Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems DSP7200 worth getting?

Lights Blue touch paper and retreats for cover.

5200s are great and the room is very important but there’s no getting over the physics when comparing 5200s to 7200s, in whatever room you like.

I heard one against the other (SE) demoed. 5200s were fantastic but when I heard the 7200s I nearly fell over. Huge difference in any room.

I’d scrabble for 7200s, then enquire with a friendly dealer if there are any .2 kits lying around from SE upgrades.

Standard 5200s aren’t much different from 5ks but a lot prettier.

As mentioned, putting quality source signals in can give remarkable results and those sources are getting cheaper and better all the time. Fun.

I never really got to appreciate my 7200SEs as they were ex-SWMBO constrained both in terms of volume and room. They got upgraded to 8kSEs which are now in a suitable room in a different house where I can play them at volume.

I've said it before, but the 5200SEs are the only version of the 5200 that I've been truly impressed with and I've been listening to them (and loving them) more than the 8kSEs. Until my living room (8kSEs) is decorated and properly furnished that is.

Hi Asa,
I do not wish you to feel sorry, but kind of you to think of me. As previously stated in a recent post I still believe in Meridian and that takes respect for their great achievements.

Your thought should be reversed, do Meridian respect/value us, existing loyal customers?

Partnership was previously more evident amongst buyers, sellers and the principal.

JAO Hector

Sure, but some of us -- in our experience -- don't feel that it's necessary to spend hundreds or thousands on ancillary gear (switches, isolation feet, HiFi racks, cables, power conditioning, etc.) to make our Meridian kit sound good. We just have different perspectives and opinions on this. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I have to say, going back to the original question, that I think it is unanswerable. It has elicited various useful responses, but sound quality is a matter of such personal preference that no one except yourself can decide whether something is worth getting. I happen to think that 5200SEs with one or two DSWs, very quietly integrated, give the sound above all else in the Meridian range that suits me. But so what? I may well listen for things completely different from another person (never mind differences in musical taste) and value for money in any field, but perhaps particularly with audio equipment and cars, is totally subjective.

Economists even have a description of it: Utility theory. Would I bet £10 at odds of 10 to 1? Very possibly (especially if I were having fun at a horse racing course). Would I bet £20000 on the same horse at the same odds? Certainly not even though on the straight arithmetic the risk is the same. I can afford to lose £10 and hardly notice (plus it buys me a little excitement) but I can think of many things I would much rather spend £20000 on. However, that is just me. The utility of £20000 to me is much greater than £10 (more than 2000 times as much) and if the figure were a bigger figure still it could get to the point where it would bankrupt me so my view would be different again.

So you have to listen and make up your own mind. Though nearly everybody can be persuaded to spend a little more than a cool view would conclude if we allow ourselves to be influenced by the enthusiasm of others.

But in that particular post I was not advocating spending any money on anything.

As for your substance, I have never suggested otherwise. There are many paths to h-fi happiness. All I do is share enthusiasm and experience. I am not prescriptive, apart from believing from experience that equipment needs to be carefully set up to give of its best. I think most dealers giving demonstrations, and manufacturers offering demonstrations at shows, adopt a similar point of view.

You seem to condemn all tweaks as hugely expensive and a waste of time with Meridian kit. A CISCO 2960 is £40. Taking the SMPS out of a 218, not much. There’s not too much debate about switches carrying noise, after all, what’s the difference between an ID40 & 41? From memory isolation.

There are some budget tweaks without going crazy on silly money power cables etc. Meridian can certainly be improved on and the sources, not necessarily Meridian but including them can benefit from further consideration as well.

Plus, it’s fun.

Having heard the 7200s I liked them. My concern is with Meridian's longevity should support be needed in the future.

Please stop issuing me with instructions and injunctions.

You are now riding a different horse namely, a grudge against Meridian. I will leave you to continue your ride on your own.

Whether an individual chooses to cripple, reveal or enhance the quality of their equipment is really none of my business. I just want to share knowledge, tips and experiences.

I see that you are the owner of 8kSEs: not a skimpy purchase. With all due respect, you are not averse to extravagant hi-fi purchases. So mere expense is presumably not your objection to infrastructure expenditure? I would however be surprised, if not dismayed, if you of all people turned out to be a carpet dumper.

I would not rely on longevity from any manufacturers/marketers in the modern world. Even survivors (think of Apple with early iPads) move on leaving you with much reduced functionality. Meridian is a shadow of its former self anyway and has largely (but not completely I am glad to say) cut support for Sooloos. However, my Sooloos system, following various repairs, still works well and Meridian's speakers can be and are (by various people on the HHGTM) repaired because they use fairly standard components. Older displays can be problematic in getting replacements, but everything else is very maintainable (with varying levels of skill required). I am much more concerned about modern cars, where the electronics are so complex that I might easily be left with scrap metal if the electronics failed when spare parts are no longer available.

To encourage you: my original Meridian system from 1981 is still working very well and I have never had to do anything to it. I use it almost everyday and its sound is, to my ears and satisfaction, absolutely splendid.