Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Streaming Will I get full MQA using Headphone Amp with 218 analogue out?

Hi.

I am awaiting a Graham Slee Ultra Linear Headphone Amp and Grado PS1000 Headphones shortly to audition at home with a Cyrus cdi as a source. If I get the sound I am looking for I will send back the Cyrus and go for a Meridian 218, I didn’t want to go for the 218 just yet because it would’ve meant subscribing to Tidal now which I did not want to do just at the moment.

Anyway if I do go a 218 will I get full MQA via its analogue outputs into the Graham Slee ?

Any advice greatly appreciated

Cheers!
Danny

Yes, it will be full fat MQA on the analogue outputs. Not sure that anyone here has a feeling for the audio quality of these outputs.

Great thanks.

Hope the Analogue Out on the 218 is not an afterthought 😬

I changed from the analogue outs on my 218 to the digital out into a Berkeley DAC and it was a very significant improvement, albeit an expensive one. Still, well worth it IMO.

Ken

Hi.

I am planning to use the 218 as my main DAC and Streamer maybe connect a Bluray player into the coaxial in too.

I have tried Roon through 218 analog outs and the sound quality has a clear and light touch. I can also run the 218 using it’s digital output into an Oppo 205. The Oppo DAC produces more bass and a slightly darker tone which I think provides a better result overall. Playing Roon directly into the Oppo without the 218 doesn’t work as well because the high end seems lacking without the 218 as an endpoint. The Oppo is new and may change with more run time but it seems clear to me that the 218 benefits from the outboard DAC.

If I use DSP speakers say the 3200’s or 5200’s with the 218 and I use the 218’s digital inputs to connect other sources will I be using the 218 as a pre-amp and using the speakers DAC or the 218’s DAC?

Best
Danny

With DSP speakers, connected digitally, you are always *only* using the speakers' DACs.

… and the speaker's pre/power amplifiers. Although if MQA is being sent to the 218, then it will be doing a first decode before passing it on to the speakers DACs (which can't render it of course).

Page 3 of the 218 User Guide clearly states that it has ‘MQA decoding and rendering’.

Decoded and rendered will be delivered to analog outputs, decoded with rendering data will be sent to the SE DSP’s which will do the final rendering.

Rendering only if they are SEs.

Ken