Price Paid:  $399.00 from Architectual Supply

Summary:
Replaced a second-hand 260x3 that had relay problems with the newer 260x3 MKII. This is an awesome piece of audiophile-grade equipment. Running 3 sets of bookshelfs in 3 different rooms (audio only-no HT A-V), the MKII has brought new life to my system. A snap to set-up, this thing is simplicity personified. With all 3 rooms running simultaneously, music is crisp, clear, and tight even at insanely low volume. I would fear running the volume control of my old Denon 435 past the 9 o'clock because I live in a neighborhood with old folks who would surely call the cops thinking I had a live band performing in my house. Although not sure if I'll ever use them, I like having the flexibility of the extra "amp out" jacks for daisy chanining. Even though I enhanced my source signal with a studio-grade graphic eq and a sonic maximizer, the 260x3 is probably the single most valuable piece of gear I own. The cost-to-performance ratio is obscene, even if you have to pay full retail ($450 to $500).

Strengths:
Easy set-up. Easy operation, with signal-activated power-up and -down. Sleek looks (for what is commonly an "architectual audio" piece). Excellent technical specs.

Weaknesses:
Very minor, but the auto-on takes about 4 seconds to engage when it detects a signal. I'd bypass this by using the manual on-off button, but my wife doesn't like pushing too many buttons to listen to music.