I would feel exactly the same if it was Trinnov.

The very first CD player was a heavily modified Phillips CD-101 Stereophile has an interesting overview/review.

But the point is, Meridian are not a fledgeling company, as they were then - they went on to innovate and lead the cutting edge. To step back from that, three decades on, and become a reseller of rebadged gear, would be an enormous, and very sad, step backwards.

HC: 861v4/ID40/LPS, DSP5000, DSP5000VC, DSP3100, SW1600, HD621, Oppo BDP-105, Sony VPL-HW55ES
2-Channel: TEAC VRDS-7/Trichord Clock 3/PSU, Avondale S100, Harbeth Compact 7ES-3
Previous Meridian: 5000C, 5200, 7200.2, 6000, 562V.2, 568.2mm, 800v4, 808.2i, 818v2/v3, 861v8, 551, 502