mobilesax -- I've heard Merlin VSMs at a few audio shows and at one store, but not in my own room vs whatever speakers I've owned at the time. I've had the utmost respect for his creating a solid design and then constantly refining it year after year to as fine as it could possibly be. That a pair of vintage Thiels of unknown condition one step away from the dumpster could so impress you says a lot about both the Merlins and Thiels, and certainly your electronics are 'adequate'!
More to the point, if you do score a pair of 2.4s, a thorough listening contrast would be appreciated, if only by me, because those two speakers were on my short list a 15 years ago. I didn't get the Merlins, so I'm still not entirely sure what I'm missing, though I can't complain about my 2.4s.