Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Streaming Source One or Source Five as Core

I have an opportunity to acquire either a Source One or Five, to use as a core in my Sooloos system (QNAP as storage). I presently use MD600 which I carry between locations. This is getting old fast. It will be located in an equipment closet, away from any listening areas. Sources are MS600 (theatre) and MS200 (secondary zones) via Reviver and 561.

Questions and observations after Google search did not yield much directly on point (and I could have missed it):

- Effect, if any, of using either device as core only, on audio quality thru my sources, both of which will be located in other rooms?

- Would using the devices as Sources AND Core vs. Core Only, effect the sound quality thru my existing sources?

- As the core is software, are there audible effects as a result of the difference in physical architecture of the MD600 to these?

I note the MC200 is said to sound better if just running as Core vs. Core and source. It would follow the same would be true of the Source One and Five.

Comments appreciated.

I think with the price of legacy Sooloos kit you can't really go too far wrong with this idea, particularly as a second system. You really do need to drive a good bargain, though. Since the MS200 is very competitively priced as a zone I think the real benefit of the Source series is their ability to run as Core.

If you're just running it as core then there should not be any effect on audio quality, since all the Core is doing is telling the store what music to pipe to the chosen zone.

Have you read this thread?

dpstjp is right: it really shouldn't make a difference. But I did hear a difference when using a C10 as core versus the 818 as Core. Also, I tried the MC200 as integrated device as well as merely as Core + Store, versus the MD600 The latter sounded substantially better.

I didn't hear a difference between my MC200 and my MD600 both feeding MS600 through gigabit ethernet. I did however notice a difference in reaction time on the iPad app.

YMMV

Your ears must be playing tricks as 818 cannot act as core.

As I recall from his reviews, he means MD600.

Did you also use the MC200 as a source, and if so, do you believe such use degrades the sound quality of the MS600 in any way?

Yes I did, and I didn't hear any difference with both zones running. But I only tried this once or twice.

It's probably worth restating here that Meridian themselves state that there is No Performance Difference when using any of the Cores

They make this claim in spite of the fact that making the opposite claim would be of benefit to their Sales and Profits

They do however state that there is a performance difference between the various devices that can be used as Endpoints........and this claim seems to gel with Users' experiences here

Thanks to all for your helpful input. I have been planning to combine my 2 houses on the same network to share my MD600. Possible but technically challenging and expensive. When the QNAP option came along it changed the math. I have stumbled upon a party who has several Source One/Fives on the shelf.

Dare one ask the current price of a Source One/Five these days? Feel free to PM me if you'd rather not discuss openly.

I did manage to source a ControlOne for �400 last year. I know that's the price of an iPad, but that's not the point. I'm sure it won't touch VK's bargain of the century on his 6ks though...

My opportunity is priced based on friendship so I don't have any idea what a market price would be.