Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems Dipping a toe into Meridian waters : speaker quandary....

Ronnie,
Aha - a eureka moment - perhaps a slight misunderstanding on my part from reading the Meridian website info incorrectly (!) - it says that the amps are the same between the 2 speakers and that the mid-driver / tweeter are the same, and the head is isolated from the bass unit on the 7k2's, but what it doesn't say (and what I've obviously assumed in error) is that the head dimensions / construction are the same.
They're close, but not identical, so now it's easier to believe that there are differences in performance - and perhaps the separation of the head has a small effect as well.

Ok, so I'm understanding the potential variation more - but I am only being skeptical as to whether they'd be really large as I'm just being cautious ! Of course, I believe that the bass of the 8k surpasses the 7k2 - and would probably be more integrated even if a good sub were added, I've just been trying to weigh up the possibilities of getting similar performance (or perhaps performance more appropriate to a smaller room) with a slightly different mixture of equipment - which by no coincidence at all would be cheaper !

As my Dealer doesn't generally stock a range of Meridian gear it'd mean a trip to the Distributor's demo facility in Hamburg to listen to the 8k's - not that I don't believe you & everyone else of course ! It's just that as a skeptical Engineer myself, who's already been burned several times by expensive HiFi investments that I couldn't really afford in the first place (!), I want to try to be sensible - but you guys have thrown a spanner in the works by showing me that I could have 8k performance at 7k2 prices !

The 8k's in the picture seem to be remarkably close to the side walls - do you have any dimensions ?

Finally, isn't the vertical centre in the photo actually a 7000 rather than a 7200 ? In simplistic terms the 7200 has separate woofer grilles (which is how I recognised it) - but apart from speakerlink are there any more differences ? I've the feeling that the 7200's I demo'd at my local dealer were a bit bigger than the one in the pic....

Rolski,


come down to austria-then you can listen to 8k to get an impression if you like.

Robert

Austria / Hamburg / Birmingham : the offers are coming in thick & fast and my head's starting to spin !

I must say however that you've all been extremely helpful & friendly so far - the community spirit reminds me of a few years ago back on the original TMA forum !

Thanks to all - am going to ponder onwards and sleep on a few more of the comments from today - goodnight all (for now) !

WAKE UP;WAKE UP

dont go for a sleep-
stand up -go to work to get some money-
the the decission is easier ;-)))


Robert

8K's are a completely different speaker. But share some components, as many DSP speakers do. They are apples and oranges though. The 6K is more similar to the 8K than a 7.2K is.

But I think folks have gone way overboard on pushing the 8K's for someone where it's out of budget.

I feel one major reason.
Timing-timing and timing
The 7.2k's with a sub(or two) will never manifest the same soundstage, coherency and "togetherness" as the 8k's.
I have not tried it, but heard both. It is, in my opinion, unbeatable to have one integrated system that is fully tuned for full bandwidth.
For audio particularly the integration will be a huge headache and I would not be surprised if you would get bigger challenges in the room.

If anyone finds a(or pair) that can seemingly integrate with the 7.2k's I would love to hear about it.
They are fantastic - I'm all over them, but I must admit when I have lost. I'm sold on the 8k's (even the 1's).

Although keep in mind the size of the room...
Best of luck in you search

What about a pair of DSP6000s? At the current second-hand prices, these will fall well within your budget. You could use these while you save up for the 8000s.

John

Im not an expert so just going from memory but IIRC that someone once said (Bob at HH2?) that the 8000's were the only speaker in the Meridian range that had the volumetric capacity to reproduce some frequencies such as those needed to reproduce the full dynamic range of a grand piano. I also believe that Meridian use the grand piano as a reference for their listening tests. In my memory, I also recall that someone (Bob at HH2? or maybe one of the Bristol demo's) also said that if you can reproduce the full range of a grand piano, you can reproduce anything. Apparently.

I use the Steinway Concert Grand in my home (seen hanging from a crane in my Avatar) to test my setup. Clearly I have a way to go before I am satisfied.

I've seen the quotes on the Meridian website / in the literature, but surely that's not true - electronic music regularly has frequencies that are below anything a grand piano can produce, correct ? And if we stay in the orchestral sphere, aren't the largest drums able to produce lower frequencies too ? Perhaps there are qualifiers to that statement - perhaps they mean that "reproducing anything" means w.r.t. any traditional un-amplified musical instrument ?

I can see why it's a good ideal to include within the overall design scope, but if it's the sole & ultimate goal then surely it's a little lacking....

Having said that, if the 8k's are seamless & flat between 20Hz & 20KHz, they're pretty much in a league of their own !
Anyway, this is a getting a little O/T and perhaps outside my sphere of knowledge / experience !

One of the other reason why I chose the 7.2k's was budget together with room size.

For a longterm plan I will aim for the 8k's (my girlfriend has denied me this and a lot of work is needed)...

I know people mention they are using 8k's in 12sqm room size, but having tried them in 20sqm I can not see how they will not be overly constricted in so small space.

In my room today (19sqm) I do not feel the 7.2k's are a compromize.
They get to open up and the bass responce is quite good. I'm able to give them some breathing space and have a fairly "near field" listening position.
At the moment the bass grunge is well enough for me and I don't see the need for a sub(but not 8k deep and steady)
The mid is silcy smooth and the treble is a bit high pitched (due to low sealing and acoustic feeadback - to be amended). Imaging is as stable as the 8k's, but slightly lacking in size.
Compared to 5.2k's I had earlier they are miles ahead in all areas except one - SPL.

For me - from a budget, girlfriend and room point of view - these are the right choice.

The current edition of Stereophile (October 2010) includes their Recommended Products, and there are Meridian products there as expected. The 808.2 had dropped out because it is replaced by the 808.3 that is not yet recommended because it has not been reviewed! That's bad timing (jitter).

The DSP7200 is not a recommended product but is in Sterophile's category of "keep an eye on it" products that are not yet reviewed or finished reviewed but already confidently indicate an excellent performer. The April 2009 review of the 808i.2 had also referred to a later review of the DSP7200. Therefore there is a good chance of eventually reading a positive Stereophile review of the DSP7200.

I would suggest do not underestimate the quality of the DSP7200, and especially its price/performance benefit compared to the 8k's.

And Nic: I'm pleased you explained your Avatar. I've looked and looked at it and wondered what it is.