I'm the one that started it. I apologize if the thread took a bad turn because I worded my post in an aggressive manner. I don't take back the content of what I said. I still feel its true but I should have chosen my words a bit more carefully. I'm very picky when it comes to giving advice and recommendations. Too many new people give up on this hobby because they become frustrated and can't figure it out. I feel its very important to put comments in context. Theres a big difference between owning a speaker, not owning it but hearing it and reading about it. Information like that is valuable and relevant; especially to a beginner.
As far as the Merlins go, I haven't heard them. I can tell you though, a lot of people really like the them. I can't recall any negative comments about them at all. Given that, I think they are worth looking into.