Personally, I think mid/upper bass response can be tailored greatly by both the gear, room, and the treatments therein.
For example, simply substituting JPS Superconductor (interconnect and/or speaker cable) will produce that kind of bloom and richness, and take the edge off the sound, if it's required. Not only with the Merlins, but with most loudspeaker products.
I've heard Merlins in various instances, and in all cases, I was most impressed. In my opinion, the effectiveness of the design, and skill of implementation of it by the folks at Merlin have been proven by its disparate owners. I've heard a fair share of criticism of the speaker, but it can also be viewed as a testament to the success in dispersing the product. At this point, the owness falls on the individual to mate the speaker with the appropriate gear and site the speaker correctly - in an appropriate room. Is it a PERFECT speaker? No, of course not. Such a beast does not exist, and there never was, and never may be. But, the Merlins sure are as satisfying a loudspeaker as any produced. I can see no reason why a pair of Merlins would not constitute a lifetime purchase, and that's a truely rare thing in high end audio these days.
For example, simply substituting JPS Superconductor (interconnect and/or speaker cable) will produce that kind of bloom and richness, and take the edge off the sound, if it's required. Not only with the Merlins, but with most loudspeaker products.
I've heard Merlins in various instances, and in all cases, I was most impressed. In my opinion, the effectiveness of the design, and skill of implementation of it by the folks at Merlin have been proven by its disparate owners. I've heard a fair share of criticism of the speaker, but it can also be viewed as a testament to the success in dispersing the product. At this point, the owness falls on the individual to mate the speaker with the appropriate gear and site the speaker correctly - in an appropriate room. Is it a PERFECT speaker? No, of course not. Such a beast does not exist, and there never was, and never may be. But, the Merlins sure are as satisfying a loudspeaker as any produced. I can see no reason why a pair of Merlins would not constitute a lifetime purchase, and that's a truely rare thing in high end audio these days.