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Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 166 Likes: 3
Hitchhiker
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Hitchhiker
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 166 Likes: 3 |
I would add one combination
D = decided MQA via Prime with Prime power supply /861v8/8000
How much better is the Prime combination compared to the Explorer2 for analog MQA?
Current main Sweden: 861v8, 808v6, UHD722, Oppo 103, Dell S718QL short throw Laser 4K HDR
8KUSE, 7200HCUSE, 3200
Other apartment: 818v3, MD600, 5200SE
Study : Meridian Prime Amplifier, Sennheiser HD 820
on the go Focal Bath's
Not connected(possibly for sale): G95, F80, HD621, 7200HC.2, 218
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 12,733 Likes: 88
Don't Panic!
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Don't Panic!
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 12,733 Likes: 88 |
How much better is the Prime combination compared to the Explorer2 for analog MQA? Better enough that I could hear quite a difference after listening to just one track (Metallica's Enter Sandman) via Audeze headphones at the MQA launch. For its price, the Explorer2 is excellent, but the Prime is undoubtedly better, and more expensive.
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,941 Likes: 9
Knows where his towel is
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Knows where his towel is
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,941 Likes: 9 |
From talking to Meridian, it does not sound as though the new 861, originally promised for late last year, is likely to appear soon.
Asa Post
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 12,733 Likes: 88
Don't Panic!
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Don't Panic!
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 12,733 Likes: 88 |
I have no inside information on this, but Meridian tend to debut such products at either CEDIA (September) or CES (January). In other words, don't hold your breath.
Whether or not firmware upgrades are possible for existing 861s, again, who knows...
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Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 166 Likes: 3
Hitchhiker
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Hitchhiker
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 166 Likes: 3 |
So are we who bought Meridian's most advanced processor to not only handle stereo but also multichannel suppose to buy a 818v3 or 808v6 and bypass the 861 and go directly to the main front speakers with separate SL cabling and manually go and switch cables at the main speakers to be able to listen to MQA?
We not only have to upgrade all our speakers to SE (that I can understand) but also not be able to use their flagship processor at all for MQA...
One surprising thing I did notice in the Swedish Distributer recommended price list (just released via email) was that there now seam to exist a DSP8000SEHC horizontal center - is this a typo from them or have Meridian released a new top of the line center speaker? It does not appear on Meridian's site and I have not seen any news about that...
Current main Sweden: 861v8, 808v6, UHD722, Oppo 103, Dell S718QL short throw Laser 4K HDR
8KUSE, 7200HCUSE, 3200
Other apartment: 818v3, MD600, 5200SE
Study : Meridian Prime Amplifier, Sennheiser HD 820
on the go Focal Bath's
Not connected(possibly for sale): G95, F80, HD621, 7200HC.2, 218
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 8,506 Likes: 78
President of the Imperial Galactic Government
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President of the Imperial Galactic Government
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 8,506 Likes: 78 |
Hi, If you want MQA now ... you will need an 8x8 and also to upgrade your DSP's to SE spec. However there will be an 861 upgrade in due course but I have no idea when it will be available. MQA = Patience ...  Regards, Carl PS No need to change connections if connected like this: 861 --> 818 --> DSP But the 861's config should be adjusted to allow for an extra 3.5ms of latency due to the 818 being in the signal path. PSS DSP8000SEHC must be a typo and it should be DSP8000SEVC
861v6+ID40, HD621, 8000.2, 7200HC, 7200.2, SKYQ Silver, PS3, PDP-LX6090, QNAP TS870-Pro (8*6TB), Roon, iPadAir2.
[In Reserve] C15, MD600 (2*3TB), TwinStore RM (2*2TB)
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Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 166 Likes: 3
Hitchhiker
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Hitchhiker
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 166 Likes: 3 |
Thans Carl,
Guess that I will have to wait for the big system...
