I own a pair of Rosinante "Dulcinea" speakers that have the same type of tweater as the Merlin VSM speakers. When done correctly, the tweater offers great performance in the mid to high extensions, especially on strings and voice. The Dulcinea speaker can do HT but are better suited for audio. Much thought has been placed in the development of this speaker, from the sculptured dark matter that surrounds each driver (deals with reasonance); to the size of the drivers (with built-in Bybee filters) for clarity and speed; to the height of the speaker for very good soundstaging. The Dulcinea is very good at low volume and has better bass and will play bigger comparatively to the Merlins. Dulcinea is a fairly efficient speaker (91bd/8 ohms) with a very linear impedance whereas, the Merlins are about 89db/6 ohms). You can find a used pair of Dulcinea speakers at around $2,500 to $3,000, they are very detailed and great with voice.
If you want slightly more dynamic speakers, try exploring the Coincident Victory or Silverline Sonatina or Super Eclipse speakers (all are very efficient speakers that are within your price range when buying used). These speakers can also be used for HT.
If you want slightly more dynamic speakers, try exploring the Coincident Victory or Silverline Sonatina or Super Eclipse speakers (all are very efficient speakers that are within your price range when buying used). These speakers can also be used for HT.