Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems 800V3 DVD RBCD performance.

Gareth, apologies if I've turned you against the 800. Yes, I am critical of it because of its price, but the modified unit here still is THE best sounding CDP. However the law of diminishing returns sets in with a vengence at this level but I would guess that going for a Linn is not going to give you what you want.

Maybe I've missed some of your earlier postings but are you mating it to a Meridian 861? If so I suggest you look for upgrades further down the chain if you are reluctant to have the 800 modified with a better timing clock etc.

The musical sound you are hearing is the result of a system, and the room is a vital component of that. Many unjustly criticise speakers because the sound comes from them but do not get too obsessed with the primary source either. Both are important as are all links in the chain.

The danger with this audio obsession (and I have suffered it too) is to lose sight (and sound) of the music and instead listen for perceived faults in the reproduction. For sure bad amplifiers etc can detract from musical appreciation but we have all enjoyed music on boom boxes at times, although these are obviously not a long term choice. Yesterday I was listening to a Cetra mono reissue on a Warner Fonit CD and was blown away by how great this 1954-1956 recording sounded, especially in the light of how unlistenable I had found Cetra to be on vinyl previously.

So. a few suggestions:

1. Take a few days break from your system and then come back to it listening to a CD you enjoy.

2. If you are still unhappy with the sound (meaning you cannot enjoy the music) then try different non CD sources to double check the "problems" you hear are not in the amplifiers or speakers.

3. If you are convinced the rest of the audio chain is fine then investigate upgrading the 800 (effectively turning it into an 808), but do not waste money on a Linn.

Hope this helps. I empathise how miserable it can make you feel if you are convinced you made an error of judgement in your 800 purchase. Be reassured it is a SOA component and I would never advise anyone who has one to sell it. What I do advise is that there are much more economical ways of getting into SOA 2 CH or DVD.

Please tell us the end result of your anguish.

John

Nick

Quote
"I'm curious though about why you still have upgraditis ? Is the 800 just not doing it for you ? Is there a problem elsewhere in your setup that needs addressing"

I don't really know what the best sounds like but I guess I just want it, as daft as that sounds!
The problem is, I think there is always better albeit at a price but as I get used to something the sound seems to loose it's impact and then I become disatisfied with what I have and start looking again.
Finance has an impact of course.

GaryG.
Choc hob nobs would be nice but 'll bring them with the 800, what else do you have?

John

It's all your fault! There I am as happy as a pig in s**t and then I start reading your posts and your answers to my questions which possibly shattered the illusion!
Joking apart, I have it connected to a G68D but have tried it direct with my DSP5500 and the rear DSP5000.
I think I was expecting the WOW factor a little bit more. The 800 for sure sounds better than the G91 on RBCD but how much better is the question I'm looking to answer.
Not really �5000 better!
I'm acutely aware that the 800 is a DVD player that plays CD, not a CD transport that does nothing else but.
In my mind I wonder how a multi machine can sound as good as a stand alone player.
I have in effect a �5000 CD player and a �5000 DVD player integrated into one machine so surely a �10000 CD player will be better than the 800?
I'm looking at changing my all DSP speakers to analogue to see if it's possible to improve. With vinyl the DSP's seem to take something out that is glaringly obvious so maybe they are to blame.
More in depth research and a lot of demo's may help me turn in the right direction.

Thanks for the advice.

Hi Gareth

Drop me a line please.

Cheers

George

I have not heard an LP since around 1979 when the motor in my Dual 1218 went out, and being an impercunious student, I didn't get it fixed. I guess I just listened to FM until mid-1983 when my wife gave me a Philips CD player. I think it was 14-bit. I was so entralled with being able to turn up the volume without turning up the hiss, click, crackle and pop I donated my LPs to the public library for a tax deduction and began down the CD path. Point is, I have never heard a "shaded dog" or whatever on a state of the art analog set up. I am not about to go down that road now. I would rather listen to music that scrounge around garage sales for prized LPs.

With that introduction, I have always wondered whether audiophiles think LPs sound more life-like than CDs because of the subtle background noise. It is never dead silent at a concert. I'm wondering if it is the background noise you hear when playing an LP triggers the memory of the subtle background noise at a live event, and recreates that feeling of being there.

Just a thought.

Biscuits:
Maryland Choc Chip Cookies, Malted Milk Creams, McVities Digestives and Chocolate Fingers.

Kit:
Wadia 270/27ix for CD, G98 and Theta DaViD for DVD, Apogee Big Ben master clock for jitter reduction, 568.2 and 861(v2), Krell MDA 300 monoblocs, KEF Reference 4's and some fancy cables. The DaViD and 861 are too big for my Mana racks so aren't in use at the moment even though they outperform the G98 and 568.2. The L/R digital outputs on the 568.2 feed the 27ix when watching DVD's.

Regards
Gary

[This message has been edited by GaryG (edited 06-02-2005).]

Gareth

I suggest you look at "fine tuning" your system rather than making big & expensive changes. This was driven home to me this morning when I replaced the RCA socket with a BNC out for the player here in the office. The difference in the quality of the music was amazing. It now has that goose bump factor much more prevalent than previously.

I hesitate about recommending too much in other directions. Changes you will make can the sound different but "different" does not necessarily equate to "better". However I'm a great fan of electrostatic speakers and have not been impressed with the Meridian digital efforts I've heard. But exposure to those has been very limited so that opinion may not be well founded.

Please go slowly and carefully. Do a lot of net research and try to avoid getting carried away with clever salesmen who (if they are doing their job) make a friend of you and gain your implicit trust. Also beware of enthusiastic amateur posters - we all can get very carried away with new toys and this often deflates over time.

There are many excellent products out there and the Meridian 800 is among them. It is not perfect - nothing is. But take a deep breath and avoid getting on the "upgrade" merry go round because, like that merry go round, you rotate rather than progressing upwards and might even fall off!

John