I heard the Merlin's. They consistently sound warm and musical at every show I go to. I especially like the quality and finish.
The only bummer is that I'm not too big a fan of the BAM Module (some type of bass alignment filter, that you put between the amp and preamp). It seems a little bit gimmicky. I prefer the more simple setups... Example (although this could be sacrilege): If an integrated has enough power for the speakers, I would prefer to use integrated amps.
Any thoughts on whether the BAM on the Merlins makes a huge difference, in real world settings?