Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion HiFi & HT Chat ‘Budget’ AV System

Since the demise of the G65 there hasn’t been a ‘budget’ pathway for a DSP based surround system - let alone one that also includes Atmos (unless you’re prepared to rely an Atmos Soundbar).

Most of us here with a suitable budget look towards buying Lyngdorf or Trinnov alongside the requisite Meridian 271. That is, if you’re prepared to drop at least £20k for the privilege.

If that’s too rich for you there’s the option to buy a Marantz AV10 at a more palatable £6k - plus the cost of a Meridian 271. Then, add £225 for a full bandwidth Dirac Live room correction license.

Still too much? Well, how about £1,700 for a branded 7.4.4 processor that can also be upgraded to full bandwidth Dirac Live? I’ve also seen B Stock for just £1,100 (sold out). That makes buying the additional Meridian 271 less of a financial burden, doesn’t it?

What’s the catch? The Marantz Cinema 50 is an AV Receiver - that also affords a 7.4.4 pre-amp output. The internal power amplifiers can be completely switched-off - or you can partially use some of the powered channels, if required. That’s more than adequate for a modest lounge based Atmos home cinema system.

So, for similar money spent on a Meridian G65, you can buy a Meridian 271 alongside an HDMI 2.1/HDCP 2.3 full bandwidth Dirac Live enabled Atmos Processor - one that is capable of employing no less than 4 Subwoofers, with 4 Height channels, and 7 surround channels.

Is that going to be your solution?

During my daily 16 hours of quiet time I like to consider all my options…

My first preference is for a ‘digital out’ capable AVP, such as Storm|Audio ISP EVO, Lyngdorf MP-60 2.1 or Trinnov Altitude32. The latter is a bit of a bargain as an ex-demo unit.

Second tier preference is for an XLR to DB25 AVP. I hadn’t previously appreciated the varying XLR output capabilities of such AVP’s. For example….

Marantz AV10: 2v,
Anthem AVM 70/90: 7v,
Lyngdorf MP-40/60 2.1: 16v.

Third tier preference is an AVR with the requisite 7.4.4 pre-amplifier unbalanced outputs. This really is a bargain basement option for a Dirac capable component.

Hi spinaltap,

The idea with Marantz Cinema 50 is really nice. The question is, how is the sound quality of these units?

I had a Marantz processor few years ago, don't remember the model, but it was literally the worst sounding crap I ever heard

Stretch for the Cinema 40 that is getting good reviews - and is Dirac capable.

‘New’ B Stock from the UK Distributor is just under £1,500.

Your previous experience of Marantz is likely with Audyssey, but the latest units are transformed by upgrading to Dirac.

Designed for custom integration so would be interesting to see the specs on this unit and how it integrates into a system.

Anthem MRX SLM

I just checked, the Marantz processor I had, was the AV7701, it was about ten years ago. I bought it strictly for the Dolby True HD and DTS-MA as back then it was still a thing. I remember it sounding flat and emotioless, even my wife ment it sounded "not right". Shortly after I bought my first Meridian 561 and it literally mopped the floor with the Marantz. Since then I was more or less loyal to Meridian, with a few exceptions like Arcam AV666 ,Yamaha CA5000 or Emotiva UMC1. Maybe my unit was damaged, who knows.
I was a fan of Marantz receivers though. My very first "serious" receiver was the SR6200 and I really liked it.
Anyway, if I get the chance, I'll try to test the 40 or 50. The specs are very tempting.

Between 15th September and 24th November, 2023, trade-in any Amplifier/Receiver for up to 15% discount on a brand-new Marantz AVR, AVP or Multi-Channel Amplifier.

If Marantz is not your choice for buying a replacement AVP, Unilet has announced an up to 20% discounted trade-in promotion on McIntosh AVP’s between 15th September and 14th November, 2023.

I very much like Emotiva processors. I have the oldest UMC1 as a back up processor and while it's not the best processor for stereo (who cares) it sounds really good with DTS-MA and Dolby True HD. I wonder how modern Emotiva processors sound but I imagine they are pretty good for the money. You can grab an Atmos capable Emotiva XMC2 2nd hand for two grand..

These are the comparative UK retail prices for AVP’s with digital AES/EBU outputs, for connecting to a Meridian 271, at the time of writing…

Trinnov Altitude 32/16: £20,450
Trinnov Altitude 32/32: £27,990

JBL Synthesis SDP-75/16: £26,500
JBL Synthesis SDP-75/32: £35,500

Lyngdorf MP-60 2.1 16 AES/EBU Output Channels: £16,795

Storm|Audio ISP EVO (AES/EBU) 20 Channels: £15,953
Storm|Audio ISP EVO (AES/EBU) 32 Channels: £17,669

Strange are the price disparities between the JBL and Trinnov processors in the UK as they are essentially the same unit. One thing of note when choosing the JBL is that the eq settings are set for JBL speakers and those eq settings are locked. That said, it wouldn't make sense to use the JBL processor with a 271 unless somehow sight unseen you like the JBL eq with your DSP speakers. Anyhow, it wouldn't make sense to pay the large price difference to have less capability.