Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems CES 2010 speculation thread

Lets hope they swap all the interfaces you have for this price.
And not take all you have and trade for a basic machine (like with no analogue outs) otherwise you have to add 2 times 1000 Euro for analogue outputs.
Additional inputs in use (like with the ID20, add 750 for a ID26..

6500 pound will be like 9000 Euro here (if the normal price structure will be used)

I think official announcement is needed..

Any rumours on the cost for a AC12 ?

They could start releasing information in as professional and diligent manner as they perform engineering. That's a lot of trust for another $16k.

I think many 861 owners, who were sold (at a considerable price) on the upgradability and flexibility of their 861 product, will feel that their trust in Meridian has been betrayed.

I am, however, reminded of something that Des Ford once said to me when I was thinking about upgrading to a used 861. He said that each person has their own affordability level when it comes to Meridian kit. To play in the 800 series, you need to be able to afford to continue to play. In other words, if you can't comfortably afford a new 861, you're at the wrong level.

Personally If I was to upgrade and wanted to really hear my upgrades money worth, I would spend it on DSP speakers if I had analogue or upgrade my currant DSP speakers should you already own some. Unless you have 7 x 8000's that is.....

If your installation really requires the extra features that the V6 would offer then its an even more worth while upgrade option. I just think you would notice a far bigger difference exploring other options thats all.

Remamber guys the V4 is an incredible piece of kit and will be for years to come.

I thought the v4 represented a considerable re-design from earlier versions, and that upgrades would not achieve the same performance as a new item? The v6 is a more radical continuation of that process. But upgradability should mean just that, not compromise and huge expenditure. Though it still seeems better than complete, expensive box-swapping every couple of years, so I suppose the 861 has had a good run.

Surely we all know that the moment we walk out the shop our gear is worth 50% of what we paid for it? It sounds as though Meridian are doing their best to keep people on board.

I agree with you guys. At 16k plus the cost of 4 AC12 boxes, Im not sure how I feel. I need to hear more info.

Details of the UK trade-up offer here: https://www.meridianunplugged.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=109101

The unit was �8000 new. So Meridian would have sold that to dealers for around �4000 originally and they are offering �5000 to buy it back off you, plus I would guess it costs them around �250 average to get them all back to M, sort out any niggles, get them reboxed with all the accesories etc. and ready to resell. I would think that they also sell them back to dealers for around �3k to market at around �5k.

So all in all I think the fact they are basically giving you more for the processor than they sold it for originally is pretty impressive and I'm sure the only reason they are doing this is due to the fact it is not upgradeable.


Spend �7,000 on the new Denon A1HDA processor, and see what Denon will offer you back for it in 12 months time, let alone 12 years time!!!


This is not upgradeable, but they have offered you seriously good money back on your current 861 that makes that irrelievnt.

I don't get the 7.1 thing, hardly any discs have it, it doesn't add all that anyway unless you get the speakers in exactly the correct position which hardly any rooms do.

Plus if you have the older DSP speakers you will need to add more boxes.

I would love a new 861v6, however, I still think the 861v4 is the best AV processor out there comapred with any other brand, not heard the Class� mind you.
When anyone says "Due to this I may move to xxxxxx brand" it just makes me think they bought their 861 blind, I have tried loads of others and none come close to what the Meridian has to offer sonically, not saying you may not prefer something else, but the M sound is so much more refined than the competition, so just swapping to something else is just not possible.

Yup!

Wow, Meridian must als be in foreign currency trading business as well because the current exchange rate is GBP 1.00 = USD 1.6228 which would mean that the upgrade cost for a V3/V4 unit would be USD 10,550...how/why have they lopped on an additional USD 5,450 or 52% based on the above quited USD 16,000 is beyond me....

And, should the upgrade price be USD 16,000 I can tell you with NO reservation that I will most assuuredly be leaving the Meridian fold with two very bad purchases to remind me why...800V4 + 861V4...

gIzzE, I agree with you. I can understand how someone who has made a big investment into the 861 in the past say 18 months would feel upset, but the rest of us who have owned it for years, at some point the basic architecture of the unit would need a full on upgrade. And that is what has happened. This jogs some memory I have of Meridian or Bob Stuart saying something along the lines when the 861 came out that they felt its architecture was going to be good for 10 years. This review doesn't give the 10 year number but look at when it was written, May of 1999. That is over 10 years ago and the processor was running v2.0. In the review Stacey Spears states:

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_6_2/meridian861processor.html

What he doesn't say but I think is implied: just like with a PC at some point the new cards, the new tech requires a new architecture and the old just can't support it. When did the 861 first debut? 1998? So 1998-2010 is a very good run. Like gIzzE, points out, what would Denon do for you after 2-3 years, never mind 12!

Joel, I dont know how they get there but perhaps there are duties and tariffs that we are unaware of or perhaps you are correct about arbitrage. Although we are not supposed to discuss cars here, take a look at the price of a new high line (you pick your favorite) car in Europe and then over here- you will find its quite less expensive here. So in the end, the universe is still in balance.