Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems 562v vs. 501 vs. 502

Having taken a break from the site for a while it is nice to be back and caught up on things

The current project is to build a traditional, all-analogue, two-channel system for playing LPs using some old, mostly non-Meridian, equipment that was in storage. And so I have some questions...

The pre-amplifer is currently an original 562V with the 517 onboard DAC configured for variable output. It works fine but is probably not of the quality of the other equipment due to the ADC/DAC signal path. I know that an all analogue signal path is available to tape outs but they cannot be volume controlled. Can anyone confirm whether analogue inputs to the 562V/517 get digitised before being output via the DAC module?

The obvious alternative Meridian preamps are a 501 or 502. The interior photographs on Duncan's Meridian Info suggest that the G01 and G02 are very similar devices, albeit with fancy casework - is this correct?

The 502/G02 appear to include an LPS, absent from the 501/G01, which presumably provides a significant contribution to any superior SQ?

Would anyone like to relate their opinions and experience of the relative merits of the 501 vs. 502 (or even vs. G01 and G02)?

TIA

I've not had either, but had once thought about a 502/G02, but my understanding is that the main difference is that x02 is balanced, x01 unbalanced. But I am sure you knew that so apologies in advance.

Hi,

I’d just make the comment that the internal photos of the G01, suggest that it does have a LPS but it’s partly ‘enclosed’ within it’s own little enclosure.

I’m rather going on the basis that all M have done is to stick the 500 series internals in a G series case. Ok, i'm sure they’ll have made some updates and improvements but why change a formula that works.

While I do own a G01, I’d picked it up as a possible tuner for my G65, I haven’t actually had it connected to an analogue system.

Brian

I've owned 501 and 502, but not the G-Series equivalents.

Oddly enough, I was thinking just earlier that if I put together an analogue system, separate to my DSP-based one, the 502 would be my go-to preamp. It's a very fine sounding unit indeed, fully balanced and has the nice little touches Meridian get right like no pots in the volume control chain, variable input sensitivity, source matching, labelling, etc., etc.

I don't know if the G02 sounds the same, I never bothered finding out as I greatly prefer the 500 series styling to the G series, but that's only my personal taste.

502 sounds much better than 501 to my ears. Well worth seeking out and the extra ££.

I'd be surprised if any 500 series unit had a switch-mode PSU, I thought they were all LPS.

G-series was the era Meridian began using SMPS, I think, so I don't know which they used in the G01/02...

Hi,

I’m just going on the photos on Duncan Info pages, where things look a bit ‘round’. Happy to be corrected. I don’t want to have to get my G01 out and open it up.

Brian

The G01 / G02 and 501 / 502 seem to use the same boards and power supplies; all of them have linear power supplies with toroidal transformers.
The G01 has a built in tuner.

The 502 / G02 have an extra power supply pcb loaded with reservoir capacitors and looks to be a true dual mono design, I can imagine that even used in unbalanced system, the ‘02’ models would be a step above the ‘01’ models.

I had a 501 before I moved to a 568; even with an analogue source and analogue power amps and ‘speakers, the 568 was better than the 501.

It wouldn't surprise me at all that 568 outperforms 501. The 568 is a really excellent unit in all ways, sonically and in terms of flexibility, etc. I recall reading a review years ago in which it was being compared head-to-head with the Mark Levinson preamp of the day and essentially being almost on a par (better once multichannel hi-res source was used). Sadly, most of the review links on Duncan's info site for the 568 are now DOA so I can't post a link to it.

In an all analogue setup (e.g. vinyl source), 502 might edge it - if nothing else, it wouldn't have an extra A/D, D/A step. 502 really does sound a lot better than 501. Although I've owned 568 and 502 though, I've never done a side by side with analogue source material, so couldn't say for sure. If you were to ever add digital sources, I'd guess things might flip in favour of the 568 - depends how analogue purist you intend to be with this system.

Ah, that explains the extra board marked ultra-linear power supply - very useful to know.

The 502 does seem favourite for SQ and seems to be reasonably-priced in the s/h market.

Thanks everyone for your input and thoughts.

Now to consider the 502 vs. non-Meridian offerings...