Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems What did you own before Meridian?

My first system well before the days of digital was

Linn Sondek LP12
Naim 42/110
Linn Kans

It was this and a passion for Hi-Fi/music that inspired me to setup my shop.

In the past 25yrs I have tried just about everything much to my wifes disaproval but in the end I became smitten with Meridians gear and have now been a firm fan for many years. They are a great company to deal with and offer very impressive levels of support. The gear can sometimes infuriate the hell out of me but the final results can be stunning.

I know its a large investment but you won't be dissapointed.

Nick

Started off with Arcam, went to Linn 2 channel, then to Linn multi-channel, then migrated to M multi-channel.

Cheers

Mark

1996: Yamaha DSP 350 (? 300ukp Pro-Logic receiver)
1997: Replaced receiver with a Yamaha DSP 1090 Dolby Digital receiver
1999: Bought a Meridian 506.20 CD, Quad 77 integrated amp as a second stereo system
2000: Replaced the receiver with a 565 and 562V and consolidated into one system
2002: Replaced the 565/562 with an 861
2003: Sold the 861 to pay for my wedding and bought a Rotel RSX-1055 receiver to use as a processor
2005: G68J replaces the Rotel.

David.

1980: Onkyo 2 channel receiver
1992: Sony ESD2000 prologic preamp
1995: Wadia 15 DAC for two channel music, used Sony for movies.
1998: added Marantz Dolby Digital processor to Sony setup.
2000: Replaced Wadia and Sony/Marantz with M 568
2001: Added M 596
2003: Sold 568.1 and purchased 568.2/598

Ron

1979 Sanyo Music Centre
1983 Sansui SR222MkIV + Sansui AUD22x + Wilmslow Audio Speakers
1985 Replaced Sansui with Revolver/Linn LVX and replaced AUD22x with Rotel 820BX
1987 Replaced Speakers with Mission 770's
1988 Replaced Revolver with Linn Axis
1989 Replaced Rotel with Naim 62/140
1990 Bought Denon DCD3250 CD player
1998 Replaced Mission 770's with Morduant Short MS10i's
2002 Added Linn Kan II stands, sold Linn Axis
2003 Added Naim SNAPS, Meridian 200/203 sold Denon DCD3250
2003 Sold MS10i's + Kan Stands bought Shahinian Arcs
2004 Added Yamaha DSP hooked up to cheapy Philips DVD player already owned, added Celestion AVS surround speakers
2004 Added Denon DVD-2910 and Screenplay 5700
2005 Replaced Naim Kit and Yamaha with Arcam AVR200 (lasted two months!!)
2005 Replaced AVR200 with 568.2 + 2 x 557 and added Quad 22L rears, added Squeezebox
2005 Put additional Squeezebox + Meridian D600's in second room
2005 Put further Squeezebox + Ion Obelisk1 + KEF Q50s in Kitchen
2005+ The journey contines.....(and appears to be accelerating, it looks expensive but most of the transactions have been secondhand!)

Mr Perceptive

When I was 13 years old, in 1972, I started with a Sansui 210 tuner/amplifier with Garrard AP76 turntable, Goldring cartridge and generic loudspeakers - purchased from Sands Hunter in Kings Cross, London for �139.

Within a year I'd upgraded to a Sansui QRX3000 quadraphonic receiver, four Celestion Ditton 15's, Garrard 401 turntable with SME3009 and Sure V15 cartridge.

Another year on, the receiver was replaced by a Sansui QA7000 quadraphonic amplifier, a JVC CD-4 demodulator, ADC Shibata cartridge, some Sony tuner, Sony cassette deck and a Sony open-reel tape deck (I was a keen audiophile for my age).

Then I sold the lot so that I could afford to get married. No hi-fi of any description for three years!! All I could then afford was a complete Technics separates system with Sony loudspeakers.

However, as time went by I wanted a serious audiophile system. I paid serious attention to Audiolab first and then Linn - but the Linn equipment that I auditioned sounded far worse than the Technics system I already owned.

