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

As most M units sit in standby I don't think it's necessary to wait for it to warm up.

I often think that it's your ears that actually warm up after 45mins listening. Unless you mean that you warm the system without staying there to listen to it. That would be different.

Listen at 70 for a while and then drop it to 50. See how long it takes for your "serious listening ability" to return.

Start at 50 next time and it's a different experience.

Intuitively you will know there is a lot going on with the mechanics of your ears and brain.

The demo was in their main demo room. I didn't take note of the dimensions but it was nowhere near the size of my own room (about one third?). But, as I said, they are looking forward to having a new larger room upstairs.

As for temperature, it is not something I usually pay much attention to. And unlike most people I do not leave things in standby for longer than about an hour.

Thanks for the kind words. I fully understood you were simply trying to get to the bottom of the issue. As Tarantino says in "Desperado", 'we're cool'.

AsaPost, having had the pleasure of visiting your room, I would estimate from memory that the room in which I experienced the DSP7200s was also about 1/3 the size.

Clearly they need plenty of space (or MRC) to avoid that boom.

Hi,
I am thinking to purchase the 808.3. I would want to know through those people that have assisted to the demo in Bristol if its quality is so high as its cost.
THANK,
Umberto

Nick

That's an interesting idea "that it's your ears that actually warm up after 45mins listening". What I try and do is play a CD for at least that time while I am watching TV earlier in the evening. Then when I switch to CD I don't experience that delayed improvement in sound. However, I am seriously going to give thought to my ears and brain warming up.

Umberto

That is THE question. But we must first hear the 808.3, and hopefully in a room with good acoustics, audition more than once, in private or maybe with the person we are most comfortable with, and if possible in our home at least once. Then we rate our experience. Next decide if we can and should give up the money to buy the 808.3 and the worth of gaining what we expect we will get. It is a very personal decision.

For me if can hear sufficient improvement in the 808.3 compared to my 808.2 I will trade-in. Financially it would be better if I did not and there is a reasonable argument that I should not now spend. But because I rate so highly the heart, soul, emotional experience of listening to music, and that increases with the quality of the playback, the loss of the money is less important.

For me finding and parting with the money for that trade-in is because there is more to life than money and that includes that listening experience. Pity though it does require substantial money to achieve it.

I think warming up your ears can do as much harm as good if you are trying to evaluate something.

For example lets say you have some noisy AirConditioner and you turn it on and and think, wow is that loud and annoying. Then after a few hours it just fades away and you forget it's even there. Then after you forget it's there and it shuts off and then you realize wow, I forgot how noisy that thing was and then your ear readjust again. During this "Ear Warmup" you effectively filtered out FAULTs !!!. So yeah your ears sure do warm up. They may warm up to enjoying something good and they may also filter out something bad. And the smaller that "bad" thing is the harder it is to know it's even happening.

Like someone said, the best way to listen is to listen for a few weeks and then take it away and see if you notice something missing.

Three hour demos at the dealer even with your own music is almost useless at this level.

Calling it "warm up the ears" its a good expression,but is not only the ears itself,its more.

One thing is the start relaxment of the listener, its take time to shut off all things before.

Also the noise what is still in your ears and brain if you travelled by car or a noisy environment.
If you dont believe take a SPL in the near of your head and you would be surprised how loud your daily surrounding is.

And of coarse, that the bad thing, the brain learn the new sorrounding(the shop from the dealer) and try to get a good sound as possible to "survive".Of coarse not to spend to much money for the dealer,
its a historical thing as the mankind had to be a good hearing to survive.
So the brain try to compensate the "failures" to get a "good" hearing.

But how big these influences are I have no idea.
One thing is that a "bad" equipment take the enjoyment and the feelings or emeotions away from the music,
as the brain have to work to much for compensating the "bad" sound.
But this takes time, so the best thing is to try the thing at home for a while.
But we talking here from small differences at all.
Also a second test at the dealer before you try the equipment at home is a good choice.

Good comments Robert.

Now we must wait for the dealer to warm up the 808.3. Although excited about the audition we then must settle and relax, concentrate on the music, distract ourself from other sounds and intrusive sensory inputs, thoughts, and feelings, and let the music "talk" to us. Also somehow we have to allow for limitations in the demonstration, such as room acoustics, and interpret them as best we can.

What then will we say, including how much better does the 808.3 sound compared to the 808.2?

The overall impressions of many about the 808.3 sound will also probably be of considerable influence on my decision to get an 808.3.

Sorry everyone, i've only just picked up this thread, so bit late on parade.
We had the 808.3 in our demo room last week (sadly it had to go again until ours arrives) and i can give you our thoughts.
I guess there are basically two questions on peoples minds:
1) How good is it as a CD player?
2) Is it better than an 808.2 and by how much?

Well obviously these are difficult broad based questions and as we know there are a huge number of variables in any evaluation of this type. So i'm not going to bother going into all the in-depth stuff at this stage ....anyway we only had it for a few hours..BUT ...WOW it's good...very good!
Definitely a significant step forward from the 808.2, it still has all the amazing detail retrieval and resolution of the .2 but now with noticeably more emotion ....dare i say it sounds rather analogue!

I think Meridian have underplayed (as usual) the improvements in sound quality and concentrated on additional technical merit etc. but make no mistake it's a step forward. How much? is it worth the money? or the upgrade cost? I can't help you with that one because let's face it, as a bunch of components slung together (albeit quite nicely) in a posh case, none of this stuff represents 'good value for money'. It's about what it does to you in terms of enjoyment and only you can decide how much to spend on that.
Anyway ..I WANT ONE !

Just as an aside, we hooked it up to a pair of 5200's (SL model) and i have NEVER heard 52's sound like that before ..stunning.

Get yourselves a demo.

Gerry

Gerry.

That's a good start. I hope your very positive first impressions of the 808.3 as a CD player are repeated by others and become the consensus. If my audition response is your response there would be a very good chance I would trade up.

Also good comments about is it "good value for money".

Do keep posting.

+1 On your comments regarding "Good value for money".

The word is that they are on their way across the pond. I'm hopeful to have mine next week.