I'm contemplating my first purchase of Meridian equipment. Up till now I've been using an Anthem AVM-30 into a Bryston 9B-SST with JM Lab Electra (Non Be) Speakers in a 5.1 Setup.

The 861v4 is end of life, so the upgrade path is gone for it. The G68 has the same issue, by design, but is less expensive. The question is, which sounds better?

I've noticed a lot of people who have upgraded from G68s to 861v6 or v8, and I would expect them to sound better, but for us high end bottom feeders, is the 861v4 that much better than the G68? I don't plan on adding speakers, but I do have analog requirements. Eventually I'll add a HD621 for HDMI.

Should I:
1) Purchase a G68?
2) Purchase a 861v4?
3) Wait for a 861v6?
4) Wait for a newer version of the G68?

Any advice or opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Russ

861v4, HD621, DSP6000 24/96, DSP5000 24/96, DSP 5000C 24/96, Bryston 9B-SST, JM Lab Electra 915.1, CC900, 906, Oppo BDP-93, Tivo Premier, Amazon Fire TV, VPI Scout, Benz Micro L2, non plus ultra MC phonostage