Which processor? Linn, Rotel, Outlaw, Meridian?

Linn is pretty practical given your othre Linn components. However, the Meridian 568 is a wonderful piece. I've owned both and the meridian is hands down a better unit, IMHO and others per previous threads. Narrow to these two and forget the others. It will simplify your search through the audiogon and other threads.

Linn and Meridian, even older pieces, eat Rotels, Outlaws, Onkyos, etc for lunch :)

Rotel for movies holds it own any day of the week against the overpriced gear mentioned above, to say Rotel gets eaten for lunch is just silly...music is a diffrent story but for movies it is an excellent value, if you want bragging rights then spend more, 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.

"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!

Thanks for that post Cdwallace!
Backs me up.
"Eats for lunch" may be a little strong. I just wanted to make a point.