Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Streaming Meridian 218 Zone Controller Announced!

I agree with Russ. If M doesn't know how to hold on to a passionate customer base who spend their free time figuring out technical details and value proposition for themselves and others, I'm skeptical they'll be able to acquire ones who have no experience with Meridian.

Repeating myself,
Soundserge

I agree on the communication front as on many other forums (Naim for example) they have a employee participating to provide support.

In terms of product I'm happy for companies to release more affordable options.

Meridian have shown with AC200, Director, Prime formats that, in addition to rack mount formats, that they have more than (rumoured) £1k cases available to them like G series has.

Would be nice to have an alternative case available that looks like a good bit of design that most people would be delighed to show off visually as well as audibly.

200 series cases don't look out of place even today, G and 8xx series too big. AC200 and Prime spot on, with latter being stackable.

If 218 had USB audio and optical out and was in a Prime case, it would make a great companion for Prime or F80.

I understand what you are saying. Furthermore, I am sure that MQA has been a huge and costly exercise that has diverted expertise and funds from other things. But MQA has now launched and Meridian are not capitalizing on it. Unlike every other manufacturer they had advance notice of what was coming yet their profile is vanishingly low.

As far as I know only one person has reported on here that they have bought an Ultra DAC. Yet now is the time when it should be getting maximum marketing support, at the very least with roadshows. And what of the 857 to maximize its potential? It is all very well doing an HQ refurb but Meridian need to get out and meet the consumers.

And keeping a friendly line of communication going with the forum would cost little and bring huge rewards. If other companies can do it then so can Meridian.

It is all very sad.

Don't know the roadmap but they don't know how to keep their customers happy.

I didn't hear anything from HQ during my roomcorrection problem. Send out a support question for help.

To bad it is going down this route

If I was M, this is exactly how I would have done it, if I was looking to extract the most from my DSP platform. The proliferation of MQA devices was always destined to be mostly analog output. It had to be, if MQA was going to work. By rolling out SE DSP upgrades and speakers, they locked in as much revenue as they could from their DSP offering. I feel for legacy DSP owners that don't have an SE upgrade option.

At the same time, launching halo products (8xx line) before the mass products (if ever), is pretty standard in aspirational consumer products. Any other way, you risk losing would be buyers.

I will say this, I think M is going to make mint from the 218 and whatever extends beyond it.

That all said, this level of communication seems par for the course with Meridian...

If we could have MQA decoding in processors that would be ideal.
I think they could legitimately charge for this as well, bringing another revenue stream for them.
I have to think they have and are considering this if it's technically possible to achieve.
As others have said, a clue to what is likely to happen would be much appreciated.
Thoughts, Chris

An excellent, very well priced piece of kit and I want one, however will there be noticeable audio benefits for someone with an analogue G68 set up? My understanding is that there is no analogue bypass on my processor, and plugging the 218 into a digital input will create a bottle neck when streaming MQA?

MQA won't be output on the digital output will it? In your scenario you could just output line level analog to your Tag amp which would give you MQA based obviously on your source files. Shame there isn't a user manual we can read.

Russ

Thanks Russ, I'm going to chase up a manual. It has also been suggested that I get hold of an analogue pre-amp and feed the G68 and 218 into that.
Cheers,
Andrew

The 218 has analogue in and out so I'm pretty sure I can set it up between my G68 and mono's. I'm sold.

I agree M could charge for an MQA upgrade to existing processors (like my G68D). I would gladly have spent the same money on that as the cost of the 218. Having heard nothing about that possibility, I have ordered my 218.

I await impatiently, as I upgraded my DSP7200s to SE a year and a half ago, and have been waiting for a way to get MQA through to them.

John