Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems Impressions of the 861v8

Thank you HGtM folks for your feedback on v8 upgrade- time to spend $$ soon for the upgrade

I have finally gotten my 861v8 upgrade and wanted to add my thoughts. I use an MC200 to feed the ID41 card of my 818v2. From there it is speakerlink to the 861v8 and analog out to my 7.1 setup. Video sound is through the HD621 to the 861v8. All of my listening is either Trifield 7.1 for music or PL IIx for video.

I find this update more significant sonically than the v6 upgrade was. The reduced jitter from the OE38 card and reduced noise from the new linear power supply result in a big drop in the perceived noise level All music has significant added transparency to the soundstage along with greater detail. You are definitely hearing more deeply into a recording. I also noted enhanced dynamics from loudest to softest. This gives the music more drive and affects all recordings I listened to.

I was pleasantly surprised at how improved the sound from my video sources was. The above improvements from listening to music from the 818v2 to the 861v8 played out for video sources as well. There is an enhanced sound field clarity and transparency with details heretofore unheard. I also noticed dialog has gained intelligibility to a welcome degree.

Take the enhanced sonics along with greater reliability from the linear power supply and a new five year warranty and this is a no brainer upgrade in my book.

Please excuse my ignorance, but I don't quite understand why you are using an 818, when you already have an 861v8.

Does it sound better than having the ID41 mounted directly into the 861?

818 with 861 does sound crazy at first. It did to me too. The point is that you get the better SQ from the ID41 in the 818 and you get MRC and multi-channel by using the 861. Now that one can get the ID41 and the LPSU for the 861 it is possible to get the same SQ (I think) by just using 861v8 with an ID41 card.

It is a valid question.

I recently had a very good demo of 818v2 into 861v6 (Thanks again Rob S!!). To my ears after many hours of listening I could NOT tell the difference between 818v2/ID41 and the 861v6/ID40 into 8k's.
I could switch between ID41 on CD and ID40 on AUX really easily and just could not hear a change.

Plugging the 818v2 into the 8k's clearly revealed a difference. It's a great unit. Details, punch, dynamics... everything.

So, I concluded that the 861v6 is the limiting factor here and even if the 818v2 is 110% SQ you will only get the 100% that the 861 can give. (made up % just to make the point.)

I chose not to get the 818 on this basis.

The 861v8 is another story. I feel that this is producing more like the 110% of the 818v2 and I have the added benefits of MRC, etc.

M suggested in Bristol that they aimed to close the gap in SQ on the 8xx range and I do feel they have largely achieved this.

In a raw shoot out the 818v2 may just edge the 861v8 BUT if you put the 818v2 through the 861v8 you are very likely to get the same SQ output.

That output is really spectacularly very good.

So, if you own both I wouldn't worry. If I was about to purchase then I would think twice.

This was just my finding. If a HH with both units working this way finds it different and can hear a difference when the ID41 comes from another unit into the 861v8 then that's great.

Interested to know what others have found.

Yes. If I had not already had my 818s and the 861 at the time of the reference upgrades I would have gone for the 861v8. Since I had them I decided to upgrade the 861 but not add the ID41 since I already had the 818v2 running into it and didn't need another zone. I can't A/B test 818v2+861v8 vs 818v8 since I didn't get the ID41 in the 861 but I have a feeling I would not be able to hear the difference. Not that there might not be a difference but I'm not sure my ears are that keen to tell.

On a side note, I have to say that running the 818v2 into the 8000s in my living room is real sweet and absolutely no fuss. One box, two cables and two speakers and I could listen to my collection all day long. The boss lady still doesn't like the size of the 8000s but... what is a poor boy to do? Size matters when it comes to speakers.

No doubt that the difference between an ID41 in an 861v8 and an ID41 in a 818v2 and then to an 861v8 is going to be small. I have no way to perform that test. I was assured by my dealer that Meridian considers the way I listen through the 818v2 and then to the 861v8 superior. I buy Meridian to get the best sound I can get. Even a small difference is worthwhile. Certainly what I am hearing from the newly updated components is bringing me the best sound I have ever had.

My 861v6 was upgraded today part out of necessity as the PSU was dying. Also chose to upgrade to ID41 card. Burning in...

Yes, you're imagining it!

Just had my 861 upgraded to v8 status yesterday along with ID41 card and all speakers now EBA enabled. I immediately could tell that there was a substantial improvement over my previous v6 with ID40. There were three noticeable areas affected

1. The soundstage in Direct expanded so much that on some tracks sound could be heard eminating from the rear and this had only been able to be produced previously using Trifield.

2. I had previously experienced a slight element of Bass boominess (MRC notwithstanding) but now this is imperceptible.

3. Before Sooloos I had Spotify played through a Logitech transporter. A Depeche Mode track with heavy bass played at 320kps bitrate sounded good. Before the upgrade the same track played through Napster at 190kps sounded weak and the lack of bass was noticeable. After the upgrade the same track then sounded as good if not better than Spotify previously. Even Lee who performed the upgrade commented on the amount of bass.

So to sum up I am extremely pleased with the upgrade and consider it to have been a most worthwhile cost as the difference it makes is not marginal.

Rod

I know this is a v8 discussion, but I will note that I upgraded from a v4 with an ID40 to v6 with an ID41 and the sound difference with the ID41 is considerably improved. So going all the way, but only make it better.

Thanks

Rodders, sounds like you've had a result there then.

Much the same as I found last year when I went v6 to v8. I'm not sure which components made what % of the change. My hunch was that the LPS and the new low-jitter digital SL card made the biggest change.