i've owned the filarmonia-merlin VSM-MX combo for about 6 months now. also, i just received the amp back from bobby following an upgrade he suggested. the amp before was relaxed, neutral, tonally complete, and pristine in clarity. a perfect sonic match for the merlins IMHO. while i'm early in the upgrade burn-in, the amp now seems more continous through its lower mid and bass response. the bass pitch seems more sharply defined, with a more audible and natural bass note decay, IMHO. overall, the filarmonia has exceeded my expectations. you can trust bobby on this one.
i have no reference for comparison though, as i didn't do an AB comparison with either the cary or berning.
i have no reference for comparison though, as i didn't do an AB comparison with either the cary or berning.