Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems F80

You could buy A 568 for $1,100 these days, not that you'd need one. Parasound Halo A23 amp and some Wharfdales. The perfect low budget, kick ass system.

SWMBO has a �300 DAB radio CD player in the kitchen which she listens to throughout the day, I can't stand the sound it makes because Meridian have, for me, set the bar so high that listening to a CD on her "Radio" is no longer enjoyable. Yes I maybe sad but something that could provide a decent sound, takes up very little room, is easily transportable, looks cool and would allow me to listen to AM when the match commentary is being broadcast over the air waves of my beloved football team Arsenal is becoming more and more attractive. As far as I can see, this is the whole point of the F80 - when a conventional hi-fi setup is not what is required/convenient but super sound quality is ...enter Meridian with their latest creation. Yes it is very expensive but what do Meridian produce that is not? Value is subjective and dependent on ones view point and I for one am definitely going to give it a serious audition as soon as I possibly can.

this device just isn't about sound quailty. it's a halo marketing tool. i have to assume that you can get similar quality sound for similar money from pre-owned, wildly-less space-efficient components.

doody.

Which is precisely why I am so sceptical about it. You have to ask yourself, when has Meridian ever needed to partner with a company that has absolutely nothing to do with hi-fi audio or video. I think the answer is never. The Ferrari branding is something you will be paying for no doubt, yet it will have absolutely nothing to do with the quality of the sound. One wonders how much this would cost if Ferrari were not involved, or if a company with greater economies of scale were building it.

KIS I think you are missing the point here- there is a solid cross over of Ferrari and Meridian customer bases that is interested in lifestyle products. Thats why modern Ferrari road cars are not as troublesome and loaded up with the amenities that people want for their daily lives. I think its a very shrewd move by both companies with little downside to either if it doesnt work. The thing that makes this go is apparently the carbon fiber enclosure- small, light weight and rigid. There are many companies that have experience with it, but none with the cachet of Ferrari, and Meridian apparently have some links to Ferrari in the past. IMHO this makes sense to give a try.

I personally do not have much interest in this device as I do not see it fitting above or below or even near any kind of display and we have in ceiling speakers already in areas we want just some background music. I also do not find its shape very exciting- its not terrible, but its kind of boring. I have some friends who have commented it's very European looking and will work there but not here in the US. I am very curious to see where this leads...

best regards,
Jerry

I get the business justification for both companies quite easily. It makes a lot of business sense for them to target an affluent client base who are easily influenced by premium branding. When I say that I am sceptical, I am commenting purely from an audiophile point of view. I believe this will be a better sounding, but grossly overpriced boombox - not a product that will seriously match what an audiophile can achieve for the same dollars spent. Ferrari has nothing to do with hi-fi, plain and simple.

I think it's shape is totally wrong, except for boombox or outdoor purposes. It won't properly fit on most shelf systems.

I agree with your thoughts except for this one: " Ferrari has nothing to do with hi-fi, plain and simple." Which tells me you have never experienced a Ferrari engine at high RPMs! most fun you can have with your clothes on, and afterwards they probably wont stay that way for long! lol

best regards,
Jerry

i think everybody is cutting M too much slack on this one.

i have NOT heard the F80, and maybe it _is_ all that and a bag of chips, but i have serious doubts.

i agree with KIS that the form factor is too out there.

WAF is going to be very low on this thing, imo. no way the boss at chez doody would permit this thing in the living room - she'd rather two non-descript or in-wall speakers with a box behind closed doors. it's an improvement over an equipment rack, for sure, but given how non-subtle it is, not a ton unless you really dig it. it's as much a "conversation piece" as a music reproduction system - i don't personally dig that. the bose stuff is far less in-your-face, by comparison.

you can't put anything on top of it. it's relatively large to put on your desk (i'd love to have one at work, but i'd need a separate table for it!).

unless ferrari is pushing this aggressively to their customer base (which i find unlikely), i fail to see the win for ferrari beyond whatever licensing fee they're collecting. their customers either (a) already know about M; (b) invest their disposable income in cars, not a/v; and/or (c) pay a/v installers to just "deal with it all".

neat product. they'll likely sell a bunch of 'em for sure. i just don't see what all the hoopla is about.

doody.

ps: i hope this thing is going to be sold through some channels other than M dealers, since the majority of those are liable turn off potential buyers in a millisecond.

Gavin, You will Love the F80. Its perfect for you.

I notice and understand people who have NOT heard it being sceptical.

But wait till you hear it, it will stun you as to how good it can sound.

It forces a double take, you cannot believe the sound comes from this.

You get DAB as well so football will be on '5 live' and '5 live extra' as well as AM.

As for stlye, It will grow on you. In pictures it looks a bit out of context, but thats normal in my experiance.

Have you ever noticed a piece of music with Instant appeal that you soon become tired and jaded by.
Compared to Music that at first was dismissed and then grew on you, so that it becomes a life long friend.

So will go the F80 IMHO

Cheers, Chris

Except that the F80 would best it by some margin in terms of pure sound quality.

I mean it - it is that good. You would need something of the calibre of Meridian DSP speakers to match it and they're rather a lot more than $3000. Using second hand prices isn't a valid comparison in this instance IMHO.

OK. Enough Hikers, whose views I respect, have said the F80 is more than just a luxury gimmick claiming that it sounds great. But I just don't see how the physical limits of it can be overcome. Getting great sound from a small box has a very poor pedigree (Yamaha, Bose, B&O) so I eagerly wait a demo.

A

I wish I'd never called this a boombox now as it seems somewhat insulting to both Meridian and Ferrari who are both championship contenders in their respective causes.

Can we rebrand this the "Atomic Box".

As regards the cost of separates, does that not completely miss the point? This is an integrated device that can be easily transported to any location that the user so desires. Kept simple so to speak.

This product deserves to be compared to the likes of the Bose radio. Three times the price maybe, but first hand experience will surely determine the justification.

Why by a new Ferrari when you could buy a second-hand TVR. I for one can think of a few reasons, but can't afford either. Others can and they will make up their own minds when the time comes.

Regards

Jezclayton