Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Streaming MC200 vs Audiolab CDQ?

Hi,

I am on the fence with my decision about whether or not to get an MC200, and I am hoping that some of you could help out with your experience.

I am considering an upgrade to either the Audiolab CDQ or a Meridian MC200. I realize that they are completely different products but my goal is to improve my digital sound quality.
If I get the CDQ then I will use the CD player and my Powerbook via iTunes via USB to CDQ directly to my active speakers. If I go with the MC200 then it will use the analog out to my present preamplifier.

I will probably never be able to audition either component so I am hoping the someone may have experience with both of these units and could comment on the sound quality of the MC200 vs the CDQ.

Or, the MC200 vs any other comparible high quality CD player or DAC with a filter that reduces pre-ringing.

Thanks everyone.

Hi Paul,

My advice, forget spinning silver disks and go the audio server route; it will open up you music collection. If you go with the MC200 is will sound great, but it can be improved upon by adding a MS600 later down the line, this would further boost audio quality to that approaching Meridian's flagship CD player / preamp the 808.3.

These been a lot of discussion on MC200 and MS600 in for forum, I suggest you do a search and read the posts. I think they may help you for an opinion of these products.

I can't comment on the AudioLab CDQ, I've never heard one.

I can say that the audio quality from a MC200 will outperform that from a PowerBook even via a USB interface.

Perhaps one of our Apple fans could step in here, I suspect they would tell you to get an ATV version 1.

Regards,
Carl

But will the MC200 outperform a Powerbook with USB out to something like a Rega DAC or other high performance DAC (AudioLab, etc). Carl, if this is what you are suggesting then that is good news indeed.

Yes thanks, I have been reading all I can about the MC200 and I recall one person saying that it outperformed a Chord DAC. I don't know if it was a direct side by side comparison of the two products however.

I tend to rely on reviews and of course there are none for the MC200 yet.

$4000 is more than I have spent on any one item other than a home or vehicle, so I am a bit reluctant.

And I definitely want to get away from spinning silver discs. I am already familiar with the ease at which one can select music when I use iTunes with the Remote app.

I really want to get away from iTunes mainly due to them not selling at least CD quality Apple Lossless music. If I have to source my music from other websites or by buying CD's then I may as well give up on iTunes.

I have been PMing Ronnie about the virtues of a Mac as a source.

Channel D have a program called PureMusic which I will then couple with maybe a M2 Tech Hiface which in the UK I can get for about �100.

Unfortunately, I'm waiting the imminent refresh of the apple lineup up so am stalling on actually buying the Mac Mini (keep an eye out on Macrumors.com).

Ronnie has demo'd a lot of kit and I believe has quite a high end system and he is very complementary on how good the mac and puremusic sound. This is a cheapish way into the music server world and has less of the restrictions that Sooloos seem to impose in terms of how big the hard disks are, how you rip etc etc.

I'm very keen on MC200/MS600 but am nervous of outlaying that kind of cash. This is a rapidly changing landscape and I can't help feeling that changes will happen, although knowing Meridian, it will take longer than hoped for it to happen.

I have long considered getting a Mac Mini but I hate dealing with computers. I also am reluctant to try to configure the Mac to run without a monitor and to get it to go directly to iTunes when I turn it on and to have it communicate with my iPad for control. I know it is all possible to do but life is too short and so is my patience with computers. Also I can't imagine my significant other trying to figure out how to get the Mac Mini to play music without my assistance.
So if I have to spend $4000 to bypass all of that potential headache then it is money well spent because it will actually be used all the time... assuming it is really simple to use the MC200 with the iPad. And most important, that it sounds very good.
I am very frugal by nature and I see the cost benefit in trying out the Mac Mini but if I look at it from a cost per use basis the MC200 may be the winner.
Oh, and with Meridian, not that I have much experience, I expect the MC200 to be around for a very long time.

Sorry Carl, I'm not trying to go way off topic the way these things are wont to do. I can imagine alarm bells ringing right now.

Pauli, the Mac Mini is in a better position simply because it has HDMI, I have looked at HTPC in the past and came to the same conclusion as you, life is too short.

BUT, what I was actually thinking was that you already have a MacBook, you could try PureMusic for free for 15 days, Dont even bother with the external USB/optical DAC widget and just see what it sounds like.

