Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems Discussion: A brief notice regarding recent forum changes

And I would add to the above what assurances did you receive from Meridian themselves that they would contribute more to the Forum?

Ken

Hmm... I can't get too excited about this decision. It seems to me that a questionable trade off has been given to try to encourage more HQ support (but still largely via the Premium Partners). Will it happen? Let's wait and see, but I personally have doubts. Yes, there are some capable PPs, but that's not universal.

An interesting programme by Robert Peston tonight on the rapidly changing shape of retail - with much more change to come... and we already see M resorting to E-tailing for the lower priced components... will more happen in that direction? - I suspect so, even some PPs had started it.

Reuben and others do provide a valuable needed service otherwise he would have gone out of business long ago. The fact is the PP margins are just so high that it leaves room for others... will the margins fall? I doubt that too.

I also observe the Moderators acting like the Coalition - "party line" etc. vs rationale arguments.

Sorry friends overall a retrograde step, and IMHO a loss of independence for the Forum.

Regards Huw

So long and thanks for all the fish? How sad.

My "Meridian journey" echos others here and wouldn't have been possible without the help of people like Reuben and ultimately that led to buying from Rick and Gerry too. I think I will reserve a more strongly phrased judgement until we see what tangible benefits this move produces. Hopefully something more than a few more PPs advertising in the restaurant?

Richard

Hi,

I'd also like to express my support for retaining Ruben and John (K4 POG) as they provide a valuable service to many of us.

Brian

It does seem somewhat of a contradiction that an 'independent' forum is now aligning only with the manufacturer and it's official dealers. The implication is that this was a condition imposed by either M, PPs or both in exchange for their increased support. I guess it remains to be seen what that turns out to be. However, the independent traders now banned from advertising aren't that numerous and we can get hold of them by other means - they've just lost this little bit of online store-front. That said, then, there seems to me to be little gain for M and the PPs by having those traders ads removed from the forum. In fact, it makes them look rather mean-spirited and afraid of competition. Now, if it was M's forum I could understand it - Naim take a similar approach. But it isn't M's forum is it ? Still, if we can get M to aspire to Naim's level of customer support, it might just be worth it.

You are asking all the right questions... Will we get the right answers?..
Regards Huw.

I have been a loyal customer of Meridian for some 10 odd years following a move from Tag Mclaren. What really sold me on the brand in the early days was not isolated to the SQ but the quality of service I received from Meridian and specifically Des.

Had I heard something a little better (and lets be honest for most of the time we as enthusiasts are chasing small improvements for considerable investment) I would have remained loyal to Meridian.

One of my previous main dealers (who I spent a considerable amount of money with on Meridian equipment) offered a poor service compounded by Meridians refusal to deal directly with customers. I was close to moving away from Meridian when someone (3 actually) on this forum restored my faith in Meridian (none of whom work for Meridian or a PP) resulting in me deciding to remain loyal to Meridian.

The outcome for Meridian is someone who will continue to purchase new equipment via a PP or SH equipment (possibly from an independent). Either way Meridian win as I remain a Meridian customer recommending its equipment to other potential customers as well as upgrading in the future. 3 of my friends/colleagues have complete Meridian systems not due to Meridians marketing but my recommendations as a satisfied customer. Many other friends have a piece of Meridian equipment (even two of my sons have Meridian systems and will likely remain Meridian customers for many years).

A healthy SH market maintains equipment values which in turn gives customers the confidence to spend high amounts of money on equipment. This equipment all starts life being sold by a PP!!!

Conscious this response is turning into a rant (not my intention) but I can't help but feel we all lose on the back of this decission.

I very recently purchased an 861 from a PP advertised on these forums and have received excellent service. I would happily pay a premium to receive such service on any future Meridian purchases as its an important part of the ownership experience but believe a free market benefits us all in different ways.

Anyways I have always found this forum an invaluable resource and look forward to it continuing to go hand in hand with Meridian ownership.

Good luck to those who are impacted by these changes.

I have not purchased from an independent dealer personally, but nonetheless find this decision to be distasteful.

Judging by the responses in this thread, it might have been a good idea for the moderators to have floated various options on here before making a decision and then just announcing it via a posting. I understand it was not taken lightly but polling people's views would be at least have been polite.

This board has often been referred to as a "community". Why not use it as such?

Many interesting replies there and all respectively presented and understandable in the light of the sudden (to us the readers) change.

Change is always difficult in any field, it makes people nervous. We don't like it, like when your mum pulls the duvet off suddenly as you were hoping to sleep through the hoovering and housework. (Happy days LOL.)

I am sure the moderators anticipated this reaction and we will just have to wait and see how things turn out.

I am already pleased that this thread has remained thoughtful and respectful. It reveals the character of the members in a way that many in public life could learn from.

Thoughts, Chris

Perhaps this decision can be reviewed after a trial period of, e.g. 6 months to see if the benefits of greater Meridian involvement do in fact materialise? I have to confess that the mechanisms by which they are going to contribute more to forum are not clear to me at present.

I do not contribute much in this forum, but I would like to applaud the efforts of our moderators and volunteers It is a thankless job!

I don't think this is a classifieds forum - but as a community created by Meridian users. We are customers (directly or indirectly) and it is up to Meridian to serve us users/community and not the other way around (somehow that is feeling I got when I read about changes).

If Meridian cannot participate or exerts demands that there would be open participation only from premium partners - I will recommend Meridian open a forum on its website meridianaudio.com/forum.

If they do not want to improve their communication not participate here - no problem we all know who suffers, we, forum and Meridian. If we suffer, what do we do? and use our wallets elsewhere there are choices Meridian is not Apple.

I would be appalled if the direction of this forum was to say 'no commercial activity/no merchants allowed to post' and Rick/Audio Images was banned from posting in the same manner Ruben or others who have been contributors are not allowed to openly post which has benefited others in the community (be it FS items or otherwise).

I would like Meridian or the moderators to shed additional light on this.

Meridian's communication has been pathetic and they have a lot to prove

My $0.02 or my 2 pennies worth!

Regards,
Kishore