Hi,
Yes i own a Merlin. Bought a Malt 2 about six months ago, well bought a frame and built it myself. MX comp (eta), XT, Mavic...etc. Anyway, the frame was a steal at £175, delivered much quicker than the two weeks it takes to assemble and deliver a whole bike (2 days). Building your own is quicker and may be cheaper, plus 'fun'. Anyway, the frame/bike is a dream to ride, i'm 6 foot and ride the 18". My only the gripe is that the coating/paint (whatever it is) on the aluminium frame is prone to chipping, i've got a lovely scrape on the top tube where the brake lever hit during one of my less proud mtb moments (you're familiar with superman, right?) plus some other choice marks.
The Malt 2 can be built into a wonderful bike, you'll certainly stand out from the specialized/trek crowd. I haven't seen another one at all. I would recommend it, just be sure to get a decent chainstay protector, patches to stop cable outer rubbing the frame and those little rubber rings that go round cables to stop scratching.
Enjoy....