Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems Impressions of the 808.3

[I know that we have the trading-up thread about the 808.3, but that one is primariy concerned with elucidating features and technical details. I thought a thread concerned with impressions of the new player might be useful.]

The 808.3 was being demonstrated by Sevenoaks in Bristol for two days only (as posted in Meridian News on their website). I would first like to record my thanks to Sevenoaks for their friendly and professional approach. They did everything they could to be as helpful as possible.

The main demonstration was using DSP 7200s and so allowed me to make some comparisons, from memory, with my own setup of 7200s and 808i.2. Unfortunately, the demonstration room placed some constraints on hearing the bass properly, even with the speakers set to "boundary". Discs used and impressions are as follows:

Tracy Chapman, 'Fast Car' from "Tracy Chapman".
This was difficult to evaluate because the bass was so boomy and bloated because of the constraints of the room. I was listening to a simple player and two-speakers system, with no processor for MRC in the chain, just like at home.

J S Bach, "Cantata BWV 59", Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists, Gardiner.
On my own system this sounds a very dull recording of wonderful musicians, very two-dimensional and with the soloists buried by the instruments. On the 808.3 the sound opened up and allowed that wonderful soprano, Magdalena Kozena, to really shine. This was a very pleasing but surprising result as I had thought the recording to be beyond redemption. Indeed, I had chosen to play this recording because of its apparent dulness.

Berlioz, "Requiem", LSO and chorus, Davis.
This disc is an old analogue recording of 1969, complete with background tape hiss. Listening to the Dies Irae, the double basses revealed their rich and resonant character wth a full-bodied sound. The huge choirs soared with unrestrained magnificence but spatial precision, one of the essential requirements of this piece. And the timps thundered after the dramatic blast of the trombones. In short, this was the best I had heard this very demanding piece. I chose it because of the demands it makes for scale, dynamics and delicacy.

To summarize, I would say that the new player opened up recordings with great tonal purity, boundless dynamics, spatial accuracy and yet also delicacy where required.

But this is only an impression. The real test is to hear the 808.2 and the 808.3 side-by-side. I have been promised a demonstration player by Meridian within two weeks.

Asa,

Thanks for posting your impressions. It's a shame the setup was not ideal. I found that I need to set the DSPs to "corner" and turn down the bass tone control in order to tame the bass based on my room.

I hope to get a small window of time to do a 808i.2 and 808.3 comparison in my own room. Delivery time on the 808.3 is still two weeks away.

Thanks for the time and info but at this level it might as well be a Sony walkman in trying to compare something in different rooms and one obviously poorly optimized on top of that.

$50k worth of equipment and they can't even get the bass under control?

Good to hear though stuff seems to be shipping.

That's a good start thanks Asa Post. But what a pity about the poor bass from the room setup. I agree with George's comment.

We need many more listening tests so Asa Post and Bill I look forward to your later posts.

Just to add.

Asa Post what was reassuring to me about your report of your 808.3 listening tests is that the improvements you heard included what I was told by the dealer would be the audible improvements. That was - improved jitter in turn improves detail and imaging, what was also called “improve the audio performance by lifting detail and further opening the image”.

If I can later hear such an obvious improvement over my 808.2 then that should be sensational because the 808.2 compared to all other players I have heard was already way, way in front with those features.

I was also lucky enough to hear this set-up on Saturday morning. In contrast though this was my first proper experience of a Meridian system. I had heard the 808.2i and DSP8000 at the show last year and was impressed but it was with unfamiliar material and with a noisy background.

This time I bought my own CDs and was amazed. It dug out details in the bass that I had never heard in my system before and just powered through complex sections with ease. I knew I wanted some 7200s before but now I NEED them!

Without a simialr reference I couldn't comment on boomy bass but it sounded pretty good to me. The proximity of neighbours and a poor room set up stop me from really letting rip with my kit so I was just grateful to be able to hear some of my favourite music as it should be heard!

This is doing no favours for my savings plan!

Oli

Thanks Asa Post. Much appreciated.

Oli your comment about the base is interesting but different to Asa Post's comment about the "so boomy and bloated" bass.

However, Oli your comment is the more likely response because I was advised that with the 808.3 you can expect to hear the benefit of the very improved timing, particularly in the low frequency sounds.

But like AP you too mentioned the not good listening environment. That's a shame because your reports are the firt impressions ever of the 808.3. Such good equipment deserves a better demonstration room.

"This is doing no favours for my savings plan!" you write. Unfortunately Meridian also has that effect on me.

But my impressions of the bass chime exactly with Gianni's experience of a demonstration of 7200s at his dealer. He was very put off the 7200s as a result. Because I know what the 7200s can sound like in my own room I was very surprised by his response. Having now heard them in a smaller, boomy room I can understand why he was underwhelmed.

I wonder how many UK dealers are able to demonstrate Meridian DSPs without room constraints and without putting a processor in the chain?

I hope to have a better answer to this issue when I have heard the 808.2 and 808.3 side-by-side in my own room where bass boom will not be a problem.

I listened to the 72's in 7 Oakes, Reading last year (as did some other HH'ers) when HQ did a demo evening. Their back room is not too big but they have spent some time treating it with a few diffusers, traps etc. It's a vast improvement on how that same room behaved several years ago whereby a pair of 5k's could rattle the ceiling tiles. As I recall the bass was pretty well controlled and the 72's sounded really very smooth yet articulate.

So, as above, the room plays a huge part. This store has sold many pairs of 7k's in the last year no doubt as a result of a decent demo.

Bristol Sevenoaks told me that they are building a new upstairs room that should be able to demonstrate 8ks.

AP.

Does that mean you heard the demo in their smaller room? How big was it? Generally the smaller the room the more likely there will be problems with room modes from the room proportions.

Your home comparison of the 808.2 and 808.3 will be worth waiting for because the bass boom you heard at Sevenoaks from room dimensions and/or speaker postioning will not be a problem.

By the way AP I want to make sure you know that in no way did I mean that you misheard bass boom.

Also I like to warm up my 808.2 and 7200s for at least about 45 minutes before serious listening. Do you and others support the need to do that?

So thanks for your opinion and I look forward to your next listening results. My listening test of the 808.3 will be a month or more away and with no indication yet of a home demo. At least the demon for me will be in a purpose build demon room.