Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems The Second of Many Music Server threads

I was going to append this to the "One of" threads for music servers, but that looks like it is now closed in the 2007 forum.

I saw that Linn has announced a new network player, priced at $2000, including a small internal amp. Presumably pitched up against the slim transporter.

So Linn have now three media players, at price points $2k-$20k, all of which will work with a range of third-party NAS units over Ethernet (so no proprietary protocol lock-ins), and they also offer a single media server if you really really want to to spend the money with them.

They haven't as far as I can see released a new disc spinner for some time.

Maybe they've been reading the "recommended future business model for high end audio" threads on this board.

Regards

Mark

It sometimes worries sometimes me that so much new technologies rely on untried and untested components as a critical component.

The use of a media player that requires a third party NAS box is simply asking for compatibility issues. Even with so called 'standards' like DLNA and file sharing protocols such as CIFS/SMB/SAMBA and NFS, interoperability is often hit and miss, often varying from one version to another and reliant on other infrastructure (such as routers) and settings, such as firewalls.

The product lifespans of devices such as NAS boxes, its possible that issues will never be fixed. Worse still are the ones that are found over time, or by a firmware change that renders something useless. You only have to go on the user forums of various NAS box manufacturers to see features only half working and blame flying around because say one version of PS3/Xbox firmware worked but another version does not. You then get the ridiculous situation with people start hacking their NAS boxes to install Twonky / Firefly and the like, risking the integrity of their data, just to try and get different feature working.

Add that to tracking down where the blame lies, its all a consumer nightmare.

Don't get me wrong, when it works, it's often a much cheaper solution, but selling these things as consumer ready is probably a little premature. There is a lot of benefit to having a single manufacturer having control of all parts of a product, which in the case of a music client, includes the server and storage. If Meridian did come up with an A/V server in what ever form, I would not hold it against them to to want to control the whole product. I'm not saying they should be using proprietary hardware, software or protocols, but simply having control of all parts of the chain now, and in to the future.

I have to agree with Ian. I would like a Meridian Media Server in my study with the client unit in, say, a G series case in my equipment stack.

Just switch on and use. No knowledge of a multiplicity of background software programmes required. This is supposed to be a consumer product and not a geek's Christmas present.

I'd still like the option of buying a client only if nominally it used standard protocols. As a geek, I'd also gladly accept any Meridian kit as a Christmas present

I definitely agree with Ian too . I bought a Duet a month ago and havent managed to hear a single song from it . I also got a SB3 cheap at the same time and it works like a dream but connecting the Duet crashes everything so we leave it out of the loop so we can rip and send without any problems .

Logitech say its ' wireless issues' and have only now after a month offered a new Duet . In the meantime we've bought a long cable , a newly installed connection point and we are now about to buy a new router .

My point being , nailed down standards would be much simpler to deal with as a consumer rather than , as on the slimdevices forum , logitech claiming that ' they ' simply cant test their new product on every new/old router out there ' .

As far as M are concerned , every single day that their website has that ' Ms 30th Anniversary in 2007 ' rubbish still on display sullies the 'polish' that we all know the brand is capable of and makes them appear to be a hard-sell .Pity , cos I love my kit and appreciate its capabilities and M as a company .

Hopefully , change is on the way....

~M~

Looks ok to me

LMFAO!!!

Happy Trails!
Vince@Freewheelcycle.com

Nice 1 !

You must have lots of free time and a natural talent for the job , are you interested ??

~M~

My dealer has just started stocking Sonus gear, looked very neat and reasonably cheap, has anyone had any experience of Sonus working with M.

See that Arcam have just launched a music server but at �2000 + looks very expensive, presumably you are paying for a lot of kit on this that would be bypassed using M gear. As you have probably realised by now I know very little about music servers!

clear skies - whoops wrong forum

David

I have one zone of my Sonos feeding directly into a pair of 8000s. Coax digital out of a Sonos ZP80, music ripped to FLAC served by a Buffalo Linkstation. ZP80 set to fixed output so input to 8000s should look bit-perfect to the CD transport. I'm perfectly happy with the setup, but haven't done any blind comparisons...

Then again, I was always happy using a 500 transport as my source, maybe I'm not too critical...

With the Sonos I can play around with off-line software room correction (i.e., make "room corrected" versions of the FLAC files) if I ever get around to it...

I use a Multi Zone Sonos system, with 2 different Zones feeding a Meridian Processor and Speakers in different rooms.

It works a treat, with the highlight being the "Armchair" based access to your Music from the LCD Controller. Basically, it operates in a very similar fashion to an iPod, in that it allows direct access to Artists, Albums and Playlists (as well as Radio Stations)

Select the Music you want on the Controller, Press Play and it just works. The fact that you can use a Laptop as a Controller is also handy, if you work at home. The ability to Link Zones together and control another Zone (e.g. Bedroom from the Kitchen) is also useful at times, especially during Parties etc.

The keys are (as they are with other Media Server Devices)

* Rip your CD's with Error Correction Software enabled (Exact Audio Copy or Apple iTunes with Error Correction Turned On

* Rip the CD's to a Lossless Format (FLAC, Apple or WMA)

* Store the Tracks on a Computer in a room that is not your main Listening Room (avoids Computer noise)

* Backup your Media Library Frequently

In short, I would highly recommend the Sonos equipment, both to use along with Meridian kit and also its Amplifier units with e.g. Ceiling Speakers, for Ambient Music in non-critical Listening Rooms

My big beef with the Sonos, as well as almost all the other music servers, is that the interface is almost completely pop-oriented. If you're a big classical music listener, like me, a pre-defined Artist/Album/Song hierarchy just doesn't cut it.

I've been working on a more flexible web-based controller for my own use, knitting together library apps like iTunes and J River with playback devices like the Squeezebox. I've toyed with the idea of commercializing it, but after 20 years in the software biz I know a small market when I see it