Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Streaming Brimstone core update

As we head towards the Brimstone R1 release, we now have a Discord for support, setup questions and bug reports:


Discord invite & join

It gives us one place to help with Core and Control and iron out the final niggles before release. Meridian and Sooloos owners are very welcome.

When reporting an issue, please include your Core/Control version, the device or speaker you’re using, and what happens.

Thanks to everyone who has been testing and helping us get this far.

Website and downloads: https://core-audio.uk

#

Brimstone Core – A Request for Help from the Audio Community

**Six years ago, Brimstone Core started as an idea on paper. Today, it's approaching its first major release.**

Brimstone Core is an independent, multi-platform music system designed to bring modern music management, playback and streaming capabilities to both new and older audio equipment.

The project has grown considerably from its original concept, incorporating music library management, multiple playback protocols, network audio, streaming services and support for a wide range of hardware.

Some members of the Meridian community may already know my work through **Meridian Control for Mac**, which has been released and has received generous support from several enthusiasts.

Over the past six years, I've personally invested approximately **£2,000** in developing Brimstone. Three members of the Meridian community have also kindly contributed £150 following the release of Control for Mac.

With V1 now approaching, I'm asking the wider audio community for help with the next stage: **real-world hardware testing and compatibility development**.

## Equipment I'm looking for

- **Meridian MS200** units for native network playback and Sooloos compatibility testing.
- **USB, optical and coaxial DACs**, particularly those feeding conventional analogue amplifiers and passive speakers.
- **Network streamers and audio endpoints** from different manufacturers, covering a variety of playback protocols.
- **Components for a prototype Brimstone Store**, including low-power motherboards, NVMe storage, network interfaces and suitable cases.
- **Other active speakers**, particularly a pair with 32-bit digital processing or input capabilities, for testing digital playback and output compatibility.

I'm especially interested in older, surplus or unused equipment. It doesn't have to be expensive or state-of-the-art. In many cases, older hardware is exactly what we need to establish whether Brimstone can give it a useful second life.

**Equipment loans are just as welcome as donations.** Financial contributions towards acquiring specific test equipment would also be appreciated.

## Where I want to take Brimstone

My aim is to build a commercially sustainable music platform that remains accessible to enthusiasts, with voluntary donations helping to support development — much like the community-supported philosophy behind VLC.

I believe good audio equipment should remain useful for as long as possible, rather than becoming obsolete because of changes in software, services or manufacturer support.

Brimstone is being developed with that principle at its heart.

Six years of development have brought the project from drawings and ideas to working software. The next stage is about testing it against more equipment, improving compatibility and preparing it for wider public use.

If you have equipment gathering dust, would consider lending something for testing, or would simply like to get involved, please get in touch.

**Every contribution, whether hardware, financial support or practical testing, will help bring Brimstone Core closer to V1.**

Thank you to everyone who has supported the project so far.

*Brimstone Core — Keeping Great Audio Equipment Playing.*

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Brimstone Core: native Meridian V3 progress and RC26 testing

A quick update for those following Brimstone’s work with original Meridian equipment.

Our native V3 playback engine is now playing through an original MS200 in listening tests. We have traced and corrected faults behind stuttering, dropouts and a failure when moving to the next track, and the feedback from the working system has been very encouraging. Testing with Sooloos equipment is continuing alongside this work. The native MS200 network route is stereo.

The cumulative RC26 C08 testing candidate is now online as a fresh installation ISO and a separately signed update for compatible installed Cores. The exact build, checksums and installation notes are linked from the downloads page. Normal installation, cold boots and preservation of the same user session and profile through the tested boot slots passed on an isolated VM.

This remains an engineering test candidate. Physical HP EliteDesk display, mouse and automatic login checks, broader audio hardware testing and longer endurance runs still need completing. Please use spare hardware or a disposable VM for fresh installation testing and check the installation notes first; the installer erases the selected system disk. Existing installations must meet the signed updater’s compatibility checks.

The latest progress and current availability are here:

https://core-audio.uk/rc26-update-20261113.html

Downloads and build notes:

https://core-audio.uk/downloads.html

If you are testing Meridian equipment with Brimstone, feedback on the model, source format, track changes and reconnect behaviour would be especially useful. Thank you to everyone helping us test on real equipment.

Brimstone is an independent project and is not affiliated with Meridian Audio or Roon Labs.