Merlin Chopin review

A chunky Hi-Fi interconnect with a light and fast sound quality

Merlin Chopin
Although the bass is a little light, ths gives it a tuneful quality that some may prefer

TechRadar Verdict

A rather unusual combination of characteristics. but none the less attractive for that. The main plus is the notably good communicative quality

Pros

  • +

    Good communication

  • +

    Good detail in bass

  • +

    Build quality

Cons

  • -

    Doesn't have the reach of some

  • -

    Bass not very heavy

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

With quite a large girth (about 10 millimetres in diameter), the Merlin Chopin clearly offers quite a lot of materials for the money.

It even includes what appears to be a ferrite noise-absorber (Merlin is cagey about this), which ought to improve rejection of interference.

Ferrites are sniffed at in some quarters and while they certainly don't fix every kind of interference problem I've never been able to persuade myself, theoretically or subjectively, that they have any bad effects on audio.

Beneath that, the cable is apparently made up of six conductors twisted together to give good rejection of lower-frequency interference, including hum. There's a foil shield as well and the outer casing is a dense fabric braid.

The phono plugs are decent quality, if not amazing and on the review sample, at least, were not locking types, despite claims on the Merlin website to the contrary.

It's all too easy to put a fat cable into a system and expect to hear a fat bass, but in fact the character seems, if anything, to be the other way – fast and agile but with a slightly bass-light quality.

Don't stop reading just yet, though, for at the same time the bass is exceptionally well detailed and actually very tuneful too, it just doesn't have quite the reach of some. As a result, low frequencies are very communicative.

That trend is continued up the band (through both midrange and treble) and although this probably isn't the most analytical cable in the top few octaves, it does have a very persuasive way with almost any kind of music.

Follow TechRadar Reviews on Twitter: http://twitter.com/techradarreview

Latest in Hi-Fi
Pro-Ject A1.2 in black, playing a vinyl record in a hi-fi listening room
Pro-Ject's new fully-automatic turntable could be the buy of Record Store Day 2025
Klipsch Klipschorn AK7 in a room with lots of dark wood furniture and a bare brick wall
Klipsch just updated two of its most iconic stereo speaker designs, keeping these beautiful retro icons on your most-wanted list
The Creative Pebble Nova on a brown table, connected to a green laptop.
Creative's new otherworldly desktop speakers belong on an alien spaceship – and they're so good, I'd abduct them
SluTune Q1 Bluetooth speaker
I love this super-slim, sleep-friendly Bluetooth speaker – but the name's a nightmare
Vertere DG-X turntable on a pink/white TechRadar background
Vertere's elite DG X turntable is modular, expensive, and hugely desirable
Will.i.am speaking about XBoom speakers at CES 2025, wearing all black with a black cap
'Exploitative use of AI is social media; we already have it – it's called you don't own your data’: will.i.am talks tech, LG, and using AI responsibly
Latest in Reviews
Product shots for the Xiaomi Poco X7 Ultra review
I spent a month testing the Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra, a top-end mid-ranger that masquerades as a flagship
The Kiwi design K4 Boost Battery strap being worn by Hamish
I test VR headsets for a living, and this affordable headstrap is the first Meta Quest 3 accessory you should buy
Both Kiwi design G4 Pro Performance Controller Grips
I thought VR controller grips were pointless until this Meta Quest 3 accessory proved me wrong
The Kiwi design H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap
Want to upgrade your VR headset? Look no further than my new favorite Meta Quest 3 headstrap
WithSecure Elements EPP and EDR main image
I tested the WithSecure Elements EPP and EDR - read how I rated this Endpoint Protection for small business
The RIG M2 Streamstar.
I wanted to love the new RIG M2 Streamstar, but this pricey gaming microphone fails to deliver