Which processor? Linn, Rotel, Outlaw, Meridian?


I have a great Linn 5 channel amp, great Linn Espek/Ekwal speakers, a good Velodyne sub, and a crappy Onkyo receiver as the processor. I am looking to upgrade and get a new processor but cannot spend more than $1500. Music/movies are 50/50 on this system.

I can pick up an OLD Linn AV5103 for under $1500.
I could buy a brand new Outlaw for $1099.
I could buy a Rotel 1066 for about $700.
...or a Meridian 568 for under $1500.

I don't believe anything will be future proof so I don't mind buying used gear. However, would "brand new" Outlaw chips be better than older chips? Any recommendations would be appreciated. Also, SACD, DVD-A is not a big deal for me. PLII would be nice but not necessary.
rushrx

Showing 4 responses by cdwallace

"Rotel for movies holds it own any day of the week against the overpriced gear mentioned above"

Chad...No doubt Rotel can hold its own. However, calling the other pieces overpriced...thats a fairly subjective statement. More expensive...OK. Overpriced leads me to believe the performance is not worth the money. This is unfortunately not true. When you move from Rotel to Outlaw, for example, you've pretty much taken a side step. Rotel to Linn...now you've moved forward some. Rotel to Merdian...you need to be in Olympics doing the long jump!

For the price of a new 1066 vs. a used 568.2, thats about a $600 to $700 dollar difference, if you play your cards right. But when you consider performance, the extra money in comparison to the competition brings things back into perspective.

"to say Rotel gets eaten for lunch is just silly."

OK...maybe as a full course meal. It takes a little longer to eat the Rotel. :) Just joking! Silly but otherwise true.

"music is a diffrent story but for movies it is an excellent value, if you want bragging rights then spend more"

This is unequivically one of the main reasons MC music listening has not received the respect it has so long earned. Because too many limit MC to movies. When kept in perspective, media is media, information is information, and processing is processing...be it 2ch or MC. Movies, music... its all media. Can the equipment process and handle the media properly and accurately, as close to the original or intended "blueprint" for a lack of better terms; ie recording or score or soundtrack....thats the question. Its all about accurate reproduction of the original. That canvasses movies, music and all else.

Oh...and speaking of bragging rights. Bragging rights would be configuring the Rotel to outperform a Meridian. Thats bragging rights. Won't ever happen, but thats what I call bragging rights. Bragging about price only magnifies how much you spent and how far your performance has to grow to catch up with the price tag. If the overall performance still sucks, your just bragging about how much money you just wasted.

"but if you want real world performance at a very reasonable price get Rotel, if you want to look at better then Rotel Lexicon would have to make you audition list."

I will agree Rotel is truely reasonable. Plus, the performance outranks the price. This is very true. Lexicon wouldn't be a far reach to consider adding to the group either. But when you start pricing Lexicon thats on the remote level of the 568 or Linn, you'll more than likely be spending just as much for the used 568.2. Now your choosing between apples and oranges.

To make a long story even shorter, a properly configured Merdian 568.2 in trifield will have a tough time finding legitimate competition.

But hey...its not my system!
Hands down...Meridian. Granted the 568 is a older model, but the competition is no match for even the older Meridian. Trifield is still an eye opener, even compared to the newer formats that are coming out. Plus...play your cards right, you can find a 568 that can handle DD and DTS.

Of course, you're not gonna get the added features that the others are offering. IMO, the tradeoff of performance/reliability vs. features is something I wouldn't think twice about considering.
I'm a bit at a loss here. Can anyone objectively explain how they came to the conclusion how the Linn, Rotel Outlaw, or the Casablanca outperforms the Meridian? This goes without saying, but the Meridian requires the one has some pre-learned knowledge of surround sound to properly set it up; all as be willing to navigate a little.

But shouldn't this be a prerequisite for any who wants to properly setup and calibrate a MC system?

Or is it more that people haven't heard the "competition" and only made thier choices on what they have heard, or what someone told them or read; not what they researched?

Not saying the 568 is the best out there, but in this price bracket, where is the competition?

Just wondering gentlemen. Anyone care to explain?