Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems Ideas for M80 replacement

I have a Ferguson DAB radio in the kitchen. Cost �13.95 in a high street electrical goods store sale. This morning as always it showed the correct time. However M80 (OK many more features and benefits) but costing over 70 times the price has to be time adjusted twice a year. Hmmm!!

Here's my wish list for the C12:

1. AM/FM/HD/XM-Sirius tuner
2. Internet radio tuner
3. Ethernet and wireless streaming capability
4. iPod direct digital input
5. USB digital input with asynchronous mode
6. Apodising filter
7. DSP with bass, treble, stereo width control and room eq
8. If CD/DVD drive is retained, HDMI output and 1080p upsampling
9. One pair of RCA analog inputs
10. One pair of RCA analog outputs plus subwoofer outputs
11. iApp so you can use your iPhone as a remote control

Now here's a crazy idea: How about add Trifield processing and SpeakerLink outputs, so you can connect a pair of DSP3200 speakers and DSW subwoofer and use the C12 as the center channel speaker in a 3.1 set up?

Hi Rick
I just said that I would resuscitate this Thread with a few more ideas before you go back to Meridian���

As stated previously, IMHO the goal should be to

1) Maximise the number of Music Sources and Flexibility of the F80 / C12

2) Keep the component Cost Low (for Meridian)

3) And using the combined �Great Sound, Great Flexibility and Low Cost���.appeal to as many Meridian and non-Meridian users as possible���thereby maximizing the number of F80�s sold��.

As very few people like to read long posts, I�ve decided to break up the various points into separate posts to make it easier to read and digest........

It goes without saying that Meridian should include the ability for the F80 / C12 to act as a Sooloos Zone

Add Apodizing and true 24/96 replay��..and continue to tweak the DSP Processing and Speaker Drive units to make the Sound Quality even better than it was before

Sooloos Zone capability allows Meridian to claim the High Quality Audio ground that they would like to maintain���.additionally Sooloos Zone playability becomes its Unique Selling Point

In addition to acting as a Sooloos Zone, it�s probably a good idea to add FM / DAB Tuners to offer Music when Internet or other Devices are not available

In addition, a USB Port (Standard or Mini sized) to interface with Android and iOS Devices���and Play whatever Music is selected on those Devices

And lastly an Optical In & Out��and Analog In & Out

After Sooloos, and an FM / DAB Radio, what should Meridian add to the F80 / C12?????...........

Funnily enough, I think that Meridian have already set themselves a good example with the HD621��.if you look at it, you can see that the HD621 does not really do anything itself (Apodizing and RE Excepted)���i.e. on its own, it Plays nothing

It merely FACILITATES the playing of Bluray Players, DVD Players, Satellite & Cable TV Boxes, Xboxes & PS3 Game Consoles, PC�s & Mac�s����on User�s Meridian systems���.which is a very valuable service for Meridian Users

The fact that the HD621 itself does not attempt to include any of this functionality���or even include an �Interface� into any of these Devices���.means that Meridian can minimize the component count��and keep the Price low(ish)

I really think that is a good example for the F80 replacement to follow��.Maximise on Playability, while keeping the Cost low

MUSIC STREAMING

Everybody here is aware of the Convenience Advantages of Music Streaming over a home Network��..and particularly via Wifi

Likewise, they know that they can Stream up to Lossless Quality Files from e.g. a Squeezebox Server to a Squeezebox Client����or a Sonos Server to a Sonos Client

However, SB Clients won�t talk to Sonos���and vice versa

Enter AIRPLAY��..Just like Squeezebox and Sonos, Airplay allows an Airplay Server to Stream up to Lossless Quality files over Wifi to an Airplay Client���however, the Airplay Protocol allows 3rd Party Devices to talk to each other���.i.e. it�s not just about Apple devices

By contrast, remember that almost all Docks etc., including Meridian�s i80, only allow access to the Analog Out after the iOS Devices� DAC�s���.Airplay allows access to the Digital and Lossless versions��a very desirable difference

As already stated, let�s look again at what an iOS Device can PLAY��..and before the inevitable �Apple Fanboy� jibes are thrown my way, remember that I choose to use an Android phone

1) They can act as a Music Storage and Wifi Server of the User�s Own Music����..why ask Meridian to include Hard Drives and the necessary User Interface on the F80, when the iOS Device already has it built in��..and at a MUCH lower cost

2) Access to ALL Music Subscriptions Services��..which is how a lot of people listen to Music these days���..Spotify, Rhapsody, MOG, Rdio, Pandora etc����(it would cost Meridian a lot of money to get the Licenses and include the User Interface controls on an F80)

3) Internet Radio��..thousands of channels���again asking Meridian to include this functionality just bumps the price up unnecessarily

Summary: An iOS Device (iPhone or iTouch) is a very useful and capable device in this discussion����.and there�s just no point in asking Meridian to duplicate this freely available functionality, when someone else is already doing it better

Think of it this way���the iOS Device is your SERVER���..and the F80/C12 is the wireless CLIENT

As an example of the above approach, consider the link below to the B&W Zepplin

B&W Zeppelin

Notice what it doesn�t have����

** No CD Player

** No DVD

** No Bluray

** No HDMI in or out

** No Radios

** No Hard Disks

** No Screen

** No Subwoofer Out

** Almost no Interface buttons of any kind

** I�m not even sure it has a Volume Control knob!!!!

And yet these are all things that we have asked Meridian to include in their equivalent of the Zeppelin

IMHO, Meridian could do a lot worse than follow the �Functionality� lead of B&W here�����and then simply add

a) The substantially better (and even improved for 2012) sound of the F80��..including Apodizing 24/96 playability

b) Ability to act as a Sooloos Zone

c) A new Allen Bothroyd design

DESIGN SUMMARY for the New F80 / C12

1) Improved Sound Quality due to optimized Design��Apodizing��.and 24/96 playback

2) Act as a Sooloos Zone via RJ45 and Wifi

3) FM / DAB Radio Tuners

4) USB Input to interface with Smartphones etc.

5) Optical In & Out�..Analog In & Out

6) Airplay Client........for User�s Music files from iPod's���for Spotify, MOG, Rhapsody etc�����for Internet Radio etc.

Try and keep the Price around �1,250 and sell as many as possible of them.......thereby increasing future potential Meridian System owners

My issue with this is that the Zeppelin is merely an iPod dock and speaker. I have many times considered buying an F/M80, I've never considered buying a Zeppelin. Why not? It does not tick any of the boxes I'm looking for in a compact system.

I've never wanted a Zeppelin but I've always wanted an F80, bright red since you're asking. Never got round to affording one, yet!

If the next generation is better I'd still have to look at affordability first.

Lot's of the reviews of the F80 started off with the "�1500!!! For a fancy clock radio/one box/beat box...." and ended with a recommendation to put your pre-conceptions to one side and have a listen. I hope they've sold lots of them on these recommendations but I'm not sure how well this would survive an even higher price point.

Still needs to play CDs for me...

Ed.