I haven't compared but would like to comment on Rayhall's remarks concerning the Merlins being voiced to accentuate the upper mids and highs. I really don't know what gear you listened on but even with a receiver I can't imagine that you would get that impression. Something must have been seriously amiss.
One of their strongest suits to my ears and by concensus is how they are so even keeled and balanced across the frequency spectrum. Look at the frequency response plot curve on this speaker. A peak in the upper frequencies would be easy to spot. The system was painstakingly designed to be flat. Furthermore the midrange naturalness of this speaker is among the best I've heard and is the most important aspect of sound reproduction to me. I got rid of my last speakers for just the reason you gave, a recessed midrange and accentuation in the upper mids and the brightness in the highs on some music (almnium dome) became irritating over time.
One of their strongest suits to my ears and by concensus is how they are so even keeled and balanced across the frequency spectrum. Look at the frequency response plot curve on this speaker. A peak in the upper frequencies would be easy to spot. The system was painstakingly designed to be flat. Furthermore the midrange naturalness of this speaker is among the best I've heard and is the most important aspect of sound reproduction to me. I got rid of my last speakers for just the reason you gave, a recessed midrange and accentuation in the upper mids and the brightness in the highs on some music (almnium dome) became irritating over time.