I just wanted to share a happy rant about my experience with a new pair of VSM MMe's. I've been into serious hi-fi (and a music lover) for many years and I just didn't think speakers could change a system this much.
There are no Merlin dealers over here and I originally came across VSMs back in 2004, when I managed to get hold of a second hand pair of VSM SEs. I fell in love with those and it was inevitable that I would upgrade at some point.
So I took the plunge and ordered a new pair of MMe's from the US. When they arrived, I knew they would need burning in, but the difference over the old SEs was dramatic even in the first hour. Much bigger, weightier sound, wider, more detailed, and just so, so sweet.
I now have well over 300 hours on the speakers and they have improved enormously on what I was hearing in the first week. I listen to an unusually wide range of music: from classical through jazz, folk, pop, electronic, dance, R&B and hip-hop. If there are good musicians behind the music, I usually like it.
The MMes seem to break all the rules by sounding breathtakingly detailed and airy, while also sounding incredibly sweet. Words really just don’t do the sound justice – I’ve heard top-end electrostatics and the MMes are right up there for delicacy and air. And if it's your thing, the soundstage is about 30% wider and much deeper. But now it's a believable place that's with you in the room, not just some impressive hi-fi artefact.
You know that over-used hi-fi mag phrase about speakers disappearing? When the music plays, the MMe's really do just disappear. The music has nothing to do with the speakers - it's just there in the room. Wall to wall, 3-dimensional and palpable.
But it's what MME's do for music, rather than hi-fi, that really strikes me after living with them for a two months. Music I know well suddenly has a new piano line, plain as day. And it's not just any old piano line, but piano being played with incredible emotion that just wasn't there before. Same goes for a favourite vocal at the beginning of a song - now there's a second voice quietly harmonizing, and very beautifully. I always thought you had to change your front end to get these kinds of changes.
I've always loved listening to the voices of talented female singers and, where the SEs were already remarkable, the MMe's take texture emotion and 'there-ness' to new levels. This is the kind of texture that is touchable and addictive. Lots of very late nights ...
I was told to expect deeper and more tuneful bass. It turns out this was a big understatement. Yes, the bass really is deeper, bigger, more tuneful and controlled than before, but now my system has rhythm and drive that it never had (I always thought my ageing CD player was the problem here). Suddenly, music makes sense as music - it all hangs together rhythmically and in every other way. It just sounds right and it makes you smile.
As for bass extension, there's a lot of talk online about a slight lack of weight at the bottom end. I'm probably using very different amps to most VSM owners, where fine valve amps are common. I use two big Meridian 557 amps running bridged mono and I guess they may play a part in this, with practically endless current and control. In my system the MMes go deeper than they should – very deep indeed and with absolute weight and conviction. This is all the scale I could want.
Anyway, time to stop ranting and sign off. If you have an older set of VSMs, get them upgraded! Or just take the plunge and buy the latest version. These speakers tick all the 'Hi-Fi' check boxes, but it's the way they play music that will make you happy and keep you up late at night.
SUMMARY: Incredible speakers at any price & ridiculously good at the US retail price. You\'ll soon hear why these speakers are class A recommended by Stereophile.
Been using the NVA sound cord for almost a week now if I am being very very picky the sound-stage is (not small) but a touch smaller then some other cables (bad bit over)
I will not even talk about price yet, as a stand alone cable it is just the best I have ever used (and I have used far far to many from £10 - £250) I feel at last I can stop ******ing about with interconnects. Maybe I kept trying because deep down something was not quiet right. I will not slag of my expencive Ecosse over the last 3 years it has killed many many well rated cables. But the Sound Cord gives me everything the Ecosse gave me except the very large sound-stage. For me that is a very fair swap for the amazing Musical-ness I now get with the Sound Cord.
Maybe its synergy I don't know. I can still do the hifi bit if thats how I want to listen to music, but the key word now is musical and that goes for whatever crap me and my wife fancy. Over the last week we have been listening to so much more music and so much less hifi.
And here is the killer Richard/NVA sell this cable from £7ish - £12ish depending on lenght on ebay.
Now I know many people do not think interconnects effect the sound but most people do upgrade from the stock lead you get in the box. If you spend lots on cable or if you are just upgrading from the supplied cable,at £10 this is really really worth you giving a try, you never know like me it could save you £100s or even £1000s
I now have about 5 cables to sell on ebay the cheapest one left cost me 3x sound cord the dearest would get me 15 sound cords.
I wish I tried them years ago, oh well better late then never.
Ps. I have none whats so ever connection with Richard or Nva, except ofc the Sound cord :)
I am now the proud owner of a Sugden Masterclass cd player :)
We are talking small changes here and one thing that is clear to me is how good the Marantz cd 17mk11 ki is.
The Sugden has a little more detail is little more open. The soundstage is Deeper. Bass is bigger.
Overall sound is a little less digital.
In some repects alot of money for the small inprovements.
(such is hifi)
One of the best things about the Sugden is that it does not seem to favor any sort of music over another and does a very good job with those average pop cds (the wife seems to have so many off)
Moving to something like John Mayer - Continuum or Faithless - No Roots you get a very real sense of weight behind the player.
