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

It seems so long ago when the UK Southern Meridian Forum members got together in a pub/hotel in Surrey and chatted about stuff. What a keen bunch we were and claimed we would do it again some day.

Since then, jobs, family, health, HD-DVD and Bluray happened and so I returned to the hitcher's site to see what's new ?

Hmmm nothing, a lot of our firends over thes sea playing with technology, in the Uk Meridian to me has all but disappeared. My local dealers in Surrey no longer stock it, they even actively promote how bad the 2 channel products have become in the G-Series.

And I do travel to the US occasionally and have seen a few stores stocking even an 8000 pair which to my knowledge is only phase 3 and musical images in London who do now.

Is this the wrinting on the wall for the Uk, Scalers, projectors, mergers all coming at a time when many others are going in a new fast direction.

I know M invented a lot of stuff, but it appears to me that ARCAM , NAIM, etc are forging ahead with options and still Meridian insist of increasing prices for stagnant (not dying) technology.

Bang & Olufsen seemed to re-invent and well its pretty and simple, people pay for that 5 new B&O dealers in my region in 2 years compared to no Meridian dealer any longer.

Comments from the UK hardcore. Why bother when the image I can get on a 50 inch 1080P Plasma from a 300 quid Helios X5000 is more than short of amazing, why bother with an 4k DVD/CD etc.

Help me join the faith again, forgive me father I have sinned

Yes, it is concerning when people here are comparing �180 Oppo players with the 800 (albeit on layer change)!

I've now got MRC bypassed in my new house as I think my system sounds worse with it engaged. Is this because MRC doesn't work properly (or is too flaky to use)?

My system still sounds pretty good though but, guess what, I don't use Meridian speakers which are claimed above as the key Meridian product. Oh well, I'd better just go on enjoying my films and music then.

If there was ever a case of bad timing, this post would be it!

Not just on layer change. I have now sold my 598 w/SDI after trialling my Oppo 970. The Oppo PQ was easily as good as (or better) than the 598/Crystalio combination, useability was vastly better, and into my G68 I could not tell the difference with RBCD. My ears, my eyes. YMMV.

Not to mention a $300 SB3 being fed to a DSP8000/861 combo!!!

MRC is flaky and tricky to setup. But once setup correctly it's wonderful. I had done a quick test the other day that forced me to bypass it. Oh my god did the system sounded horrible without it. It depends on your speakers and room how badly you need it. And you can most certainly set it up such that it can sound worse if you set it too agressively. But MRC most certainly stays on in my setup.

I agree with George on the MRC.

best regards,
Jerry

I'd have to agree that M's profile in 2 channel systems is not what it once was, but what do you expect an ex-M dealer to say? "Yeah, Meridian make stuff that's better than the lines we stock now, so why not just walk down the road to our competitor that deals in Meridian?"

Mark S

Some dealers may just not be up to the job of

1/ Selling top end kit thats not paraded all over Lo-Fi Magazines.

2/ Not Prepared to offer the kind of service required that goes with the undoubtably higher margins available.

It is easy to pile it high and sell it cheap, it takes a little more to perform at the high end long term.

Of course niether an ex dealer (They want to look good) or Meridian (They have no need to score points this way) will say this.

J.M.H.O.

There may be many other reasons out there, but I dont think we should swallow the first line an ex dealer spiels.

Cheers, Chris