Merlin VMS versus VMPS RM-40 versus Proac 3.8

Geeeeez guys, reeelax! Here's some perspective for everyone on both sides of this argument:

Brian Cheney has developed an affordable full range tower speaker knock-off that's sort of a cross between a dunlavy SC-IVa and a Genesis/Infinity ribbon tower that has many of the same dynamic, effortless and integrated sound qualities that these ultra expensive speakers are known for (with even better low end bass and power than the $8000+, now out of business SC-IVa). This is what the RM-40 is IMHO. He managed to pull this feat off by sourcing incredibly inexpensive ribbons from China that are 85% of the performance of the ultra expensive offerings (at less than 20% the cost per unit). His woofer tooling and economy of scale most likely allowed him to also source in his custom woofers at a very reasonable price too. With some decent first order crossovers these speakers came together to produce a wonderful sound that just doesn't sound cheap by any means and actually makes you wonder show the hell he did it with such inexpensive drivers. Driver technology just doesn't cost what it used to. More importantly, the differenced between excellent designed cheap drivers and ultra cost no object stat of the art drivers is closer than it has ever been in history. There is a difference, but it can be carefully masked by the talents of an excellent speaker designer like Brian. Could Brian's speaker be more detailed, more refined and better sounding with top of the drivers and rock solid cabinetry? Absolutely! The point is that it would cost something like $25k+ to do it that way and the differences would be pretty small for the 500% increase in cost. I congratulate Brian for bringing us some of the sonic qualities that you only could get for stupid money just a few years ago.

Bobby (of Merlin) went the entire other direction. He used top of the line, cost no object drivers in a cabinet that was also near the top in terms of construction. (This is why the VSM costs so much, yet it only has two drivers.) In all actuality, this speaker should sound good! It uses nothing but the best of the best parts, etc. IMHO, this type of speaker is much easier to get perfect (for it's limited response due to the two way design) because the parts are all world class. Based on what I know it seems that everything is tweaked in this speaker also. It's sort of a tour de-force design.

How does the Merlin compare to the VMPS? Well, that's a question that is not easy to answer. Each of these speakers is awesome it what they do right: the VMPS sounding like some of the huge ultra expensive speakers in terms of dynamics and sonic integration and the Merlin getting you into the details of the recording with ultra precision that very few speakers in the world can achieve, at the expense of massive dynamics, ultra low bass and a sense of hugeness (vertically) that only monster towers achieve. Which one would I take? That depends on what my priorities are in terms of music, my room size and my wife! IMHO there is no correct answer here because each speaker achieves greatness at what it does right and each speaker doesn't have flaws that are readily apparent if you take each speakers' positives into account as you are auditioning them. For example: As long as you are not looking for the absolute best sonic detail ever imagined from the VMPS, you will not be disappointed. As long as you are not looking for the best low bass and huge dynamics from the Merlins, you will not be disappointed. Each speaker is wonderful and achieves greatness in certain areas that the other speaker lacks and visa versa. End of story, end of argument, silly argument at that. That's my opinion in a nutshell.....now, let's fight... ;)

Well said Ehider, little speakers belong in little rooms and big speakers belong in big rooms. I hate little tiny pianos setting down or standing up.

Thanks to everyone that chimed in with comments and counsel...much appreicated. At the risk of ruffling any more feathers, any observations on these speakers vis-a-vis Piega's offerings, say the P5 or P8?

Heard both the merlins and the proacs ,not the vmps RM-40s though heard other VMPS models .Aftering hearing a good modern !horn speaker ,all I can say is theres no dynamics, they sounded so small,All sounded to much like reproduced sound ,I have heard at lenght and owned many ,many $ systems far above the costs you are working with .But this I know ,low power tube gear and high sensitivity is where great musicallity lies ,no more audiophile cds just to get great sound even my crapy punk rock cds sound amazing .Now I build most of my own system though its still not cheap. My dual oris 150 horns are mind blowing ,you could easly build yourselve a Oris 150 for arround $4000-5000 or less ,Took me 25 years and way more than a $100,000 to find this kind of system synergy ,plus much grief tried about every combination of gear I could .At least now I know where it spend my time and cash you will not be disapointed seek out a like system for an audition,good luck with your quest .JK

I disagree with ehider's conclusions.

I've heard both the Merlin with BAM and the VMPS RM-40 on several occasions and at some length each. The Merlins were always driven by Joule Electra tubes, worth more than twice the cost of the speakers of about $8K, and the VMPS by Ampzilla2000 solid state amps worth $5K, about the same as the VMPS speakers at $4.6K.

ehider suggests that "As long as you are not looking for the absolute best sonic detail ever imagined from the VMPS, you will not be disappointed." We disagree on that point. In my view the VMPS ribbons surpasse any cone speaker I've ever heard, including Wilsons and JMLabs, and Dunlavy V or VI. No contest. For transparancy they are in the company Sound Labs, and MBL. I've not heard anything from Genesis.

The Merlin are a delight to listen to, go much deeper than one has any right to anticipate, and can fill a room with pleasing sound and have good dynamic response. They won't play at ear bleading levels, the way the VMPS would, but who cares. Unfortunately, they are not the value that VMPS is, even with the $1200 cap upgrade to the VMPS, which I have not heard.

If the VMPS have a flaw, it is in tweeter directionality. Treble falls off vertically. If you only sit to listen, you're fine. An advantage to that limiation is that the treble tends to not generate ceiling or floor room reflections which subtally polute the transparancy of many speakers. I know of no speaker at any price that is a better value for the money, and wish I owned a pair.

Incidently, the localized treble "problem," if you want to think of it as that (I don't consider it such) is cured with the VMPS RM/X which has a different ribbon tweeter that is down firing from the dop of the speaker at an adjustable angle. It has two more midrange ribbons for a total of 6 per side, and crosses to the tweeter lower which makes for even greater clarity. Andy they play deeper than any speaker or subwoofer I've ever heard -- clean solid beautiful base, without any boom, and all perfectly integrated. The same tweeter is apparently available for the RM-40 with a different crossover, for even improved transparancy and efficency. I've not heard that upgrade.

The Proac 3.8 I heard once in a shop with both tubes and solid state power. They look beautiful, but in my view are not sonically in the same league with either Merlin or VMPS.