A few observations:

1. Were I in bob stuart's postion, I suspect I'd have responded in similar fashion - so I find his comments reasonable.
2. Human nature being what it is, comments are always interpretted differently - no matter how carefully or completely articulated. We are all a product of our experiences, biases, and priorities - and we all see things differently. This should come as no suprise to him as he observes.
3. I do find the comment about 'some may be (temporarily) confused into thinking that different = better' both amusing and ironic. Hiend companies have sold the perception of sound quality improvements since the dawn of time, so to suggest that we as users are incapable of arriving at clear conclusions seems a curious position to take. Certainly sound quality improvements ARE best evaluated over time, and absent any official firmware improvements, longterm use of the 'rogue' program may well prove to be less satisfying.
4. Enthusiast communites are a pain in the a$$. I've been in the service business, and the most committed 'fans' are both an incredible asset and a major headache. They are never happy and only too quick to point out your deficiencies. You can either embrace the feedback or be annoyed by it; and in this day and age with easy on-line access to information, I'd suggest the former is a far better approach.
5. Over-reliance on a dwindling dealer network is already a problem for the hiend, and is likely to get worse. Some friends of mine run Krell, and this is becomming a real issue for them. Hopefully, Meridian also recognize this and will adapt their business model appropriately.

Simon

Last edited by Simon; 2011-03-05 14:09. Reason: unfortunate typo
My Kit: 861v8+ID41, 800v4, UHD722, MD600, MS600, MS200, Oppo BDP-203, Genesis 201, Genesis 350 SE, Genesis S4-8 Sub, BG 520i, VTL MB450 II, Krell Showcase 7, Genesis 928 Subs, Danley DTS10 sub, SVS Ultra 16 subs.