Originally Posted by GMT
I can see where you are coming from ... however Meridian have a history of providing free updates to its kit and this could well have been one of the points that was used as part of the sales pitch.
Bug fixes and keeping the system functional with new operating systems are significant updates. Enhancements are another thing completely. You are right, Meridian has a history of providing even enhancements for free, but people shouldn't be disappointed if they don't. (or feel that their system is somehow not any good anymore)

Originally Posted by GMT
On the matter of MQA support again I can see your point, however in this unusual scenario Meridian are also the developers of MQA so it could be seen as a little cynical if they were selling high end products that they knew they couldn't support in future and would require further purchases.
It's done all the time. They need to make money to stay in business. The Explorer 2 gives you a relatively cheap way to determine if MQA will be worth spending even larger sums to have it in your system.

Originally Posted by GMT
I think that if Roon is a huge success and has thousands of subscribers then you would suspect that their R & D budget would improve and eventually leave Sooloos trailing. Another point of view is that their success may be greater in other areas and the Meridian side of things could get neglected. I have a feeling that the Roon product is going to be more flexible than Sooloos with all of the pros and cons that is usually associated with this approach.
I don't think that will be a huge concern with Roon. Once the code is in their software, it should remain there. Roon's main focus seems to be on the database and will fill in the gaps with capabilities that a lot of Sooloos owners have been requesting for years. Roon is a new company and stuff happens to new companies. The concern should be their long term viability.

The fact that Roon is so open with their future plans while Meridian isn't shouldn't be a cause for panic. It's just the difference in a new company trying to establish some excitement for their product and an older company that doesn't need to.

QNAP, MS600, MS200, Anthem AVM 50v, B&W 804S, JL Fathom 113 (2)