Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Streaming Linear Power Supply Meridian 218

Interesting, I read the FAQ about the 218 where it was stated it had a linear PSU. Is this incorrect for all revisions of 218? Then we have something Meridian needs to clarify where this come from...

From the Meridian Support/FAQ - 218 Zone Controller

I'm interested in how to fit an external DC socket easily for the 210, 218 and the UHD722 / HD621.

I recently did this procedure with some help for my fiber-router (Mikrotik CCR2004-1G-12S+2XS) which I power from HDPLEX with 2*12V/5A specified.

For the router I used a 2,1mm/5,5mm DC socket, 8mm drill for chassis. A 4 pin 12V ATX cable which was soldered to the DC socket. Very simple. Can we do something similar with the 210 / 218 / HD621 / UHD722?

Hi Crion,

I don't think the 218 ever had a linear power supply, it simply would not fit. What is has is a cosel TUHS5F12 SMPS. It cost about 15euro and does the job power efficiently. I think the circuits are advanced and changing the power supply gives the performance a giant step.
Remarkable that M mentioned a linear power supply. Even more that there is no upgrade path for it, would have been really easy and they could have sold PSU's. Maybe they were worried about the sales of 818v3? Which is probably even better.

On the installation of the socket; the space that comes free from removing the AC socket can be covered with a small plate on both sides, clamping it with small bolts an holding the 2.1 DC socket. I haven never seen a 210 from the inside, but it probably has a similar PSU.
Regards

Mimesis, your mod looks very professional. Would it be any trouble to supply a parts list from an online source? That cover plate, DC jack and screws looks perfect.

I have been curious in the 210 and its power supply. Recently I got one and could not resist to open it. It has a similar PSU structure with a cosel SMPS. So the same upgrade is possible for a 210, with potentially even better results. I liked the 210 a lot, it sounded very good as is.

Thank you for the pictures. Makes it easier to plan this.

Curious... why could the results be even better on a 210?

@Stevo: I have red on this forum that some people find the 210 better than the 218. I have not compared the two in detail but I was impressed with the performance of the 210. I was speculating that the level of performance may even be better after the upgrade relative to the 218. Maybe it could be better because it is RAAT? Hope somebody upgrades the PSU of the 210 and comes back with the results.
Regards,

The 210 does not upsample so I feed mine into the 218 as a pre amp. Then I get upsamples and MQA along with being Roon ready.

Me too! 🙂

It's not a good idea to lay electronic boards on a carpet.
Some carpets generate high electrostatic charges that can and do destroy electronic devices.
Look under wiki how to avoid electrostatic charges and use the recommended tools.

You are right Robert, this was just for removing the cover, no further work done.

Alright, got a picture up in the gallery, 210 DC-jack mod complete. Very simple once you find a nice coverplate for it.

As for PSU I'm evaluating the brand new SMPS IFI iPower Elite. It's very good, probably the best SMPS I've ever heard. The 210 character is the same but more nuance, smoothness, quietness and impact is equally there.

Ofcourse it would be nice to benchmark the Farad Super3 as well but I would probably want to max-spec it and then it costs 3 times as much as the iPower Elite.