Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems M3 Active

I have the chance to but a pair of M3's in good condition, but unable to demo
I understand their limitations size wise, but would be grateful for any insite into their sound. I am also familiar with the KEF drivers, but not in this configuration.
I already have a pair of DSP500's.
Views on sound quailty would be most welcome

Hello

I have a pair of M30's that are similar. They have a great early Meridian sound. Warm yet detailed. I would recommend them as well as the M3. When I can can I now intend to pass them on to my daughter in the UK.

I carefully cleaned out the tweeters and replaced the ferrofluid that was a worthwhile hour of work.

Best wishes from Spain

Neil

Hi

I had a pair of M3s on stands and enjoyed the warm, clear sound in my study, therefore quite a small room. However, they had been completely refurbished and the cabinets had been changed to Piano Black lacquer. They sold for approximately £330.00 last year.

I also have a pair of M60s, which are similar but a bigger presentation.

I note that you have a pair of DSP5ks, if they are 18bit, these again in my opinion give a warm, clear sound. The 24bit versions are quite a lot more precise, in particular the treble/tweeter.

Taking into account that these M3s are likely to around 40 years old, unless they have been serviced, the sound will have degraded over time and you should factor that into the price you are prepared to pay.

Hope that helps.

Cheers

Jon

I still have a pair of M3s, albeit not in use.

To add to LP’s comment, I’d say the sound from the M3s is quite “punchy”. Lacks base, but enough to thoroughly enjoy.

Thanks all for the comments, I would certainly not be advesed to servicing them. Owner is asking $600 Canadian about 350 UKP, nice condition all original - sound about right?
M

Fellow Canadian M fanboy here Magman888. While my DSPs are long gone, I still have many pairs of Kef driver based legacy Meridian actives in regular use in our households and my wife's and my own offices. Considering that a healthy pair of M3s will run rings around any highly touted LS3/5A variant (at $2-3k) plus partnering amplifier, $600 CAD for a pair of M3s in good working order is a steal.

What Vince said about the value and performance of the M3.

I had a pair for many years before (rashly) selling them in a bout of upgrade-itis, and regretting it ever since.

M3s need good damped stands, the sound is warm as others have described, and for their era they image remarkably well - far better than anything else comparable at the time. They're surprisingly punchy, but the bottom half octave is basically missing altogether ... when a bass player walks down the notes, anything below about 30-35Hz just disappears and you only really get the second-order harmonics. Above that point, it's all beautifully balanced.

I never found a sub that matched their warmth and character, and the larger M2s never really did it for me - I thought they had a muddiness that never compensated for the better bass extension. YMMV.

Practically every pair of M3s still in existence will need refurbishing, but in my highly biased opinion they're worth every penny you'll spend on getting them back to peak performance. Enjoy!

And in turn, I'll second @Kent in Welly's on-point comment about great stands for the M3. The low single pillar M3 factory stands (with their jaunty tilt) don't really do the M3 any favors.
A pair of old school 4 pillar 24" Target R4 stands, mass loaded with sand or shot, will eke out audibly obvious performance gains.

Thanks for all the comments - i think i might just get them I will keep you posted

M3's had sold, seller had not removed Ad
Will keep looking though