Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems Who has updated firmware to include apodizing?

I am interested to hear from people who had old DSP5200 and DSP7200 speakers who have uopdated the firmware to include the apodizing technology, just to isolate exactly what improvement this technology alone has brought and what peoples impressions of it have been. There have obviously been lots of rave reviews of the 808.2 and latest DSP7200 but I was just wondering how much of this is attributed to the apodizing and much is just all the other great audio engineering.

I have to confess to not being a Meridian owner (yet!) but after experiencing the 808.2 and DSP8000 demo at the Bristol show in February and having a play with the Sooloos kit I am thoroughly transfixed by their equipment and have been following this forum intently ever since! The GO8.2 is more in my price range though but without a local dealer to Cardiff I can't get an easy demo to try and separate me from my money!

Thanks

Oli

7200s had apodizing from the outset.

When we heard the 8ks at the HH2 event at Meridian HQ, they sounded amazing, particularly with recordings made in a live acoustic. I'm sure that the 808.2 played no small part in the reproduction of the "space" surrounding the voices and instruments, and that apodizing played no small part in what the 808.2 did.

Totally agree with VK !
I've just done a side-by-side comparison between my 808i and an 808i.2 - used DSP3100's for the purpose as these are non-apodizing. I was warned that the difference - even given the 808i's top knotch performance in its own right - would knock my socks off. Correct!! My 808i is with mother-ship being upgraded as I write. The 3100's are to my ears at least, a shade on the bright side and a bit lacking at the low end. With the 808i.2 in the loop, the increased clarity, width and separation in instruments was plain to hear from the outset. Interestingly, the brightness of the 3100's became far less prominent whilst the high notes remained crystal clear.
Why 3100's when I use 5500's at home? Dealer didn't have 5500's (and I wasn't going to take those to Huddersfield HiFi as well !) so I decided that 5200's with their own apodizing technology would likely confuse the 808 comparison.
But that in itself also raises an interesting point that others closer to mother-ship might comment upon..... IF a DSP speaker has apodizing, does it make any difference to CD replay if the source also has apodizing?? Clearly, with DSP5500's - which I doubt will get apodizing - and the like, upgrading the source clearly makes a significant difference. But with the likes of DSP7200's etc in the chain, is this still likely to be the case?

George C.

Apodizing in speakers is not where it is most effective. Consider that your audiostream have travelled through your preamp with it's additional processing and then you apodize and "fix" preecho in the last step, it's not optimal.

But on topic again. The G08.2 does have apodizing and it does it in the correct place; - the source. The Sooloos line will probably also get apodizing in the future, the hardware is certainly capable of the bit depth and processing.

I have listened pretty extensively on the difference between going direct to G68 (FIR filter) and through the HD621 (apodizing filter) and to me the differences are clear and beneficiary, expecially considering the unveiling of the recording venue and space around the performers and the natural timbre of instruments and voices, it sounds more real!

My understanding is that there were quite a lot more upgrades between the 808 and the 808.2 other than just the apodizing. I am just intrigued to isloate it's effects.

I know I want one but I am trying to convince myself that the G08.2 isn't going to sound better than my current CD player!

Good Luck!

George. You could have used the 5200s (with apodizing firmware). As long as the 808 and 808.2 were upsampling, the 5200 won't apodize.

VK: Didn't know that - the things you learn on this site! Clever these boffins back at mother-ship!!!

I've not done any critical listening yet - I've just moved house and still have a lot to do! - but I noticed that the new 5200 firmware also has an option for F80 IR control in the speaker config settings (hold 0 while turn on power). I guess the F80 remote can now be used to control the volume