Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems MPMAX 221 with a turntable

Steve,

Many thanks - most helpful. Certainly food for thought.

Zander

So what arm and cartridge do you have on the old fruit-box (LP12)?

I use my LP12 / Ittok with a Denon DL-110 into a self designed and built phono stage into a 568.

All the best,

Steve.

Don't have an arm & cartridge yet. I was given the 'fruit-box' about 5 years ago minus an arm and the cartridge is missing too.

My plan has been to invest a little(!) to get the thing up and running and to find a way of getting it into a pair of MK1 DSP5000s I've had lying around.

All this started because of my new found love of listening to music via Sooloos. I'm embarassed to say that music listening hasn't hitherto been something that I've really been interested in but the Sooloos has changed all that.

I have a collection of old LPs - about 200 or so - that I thought might be worth dusting off. I know zip about turntables and so on but I thought it would be an interesting project to see if I could get the old 'fruit-box' working with a pair of old DSPs.

Perhaps I should just buy an MS600 and go Sooloos in that room instead?!

All this stuff about voltages, rms, input sensitivity etc. is making me feel like crawling back in my hole...

I guess I'm a model Meridian Sooloos DIGITAL customer?

Zander

If you're not really into the analogue playback (investment wise), you should just sell the LP12 on eBay and buy an all in one solution like the Stanton STR8.150, a turntable with a built in phono stage and ADC?

Steve.

Steve,

Genius! A great piece of lateral thinking if I ever I saw one...

�375 for a complete solution - straight in via SPDIF. Why didn't I think of that?!

It may not be audiophile but I'm curious to see what my vinyl collection will sound like into DSPs - so this more than fits the bill pro temps.

So no faffing with voltages, input sensitivity, rms et al.

This way I can try it. If I like it I can come back cap in hand and seek advice on a 'credible' solution. Certainly for my purposes, at this stage (pun intended), it fits the bill exactly. And only leaves me �375 lighter to boot!

Many thanks.

Zander

PS maybe I'll get into DJing with a little practice and a second deck? :-)

Zander, quick question. Are your Mk1 DSP5000s 24/96 versions?

Richard,

No, afraid not. Very early models - not sure of the year/vintage. Quite scruffy cabinets but they DO work.

Zander

Zander, I have a concern about this, and Steve, please don't take this as knocking an otherwise very practical suggestion.

You have an LP12. Fifty quid will get it serviced and in tune from a dealer, and I can't believe it will do anything other than blow the �375 Stanton all-in-one out of the water sonically. Surely the purpose of the venture is to reconnect with all that good music you have on vinyl? I'm sure the LP12 will do a better job of that than the Stanton. There can't be that much issue with phono stages...I feel that you are worrying unnecessarily. I've used a Musical Fidelity XLPS and XLPv3 with a 562(vanilla, v2 and v3), and the voltage has never needed anything other than the 2.2V sensitivity setting, which corresponds to the MP221. Cartridges have been Audiotechnica AT-OC5 (IIRC) and Ortofon MC25FL.

Your 5ks would have retailed at the thick end of �4000 when new. They are capable musical performers. If you want hifi sound from your vinyl into the DSPs, the Stanton will undoubtedly do that. If you want music though, stick with the LP12.

Just my tuppence worth...

George

LP12/RB300/MC25/XLPv3

Zander, I didn't realize that you didn't have 24/96 speakers.

*** I don't believe that the MPMAX221 will work with your speakers. ***

Do as George says. Get your LP12 serviced. Then get a 562 (any version will do, though the 562V.2 has more future-proofing) - not only will you have more than adequate A2D conversion, but the 562 will allow you to adjust the analogue input sensitivity to match whatever phono stage you use. And, IIRC, the 562 can take either a MM or MC phono stage of its own.

And there's a silly priced, minty 562 on eBay at present for �150. Steal it now and don't look back!

http://cgi.eBay.co.uk/Meridian-562-...rs&hash=item35ac97486e#ht_500wt_1131

Which cartridge do you use? There's also a 515 moving coil board for the 562 on eBay, so you could have a one box solution*

http://cgi.eBay.co.uk/Meridian-515-...rs&hash=item2c5781fc3f#ht_500wt_1131

*A separate phono stage into the 562 will still sound better. I know as I've tried the board and upgraded it to the Musical Fidelity XLPS, which cost about �80 used. It will be even cheaper now as that was around five or six years ago.

Cheers

George

Gents,

This is all really interesting stuff.

My bad on 24/96 and MPMAX 221 - scratch that.
I really don't like (=hate) to proliferate boxes. Also, I'm not hugely keen on acquiring 'legacy' M kit - even if it would do a superb job.

No, my mind is made up for now. I'm going to go with Steve's suggestion.

Why?

1 box
No hassle
It allows me to 'taste' what vinyl will sound like through DSPs
It gives me the opportunity to listen to +/- 200 LPs that have been stashed away for years
It'll help me decide whether to lay out big(ger) bucks on a higher quality, permanent solution
If I don't like it, my son(s) or I could take up weekend DJing to pay for a better solution
At �375, it becomes fun and not a stress...

Very many thanks for all your helpful replies. It's been a very interesting thread (to me at least). I'll feedback my findings.

Zander

Bang on.