Maybe Ronnie will chip in, I certainly don't want to put words in his mouth, but you may be surprised and it gives you a platform to build a ripped music collection so if you do go Sooloos, nothing has been lost.

For me Plex as a front end to movies (so I lose the PopcornHour A200), Elagato TV so I have a PVR and PureMusic for, well, music using apple remote via iPad.

Very flexible and good value for money.

It's not really off topic because if I buy the AudioLab CDQ then I am going to have to invest in a Mac Mini to mate with it anyway since the Powerbook is getting old, won't support Lion, and having it connected to the audio system is not convenient for me.
I too keep reading about how amazing a Mini with Puremusic sounds.
I have also read that Sooloos has a problem with jitter and I expect, if true, the MS600 cleans that up.
Hmm...

Following on from the earlier posts, consider the following

Meridian MC200...................................$4,000

Mac Mini..............................................$700
Pure Music Player...................................$130
Halide Design Async USB to SPDIF.................$450
Total ...............................................$1,300

When one doesn�t already have a Ripped Music Library, then there are quite a lot of merits to the Meridian MC200 system���
a) It will Rip the CD�s bit accurately (using the ControlPC App)
b) It will Store about 1,250 of your ripped CD�s (which might be enough for some)
c) It will Upsample and Apodize before outputting over SPDIF and Speakerlink
d) It�s a good stepping stone towards an 8xx/ID40 combination

To achieve the similar results with the Mac requires a little more work��but not a lot more

a) XLD for CD Ripping (includes AccurateRIP)
b) iTunes for Music File Management
c) Pure Music Player for Optimum Playback and bypassing the Mac�s Audio Midi
d) Halide Design Async USB to SPDIF Cable to minimize Jitter to very low levels

Setting all of these up to work together is very easy and much easier than it might first appear��.probably around the same time as it would take to get the MC200 and ControlPC communicating on the same network

The Apple Remote iPad app would have certain User Interface advantages over the current Sooloos iPad app, which is how you would control the MC200

IMHO the Storage Advantages that the Mac would offer (i.e. the use of a standard NAS System) over the current Sooloos options, is a very significant one

With an Optimized setup, I�ve found that the Mac / Async USB essentially matches the Sound Quality performance of the MC200 over Speakerlink / SPDIF����with a few other software add-ons offering Apodizing (not Meridian�s), it�s possible that it may even slightly edge the MC200�..but my jury is still out on that at the moment

For more Product Information and Reviews, see the links below

Pure Music
Product Info
Absolute Sound Review
Stereophile Review

Halide Design Async USB to SPDIF Cable
Product Info
Stereophile Review
Computer Audiophile Review

Hi Ronnie,
Thanks for the very thorough analysis. This is very helpful to keep to my frugal nature.
Of course if I go with an MC200 I will be using the analog out not speakerlink or SPDIF. I assume it upsamples and Apodizes before converting to analog as well?
I have no doubt that the Mini would match the MC200 digital out but I believe the sound differences would be due to the DAC that will be used.
I would have to add a DAC to the final cost of the Mac Mini system as well. So the question is, what price range of DAC will match the MC200 analog out.
Is it $500, $1000, $2000, in addition to the $1300?
For example a CDQ is $1300 bringing the total to $2600.

Hi Pauli
Even with the cost difference between the MC200 and Mac based solution being $2,750 when using Digital Out, if I were in your shoes I'd be evaluating the two solutions under the following headings

* Ease of Ripping CD's
* Ease of Music Library Management (including Song and Album Ratings, Playlist Creation etc.)
* Storage Flexibility and Backups
* Sound Quality
* And then Cost

Each of the Solutions has their relative strengths and weaknesses in the above areas.......and I'd be factoring those issues as highly as the initial cost

Obviously, if you're going to use the Analog out of the MC200, then that is a further Strength of that system............you would obviously need a DAC to go with the Mac system.......adding to the cost

I've never listened to the Analog outs on the MC200, so I have no idea how it compares to using an external DAC

A lot of factors to consider, as well as cost, which IMHO should be one of the last factors, as you will have to live with your solution on a daily basis

I did some reading up on the Sooloos Control Mac and found out that it will only run on an Intel Mac. I have a Powerbook.
I am not interested in replacing a perfectly good laptop.
Looks like I am back to iTunes as my music server until forced to buy a new Mac at which point I will again look into the MC200. Oh well.

Pauli, there is the odd MC200 around on the used market, it changes the maths significantly!