Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Streaming What-HiFi Explorer 2 Review

I always find these "product review" threads mildly amusing. They almost always seem to be What HiFi, and WHF almost always seem to award Meridian kit 4 stars!

Cue several posts from people who bemoan WHF's lack of knowledge / understanding / thoroughness etc & basically decry the whole publication. I always wonder what would happen if WHF happened to award Meridian a ***** review; would those same folk question their lack of knowledge / understanding / thoroughness then?!

I suspect quite strongly that we might see "Look at this wonderful ***** review for the latest Meridian XXX"

Of course we would, they would have temporarily 'come to their senses'. But it won't last lol

I’m surprised people here set any store by What HiFi reviews. I remember a long time ago they presented this jumbo review of about 30 speaker cables. All had star ratings from 2 to 5 and their ‘good’ cables had the usual bollocks in the descriptions – tighter, cleaner, punchier bass; smoother mid-range etc. etc. I remember thinking that it would be virtually impossible for human beings, via subjective listening tests, to set a common reference point for that many variables (cables). If you took the labels off the products and asked them to perform the same exercise 2 weeks later you could be certain the outcome would be totally different. Such reviews are also likely to be heavily biased by brand expectation. Ignore them.

I (vaguely) remember a cable test being run by HiFi+, an altogether more upmarket offering, some years ago now. They had 5 or 6 cables I think, ranging from budget to stratospheric. They blind-tested them & from memory the budget one did extremely well. The one that cost the same sort of money as sending a manned mission to Mars did poorly and they then went into great depth as to why their particular system wasn't showing it in its full light!

Talk about setting an "experiment" where you know the likely / wanted outcome. Scientific? Embarrassing, more like.

I remember when the editor of HiFi+ went off to be marketing director of a cable company the products of which had had been giving rave reviews for years

I'd just like to make a point about relativity, most of the folks on this forum are lifelong hifi/music aficionados, knowledge cultivated over years which in itself brings a degree of confidence to challenge the perceptions of commentators etc.

I got into hifi in the mid to late eighties as a direct result of purchasing a copy of What HiFi to try and make some sense out of the options available to me. Ended up buying my first system as a collection of at the time best buys - Rega Turntable (incidentally still have the same one), Arcam Alpha 3 Amplifier and Cyrus 780 speakers. When i went to a local hifi shop to audition and ultimately buy, they attempted to throw a few alternate options in my direction - Creek speakers were one if memory serves. Anyway i didn't have a clue what i was hearing despite the advice and went with the What HiFi recommendations.

Did i buy the best at the time for the money, undoubtedly not. Was i happy with my purchase - without question. It started a lifelong journey which diverged from the What HiFi publication and opinion as i picked up my own knowledge and sought alternate views.

Is there a place for a publication like that therefore - yes, it wont convert the faithful but plays a role in the mass market which may only need a steer toward a bunch of options every now and again. When i recently purchased my HD700 headphones I did look at their best buy guides but only as one of 20+ sources.

I'm not sure we should at all take any offence at their views, they are just that - views. Those that know.......know..

lee

Without effectively implying that we are 'snobs' on this forum, the fatal flaw in the WHF review was in giving feint praise to the Explorer's MQA abilities and then failing to use any MQA material.

It was therefore an unfair comparison with the other devices that were mentioned.

Lee, your story reminded me of the time when teenage friends and I took the train to Tottenham Court Road to buy our first half decent systems, based solely on reviews we had read... (Can't remember where.)

The What Hi-Fi F80 Review was partly responsible for me buying mine and setting off on a voyage with Meridian.

Their review of Tidal MQA Masters is also not unhelpful...

I bought my old 200 transport from The Cornflake Shop just off the Tottenham Court Road. I wonder if it's still there?

They have a very swanky invitation only basement studio in Fitzrovia, having changed their business some years ago to custom installation instead of selling boxes. Ring any bells? They are very professional and one of the leaders in this field in central London.

this has a new thread written all over it - nostalgia around your early hifi purchase experiences. I can genuinely remember collecting my first separates like it was yesterday. Hooking them up in my mum's dining room and playing Dire Straits "Brothers in Arms" the fist time.

happy days

lee