Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion HiFi & HT Chat CES?

Well we all look for future directions, Hints etc from Meridian.
We get hints, (View of possible future product) and we are not happy......Can't win either way lol

Cheers Chris

Not saying I'm not happy but why not properly announce the thing if you have it on display, available to photograph etc.?!! I mean, they've properly announced the other boxes... Just can't see the point...

Zander

Its a peek into the future as I see it, they cant win if they do this, but if they dont people ask what about XYZ?

Damned if you do, Damned if you dont. Chris

Hi Zander
Same thoughts occured to me earlier, but given that Gary wrote earlier about the MC600 Product Description from the "Meridian Newsletter" he picked up at the show, it must actually be announced

It just means that the same information didn't make it to their Media Website

Sadly, these kinds of oversights from Meridian don't surprise me any more

It drives me nuts.

To give a personal example - I have 12 'qualifying' roooms across two homes for Sooloos + DSP - now that DSP3200 is here...

If I sit down to plan an installation, what kit should I base these plans on?

I'm alreadt discounting TwinStore, Ensemble, and Source 1 (i.e. the old Sooloos stuff). But should I also start discounting C15 - if, with the MC200/MC600 we could reasonably expect iPad to get full operability support?

But why am I having to guess? And my Dealer has no clue either...

Zander

I think as long as you wire with shielded structured cabling (STP CAT5e or better) then you will cover yourself for many applications. You could for instance get a single MC600 for each location and initially flood wire for speakerlink (or legacy 'reviver' / AC12 converters) for DSP speakers and IP networked connection for an optional ID40 card in your 861v6 for optimal audio performance.

If you don't go for an MC600, you can still choose other options, but if you get the cabling right in the first place, that will not change.

Seems odd they seem to be moving away from multiple zones on preamps and then come out with the MC600. what if you want 3 zones or 7 zones. It doesn't feel like an elegant solution. Long runs of analog or even SPDIF doesn't feel good either.

Ian,

Many thanks. I'm not fretting about cabling (for once!) - 'just' the system components.

The 861 + 5500s in my theatre stay as is. I have an old pair of D5Ks and the Sooloos C15 which I like very much.

So, I would be in the market to probably replace the D5Ks with D8Ks for my main listening room and a mix of other DSPs elsewhere - most probably DSP3200 pairs.

As mentioned earlier, an MC200 + iPad in each room (zone) was last week's 'solution' but the as yet 'unannounced' MC600 changes that (this week's solution!). Also, I was thinking about C15s but would it be correct to imply that with MC200/600 that iPad will get full operability support? In which case, I can strike C15s off the list - at no inconsiderable cost saving and simplification of (tethered) wiring complexity...

I've also had it, on pretty good authority, that non-M storage is going to be allowed - when, I don't know - so don't ask! But that then starts to mitigate against MC600 depending on price - which is unannounced...

Whilst I don't expect a road map from M(!), you can see that, wiring aside, trying to configure a 'system' with lots of Sooloos and DSP sales in the offing, is nigh-on impossible with announced and un-announced products and features.

Normally, I base my 2011 decisions on the just-released 2011 price list but that's already seriously out of date - 8 days into the new year...

Zander

the new big box makes sense in many of the large "trophy" homes around here that already have ceiling speakers/cabling runs to a central closet (usually connected to a stereo with a "jukebox" CD changer and a Niles or such multi-zone amplifier).

This technology would seem to enable a "iPad" upgrade to the existing system, replacing the stereo/Niles with a convenient M. storage/amplifier - and crucially, iPad controllable system.

This implies a Wifi infrastructure, which is usually there already or can be installed without ripping out/changing the speaker runs.

An executive friend of mine is renting a house in Westchester with just this configuration, I have been pushing Sonos but they do not make a combined multi-zoned "ZP120 on steroids" that this new device seems to be.

Why pushing iPad for control? This is simply marketing. It "demos" well. Women/tech-phobic people who love Apple warm to these pitches.

Admittedly this is not the "old M." target market, but a major market (around here at least) none-the-less. This is more akin to the Crestron custom market.

Now, M. has to "sell" this solution to Crestron installers who probably fear a Sonos-style cannibalization of their revenue streams.

Here's a little more from the Meridian News brochure.

"The Media Source (above right) was the first Meridaian Sooloos product to be designed entirely by Meridian and incorporating Meridian's advanced digital audio technologies. As an audio endpoint for a single zone, it makes Sooloos a great deal more accessible and raises the level of performance in non-Meridian zones and systems. Exceptionally simple to use, it can be operated from the Meridian Sooloos touchscreen or any other system control unit, including wirelessly from the free iPhone/iPad app.

The rear panel features balanced and unbalanced analogue, coax SPDIF digital am=nd Meridian SpeakerLink outputs, for connection to any Meridian or third part system.

Inside the stylish new slimline enclosure, ... the circuitry features the very best of Meridian digital and analogue audio design. All Meridian products that include upsampling, like the Media Source 600, now feature Meridian's unique apodising filter, which delivers superior audio quality and can even correct problems caused by inferior filtering used in the recording process. The Media Source 600 also includes an ultra-low-jitter clocking system for superior stereo imaging and digital performance."


Not much new, I know, but I had a few spare minutes to type.

Regards,
Gary

Of course they are working on it as we speak. Bob told all of us here on the forum following CES last year they were working on it, and that was reaffirmed to me yesterday. The only question is one of timing, which is something they were unwilling to commit to.[/quote]
If they really had been working on it last year, it should already have been finished and released a long time ago. It has been promised to me again end of june last year, and still zip, nada, nothing ... but now there is really something coming very soon ... my intel says also the 800 will get an update ...

I don't know who you are talking to. Was it someone from Meridian in the UK or a distributor or dealer? Why the big secret?

My "intel" is Roland Morcam, Peter Wellikoff, Ken Forsythe, Ryan Donaher and Norm Steinke. I haven't had an opportunity yet to speak with Bob Stuart, though I hope to touch base with him before I leave.

Again, the official company position is 1) "no comment" on an apodizing upgrade for the 800, and 2) a fix for Trifield Width and apodozing filters for legacy processors and DSP speakers will be forthcoming, though they would not commit to a date certain for release.