the 218 sits between the MS200 and MS600 for sound quality*
Does it? If so, that makes the 218 awful, because I was very unimpressed with the MS600. Let me qualify that: Ratbert of this parish and I compared the $2000 (Chinese) Holo Audio Spring DAC to the MS600 (as a DAC) and it was absolutely no contest; the Spring wiped the floor with it. I was really disappointed that Meridian actually produced something so poor as the MS600 for that kind of money. There are a lot of outstanding (MQA and non-MQA) non-Meridian DACs out there for less than the 818v3.
* I assume we are talking analogue output?