Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems DSPs and multi-channel audio using a computer as source

As my analogue active speakers are spending more time in repairs than in use I am looking to get more recent models to replace them. My centre speaker and subwoofer are also analogue and I guess replacing if I go the route of DPS speakers.

I have a USB sound card with 5+1 analogue speaker output with optical coaxial and fibre optic output for stereo. All my media is sourced from the computer.

I like the look of the M6 but would hope to hear them and the DSP5200 for more than the causal review I have done so far.

What would I need to get the audio from the computer to the DSP speakers?

A Merdian 210 connected to DSP’s enables two options.

Audrivana (< £100 overall), or,

Roon (£120 annually, or £699 one-off) .

The 5200's have a standard SPDIF coax digital in plus a way to control them externally (with MSR). So if you go 5200 route, any decent USB 'DAC' with SPDIF out will do. It will act just like your existing sound card, so if you are happy with what you already have, nothing else to add except an MSR.

Hi Ian,
My sound card only controls stereo on the optical output. I don't think it carries 5+1 surround.

Hi spinaltap],

The 210 connects to two DSP speakers. How would I connect the other four?

Audrivana and Roon handle stereo tracks but no mention of the audio when playing video from a file, YouTube or disc that has surround sound.

The four D600 speakers and the pair of Phantom Gold speakers have optical inputs. I have been unable to control or use the D600 as front and rear speakers and have failed to get a wiring diagram for the K cable to link the front to rear speakers. One of the faults on a slave D600 is no display. So I can not configure it anymore.

I control the balance from the application with the Terratec sound card to each analogue speaker input. The Meridian K cable would carry the rear channel left and right if it worked. I also have no idea if the optical output carries 5+1 sound as with all the instruction manuals (Terratec, Meridian and Devialet) only stereo music streaming is mentioned.

Devialet do include a statement that the Phantom speakers can be set up as surround sound. I don't have five to test. When asked, support suggested that the only way to get them to work as a surround sound system was to use 5 analogue to digital converts which sees a digital USB converted to analogue and then separately converted back to a digital output. Yes that would work. It would also work with a surround pre-amp G68 but the G68 also only mentions stereo streaming with it's USB input. A new app (Spark. for the Phantoms) was promised for the end of the year to address surround sound and more visiblity on connections being used in September 2019 but the download is 4 years old with bug fixes not supplied.

I have used UPnP but the sync to the video and stereo to the Phantom Gold speakers is difficult to control. The delay is possibly down to wi-fi being used and not Ethernet with the app not telling you what is being selected. There are no issues with audio only. Streaming from the computer has limits but easy to work around. Video and surround sound is the problem.

This question (multi-channel audio from a PC) crops up reasonably frequently.

Frankly, I would ignore SPDIF/optical completely; it's good for 2-channel only. I've concluded that there are two routes you can take the audio out of a PC.

1. HDMI.
2. Multi-channel analogue.

It's unclear to me whether you want to mix in the Phantoms with your Meridian speakers. If you do, ignore the following; you're into a custom solution.

To solve this for your 4x D600 and M60C, I would choose one of the following:

For option 1. (arguably the better sound quality option even though HDMI is involved), I'd use an HD621 and 568.2MM combo.

For option 2, something like a G6x which has a multi-channel analogue input.

I'm only stating Meridian-only solutions because you are talking of using DSP loudspeakers and also have an analogue centre in the mix.

Neither is a "cheap" solution, but both are under £1000.

Lossy multichannel is possible via SPDIF, so DTS & Dolby Digital will work from the PC to a processor; if the PC can do it (easily done on a Mac, I’ve never got it to work on a Windows machine, but I never tried that hard).

What files do you want to playback in multi channel?

Hi,

As VK suggests you’ll need a processor for multichannel. Personally, I’d go with the G6X processor as it gives you both multichannel options (analogue and digital) but I appreciate that some people prefer the sound of the 568.

The other options that were mentioned (e.g. 210) are stereo only.

DSP5200 series speakers are probably more akin to your current D600’s so they might be the better option but the M6 speakers are a nice (if different) option. If you do a search, you’ll find some opinions on these speakers.

Brian

>>This question (multi-channel audio from a PC) crops up reasonably frequently.

Yet the manufacturers don't explain it.

>>Frankly, I would ignore SPDIF/optical completely; it's good for 2-channel only.

I agree.

>> I've concluded that there are two routes you can take the audio out of a PC.
1. HDMI.
2. Multi-channel analogue.
>>
Which is why I went the multi-channel analogue route which works very well - when my active speakers are working.

>>It's unclear to me whether you want to mix in the Phantoms with your Meridian speakers.

No. The Phantoms are available for testing but would not be in a DSP or active analogue solution.
My Meridian speakers would not be part of the solution - I need to replace them.

>>To solve this for your 4x D600 and M60C, I would choose one of the following:
Replacing the D600 and M60C and if getting Meridian it is DSP only. B&O and others offer analogue inputs and I can just swap out the 1980s Meridian speakers.

>>For option 1. (arguably the better sound quality option even though HDMI is involved), I'd use an HD621 and 568.2MM combo.
That seems more promising - if the video graphics card provides 5+1 channels. As it only connects to a TV current selection is stereo only.

>>For option 2, something like a G6x which has a multi-channel analogue input.
Yes. Just seems silly to have the Terratec convert USB to analogue for the analogue input of the the G68X and it to convert that back to digital.

>>Neither is a "cheap" solution, but both are under £1000.

And the cost of six DSP speakers. M6 I have seen second hand for under £2000 a pair. DSP5200.2HC and DSW.2 I am not sure.

Thanks.

MKV, MPG, TS, MP4, AVI, VOB

Main sources with 5+1 being TS (from Freesat or Freeview), MKV and from DVD or Bluray.

Hi Brian,

Thanks. I first assumed the G68 with USB input would do everything but the handbook only mentions using iTunes i.e. as the source on a PC so stereo only.
Also no drivers for PC mentioned as being needed or not needed.

G65 uses USB for control and updates not audio input.