Pete said this a little while ago:
This post is in no way a critcism of Meridian's sound qualities. All I'm saying is that there are now other products (Krell and Classe' for example) that have products in the $4000-5000 price range offering more features than the 561 and 568 with far more upgradeabilty and have been reviewed to have excellent sound. Do they actually sound better? I don't know as I haven't heard them myself.
Having had opportunity to compare head to head Krell's HTS-7.1 (US$8K) and Meridian's 568.2MM there is no question which processor sounds better to me.
If you are buying processors based on features included, then by all means, you should stick with something along the lines of the Krell Showcase or Classe` pieces. The Krell especially has some great features they shoved into the case, and the silver exterior is very attractive.
If your goal is to chose which one does the best job sonically, then I think the question is answered handily as to where the choice should be made.
Speculation mode onPerhaps an updated 561 (maybe a 561.2) is in the works, I have no idea what is or isn't being worked on at Meridian. This would allow them to have a product in the $4K range.
Speculation mode offRegards,