Originally Posted by Asa Post
Have I misread this, or are they saying that in order to get optimum performance from a Sooloos you need to link it via an 808?
To be fair, I think Meridian have been saying this for quite some time now. It certainly was the Mantra at the HH2 day

None of the Sooloos Sources have Apodizing built-in (there's no great mention of FIFO Buffering or other technologies either) So feeding the Sooloos thru the 808.2i has always been their preferred route of Media Replay (i.e. not the HD621)

They do seem to be saying that the 808.3i offers even greater Preamp advantages, particularly for Analog connections. Not sure how much of this can be applied to the Sooloos though

Also interesting to compare the following statements though, so who knows........

Originally Posted by Meridian 861 CES Press Release
The optional ID40 Sooloos Card enables 861 V6 to connect directly to a Sooloos network. It allows the 861 to render audio from the Sooloos system and for control commands sent through the 861 (IR, Comms, and Serial) to be used to control the Sooloos current Play List.

861 V6 can upsample and process (for example using Trifield) the audio stream from Sooloos to enhance sound quality and presentation on a multi-channel system. ID40 Sooloos Card and 861 V6 allow for the highest audio quality integration of Sooloos in to a Meridian Digital Theatre system.


Originally Posted by Meridian 808.3 CES Press Release
In addition to its standard audio inputs, the 808.3 Signature Reference CD Player features an ID40 Sooloos Card allowing it to be directly connected to the same network as a Meridian Sooloos Digital Media System. When connected the 808.3 is seen as a zone within the system and it renders audio streamed across the network.

The same connection allows infra-red control of the Sooloos` current Play Queue from the supplied MSR+ remote control handset or product front panel, while 808.3`s DSP based audio enhancement tools and triple FIFO buffering system process audio streamed over the Sooloos network, making 808.3 the highest performance network playback device.

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