Is Meridian dead as a product company?

You're welcome. I do think the sound quality of my Meridian G68 is perhaps a tad better in two channel mode than my Marantz. Dialogue is  a bit easier to hear too. But the Marantz and other current offerings have the most recent codecs and seemless hdmi video and audio switching built in, whereas with Meridian you have to buy a separate HD621 unit which, if you buy used, adds hundreds of dollars to the cost.

I own G68 and G91 processors. The sound is good, but I also have a recent model Marantz processor that is much less expensive and just as enjoyable to my ears. The G68 is now part of a third system and the G91 is mothballed.

Here in California, I have experienced a couple of brownouts. When the power came back on and there was a surge, the only electronics damaged in my house were my Meridian processors and speakers.

Some other points:

1. Meridian dropped most of their dealers. Support is not very good compared to the past.

2. Meridian blocked access to firmware and software downloads for owners of used gear. This used to be free and easy to do through your home computer. We now have to go through a dealer, and they are harder to find now.

3. The parts they use are not the best and not what you would expect in such expensive offerings. I have had to replace the power supplies in both my processors, and replace other parts that went bad because the power supplies blew up. My technician showed me the parts he replaced - they were inexpensive capacitors and resistors. As for their other products, I had three transports go bad on my disc spinners, and I had issues with a pair of their dsp speakers.

In sum, in my experience, their stuff is not the most reliable, but they sound decent. That said, they have not stayed ahead of the pack, and my Marantz is the big dog in my house now.