Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems Am I CRAZY for wanting to go back to Meridian

Hi,
Why both in the same system, why not just an 808.6?

Money saved, could go towards 7200SEs

I have the 5200SE (upgraded) and 218 setup. I am really partial to the new tweeters. The MQA upgrade is very subtle to my ears, but those tweeters really change a lot of the music I listen to. Plus, the 218 lets you add a couple of subwoofers to fill in any missing bass you would get with a larger DSP speaker. Right now I have two $75 thrift store JBL subs hooked up and they go flat to 24hz in my small room. Or, you could get that Meridian DSW sub Bruce is selling and have the ultimate setup.

Your options abound!

I think the consensus is that, as you go up a rung in size, the speakers deliver more scale, however the SE's deliver more detail (and, in my experience, far better imaging). If I had to choose between a 7200.2 and a 5200SE, I'm guessing I would go for the 5200SE, but your ears should decide.

Similarly, my gut feel is the 818v3 (as Meridian's reference) would be better than the 218 and I would try and pair that with the DSP speakers. While I haven't heard the 218, the 818v3 was a long way ahead of its predecessor.

OK, Jeremy: please find me a 818v3 for $2,000 (only twice what I spent on my 218)…

The question was whether Meridian was still a good bet - and the original poster had asked about the 818 specifically.

If your point is the 218 is less expensive than an 818, then, ur, yeah. If you think it's possible to buy their reference processor at the same price as a 218, then, ur, no. If this is surprising, then I'm blown away.

I would personally go for 7200.2/818v3 over 5200SE/218 (and did so myself).

Despite the technical improvements to SE in the 5200 series, the 7200 series is such a massive step up that in reality it’s still a superior speaker. It has a true dedicated midrange driver and the cabinet for the midrange/tweeter is separated internally (halfway to the exterior separation in the 8000). It also has more (and more powerful) amps and uses Meridium construction to almost completely kill any cabinet resonances. When the firmware which allowed full MQA unfold in the 7200.2 appeared, it was a large step-up, in my experience, and at that point I stopped wondering how 5200SE would have sounded long term. The 7200.2 with that firmware fed by an 818v3 were simply wonderful all round and very hard to beat in my experience.

An 818v3 recently sold on August 1st on US eBay for $6,500.

Considering the O/P had a surround system previously, the other possibility would be to get an 808.6 and 861, or an 861 and 218, and buy more DSPs. Meridian surround with Trifield, etc., really is something very special, in my experience.

I had family to care for for the last year and a half and didn't want to risk shipping my DSP 8K setup so I put together a used system consisting of a Hegel H590 and Kef Blades and that's what I've been listening until today when I finally got my speaker to Mark in GA, (LED screen failed).

The Blade/H590 combo is pretty good and today setting the 8K's back up after that long wait it's pretty cool.

After all that time unplugged the speakers were out of balance for 5-10 minutes but by the 3rd song I could hear the magic coming back. I'm going to let them play FM radio till tonight and I have some time to sit and listen. I will report back

Interested to hear those impressions of going back to the 8Ks.

I listened to a Kef system the other day, albeit of a lesser price tag, of LS50 Wireless II with K62 sub. Really quite good, exceptional considering the cost. If the room isn’t overly large and you don’t need to play overly loud. Incredible soundstage.

Only thing I noticed is that upper midrange seemed to have a little bite and an odd moment with a track I know very well - Domingo singing Recondita Armonia from Tosca on the Levine recording - which I’ve heard on so many systems over the years I can’t count. It was like all the weight had been removed from his voice, very odd as if anything he’s quite a rich sounding tenor.

Can’t really explain it as everything else I listened to sounded basically as it should, including Pavarotti on another track. Must admit it put me off a bit. Wonder if it’s an occasional characteristic of those Kef coaxial drivers in specific circumstances?

Kef Blade to DSP8k with SE upgrade?

The Meridian’s surprisingly can match or at least come close to the Blades notorious holographic soundstage.

The short version is the 2 speakers couldn't sound more different with the 8k sounds emerge from a solid bass foundation that seems always present while the blades have bass they're much lighter sounding with more energy above 10-12 khz.

After listening to the Blades for the last year+ I am enjoying the DSP 8k's and will keep them set up while I go thru all the favorite tunes again.

I think in a large room with lots of windows, typical American 2 story 20'x20'x20' living room the 8Ks would be a godsend while the Blades would shine in a darker sounding room.

That’s a very interesting comparison.

The part with which I identify most is the solid bass foundation you describe with the Meridians. This is something I often have found very lacking when listening to other speaker systems.

I did find the imaging of the little Kefs remarkable, almost matching in stereo what Trifield does in my home setup in that regard (although falling short in others).

Enjoy the 8Ks!!