Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems Meridian Prime + PSU - upstream and downstream

The one I had hummed loudly used with a balanced power unit I was trialling. From your description however it doesn't seem that any power conditioning is being used.

Thanks all.

I'm confident Meridian/dealer will sort. Just hope it's not going to be too much inconvenience and things can be sorted without having to make special trips to dealership.

The lack of decent USB power from PSU is a shame - a non orthadox configuration but would have made a really convenient connection method without the need for an extra mains connection.

Well I went to audition both the Sennheiser 800S and Focal Elear, with the view that if I liked the sound of the Focal vs Sennheiser, I would likely purchase the Focal, if not, I would widen my shortlist.

Long story short, I walked out with a set of Focal Elear, but very nearly didn't. It's not because the 800S were significantly better, they weren't to my ears (marginally less to my taste if anything), but because I ruined things and had a listen to Focal Utopia.

I would have been happy with either Elear or 800S although I did have to double check that I was listening to 800S and not 800, they both had a sound that I could happily live with. With the Elears if anything being slightly more revealing and fractionally more laid back, but that could have been differences in volume. I suspect I could listen to Elears for longer. I prefer the more sturdy feel of the Elears, the cable of the 800S (all the while it remains in pristine condition) and fit and feel of both - very different but equally acceptable.

After best part of 90 minutes, and 8+ tracks I knew well, 2 of which were MQA played via Prime without PSU, I had pretty much decided I would be happy with either and tbh, it came down to cost saving of Focal Elear.

Until I listened to Focal Utopia. It wasn't night and day, but Utopia was more realistic with some instruments and offered a fraction more realistic ambience - I could hear something in the ambience of the Utopia that was not there in Elear or 800S - not sure what it was, and nothing seemed missing from the ambience of Elear, but the Utopia revealed a little of something extra. It came down to a 10 second segment on Mary Blacks Columbus where both Sennheiser and Elear were great, but Utopia I could hear the attack and decay of the strings as if my ear was right next to them. Had they been in stock, had my credit card not had a Prime + PSU on it, had common sense not prevailed, it may have been a different story even for my ageing ears.

Sometimes you need to find the limit to be happy with the chosen compromise. I've now got a box to open and music to listen to, and Im not going to keep hearing my late mother saying 'you paid how much for them' spoiling the music.

Congratulations Ian, now to find the time to enjoy your purchases?

Did you resolve the issue with the noisy Prime PSU?

Russ

Ian-that thing with your mother is like deep bass-you'll feel it even if you don't hear it :

Thank you for your post, Ian. I have the Prime with PSU and Elears. I haven't heard the Utopias but I'm jonesing to and somehow I prevented myself from bidding on a pair on eBay that closed yesterday. I've read many reviews which would echo your observations. I love my Elears and get many hours of enjoyment out of them and I am now convinced that jumping to the Utopias will not happen until I can arrange a thorough audition. Since that's unlikely to happen for some time, my credit card will remain in my wallet.

Congrats.

Surprised that the HD800s worked with the Prime that good. The 800 wasn't as as good as with other AMPs.


The thing with Focal is burn-in Time. My Elear went way beyond 150hrs before they changed for the better. The Utopias are even worse - about 300hrs... (at least thats what they say...)

Don't know what Focal has done but I never had that amount of burn-in time wit a headphone before.

B

Hi Ian

Never mind the Utopias, surely these are what you really want.... Headphones for Oligarchs

Shame they got that "Click" journalist to do the article....like having Ronald McDonald reviewing a Michelin starred restaurant.

Cheers

George

It's all being in process of being sorted as expected. Was asked to confim hum on electrical supply other than my house so checked that it still hummed at work - which thankfully it did as I don't know what I could have done had it only hummed at home.

What tune was it humming?