The 561 is strictly digital, no analog bypass. It does have a wealth of analog inputs, however the signal is coverted to digital. There is one Toslink, and at least two digital rca inputs. The 561 uses 20 bit dacs as opposed to the 565 which is upgradeable to 24 bit dacs. The 561 supports 5.1 only when using analog outputs. It can support 6.1 and 7.1 if the L/R mains are Meridian digital speakers. The firmware in the 561 is upgradeable by the user and can be downloaded from Meridian's website. Version 1.75 contains all of the latest formats including EX, EZ (Meridian format), and PL II. There have been no hardware upgrades that I'm aware of for the 561. The 561 can also support a Meridian proprietary 'firewire' type connection with Meridian DVD players for a superior transfer of digital signals, including DVD-A. I apologoze for the simple explanation, more information on this proprietary connection is available on Meridian's website.
I don't believe the difference in sound between the 561 and 565 is that great. I've owned the 508.24 player, and it did sound better, but not by a large margin. I think the superior and more intuitive setup interface of the 561 would outweigh any marginal benefits the 565 would have in sound quality. The 561 is an all in one package with many inputs and video switching.
I don't believe the difference in sound between the 561 and 565 is that great. I've owned the 508.24 player, and it did sound better, but not by a large margin. I think the superior and more intuitive setup interface of the 561 would outweigh any marginal benefits the 565 would have in sound quality. The 561 is an all in one package with many inputs and video switching.