Please comment on Rm10 Mk II performance with Merlin VSm speakers. Looking for a "hot weather" amp to drive my VSM as the OTL's are kicking my butt even in the AC this summer..

Thanks.

joneill July 24, 2012 01:12

Wow Plinko. Thanks. I never saw your message from March so my apologies for never responding to your inquiry. If you still want my thoughts on the Music Reference RM-10 for driving the Merlins, let me know. I should also do a system edit as I've made one cable change with a Black Sand Violet on my premap and now using some Herbies Audio Labs isolation products. I'll add all that in a few weeks. Going to try out a different CD player and see how it fits into the system. If its a keeper, then I'll update my system with the new player and all the other little goodies. We'll see.

hartwerger August 04, 2007 19:19

ah...I see. well done!

plinko August 04, 2007 18:47

No problems driving the VSM's with the Music Reference RM-10? (I'm contemplating an amp change). Thanks.

plinko March 20, 2007 17:58

System edited: I'm speechless. Two recent changes/additions. First, the Revelation Audio Labs Passage umbilical cord to the Mapletree Ultra preamp. Second, replacing the Primaluna stereo amp with a Music Reference RM 10. I cannot believe my ears. Its not just that my system is giving good sound, but the emotion, elegancy and refinement is leaving me at a loss for words. Thanks to all who put up with my whinning to make this happen and those who helped make it happen.

hartwerger December 03, 2006 22:05

System edited: As currently stated in the system description, the entire system is being revamped and downscaled. Sold the Magnepan 3.6s. Now trying to sell the H2O digital amp. Its being replaced with the Primaluna Four stereo tube amp. After plugging in the Primaluna, I am reminded of just how good the H2O is; it really has a lot of tube qualities without losing the clarity and excellent bass of a good solid state amp. I'll be sorry to see the H2O go, though not as much as the Maggies. Anyway, things are starting to pull together with the new system. Need some speaker cables next. I'm reserving judgment on all the new components until I get everything settled.

hartwerger August 29, 2006 17:55

System edited: Recent changes in my financial situation is forcing a reorganization of my entire system. Had to sell my Magnepan 3.6s and will be selling the H2O amp (which was great with the Maggies) next. Hope to find a much smaller, less expensive tube amp to make the Merlins sing. Too much flux and too many changes to make any comments at this time. I'll add comments as things settle and further changes become final.

hartwerger August 25, 2006 15:50

System edited: Just added the Brickwall surge protector. A 2 outlet design for high current components. I tried the Monster HTS2000, but it killed the dynamics when I used it with my amp. The Brickwall does not constrict the dynamics, but I'm not sure I like the limited filtering it gives. It seems to veil the sound a bit. One could say it smooths out the sound and removes the brashness of the direct wall connection, or one could say it takes away some of the sparkle from the direct wall connection. I just got the Brickwall and I really liked it at first; thought it was improvement, but upon more critical listening, I'm not sure. It does focus the image better, but seem to be losing some air and presence of instruments/voice. The differences with the surge and the wall outlet are slight, but noticeable nevertheless. Interesting that when I connected my preamp to the Brickwall, the bass became somewhat bloated and there was a mid-bass suckout. I'm going to keep the Brickwall in the chain for the time being and give it some more A/B listening over the next few weeks.

hartwerger January 10, 2006 16:02

thanks for your reply!

noams December 30, 2005 21:33

Hey Rsross. I'll let you know if I don't keep the Upsampler, but I intend to live with it awhile before making any final decisions. I bought it used (a rare event; in fact, I don't recall ever seeing them on the used market and I just got lucky by being in the right place at the right time) and the seller said he put about a 100-120 hours on it. When I first installed it, I liked it. Lots of detail without really taking away any of the warmth. Then, several days later, I put on a disc and I thought that my speakers died. There was almost no bass. The upper frequencies sounded horrible, harsh, and drums and cymbals were a congealed mess. I left the CD player on and refused to listen for a few days. I went back this past weekend. I have about 340 hours on it. Everything sounds really nice. I'm glued to my stereo with vocal selections as voices just sound wonderful. There is still some harshness in places and I'm hoping that goes away at about 500-600 hours. The one thing that I suspect is a permanent sonic signature of the upsampler is the way it does change the presentation on some recordings; it can bring certain instruments, most particularly drum cymbals, forward and they can dominate the sound. There are some jazz recordings were the center instrument, like a saxaphone, sounds recessed, but the drums come forward and are aggressive. This may change and the sound may become more laid back with the full break in, but I've been told that the upsampler can be a bit forward so my intuition tells me that some of this forwardness I'm hearing may diminsh, but not go away completely. Whether I will decide to live with that as a trade off with the nice detail and vinyl like sound the upsampler gives is an open question. Anyway, before I got the upsampler, I used the AD825 op amp. I never tried the Burr-Brown so I don't know how it compares. The AD825 was more laid back and warm than the standard op amp; maybe too laid back, but I lived with it for many months and it definitely tamed some brightness in my system. I've had the Tjoeb for over a year. As for tubes, I haven't done much rolling. I took out the stock tubes immediately. I can't remember what I replaced them with, but whatever they were, they sucked too. I bought a pair of Amperex Orange Globes 7308s and have lived with them for the most part of owning the Tjoeb. I have been considering some Mullards lately. I'm pretty familiar with the Mullard sound and they can be a little more laid back and sweet in the midrange than the Amperex's which might work better with the Upsampler. Nevertheless, the Amperex's are very nice and if the Upsampler continues to break in and becomes a little more mellow, I think I can say that this would be a good combination and a very nice CD player. I hope this answers all your questions. I do think you should give the Upsampler a try. By using the Clever Standby, you get let it break in without having to leave your entire system running. Even if you have to buy it new and you wind up not liking it, you will have no problem selling it as there are many interested Tjoeb owners out there that will pay almost full price even for a used one. Don't know if you follow the used market, but even used Tjoeb players without the upsampler sell for a solid 2/3 of the retail price and they sell pretty quickly. That's all. Happy Holidays.

hartwerger December 25, 2005 19:47

I absolutely love the Mapletree. Mapletree deserves alot more recognition for quality and musical sounding designs. Of course, I don't have a lot of in-home experience with other tube preamps. I built and used a Bottlehead Foreplay for quite awhile. The Foreplay was slightly modded, but not as heavily modded as the Mapltetree. The Foreplay is very nice pre, but the Mapletree just blows it away in my system. The Mapletree is warm and musical. Some may think its a tad colored, but it really mates well with my Maggies which are incredibly revealing and can over emphasize the upper frequencies on some recordings. The Ultra tames these beasts and I find myself having to be pried away by my family as I never want to stop listening to music through my system. The following review by Scott Faller describes the MAD Ultra PERFECTLY (though keep in my mind that he reviewed the Ultra with a solid state power supply and Mapletree now only offers the power supply with a tubed rectifier): http://www.tnt-audio.com/ampli/mad4multra_e.html

hartwerger December 25, 2005 15:57

How long did you had the Njoe Tjoeb without upsampler? Do any tube rolling or op-amp swapping with it? What do you hear now with the upsampler? BTW, If you decide to ditch the upsampler, let me know, I was thinking of giving it a whirl if I could pick one up used.

rsross December 25, 2005 07:29

Very nice system!
What do you think of the mapletree preamp?

noams December 24, 2005 13:47