Good match for Merlin?

I don't think the Ayre V-1Xe will work at all with the Merlins, so please sell it to me so that I can save you from any case of extreme "sonic euphoria"!

I had owned the VSM-Ms, but always ran them with tube amps (ASL Hurricanes, Berning, Joule OTLs). The only SS amps I heard on my Merlins were the Parasound Halo JC-1s, but it was not a good match at all.

I can tell you however, while between speakers right now (using the small but very good Von Schweikert VR-1 bookshelves) the naturalness and spacial virtues of my Ayre V-5X are nothing short of impressive. The Ayre (while not necessarily tube-like, and much less SS-like) has many redeeming qualities that make me forget the tube amps I've had.

Disclaimer: I still use, and always will, a tube preamp and tubed cd player. A tubehead like me has to have tubes somewhere!