I reckon the 818 has the "never to be used again" special power supply of the Ruby 808.3.
I'd have thought there was potential for Meridian to roll this out as a general 800 series upgrade in a couple of years' time, after the 818 has had a period of exclusivity. It could be a good exercise for dealers to get customers back through the door again, and an earner for them too. I'd much prefer this PSU in my 861 and 808.
It would have been nice to have MRC in the machine, but as it stands, it looks like the machine to have with a pair of 8ks in a two channel rig.
Cheers
George