Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems New 588 review

There's an occasional series on older CD players going on over at Positive Feedback and they've just got around to looking at the 588. Having demoed the 588 up against my old 508.24 I have to say that I agree with the conclusion. The 508 was a much more enjoyably musical player to my ears and the 588 just wasn't quite there. Now the G08 is a whole other story.

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue25/meridian_588.htm

Cheers,

Craig.

it looks like he did like 588.
i know that i loved it.

this disc reading problam probably because of week laser or something.

this cheap DVD drive lives much better to be desired

it's a shame it find his way into g08.

btw - 588 doesn't do upsamling.

Hi,

I read the review.
Too much of a good thing?
Too revealing? too much resolution?
I wonder what would the critic think of Naim CD players? I suspect he would have gotten one heck of a headache...
I know it is an old subject but did anyone tried comapring the 588 to a 596 via the RCAs? (the 596 does not have XLR).
Are they different sounding?(listening to music only)

Regards,

Doron

Doron,

i don't remember where i heard this but somebody said that 588 was better.

The July issue of Hi Fi News has a comparison of the G08 and Naim CDX2. I've not read the review, but apparently the G08 comes out on top.

Mark S

Visually, they are very close ...

http://img104.imageshack.us/img104/6517/27zl1.jpg
http://img104.imageshack.us/img104/5502/11xo1.png

looking at those pictures i see that analog audio output board is different.

In fact I think there`s just a video card over the audio card.

Yes, I think so too. The analogue output looks similar, at least in my unit. It is just hidden by the Video output.
Some 596 owners claimed (here and in Audio-Asylum) that when they auditioned the 588 Vs the 596 through the RCAs they could not find a difference and ended up paying a little extra for the video capability. Perhaps someone from Meridian could shed some light on this and advise whether the units are similar audio wise, through the RCAs.

Apart from the video board, the innards look pretty similar to me. Interesting then that the current used market rates a 588 at around �950, but a 596 at only �650, if they are in fact nearly (or actually) identical...

Cheers

George

Which makes the 596 one of the greatest bargains in the used Hi-Fi market for it's mere audio capabilities...
I think that because Video had progressed (Fraoudga and so on) much more than the audio, it makes the 596 somewhat outdated video wise and people would not consider it as just a damn good CD player and ignore the video (although from comparison to low end current machines the 6 years old 596 has much shrper image). What is Meridian's take one this?

The 596 is A CD Bargain and if, like me, you watch SD Music DVD's the picture and sound is fantastic.

All this HD hype will not apply to much of what I watch and the problem alot of people have, IMHO, is poor quality Screens, be they LCD or Plasma.

The Flat screen size (Depth) and styling are pushing sales, and I can see why but picture quality is poor � for �. I dont see why I should pay twice as much over my CRT for a worse picture.

For the next few years the 596 could be the bargain of a life.

Get one while you can, alot of people may regret selling.

Cheers, Chris Ready for the flack Ha HA