Gallo 3.5 vs Merlin VSM-MXe

The gallo tweeters are indeed leean/bright/crisp. Lots of glass in your room is no help either. Placement out in the room will help some. Obviously, window coverings as well. The size of the Strada is not going to give you the musical weight no matter what you throw at them. If you can tame your room some, the reference series will give you more of what you are looking for. Beyond that, tube CD/DAC and Pre amp would be my next move.

I don't think lean is a right word to describe a tweeter sound. I'm talking about the midrange. My room is fully carpeted, fabric furnitures and curtain all over the windows.

For what you are looking for, with the right amplification and setup, I think the Gallos will carry more weight and might be able to challenge the MErlins, but I would expect the two to always sound a good bit different in overall presentation, which might matter more depending on your tastes.

I love my Merlins (VSM MXE) - but my room is Wood/and Plaster, somehow very mellow, so the Merlin fits perfectly; I am a violinist and play an early Guarneri, which somehow has a similar balance of grit, warmth and clarity; so I feel right at home here.

g, getting the older bam and rc's upgraded to the master bam and master rc's will result in an increase of 20 to 30% more fullness and extention. this has been suggested many times by individuals that have had it done and those comments can be found on this site by doing a search for the master bam and master rc mods.
ok?
still trying to get martykl to modify his so he could experience this for himself.
good luck.
bobby