Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems What pre to replace a 502?

I personally think the 502 is still an excellent preamp, so it’s not de-rigueur to change it just for the heck of it.

If you did change it, for that Meridian sound that you obviously have been very happy with, but just more of it, I’d advise either an 808.6 or an 818v3, which are a very updated digital source/DAC with a built-in Meridian preamp. They are a genuine and large step-up from the 596/502 you have, while retaining the Meridian sound signature. They are more transparent and sweeter sounding and have streaming built-in if you subscribe to Roon, which is excellent.

Don’t be concerned with running Vinyl through them, I ran an LP12 setup through an 818v3 a while back into 6Ks and 7200.2 and far from losing anything “analogue” it was the best I’d ever heard my vinyl in any system, including a few high-end all-analogue setups.

If you decide to go outside Meridian, you have a lot of careful listening and extended home demos to do - every brand has its own house sound and some are way off what Meridian offer. One thing I’ll say about Meridian is that it’s never fatiguing - that goes for your older (but still great) gear, and the newer 800 series. I’ve tried other brands which sound impressive in a demo, but quickly fatigue or reveal minor flaws over a longer listen at home, so take your time.