Thanks guys - OK, as long as I know I have to wait a little for clarification on all this - I can't afford to take a leap of faith on the upgrade price for v2 - v3, I'm assuming it's a couple of thousand or so? TBH if some of the suspicions are correct, I might skip this version and hope a v4 adds some of the features I'd consider worthwhile upgrading for.

VK- oh dear, yes if that's the case, I'd have to agree with you - very disappointing to at least not have the option of a different analogue input card, I think, or even one with balanced ins, and a phono option. It's always struck me as odd, given the price of the v2 and its 'reference' status, that it didn't have balanced ins alongside single-ended - who needs 6x analogue unbalanced these days? Not sure what the thinking is here.

HC: 861v4/ID40/LPS, DSP5000, DSP5000VC, DSP3100, SW1600, HD621, Oppo BDP-105, Sony VPL-HW55ES
2-Channel: Oppo BDP-105, TEAC VRDS-7/Trichord Clock 3/PSU, 551, Quad 303, Harbeth Compact 7ES-3, Kimber cables, Russ Andrews mains and supports.
Previous Meridian: 5000C, 5200SL, 7200.2, 6000, 562V.2, 568.2mm, 800v4, 808.2i, 818v2/v3, 861v8, 502