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

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.