Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems Ideas for M80 replacement

I didn't know that and I would probably end up replacing all my Squeezebox Booms if I could somehow interface from SB to Meridian.

Ditto. If M were brave enough to break from the normal closed system approach then the potential for volume sales would be quite staggering. I would take 2 more and have no hesitation promoting to significant others (family, friends etc).

That you get a Sooloos zone without having a whole hifi would bode very well for both Sooloos sales and also future upgrades from C12 to bigger M systems.

Ronnie, a well structured response. Top man.

Yep. If your proposition is closed, what opportunity do you have to entice new customers? If the purpose of the C12 is to make a bit of money and generate brand awareness and main system leads, then it has to offer interoperability. AirPlay would seem the way to go.

Hi Joel / Nick
Hope I'm not getting your hope artificially high here.......just want to set the record straight on Airplay

Basically, it's a Streaming Protocol which allows Lossless Files to be sent from an Airplay Server to an Airplay Client.........and just like the SB, Sonos and Sooloos Client........the Lossless File is reassembled and decoded to PCM within the Client........eliminating Jitter over SPDIF etc.

As I said earlier, sending the Lossless Music in a Digital File over Wifi (rather than Analog out of an iPod Dock) has all the advantages that we know about for the SB and other Streaming Clients that we use

(The fact that Airplay can do the same with Video is another big advantage that I haven't even mentioned thus far)

A quick look at Amazon, Curry's, Best Buy etc., will show that there are hundreds of Manufacturers making Devices that can be used as an Airplay CLIENT.......so that half of things is well under way

However, the only Airplay SERVERS currently available are the iPhone, iPad and iTouch...............(Macs can use the Airfoil App to Serve Music and Video to Airplay Clients as well)

However, Apple are saying that they're willing to talk about Licensing the Airplay Server side.........and some NAS manufacturers in particular are talking to Apple about enabling this on their NAS boxes........but the Licensing Cost is likely to be significant.........

The Sooloos SQL Database Architecture is miles away from allowing this flexibility to happen easily.......so I wouldn't want ye to get hopes up too high

What I'm suggesting with the F80, is that it has

a) Sooloos Zone capability using the existing Meridian topology and protocols etc.

b) Airplay Client capability.......so that a User can PUSH his own Music plus Spotify etc.......out to the F80......which Decodes the Digital file and plays it

Not sure if this clears anything up..........but I don't have time for further editing at the moment

Airfoil now have a Windows App as well.........so your use your Windows PC to "Serve" Files Wirelessly out to any Airplay Clients (hopefully including the F80 / C12)

Just to finish the cycle on the above��.imagine the following result scenarios if Meridian were to deliver the suggested design

At home, you use the F80 / C12 in the Conservatory or in the Garden��as a Sooloos Zone over Wifi���.Great Sounding Music�..all easily controlled from the iOS App

A few days later, you go away to a friends house�.or weekend retreat etc��.and you bring your F80 with you

Simply sit down with your beer in hand��and using an iPhone or iTouch��play a new Lossless Album of your own that is stored on the device�..Airplay pushes the Digital Music out to your F80

When that�s finished and without even needing to get up from your comfortable chair (as you would if using an iPod Dock)���you change to listening to music from Spotify

And later on, you might change to listen to the Game or Live Concert from an Internet Radio station

All without rising from your seat....because you're using the iPhone to control everything!!!

Later on, you fancy watching a Movie that you have stored on your iPhone / iPad��..you Push the Movie out to an �80 Apple TV��..which sends the HD Movie over HDMI to your TV���.and the Sound into your F80 thru the Optical In����

Result????.........HD Movie accompanied by High Quality sound

All the above from just two devices��.your iPhone/iPad���and your F80 / C12

I think the above would tick a lot of boxes for most users

Yes please.

Excellent Ronnie. Thanks for putting in the effort on this; I hope your thoughts are listened to.

Although I can understand a lower price point and the increased volume of sales, I don't think Meridian will debut a low cost option- I think they will maintain low production volumes and a similar price point.

John

We're all going to get very, very fat, aren't we...?

Well to compensate, you can always use the same iPhone to listen to music while you go for a run

Sorry, my point wasn't a lower price point but that the ever expanding wish-list was pushing this to a significantly higher price point and even further beyond the pocket of the masses.

Richard