Hey lets agree Josephs and Merlins are both great! George Cardas, whose cables I believe in owns small Josephs and big Merlins. Obviously, the Merlins are more expensive and better but the Joseph's are an excellent little speaker too. BTW, I do prefer the smaller Joseph's to the bigger ones and the previous post is true, the Esotar is just so bloody expensive, how many can afford it. I have to admit that the VSMs probably are the best non-horn speaker around, jeez they are fast! I love their colored ones and they sound more like my favorite horns and electrostats than any dynamic driver speaker I ever heard, which included the largest Sonus which would be my second choice for dynamic cone speaker and these carbon composite speakers from England, whose name I can't remember but listened to in NY and the newest Ceramique. But all of those cost so much more than the Merlins that I could buy a complete front end cdp and electronics for the difference. That's the bottom line. The price vs performance and that's where Merlin kicks ass.
Best speakers at show? Merlin by far
Never got to heard them before because of the sticks where I live but have followed them for years--and went to hear them after Planet HiFi and Soundstage. Hate to jump on the bandwagon and imitate Absolute Sound, etc reports but best by far were Merlins! Blew me away, Crowded but I didn't want to leave so went to Sim Audio and listened there too! Wow! Anyone selling red ones? Cheap? I'll take them, just post em here with a tube harness, I think it's called. Thanks.