Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems Official CES 2010 Announcements (no speculation please)

But it does make purchase of the existing G61R/G68 decision very valid.

The reduced line-up described excludes the HD621! I assume that various accessories will continue and the line-up refers to core source/processor/speaker products?

Presumably the HD621 should be added to the list.

Find it staggering that the new G68 does not have apodizing.

David

I had sort of thought I would get the G61r now and hope apodising would be added with firmware.

I would then run a Pioneer LX91 blu-ray into the analogue ins, and I would save myself the price of the HD621.

Then when I read that there was no apodising I was thinking maybe I had jumped in to quickly.
However, thinking about it more the older unit seems a lot more desirable to me as someone who owns pre speakerlink DSPs anyway.
Just means it will be a HD621 instead added instead.

If I read it correct the price of DSP speakers has just been loaded by a further 20% unless you want black, I have a silver system!

Feel as if I have been totally dumped as a customer, M prices were always aspirational to me but eventually got there only to find the goalpost has moved (or have they changed to playing a totally different game but forgot to tell any one), now they are just out of my league. Will just have to enjoy what I have.

David

Ugly. Looks like the MSR that was on Duncan's site that has had the case sprayed matt black.
I wonder if it's any different under the skin?

Steve.

Frank, thanks very much for this info. Great work.

Re the pricing and surcharge for colours other than black, I think we'll need to wait for the price list in each country. It's sounded like everywhere other than the UK has lost out in recent times.

Very surprised apodising is not to be made available for existing products, given Bob's reported comments on HH2. Disappointed about that.

861 new cards: again, a bit gutted that the v4 won't take the new cards. A proper HD621 MMHR input, utilisation of the Speakerlink from the 808.2i and better ADC stage would have been very welcome (when I eventually get an 861!)

Overall, I'd commend Meridian for consolidating the product range; a good business move. I think most would pay for apodising firmware as an upgrade, so even if business needs dictate that it's not given away, I still think there's mileage for them in pursuing it further. It certainly feels like the biggest watershed in the company's history in terms of a break in compatibility between new and established products. The use of a brace of AC12s in future doesn't fill me with joy.

Cheers

George

That is the only thing Tag did pretty well, allowed you to pay for the features you wanted.

Want PLIIx? That's �99 please.
Want HDCD decoding?? That's �49 please.

Etc. etc. etc.


I think people would be happy to pay for software like apodising, as long as it was a fair price of course.

Problem is, how would they distribute it without people sharing it?
I guess a new firmware could include new features that need an unlock code entered to activate them that reads the internal serial of the unit?

Sorry guys. Of course the HD621 is in the lineup. The HD621 has apodizing too. I have corrected my previous post.

Hi frank
Great post. I am new to this forum and thinking of taking the plunge and buying a pair of dsp3100s. Do you know if there is any news on whether the dsp3100s are likely to get apodizing and speakerlink? strikes me that if the in wall speakers are upgraded the 3100s could be the odd ones out.

Tony

There are three scenarios with respect to the DSP3100s: 1) they won't get SpeakerLink, 2) they will get SpeakerLink, and 3) they will be replaced with a new model with SpeakerLink at that price point . Ken said there was no present intention of upgrading any existing product to include apodizing, so I would not count on the DSP3100s getting apodizing in the future. I did not discuss the issue of SpeakerLink and the DSP3100s with Ken, so it is anybody's guess which way they will go. You can always use an AC12 if you need to.

I am somewhat dissapointed - although I suppose at some point the 861 needed a major overhaul. Question for me is whether the cost/benefits will make sense given that I already have apodizing in my HD621 for all sources except my 800 (it may actually make more sense to replace my 800 with the 808 instead of upgrading 861 - my DVD-As can be handled nicely by the Oppo BDP83). Certainly having the dicrete 8 channel input would also be nice, but I think it was Ronnie who made the point about how much better discrete sides would really be versus the interpolated ones we currently have.

I will be very interested to see what the upgrade pricing looks like, but if it is as significant as Franks conversations with M suggest, then a good many current 861 owners may get left ont he sidelines.

Indeed. If the reported cost of $25,000 includes all the Reported Core Cards, and one takes even $5k off for the Case, then the maths are not pretty

The Benefits as I see them (for my situation, but likely for several here) are

** Apodizing for CD Replay from the 800 Player

** Apodizing for Media Player / Server music from my Sonos (which I would very much like to have but at $20k approx???????????)

** Discrete 8-Channel Audio for the 7.1 Bluray Discs which are currently out there (which my jury is still out on as regards discrete 7.1 over Meridian's Derived 7.1)

Hmmm.............................