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

Phase3: thanks for your post.

My home demonstration has been delayed so I cannot yet post further impressions.

Following further discussions with Meridian at senior level I understand that response from dealers has been very positive. The 808.3 has been compared in shops with the best alternatives and found to be at least as good as the very best. OK, this is subjective and rough and ready, but Meridian are very confident about the performance of this player.

AP have you or others heard when the 808.3 will be released to the public? I assume it has not as I have not heard of the general release beyond some units for dealer demos. Hopefully some have already quietly begun there home listening and will soon post their impressions.

I guess they are delayd since 861V6 with ID40 Cards are holde back for tweaking before Meridian wants to ship them. They are not 100% happy with ID40, just my guess but something to do with Sooloos 2.1
My 861V6 with ID40 has been hold back for 2 weeks now. Supposed to be here last Monday!

PerS

Thanks PerS for what must be your correct explanation for the 808.3 delayed release because of the ID40 problem.

With the release of the DSP7200s I went through a long delay after delay after various Meridian predicted dates of arrival. Such waiting is hard, especially for you PerS with so much good gear on order.

Hopefully these delays will end real soon.

Last Thursday I drove into Exeter to collect an 808.3 for an extended loan. First, I must express my gratitude to Meridian, and of course to Sevenoaks Exeter, for enabling me to borrow an 808.3. This was extremely generous to allow me to have it over the Easter when it must have been in huge demand. I can only offer sincere thanks.

My thoughts and impressions that follow must be understood in the light of the inadequacies of linguistic description. I was very impressed with it. Using it as a digital transport with my DSP 7200s it certainly offered a significant improvement over the 808.2, itself rather a special player.

Treble seemed purer and more extended. Mid-range had more detail and presence. Upper-bass also had more presence and differentiation. Bass as a whole was clearer and seemed more extended and tuneful.

I listened to a wide range of music and was particularly impressed with massed choirs and orchestra for the new detail that emerged. Individual performers or instruments were better differentiated but not at the expense of ensemble. There was also an augmented scale to the music that nonetheless seemed entirely natural. Dull, two-dimensional recordings became less so; well-recorded discs took on previously-unimagined levels of excellence.

And it has a standby indicator.

Well done Meridian for producing an exemplary product that seems to give me a new CD collection.

I should also add that I tried it with a cheap Denon DAB tuner with similar tonal results when listening to Radio 3.

What now follows is my speculation. If the 808.3 can transform the digital input from DAB then I can understand why Meridian feel it will do wonders for Sooloos. Similarly, if there is common ground (no pun intended) between the 861 v6 and the 808.3 then anything routed via the new processor may also sound wonderful (forgive the gush but wait until you hear it). And if some of the lessons learnt in developing the 808.3 come to be employed in the HD621 and DSP 8k then we are in for a treat.

The big surprise is not only that this player is so good but also that CD has so much to give. But, as I said, other sources may also sound very good when routed through it.

Meridian are not only doing the right thing in developing new products of this calibre, they are also designing themselves out of recession, a very healthy development.

Please remember when reading the above that it was not written by someone retrospectively trying to justify the purchase of an expensive product. I hope my comments are useful and stimulate others to listen for themselves.

It would be interesting to compare the sound of CD with a SPDIF signal from an outside source, like a Sonos or Squeezebox. Or for that matter, a cheap DVD/Blu-ray. I myself own a G91, and wonder if an upgrade to 808.3 would be adequate.

I have already noted that a CD played through G91s DVD-Video/Audio transport sound significantly better than the SPDIF-signal from my Sonos ZP90 box (see this thread).

I wonder if this can even be bettered by a 808.3. Or will it be a huge and very, very expensive disappointment?

Asa,

Thanks for the review. I look forward to getting mine in a few weeks. There are a few here in the US but, alas, no graphites as of yet. Patience is a virtue.

Thanks for your impressions ASA. I would like to know if you had the opportunity to compare your 808.2 to a G08 btw (to know a bit more/better your views).

I am curious too about the CD transport on the new 808.3... still the same IDE-DVD Rom unit as used on 808, 808.2 (and G08)? How does the CD tray look like?

Regards,

Josep

Bob Stuart indicates on various ocasions that the preamp sections should be always connected to main (since the early days of active speakers). That way the heat regulating circuit take care of keeping the optimal temperature for the work.

I used to own a G08, which I first had with DSP 5ks before getting my DSP 7200s. It was very obvious that the G08 was stopping the speakers from achieving their full potential. The 808.2 was a huge step forward which many here found difficult to understand until they heard the player at HH2. I have never owned an 808.1.

The CD drive looks identical on the 808.2 and 808.3 but that does not mean that they are identical.

Travel and then a family bereavement have distracted me from posting. However, I wanted to explain that, since the generous loan of an 808.3, and my more than favourable response to it, I decided to order one.

I am pleased to report that my new 808.3 arrived exactly when promised by Meridian. I accordingly offer my thanks to them for their helpfulness and efficiency (and to Sevenoaks, Exeter, too).

Although some may have thought my impressions of the 808.3 too gushing, too unrestrained, too unreserved . . . I am nonetheless delighted with my new purchase and amazed by the improvement in sound quality. If anyone is considering getting an 808.3 you owe it to yourself to have an audition.

I hope that the lessons of the new architecture, with ultra-low jitter, will soon be applied to other products beside the 808 and 861.

Sorry about your bereavement.

This thread, and your original post influenced me to go hear the 808.3 for myself. I loved what I heard so I ordered one too. Thank you.

Might I ask what lead time you experienced from order to delivery?