Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems Meridian Explorer

Hi Malcolm

Today i tested AQ Dragonfly, Arcam rPAC and M Explorer.

M was the best DAC in the group.
Sound very close to the M sound. Open, Detail, bass, resolution and musical.

AQ was second best.
Sound was more detailed than M but could be a bit harsh in the top. Not the same smoothness and overall complete sound.

Arcam rPAC was last.
Was not as punchy as the M and AQ. Not the resolution either. Sounded a bit dull, compared to the other ones.

Arcam had the best cables, see profile. M and AQ was using a decent 3.5mm to RCA cable from Genelec. Arcam rPac used AQ Forest USB and AQ Copperhead RCA. All files was played from my MacBook and through Korg Audiogate player. Files was in FLAC and there was both 16/44 and 96/24. The speakers where my Elac. Power cables was AQ NRG 1.

It is most likely that all the three would perform even better with better cables. But the AQ and M and the worst cables in the setup.

I would recommend M Explorer to everybody who is thinking about a USB DAC today.

I have no favors in any form from M for writing this review. I would not hesitate to say that M was a bad if that was the case.

Feel free to send a PM for more detailed info about my thoughts about these three.

Best Regards, Per Nilsson, Sweden

Received my Explorer and the one thing I can say is that I am very impressed!

Installed driver and foobar, together with wasapi plugin, then was ready to go in no time!

I use Senn HD650 and the volume level is adequate, only slightly lacking with very low level CD rips. This exceeds my expectation because HD650 are hard to drive!

For example, Lady Gaga Fame CD is very loud around 50%, while Uakti/Philip Glass' Aguas de Amazonia is only loud enough at 100% of the windows volume bar. And Ali Akbar Khan's Journey is too loud around 75%.

The sound is very relaxed,with a very human midrange, a detailed and smooth top end and the bass is very deep and clean, like you would expect from any Meridian loudspeakers.

Complexe musical passages are very well controlled, and a sense of transparency and lack of desorganisation are ever present in orchestral fortissimo. It is as if the Meridian signature sound with their original multiamplified and active filtering in loudspeaker were translated into headphone territories.

I will try the line out with my tube headphone amp, so more feedback to come. For now, some music to ease a long day at work!

One word.. Impressed! Thanks Bob for this great device that will accompany my Thinkpad everywhere I go!

Much thanks to Rick at Audio Images in Sheffield with whom I had the great pleasure to deal with, I highly recommnend this fine gentleman. He dealt with me living in France, the land where M is not known as it should!


Cheers!

Just taken delivery of GRADO GS1000i to complement Explorer. This combination is a marriage made in heaven. Both products were easy to get through the front door without raising any alarm. Access to MD600 content now assured 24/7 with no repercussions. Thanks to Dan and Justin at MO.
Hector

My 8k's were 'sneaked' in through the French doors

Indeed, an often underappreciated benefit; although it does raise the question of when did we audiophiles become such a bunch of wimps!

Nice mini-reviews though - going to have to get one me thinks.

My choice for M Explorer was to go the headphone route. No regrets with performance of MD600 - Control:Mac - iMac - Explorer - GRADO GS1000i. 24/7 access to my library without offending others is important to me. I thoroughly recommend this proposition to other users.

I have now compared cans that cost me from �0.01 to �1000 the results are all fantastic and entirely relevant to the Explorer performance, you get what you pay for. However the PC sourced sound improvement derived through Explorer coupled with existing owned equipment is fantastic irrespective of the price paid.

This product is a no brainer.
Hector

Check out this nice review from Home Theater HiFi - Explorer

What is the recommended USB cable? I have a Chord mini to RCA for the output. Has anybody tried a Chord USB, or would a Wireworld Starlight work just as well?

Is it a USB to mini USB?

Do you have any reason to believe that the supplied cable is not up to spec?

Hi

I use standard USB cable. Not the one supplied by M, because it is to short for my needs. The best way to find out is try a different cable. Maybe you can borrow one from your local dealer. I have have placed a order for an Audioquest Coffe. I will write a review when I get it.

In my experience many aftermarket cables are better then those supplied with a product.

To meet the spec of a USB cable or any other cable type is not the same as producing good sound.

Best regards, Per Nilsson

I really can't see how any different USB cable can improve the digital signal from a computer.

Just a way of chiselling money out of people.

The analogue signal at the other end is a different matter but one would hope that decent headphone manufacturers supply the most suitable cable for their product.

I understand that the Explorer is designed to drive headphones or earphones and not active speakers or amplifiers. Is this not the case?

Neil

Neil,

There are fixed digital optical out and fixed analogue out for connection to other hifi equipment.