I have a Loewe TV which is distributed by Linn Sight. Ignoring the technical merits of Linn and Meridian products, my experiences of Linn support is as follows.

As well dealerships, they also have presence in a number of stores. My TV was purchased from Linn Audio in Harrods - which was actually cheaper than buying from an internet dealer by the time that delivery and accessories were factored in - FWIW, Harrods were slightly more expensive for the TV itself, but had free delivery/setup/2 year warranty and cheaper options - my TV is modular so you choose the accessories you want.

Pre sales from dealership on forthcoming equipment was probably as vague as that coming from Meridian. Pre sales support from Linn was OK, helpful but not sure if it was entirely factually correct (it wasn't a Linn product afterall). Compared to a big name like Sony etc, much better but not compared to the quality of Meridians pre sales support.

I had a problem with my G98/TV HDMI/DVI interface and three companies became involved. Meridian and Linn directly because of my issue but also Linn and another British DVD manufacturer who were also having problems with this display and their high end products. Meridian pushed the boat out as far as they could without getting in my display. I was privvy to beta software and Meridian support liased with Linn to help resolve the problem. Things did drag on with no resolution and no posinters as to where the problem was. When Meridian did come to the conclusion that it was not their kit (albeit with their firmware not being the most robust during an error condition) I must admit some level of dispair.

Linn on the other hand were a two edged sword. On one side it was almost impossible to get hold of pertinent assistance, but when I did get a contact, they were very helpful. As helpful as Meridian although not as forthcoming with answers. They were not exactly fast. The problem dragged on for many many many months. Also, it is debatable whether I would have got the same level of assistance has Linn not have had an issue with one of their devices - unidisk - so they has a vested interest to sort out the problem.

Resolution of the problem was two fold. Ultimately it was a DVI plug issue - compatibility between my cable and TV. I also needed to get a firmware update, and Linn were not forthcoming in this - it also involved a home visit by engineer which they were very reluctant to supply claiming that I would have to pay since the fix also involved an upgrade. A very different story to Meridian. In the end, I kicked up a fuss and I get the fix. But this would not have been necessary with Meridian.

On the whole, Meridian service is better than my experience of Linn's. But Linn's is not poor.

Plus Meridian (UK) feels more like one big 'happy' family. I don't think there are many manufacturers that you can say this about.

Meridian owner since 1992
Prime & PSU, Focal Elear headphones, Roon (ROCK 8Gi5 NUC), Explorer 1 & 2, F80. 200/203, various Sonos (via Roon).