Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Streaming Sooloos vs. 808.3 - Best New Gen

Has anyone had the chance to evalautae an able of rank the best of the new Generation set-ups for music? I know everyones ears/taste are different but it would be nice to get a head start for those that A / B various set-ups

I'm considering taking the Sooloos plunge, trying to determine if there is a big difference, negligible, same or better.


How does the C15 compare to the 808.3 by itself via speakerlink and how do they stack up against each other when running the C15 thru the v6 using SpeakerLink?

What is the order preference:

1) 808.3 into 861v6 via speakerlink

2) C15 into ID40 into 861v6 speakerlink

3) 808.3 direct to DSPs a) Speakerlink b) SPDIF

4) C15 direct to DSPs a) Speakerlink b) SPDIF

5) Other


Looking forward to everyones feedback

Best,

Jay

Jay,

Follow these guidelines:

1) Avoid as many SpeakerLink or SPDIF connections as you can - connections between components add jitter.

2) Connect an upsampled/apodized source to directly to the DSP speakers if you can.

So:

C15 or 808.3/ID40 or 861v6/ID40 into DSP speakers should sound best with little difference between them.

Any differences would (should) only be down to internal jitter management and any differences between upsampling implementations. Frankly, we can only guess if there are any differences between these components.

Finally, IMO, the best solution is 861v6/ID40 into DSP speakers, because the 861v6/ID40 is a source component, but also adds surround processing modes and room correction.

I have still not seen significant evidence on this forum that SpeakerLink *sounds* better than SPDIF.

Hi Jay,

If you haven't spotted these already, have a look at these two posts:

My Mini Review: 861v6, 7200, ID40 & Sooloos - Part 1

My Mini Review: 861v6, 7200, ID40 & Sooloos - Part 2

Hope they help.

Regards,
Carl

I would echo what Joel says above about minimizing connections and SPDIF v Speakerlink.

Also that the ID40 within the 861v6 represents the best "theoretical" solution for achieving Multichannel DSP

However, it needs to be borne in mind that (IMHO) the Control 15 still needs to be shown to be a very low Jitter Source, such as the 80x players or Transporter

The Control:10/15 had their genesis in the largely similar design Control 1, which was designed in the pre-Meridian Sooloos days.

I don't know anything more than what is above only that I don't think Meridian have fully focused on that aspect of the design yet

For those who may be skeptical, bear in mind that Meridian appear to have step-changed the performance of both the 808.3 and 861v6, purely by focusing on these underlying issues, many / most / all to do with reducing Jitter. They don't appear to have made such claims as yet about the Control 15

Also, Carl's recent Mini-Review thread, where he found the C15 Apodizing / Upsampling via Speakerlink to the 861v6 produced an (almost) identical result to his 800D Upsampling via SPDIF

Whilst the C10 had a hybrid Sooloos / Meridian digital audio board, the new C15 has a ground up all Meridian designed digital audio board in it. Which I believe through listening tests (I do not have the equipment to measure it) has a similar performance to the 80x players.

I would be great if some of our other members (who have the required kit) repeated the tests I did for comparison and even better if someone with a 808.3 as well could step up to the plate.

Regards,
Carl

Thanks Carl,
I didn't know that about the C15 or hadn't read it in the Data Sheet........Where did you see that or is it something you heard??? It doesn't appear in any of the C15 Data Sheets or New Product Information sheets. Not that that's unusual

As regards "other testing", I can only repeat what I've already posted multiple times

The 808.2i that I compared against my 800 was consistently better for CD replay for almost all music types. Quite simply, the 808.2 was a better CD Player..........not night and day, but solidly better

Now as your C15 via SL sounded very similar to your 800D, one could extrapolate that the 808.2 would sound better........

And as reported by some here, the 808.3 is noticeably better than the 808.2

Where that leaves the Jitter Characteristics of the C15, I'm not really sure. Hence my post above

Ronnie, I think you need some at home demo kit from your dealer.

Its the only sure way to decide in the finish, enjoy Chris

Hi Ronnie,

The information on the C15 having an "all new ground up Meridian" audio board came from two sources (both dealers) that had been to the Meridian dealers day at HQ last June.

808.x v 800D It's a fair point that you raise. However, it could be that an 800D/861v6 combination is very close to that of an 808.3.
I think to compare the merits of these sources what we need is to first remove the processor to get a benchmark.

800D --coax--> 8K
808.3 ---SL---> 8K
C15 -----SL---> 8K

Then add an 861v6 to the mix, with all sources into the processor and the DSPs driven from it.

The difficulty is how much kit you need to perform the tests, even Meridian Premium Partners would struggle. I don`t know of anyone who has: 861v6+ID40, 808.3, Sooloos C15 and at least one pair of 8000.2 DSPs

Regards,
Carl

PS I`ve had a week`s post "Oktoberfest" R&R at home, the early part of which was entertaining our guests from Switzerland who have been staying with us and the later part playing a lot of "live" tracks in search of apodizing nirvana. “Mini review part 3” is on the way.

Hi Carl
I agree the only real way to do this is for a number of real world (user) comparisons

As stated above, my comments are mainly extrapolations of my own 800 v 808.2 comparisons and then adding yours and others' opinions to the mix

As stated previously, my 800 v 808.2 comparisons were done using SPDIF Direct to the Front Pair and SPDIF to 861v4 for Trifield. (I'm cabled to both D1 and D2 on the Front Pair)

Whether Direct to DSP or thru the 861v4, I preferred the CD Replay on the 808.2 (and it's not like I don't think that the 800 is great on CD's I still think the 800 is a great CD player)

According to one of the earlier Sooloos reviews (Absolute Sound, I think), the Source 1 has in it a generic PCI sound card - a good one obviously but off-the-shelf. The Control:10 is the same generation, isn't it? So perhaps it also had an off-the-shelf card in it. In which case it is not surprising at all that M wanted to do it themselves.

(I wonder if that was the same dealer event last June when they said that the Ensemble would be the next to get a proper Meridian going-over?)

Hi Carl
are you shure on that:

808.x v 800D It's a fair point that you raise. However, it could be that an 800D/861v6 combination is very close to that of an 808.3.
I think to compare the merits of these sources what we need is to first remove the processor to get a benchmark.


Remember the G-68 discussions, upsampling in G-68 reduces calculation power, that is needed for RC and so on.
This also is against Meridian: Upsampling as early as possible.
So the 800 into an 861V6 will be almost the same as the 808.3, i don't believe.
Introducing upsampling in the 800 (if possible, don't remember yet :-) ) is the way to go and giving the 861 the power to do what its Job is. But then no more apodizing in the 861.

I'm wondering, what happens in a comparison like this. So there is one more step in a review to do.

Best
Armin