Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Streaming MC200 inside pics

I saw the inside pics of the MS600 on Duncan's link. Good stuff! Are there any interior pics of the MC200?
Just curious how different it is from the legacy Sooloos products now that it is a fresh Meridian design.

Thanks, Al

Just found this review that includes 2 inside pics.

http://www.hifitest.de/test/musikserver/meridian-sooloos_media_core_200_4093.php#

Al

Good spot. I have emailed the reviewer. Will report back.

Likely to be very simular to the C15 boards. The exception that the output boards of the MC200 does not have triggers or Meridian Comms. And that the connectors are placed on the short end. The C15 output board even has a place reserved for analog cinch out.

Is the audio board powered from the USB connection to the PC motherboard ?

Was intrigued what the reviewer had to say. Here is the google translate version for what it's worth:

Nah, that does not fit the ambitious company from England. I was there recently and I've seen in the company near Cambridge. I was impressed by the professionalism, could look a little behind the scenes and talk with interesting people. Nobody has to tell me but this Zeitpukt, which was then in the completion and now lies on my desk. Probably for fear I would have immediately packed up and taken away. But now I have a media core 200 and am finally happy. This unit is in fact exactly what I had hoped for by the British for some time: A Sooloos for those who are not as well-heeled, or who prefer to have located one-touch remote control on your lap instead of one (admittedly incredibly impressive) monitor in the living room. So what was a really great alternative to a functioning operating concept so far, is now the drug of choice. The application is for it for free in the App Store, and I think is so good that it's worth a special mention. People expect something decent already, if you buy an expensive device that relies on the Wi-bound control with a tablet, but just the iPad software is anything but a quick shot.


Be connected, integrated amplifier, preamps and D / A converter. A particularly elegant, but the connection is via SpeakerLink
It includes (nearly) the full range of functions, which are also big on Control: Ten has, and is moreover also programmed so that they never considered a patch application. By this I mean that for example the "wipe" through menus works just like the iPad owners are accustomed to. She turns the Apple flask a perfect remote control. And that's not easy to implement, because a Sooloos system, which is filled with a few hundred albums, you have to get the software side only once in the grip. The programmer of this application, however, have actually managed to get the Sooloos-feeling on the Apple Tablet. This starts with the fact that several approaches are taken into account when we browse the library and opens into an incredibly fast and fluid screen layout, which made navigating the fleet very loose. That can really use any. And if you can claim to be an expert on the digitized music: even the computer hi-fi guys among us can and should we recommend this little Sooloos. Stored on its hard disk music is also available on the network. UPnP support, it is not, but replaces the free software PC Control das.


Of course,'s computer support needs for the operating system, other audio is Meridian's own, is known to correct paths
It provides access to the media-core music, which can be just as well have had to play through external USB converter on the computer in the study. And the program can do much more: it manages all the niceties that you could want in a mass memory (the time is now plugged into a media core 200). Albums can be applied to other hard disks or move directly into the local iTunes library, of course, full backups are also executable. The main function of PC Control is the copying of the music archive on the hard disk of the 200th Core Media The first day can take a while if you have very many albums, but so what makes you run one night and can start the next day. If you actually should not have any music on hard disk, you will also help: The program includes a ripping function, which reads audio CDs and pushes directly on the Meridian disk. Your PC, the Meridian-server program and the iPad (okay, I made the iPod Tool) to automatically find and record the communication. The hardware, which then does the actual work is as perfect as you expect from the Meridian. Externally, while offering a very different impression than the already known Sooloos-relatives, the elegance and visual sophistication can the "small" core media to convey without restriction.


All the benefits of engineering technically perfect audio equipment also put in here
This starts the touch, the buyer expects a reassuring, stable and meticulously fine-built device, which you lose weight immediately, lead to serious high fidelity tricks. Technically, the prospective buyer needs to worry, get a quick shot with inferior technology. Something like that Meridian would never surrender. The benefits, which includes a product that leaves the company, are meticulously and always to the last detail developed. That makes our Media Core 200 is no exception. On the case itself you have to do after connecting to the network and the periphery any more. As he stands there, one can only turn it on, everything else is done from the comfort of armchairs. But where we are at the terminals: Especially attractive seems to me the speaker-link connection. Which enables direct connection of Meridian DSP loudspeakers, which is the schlankestm�gliche setup. Sonically this is certainly not to despise the contrary, up to the speakers to work with digital signals that are converted for the first time just before the final stages, the plug in the speakers. And just imagine: A lovely little media core 200 and two speakers set then represents the entire system, the sound is on top of that compromise. Of course you can connect the Media Core 200 also with any other investment.


The elegant control allows the iPad, alternatively also assumes an iPhone. The software is available free on the App Store
That goes to a very traditional connection via RCA; who has just bought a brand new D / A converter can continue to use this course even if he was still a free S / PDIF connector has. If you approach like this, but must give up the convenient volume control on the iPad, which only works via SpeakerLink. Otherwise there is the back of the small box not much to report, but why? Even though many may have assumed hopeful: The USB ports are not there to extend the Media Core 200 with inexpensive USB hard drives, even if they are mentioned in the manual "Expansion Ports". Rather, they provide the interface for different remotes. Thus, the port goes with Windows Media Center compatible IR receivers that receive the communication with the known signal heads, called Meridian MSR +. The basis functions can then track, or how loud / quiet transfer, which is enough in everyday life when the music plays again. By the way, not our layout has required the Media Core 200 to an upright position, but one sees the Meridian itself to very different times, of course, on the other hand, the vertical structure is required in order to get the cooling system is properly up and running.


One of my favorite features: Swim. It is selected only a certain mood music played or time period
One fan that is not wanted, so hot air about the principle of stack effect must be separated. We are rewarded by absolute silence, which is not spoiled even when pondering about the next album be played. Which brings me to the most important: Now of course I owe you a few words about the sound. Fortunately, this is connected with words as pleasant as the rest of this package. An extra-DAC does not need a man who owns a Media Core 200, does the internal converter's so so good, that the desire for an external solution comes up. Although I've tried, significant improvements in sound, I could not find. And at the Meridian sound technically perfect you want to change anything anyway. It is also in this case again so that it creates Meridian to combine accuracy and absolute neutrality so that it is not sterile and boring sounds, but who pay a great deal of fun at the music can be. Details sprayed it in abundance, the music literally dissects and presents a clean, physically perfect stage. Sure you know this, that's the kind of spatial representation, which allows it to grip with the hands after each event.

Due to the almost perfect signal processing succeeds the Core Media totally convincing. And another thing, the "small Sooloos' incredible good: exude energy. This is evident, for example, when a good piano recording is played. The piano breathes formally, the harmonics are working in every nook and cranny of the space that is truly remarkable. Too bad that I had no Meridian speakers here, because that would be a particularly elegant experience was. But as it was "only" quaint. The developers from Huntingdon have at least managed to create a product that the combination of crystal-clear sounding music hard drive and control iPad brings so to the point that you think these two products were born for each other.

Conclusion

I was always a fan of Sooloos products, since I'm out of it no secret. The Core Media 200 tickles all the more on my nerves, because it moves because of the price in regions that can afford even a normally well-heeled man like me - and plays heavenly.

Well, if I interpret this translation correctly, the reviewer may have been satisfied with the SQ from the analogue outputs.

"An extra-DAC does not need a man who owns a Media Core 200"

Al