PX-25 tube amp with Merlin VSM speakers?

Thanks to everyone for all the helpful information and suggestions. I have a lot to ponder on this Christmas Eve as my journey for perfection continues.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all!

One more question, Rebbi. How did it work out with the Audio Note kit? Is it something that requires a lot of technical ability? And what is your impression of the sound?

Dazzlingmd-
First of all, great moniker! ;-)
Second, I'm in the process of building the kit right now. I wouldn't say
that it requires great technical ability, per se. Mostly it takes a few good
tools (needle-nose pliers, wire cutter, wire stripper and decent soldering
iron, plus a phillips head screwdriver). Manual dexterity is also a plus,
because you are handling some fairly small parts in some places.
Finally, I think that building a kit like this is like cooking from a recipe. If
you enjoy the process of cooking (laying out the ingredients, mixing
things together, etc.) then you'll be a good cook. Similar idea here. If you
like making things and take pleasure in the process of the build, you'll
take your time and do a great job. If you're in a hurry to get to the end
result, you won't have as much fun and you'd be more likely to make
mistakes that you'll have to troubleshoot and fix later on.
I, myself, enjoy working with my hands in this way and I'm having a blast
building this thing. To be honest, as much as I'm looking forward to
hearing what it sounds like, I know I'll have mixed feelings when the last
part is installed because the build process itself is so satisfying.
For more info, I am actually blogging the build process, with lots of
pictures.
See this.

Thanks, Rebbi. Very interesting and intriguing story and thanks for blogging it! I'm curious to hear your impressions of the sonics once it's all done.

It's a minor mod to remove the PX-25 attenuator from the signal path.

But, your best bet is probably going with one of the higher-powered Art Audio SET amps like the Jota(20-30wpc, depending on output tube) or 16wpc Carissa. Even their PP amps like Concerto or Tempo would be glorious