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

Storm|Audio is the sweet spot, that takes a sledgehammer to Trinnov pricing.

Like Trinnov, Storm|Audio hardware can easily be upgraded over time.

No messing around with DB25 connections: just end-to-end direct Ethernet connectivity.

Is Storm likely to be the recipient of your hard-earned money?

I do believe it will.

It’s a very underrated shining star.

No XLR nor RCA output connections, just vanilla Ethernet - which is all you need for connecting a 271.

I bet someone will go overboard on using AQ Vodka RJ45 cables.

Just for consistency, I would use custom SpeakerLink cables.

Why pay extra for connectivity you simply do not need.

It’s the only purely Digital AVP on the market - and you don’t need a degree in mechanical engineering to configure, use, nor to maintain it.

Ethernet? Has the 271 received an upgrade at some point and if so is it hardware or software? I have 2 early 271s and they certainly don't use the ethernet port for anything other than management. AoIP, either AES67 or Dante, would be a very welcome addition even if it required a hardware upgrade.

The 271 can receive digital signal from Storm Audio and Datasat processors over RJ45 connections. It cannot receive or send digital signals over ethernet network connections. Similar appearance but vastly different protocols and uses for each of the eight conductors in a RJ45 cable.

The Storm|Audio ISP EVO can be ordered with AES/EBU or AES67 (Dante) connections.

The Meridian 271 is designed to accept the AES/EBU signals via RJ45/Ethernet Cables from the ISP EVO. The only truly ‘Ethernet’ communication on the 271 is that directly to your home network).

it nonetheless uses standard Ethernet cables to connect both components via AES/EBU.

While Dante has a lot of great features, it is not very practical for most home theater applications. With a 271 which is designed to be rack mountable, the SSP is usually less than a meter away and a direct digital connection is always on and will always work.

Dante is useful in situations where the processor and amplifiers are quite a distance apart where it may be impractical to run long distance analog or digital connections. The uncompressed audio, high channel count, and immunity from ground loop issues can make Dante seem like a great way to connect things but keep in mind that it is not plug and play, requires a robust network switch and a fair amount of network knowledge to configure and maintain.

So not Ethernet then!

CMB Integrations - Bruce,

Whilst I don't disagree, and I have always envisioned using just AES/EBU with the 271 and Meridian DSPs, when I approached Trinnov over their limitation of 16/20 channels of digital output the response seemed to imply that AoIP was the only future they were looking at. Ease of implementation and practicality aside they mean nought without support so I would still like to see an AoIP 271 if for nothing else than interoperability and future compatibility.

Besides which AoIP endpoints would make integration with ezbeq solutions, such as I have on my tactile channels, much simpler since neither Storm or Trinnov currently support beq nor seem to have any plans to. The Monoprice would seem the solution to this but we are back to a 16ch limitation and analogue at that. All digital high channel counts still seem quite difficult to achieve.

For a budget AV system on the two channel side, check out the Wiim Amp. HDMI Arc, analog and digital inputs, most of the major streaming services, Bluetooth, Airplay, voice control, 60 wpc into 8 ohms, subwoofer out with crossover control, Sabre DACs, $299.00.

…or, you could buy the recently launched Loewe Multi.room Amplifier. 300/600watts at 8/4 ohm RMS for passive speakers (front or rear), or connect Active Speakers instead. Subwoofer output. HDMI. Bluetooth. AirPlay. Integrate WDAL wireless Soundbar or speakers. Stream Spotify, Amazon, Qobuz or Tidal.

It’s rare that modestly priced AVP’s are introduced onto the market.

While lacking XLR Connectivity, the new Primare SP25 Prisma is available in the UK for £4,300.