I have a pair of Meridian M3 active speakers which have been packaged up for
ages, and with domestic arrangements likely to change soon I'm trying to
decide whether to start using them again or sell them and go for something
else.

It seems I've lost touch with the world of hifi equipment for quite a number
of years, and with the march of technology I'd like to know if they are
still considered high quality.

If I was buying a set of speakers today, how much would I expect to pay to
get comparable sound quality?
(I know this is slightly complicated by the fact that they contain power
amps aswell!)

Also, is the Meridian control unit the only way of driving these speakers?