Richard,

I did not mean to imply that you would have even considered driving B&W 802's with a consumer grade Marantz amp. The point of my post was to state that I had tied up about $26k (retail) in my front main speakers and I find that my DSP5500's, which cost $12.5 (retail), offer an equally pleasing sound to me. So, the answer to the question you asked, IMO, is yes, Meridian speakers are worth it.

Rudy

G68ADV, DSP5500's, DSP5500HC, DSP5000's, Sony Ruby, DVDO, VP-30