Back to the Future: Getting another Mark Levinson No. 40

[JerryDelColliano]

I am changing out my system as a VERY GRATIOUS long-term loan has come due and I am forced to change my system.

I am likely switching from a Meridian 800-861 to a Mark Levinson No. 40. I am thinking of using a DVDO VP50pro for the HDMI video switching for Blu-ray and HD DVD which I currently run component and upconvert using a Faroudja procesor. I think the direct feed will be better for video quality but I hope th hDMI works better than 9 months ago. I have all new HD sources with the latest firmware BS.

I love the liquid sound of the Meridian source and preamp combo in the 800 series. I am thinking of doing a bel canto CD player analog into the No. 40 for audio and using the video on the HD DVD player for standard DVD. I like the ease of programibility of the No. 40 and its balanced sound. The screen and build quality are also pretty fantastic too.

Does anyone have any experience with the HDMI card of the No. 40?

[kennyt]

Jerry,

Why would you need the HDMI card? If you are running all your video through the VP-50pro, you'd be wasting $$ on the HDMI card. You can't input the newer audio formats, so why not just let the VP-50 do the video and the No40 the audio.

You have the XA2 now, so for SD DVD you've got what in my opinion is the best upsampling SD DVD player made, though you might do better with a solid uiniversal player and 480i output into the Vp50 as it's an amaziung scaler.