I looked at Meridian, but almost ignored it following my initial visit to a smoke-filled Meridian dealership, where Meridian stock could plainly be seen crammed into their stock room, no credit facilities, no loan equipment unless you paid for it first, and a take-it-or-leave it attitude by the staff.

Fortunately, I made the effort to travel out of my way to another Meridian dealership. They 'interviewed' me about my musical tastes, gave me coffee, asked me about my expectations for the equipment I might be interested in, provided free loan equipment to audition at home without any money being exchanged, provided interest free credit, extended the Meridian guarantee by an additional year and delivered the goods on time.

When the off-set servo failed on my Meridian 506.16 some six years later, and Meridian couldn't satisfactorily repair it, they gave me a brand-new Meridian 506.20 instead - free of charge. Because of this I will never buy anything other than Meridian - that's what I call customer care.

More importantly, I haven't come across anything else that sounds as satisfying to listen to than Meridian - you get what you pay for.

Just before I made the leap to Meridian, my theater consisted of A Classe SSP75, Sony DV9000ES, Apogee Diva Main speakers with Stages for center and surround. The main speakers were biamped with a couple of big Krell amps, the center and surrounds by smaller Krell amps. While the sound was spectacular at times, I spent too much time and money trying to extract a very small amount of performance that I felt was lacking.

Then I purchased a used Meridian system consisting of a 565, 562V, 586 and five DSP5000's. Suddenly, I found it more enjoyable to just sit back and enjoy a movie or a good CD rather than trying to figure out whether spending $1800 on speaker cables would give me more satisfaction. Since that first system, I have upgraded the front speakers to 5500's and the processor to a 568. The "whole system" approach makes much more sense to me and I haven't regretted a single Meridian purchase.

All manner of stuff , including Thiel and Krell and Martin Levinson and B&W and cables and and and and........ always in pursuit of the ultimate sound and then stepped off that roundabout!!!

I think I know the intent of your post and the question you ask - Yes some of what I had was better than Meridian on some music , but no system I have had has the elegance and control you can achieve with DSP speakers.
To put it into perspective , with my best system I listened to 10% of my music , carefully chosen well recorded Cds etc , with my DSP 5000's and subsequent 5500's EVERYTHING was listenable without changing it into a pleasant amorphous mess to achieve the litenability. The system seems to adapt to the type of music you put on.

Make no mistake , a Meridian DSP system will not eliminate equipment angst and kill the desire to upgrade , but it goes a long way toward doing so.
I have not really changed my main system at all for ages and the times I have had the notion that something else might be better (like recently , I purchased ATC SCM 50a's and a TACT room correction system , thinking it might be the "magic bullet") I return to the Meridian system as it just so much better.

There are distinct plusses to going your route , a hugely simpplified setup , speakers and amps and dacs that are suited to each other , no cabling issues , the ability to modify the sound and to some extent correct for the room or taste , the foundation for a HT system if you wish , the ability to play loud and clean etc.

Used to have:
Sheng Ya sa-t3 preamp
Sheng Ya sp-t300 power amp
Denon dcd1450ar CD-player
KEF reference model 2 speakers.

Current stereo:
Meridian 501,504,508 and 2x605 monoblocks
KEF 107/2 with KUBE.

Hi. Started with large Pioneer receiver with Sony / SME arm. Bought the first Philips CD player then moved to Meridian 200 series and not looked back, having gone through two stages of 500's (565 and 568.2) and now moving to G series. All with DIY speakers (active using Dynaudio / Morel drivers). Now considering Meridian DSP's.
When you have time to really sit and listen it's great!

I've been struggling to enjoy a Naim Active system and not doing for quite some time despite being told "it's a fabulous system". I heard an early (can't remember the serial #'s) Meridian active system and was blown away by the clarity of the presentation. It's taken along time to get here but I want to enjoy the music again, and now watch more on DVD than before. Bring on the Meridian system!

Thanks for recounting all your journeys.

Mishmash of Cyrus 2 + PSX amp, Denon DRM24HX Cassette deck, monitor audio 1 gold speakers, Sony turntable with ortofon OM40 cart, Audioquest blue cables and monster interconnects plus a load of Djing gear connected to one of the Cyrus line-ins.
Then the spending began.........