Im with the others- I understand your being a little bothered, but thats unfortunately how it is. Have you ever bought a computer- only to find out that a month later a better model is out. I've been there. There is nothing a company like Meridian can do to protect itself from that.

The thing to do if you really want to trade out of the 5 series is to see if the dealer will cut you a deal- it is in their name dealer [Linked Image from softronix.com].

That said- you mentioned you wanted hardware upgradability. The G series doesnt seem to offer much of that- to get that youd need to be in the 8 series I think.

How about sound quality- if the 861v4 is the current king of the hill in Meridian land, and if the G68 sounds just like or close to it, then it surely is a deal. However, if the latest version of the 568 sounds close to the 861v3- you still have a fantastic sounding processor that is pretty well ahead of the others.

With the exception of Lexicon for movies, you really wont get a better sounding processor from those companies you list. What you will get is quirky service and quirky products. More so than with Meridian. Ive had products from Lexicon, Theta, B&K, and Sunfire.

Dont make a rash decision. In your spot- Id be on the phone to the dealer to see what kind of deal could they make me on an 861v4 while keeping the 5 series player. if that doesnt work- try the G- but keep the 5 series player. And if you cant make a deal work- then keep what you have. You were happy with it before knowing about the G series- and it should work just the same today. I dont think M has discontinued their support of the 5 series either.

Let us know what happens.

Best regards,
Jerry
Main System: 861v6, DSP8000s in corners, DSP7000s Center and Sides, 1-9 humans.