Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion MQA - Related technology, products and music MQA How

Have you tried a PC with digital out connected to your SE speakers then a Tidal and Roon subscription - Roon running on that PC will give MQA decode, SE speakers with latest firmware now does the rest I believe.

Zero cost for a trial if you have a suitable PC/laptop/.../ although you may need something like an Explorer v1 to get audio from PC via USB - other USB/SPDIF converters available. Similar to what you might already do with your Prime?

I can run Tidal or Tidal/Roon with the initial MQA unfold on an old laptop or PC, and then output via USB-to-SPDIF device, or via the network, to an endpoint like my 218.

Problem is with our surround units which will not pass MQA to the SE speakers for final rendering, so I have to get up from my armchair to throw two RJ45 switches that toggle between SL sources to the speakers: full MQA from the 218 or first unfold only through the C61R.

I suppose that you could wire the speakers with both SL and SPDIF, and do the switching from your armchair with MSR.

Hi George

Have taken the plunge and gone for 210 along with Zen Mini mk3 which allowed me to greatly reduce my CD collection.

At present have connected 210 digital to G61. Very good but of course only reaching 96 rather than the 192 when available. Classical music is way behind on the 192 side.

I wanted to be clear on your suggestion to run the 52’s with the SpeakerLink route and at the same time digital for other speakers and sources. I did try the SpeakerLink for the 52 and MQA appeared on the display but also that the control 52 was the master.

I guess that one is really running 2 sources at the same time? One for the front speakers via SpeakerLink and the others via G61 including centre which is connected SpeakerLink.

All a bit confusing? I suppose the only answer is to suck it and see.

Regards
Colin

Hi again

Tried to run SpeakerLink via 210 to 52SE and digital for surround speakers but cannot control both.

Have made master 52SE both controller and non-controller and same with G61R any thoughts please?

Ta

Colin

I have the same surround unit and speakers as you, Colin, but with a 218 instead of 210. Because the C61R does not have SpeakerLink, and because I do not want to run both coax and SL to my DSP5200SEs, I use an AC11 hub (for C61R) plus two RJ45 switches to choose either surround or stereo with full fat MQA from the 218. Controller is surround, while Left Front is Master.

Remote control works from iPad using any of Roon, Meridian IP Control or vMSR when switched to surround. Switched direct to speakers from 218 requires either Roon or IP Control since vMSR (using serial connection to C61R) is irrelevant.

Hi Colin,

Maybe I should clarify what I meant in my earlier post.

Use the SpeakerLink output of the 210 directly into the 5200s. This is for full MQA stereo only, and the coax digital output of the 210 is not used at all.

If you want Trifield, only the coax digital output from the 210 is used (NOT the SpeakerLink connections) and this coax output goes into the G61. The G61 now produces Trifield with all the existing wired connections to the DSPs.

There is no circumstance in which multichannel surround is generated by simultaneous use and wiring of the 210's SmartLink and Coax outputs directly to front and rear DSPs.


I don't have SpeakerKlink DSPs so others can chime in here as I'm making some assumptions about how to utilise both digital inputs on the Master DSP. But my suggestion was:

Keep the G61 and DSP wiring as it was before addition of the 210. For Trifield, the 210 simply becomes another G61 source input, and you use the 210 coax digital output for this. You will not get full MQA in this scenario, but you will get first unfold MQA which makes a nice source for Trifield if you wish.

For fully unfolded MQA, wire the 210 SpeakerLink output directly into the unused input on the Master DSP (if your G61 is a SpeakerLink model, I assume it already uses D1 input on the master DSP. The 210 will then need to go into D2 on the master DSP and you'll need to configure the speaker to activate D2)

I hope that clarifies things.

Cheers
George

Hi,

Unfortunately the SL speakers only have one SL input (second input is coax) so the suggestion from George won’t work. Hopefully Rick might pick up on this and set you right.

I’ve got a G65 and 218, so I send the front speaker master output from the G65 into the 218 and the 218 SL master output connects to the 5200SE master speaker. When I want MQA the network input on the 218 is used and has priority over the G65. At all other times the 218 is set to use the SL input, so the G65 SL output passes thru the 218. You should be able to do the same with the 210. However, doing that won’t allow you to send the 210 coax output back to the processor, as you’re making a loop. You’ll probably have to use another source for Trifield. I have my MS600 doing that job in my system.

I think with this option you also need a secondary comms connection to the ‘surround’ part of the system. I’ve got a bnc to bnc between my master speaker and the centre speaker. Processor remains as the controller.

Also, with a set up this way, the additional processing in the 218 adds some delay that needs to be corrected for the rest of the system. Presumably the 210 would also have a similar effect.

Presumably, another option is to use the aux digital output on the 210 to feed the secondary coax input on the speaker. I believe that, with the 3.16 firmware, the speakers will accept MQA on their coax input. Working this way, shouldn’t affect the surround delays, as the 210 is working as an independent source.

Brian

I thought about suggesting it this way round, but I don't know how this would work if the speakers were wired with twin wires (home run?) vs the legacy Daisy chain set up.

The initial idea would work if a Reviver or equivalent was used to link the 210 and co-ax input of the Master DSPs D2. This is how I connected an 808.2 directly to the main legacy DSPs. Which perhaps raises the question...

...how would one utilise an independent (ie non processor) source into D2 of the Master DSP when the speakers are home run wired?

Cheers

George

H George,

Unfortunately I can’t find my notes when I set up my 218.

I have to use a legacy (non-home run) connection as the 218 only has the one SL input, so with an input via D2 coax, the audio for the slave is via the master to slave connection.

As for using a Reviver or AC12, these might not be transparent to the MQA signal, so that would need to be tested before going down that route.

I don’t know if it’s possible to run a secondary master coax out to slave coax in (+comms?) in an otherwise home run SL system.

Brian

Hi Brian,

Good point, I'd completely overlooked that aspect!

Cheers
George

Reviver and AC12 are completely passive devices and do no manipulation of bits whatsoever.