Current main Sweden: 861v8, 808v6, UHD722, Oppo 103, Dell S718QL short throw Laser 4K HDR
8KUSE, 7200HCUSE, 3200
Other apartment: 818v3, MD600, 5200SE
Study : Meridian Prime Amplifier, Sennheiser HD 820
on the go Focal Bath's
Not connected(possibly for sale): G95, F80, HD621, 7200HC.2, 218
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,941 Likes: 9
Knows where his towel is
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Knows where his towel is
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,941 Likes: 9 |
From my impressions of the 808v6 the upgrade of the 861 to include the new ultra low-jitter architecture cannot come too soon, even if we have to wait longer for MQA and Atmos. Actually, Atmos is probably a facility I shall never use. However, I sympathise with all those who were expecting to be able to play MQA by now, especially since the uprated 861 was promised for last year.
Asa Post
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 43
Mostly harmless
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Mostly harmless
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 43 |
Carl,
Are you sure this set-up (861-818-DSP) is possible? I had a PP telling me that this will not work as I had an idea to have both a multi-channel and a reference stereo with MQA.
Intel NUC i7 running Roon, 818v3 DSP8kSE
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Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 318 Likes: 1
Hitchhiker
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Hitchhiker
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 318 Likes: 1 |
Apologies if I missed anything earlier in this thread, but I'm a little confused.
Unless you're expecting the 861 to output analogue, then why would it care whether the digital file it's dealing with is MQA or not?
I did think that the the work to decode the MQA file could be done either:
- Upstream, say at a PC, when it could be turned into a 24bit file that could be processed via any compatible DAC (though clearly this wouldn't take advantage of the MQA ability to tailor the output for the output DAC unless it was a known piece of hardware)
- At the final DAC, which in the case of a pair of 8000s, would surely be in the speakers themselves?
I don't understand why the 861 needs to actually do anything with the MQA file. What am I missing?
861v4/ID40/LPS, HD621, Roon, BAT VK-600se, Impulse Ta'us. Director/Heed Canamp with HD600s.
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 8,506 Likes: 78
President of the Imperial Galactic Government
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President of the Imperial Galactic Government
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 8,506 Likes: 78 |
However, I sympathise with all those who were expecting to be able to play MQA by now, especially since the uprated 861 was promised for last year. I'm in that boat, thanks for sympathy. It's a little frustrating but until there's a "critical mass" of MQA album's I can live without it, though having a general audio quality uplift now would be welcomed.
861v6+ID40, HD621, 8000.2, 7200HC, 7200.2, SKYQ Silver, PS3, PDP-LX6090, QNAP TS870-Pro (8*6TB), Roon, iPadAir2.
[In Reserve] C15, MD600 (2*3TB), TwinStore RM (2*2TB)
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 8,506 Likes: 78
President of the Imperial Galactic Government
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President of the Imperial Galactic Government
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 8,506 Likes: 78 |
Are you sure this set-up (861-818-DSP) is possible? I had a PP telling me that this will not work as I had an idea to have both a multi-channel and a reference stereo with MQA. Hi, I'm not 100% sure as I've not tried it myself, however Richard Hollinshead @Meridian suggested to me as I was concerned that routing an 818.3 via my 861 would result in 861 AQ and not 818.3. (It was during this conversation where the 3.5ms latency correction for the 818 came from.) It's certainly not a "standard" configuration supported by Mconfig and (I guess that's why the PP said no) it would require TWO Mconfig files to be maintained and loaded into the respective devices: - 861 - 818 Perhaps I should have said it was plausible rather than possible ... we'd need a 818/861 owner to experiment for us to be 100% sure. Regards, Carl
861v6+ID40, HD621, 8000.2, 7200HC, 7200.2, SKYQ Silver, PS3, PDP-LX6090, QNAP TS870-Pro (8*6TB), Roon, iPadAir2.
[In Reserve] C15, MD600 (2*3TB), TwinStore RM (2*2TB)
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