Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems Would you buy a high-end CDP now?

I see it as an inconvienience to copy all my CD's to a server but I keep seeing this topic and I think I will ask for a SB for Christmas. It's cheap enough! Plus all those online music channels!

Ron

Ron

I spent weeks ripping almost 8000 songs and very rarely listen to any of them, most of my listening is to the online radio channels. For the first few weeks I made a note of every track I liked so that I could order the CD but after pages and pages of songs I gave up, there's so much content available it's hard to keep track of it. Admittedly, it's only 128kb MP3 at best but on my SB+ it's pretty impressive, just as enjoyable as listening to a 596 or 602 through a 568.2.

Regards
Gary

I've asked Santa for one too!

Cheers

George

So, will I hear a difference between the MacMini, SB3, Transporter? Transporter is advetised as a high-end product, but JerryL can't hear a difference between his Mac and the 800, and the Mac Mini has the cool factor the other two may lack.

Anyone who've heard them both can shime in? I like to place my order this weekend.

I recently bought a SB3 and have the following thoughts:

1) I dont think the SB sounds as good as my 596 playing CD's. i dont know why, but it just doesnt.

2) i listen to much more and varied music now i have the sb as i dont have to get up, take CD's out of the box and replace them. because i can just browse and click i listen to stuff i havent listened to in ages and i find myself really enjoying it.

i would highly recommend one and for 200 quid like other people have said its a drop in the ocean compared to an �8000 transport and it still wont be redundant. if you are flush you can always get one of those ripping services to copy your CD's to whatever format you like on DVD or hard drive and send them back to you, saves you the hassle for about 99p per CD.

go get one

john

Plasmatico, I don't have experience of the options but I think the options stack up like this: (I stand to be corected if I've got it wrong )

From a sound quality perspective, the Mac Mini and SB3 are on a par, using digital outputs. Differences relate to functionality, not sound. The Transporter offers high quality DACs and power supplies and is an option for those who want SB funtionality with analogue, not digital, throughput.

Regards,
Steve

Here is the Transporter/SB3 comparison review discussion on the Slim Forum .

Either way, Slim Devices offers a "30-day Satisfaction Guarantee”.

One of the advantages of a Mac Mini is that you can play music purchased from the ITunes store without any hassle. I may move my Squeezebox and get a Mac Mini to replace it.

Slightly OT - has anyone compared DVD playback on a mac mini to a Meridian player? I noticed there are a lot of ripped DVDs on BitTorrent these days!

Tom

johnb - looking at your kit, I'd suggest that a 518 somewhere between the SB and 5Ks might be a good investment.

Plasmatico

With your DSP speakers quite a bit of the Transporter would be redundant although it does have a lower jitter SPDIF output than the SB3 according to the specs.

In your position I would investigate a modified SB2 or SB3 with the best power supply available. The following link may help you with your decision:

www.audiocircle.com/circles/index.php?topic=29520.0

If you want the ulitimate in performance you should consider a direct SPDIF connection to your speakers, however, you should weigh up the risk of what would happen if the SB loses 'lock' and delivers full power white noise to your speakers.


Regards
Gary

Hi John

I'm curious...can I ask how you ripped your collection, and what file format you used for storage?

Cheers

George

I guess my comment here could apply to MJC as well as Plasmatico and others looking at the SB/ Transporter/ Mac variant: Apple is going to come out with some kind of integration product dubbed the "iTV" supposedly in 1Q 07. What this is- thats anyones guess. Ill give you mine. Apple has shown that they bring out products in stages- so I doubt they will drop the big bomb on us in their first iteration, but they also want to show Hollywood that people are going to use itunes for movies so Hollywood better sign on to the itunes model- so far only Disney has for obvious reasons (Jobs is a big shareholder and on the BOD). So imagine a box that outputs Standard Def video (for now) and can tie into any networked storage of music/ video... also would use Apples ties to Google (and now YouTube) to let you watch internet video right on your tv. Where this could go, eventually, a killer to Kscape for those who are willing to rip their own dvds... a better SB perhaps for those who want a little more than the SB delivers.... Just some speculation by me here. Ultimately, I think this has the potential to be THE HD format.

Advice- on the SB, thats tough- if it works for you, get it. JMHO. On the mac mini- if youre getting it as a SB alternative, and have music already on a server, other computer, and are willing to wait until Feb or March (whenever any company says 1Q we wish its Jan 1, but it will probably be the end of 1Q) then you might want to wait and see what this itv device is. I think Apple has the best chance so far of being the one who truly brings computers into the living room......

I want to add that they have been slowly rolling this out for some time now- Front Row has been out for at least a year to my memory- that was the first salvo....

http://www.apple.com/macmini/frontrow.html

Just my WAG.

best regards,
Jerry