuals reading them think that this is exactly what they will get. or, preconception and assumption set in. what is forgotten is that there is a system of relativitity here. your room, your system and how the thing is set up will affect the outcome. it is a proven fact to me that the more accurate a thing the more the room, the system matching and set up will be noticed and this is a good thing for most. an overly full sounding product may make a pest of itself in too small a room and an accurate thing for a moderately sized rooms may be light weight in grand central. you have to use the thing in the manner it was designed to be used in for best results.
i know that many like to have the pressurized feeling when listening to music and that is fine in fact, i could not agree more with them. but to assume that one design or the other is more right for all applications is the problem. and the concept that smaller drivers just can't do it is absolutely wrong. where many get into trouble is by using a product capable of more pressure, place it in a certain location to control it, damp the hell out of the room and or use an amp with higher damping or feedback etc. then they get a product like mine, put it in the same place on the same gear and they are lacking what they once had. these things are a completely different design, should be set up differently, room treatments used sparingly to control reflection only and with different ancillaries.
no one thing is right for everyone and every application so we just need to be more systematic in making ou decisions.
happy holidays and thank you,
bobby at merlin