Build is good but so is the Marantz witch I think will replace the Arcam in the dinning room.
All in all this is a player I can and will live with for a very very long time. To my ears it all matches well with no system weak link. I really think I can not inprove things any more, the gains are just getting far to small for the outlay.
Balanced vs Unbalanced, balanced xlr gives me a fraction more detail and a fraction less warmth. I like unbalanced better in my system.
So comes my journeys end.
I took delivery of the Dynaudio Audience 62's last week and immediately set about turfing out the Epos 12.2's. No room for sentiment here and I was a child possessed. As one can imagine with new kit, I've been through my cd faves to look for the differences, the improvements over the Epos'.
I love my Epos speakers and for good reason. Along with the NVA amp and Cyrus cd player and nva connecting stuff the sound is very very pleasing indeed. I would strongly recommend them anytime to anyone. They are good. Just one problem - they are standmounts (a perceived space-saver in my shoebox living room) which suffer from the usual problem of insufficient bass (for me at least but not my neighbour).
Enter the Dyno's stage left. ooooooOOOOOOoooooo. It feels like my birthday. Whacking on my absolute favourite track 'Pampas Border' by the Angel Brothers with Satnam Singh (album 'From Punjab to Pit Top')..... it first opens up with organ, quickly followed by a thing or 2 being tapped in a percussive kind of way. Building with tom-toms and accordian the organ begins to swirl, in comes acoustic guitar and then finally, finally, we get gut-churning growling base. Bleedin' 'ell. Pump up the volume and see off the neighbours. I'm in heaven and my neighbour is having a chat with Satan. Ha
I love these speakers. The trouble is I can't vocalise as well as some to describe their attributes as I simply don't know what some terms mean. For example fast, open, transparency - dunno.
What I do know is that these produce a sound which sounds (er, sorry) like it costs more. There is definate imagery, definate sound stage, definate FULL SOUND. OK, OK I can imagine what some terms mean ) My wife nailed it with the comment "they have a much fuller sound, much bigger depth of field than your old speakers". Depth of field is good. I actually feel like the band is sitting in my living room ('cup of tea while your playing Mr Angel sir?') and can see the various instruments being fiddled about with. Bass - good - heading towards the earths mantle. Not quite there (need more money for that).
Change of cd and the Dyno's have removed the lisp which Peter Gabriel suffered throughout 'Sledgehammer'.
Change of cd to a raft of classical tracks. Piano, violin and choral all are reproduced so, so well. I love these speakers. I know, I've said that already.
In a nutshell, there is a much greater frequency response, greater clarity, greater imaging. *When I say 'greater' this is compared to my standmounts. What they also produce with my kit is an uncoloured sound. Again, full marks to NVA amp and cabling and cyrus cd player.
I can't enthuse anymore or I'll burst. ('wafer thin mint Mr Creosote?').
Stop press - I've just received Mozarts Complete Violin Concertos through the post - it sounds bloody gorgeous (seams are beginning to split).
Now, do I keep my Epos or sell them. I really like the Epos.
Oh god, I have a headache and still grinning like an idiot for a full week now.
When the wife has made more money round the back of the Miners Welfare and Copacabana Club and the kids have cleaned a few more chimleys I'm upping to the 82's. They can only sound even better.
Ecosse ma2 is Imo one of the best cables money can buy, well maybe not that money can buy but within the very popular £60 -£200 bracket anyway. There are some good cables in the list below the Atlas is very good and works in most systems, the Qed Silver Spiral is very good but needs very careful system match.
Chord never does much wrong.
The thing that really puts Ecosse ma2 out in front is its even presentation and its high level of compatibility with a wide range of electric’s. It is smooth but not over lush it has bite and dynamics but is not in your face or to up-front. Sound stage is big. Detail is good. As far as I can tell it is not coloured. Build is very good
The list below is other cables I have tried yes its long (many tested on loan) but don’t think I am a true believer in all the cable hype Ecosse are as guilty as others in this respect. What I do believe is that finding the right cable for your system is very important that may well be a £20 job The Shark is a great cheap cable and will suit many systems, as is the QED 2 a little higher up the food chain.
The cables below have only been tested with Arcam (cdp and amps) Marantz (cdp and amps) Cambridge Audio (amps and pre amp) Cyrus 1 (amp)
I might as well add the speakers used while I am at it. Linn Nexus , Mission 771, Tannoy R2, Mission 751 Freedom and Pmc Fb1
Speaker cable would be Talk 3.1 biwire (really crap) the Qed oringnal the Qed SA biwire the Atlas mountain snow 4 and Merlin C12
Wireworld oasis
Cord solid
Cord Chorus
Van den hul d-102 mk3
Qed qunet 2
Qed silver spiral
Atlas voyager
Copper Tec
Shark
Nordost solar wind
Kimber pjb
Surpa efi limited addition
Monster 400
Nordost blue heaven
Van den hul The Second
Audioquest ruby
I just wanted to share a happy rant about my experience with a new pair of VSM MMe's. I've been into serious hi-fi (and a music lover) for many years and I just didn't think speakers could change a system this much.
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