Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems Music Server owners how often do you spin CD's now?

Don't worry Shuffleboard, even as Devil's Advocate I know how convenient they are!

Cheers

George

For music playback, my G68 has seen far more use since acquiring my SB3 last year than since when I purchased it at the G68 launch.

Your choice, I think folks would like to hear it. I would have no idea what a Kaleidescape is. There is nothing wrong with commenting on the stats of Poll (in a Poll thread) as well as discuss the poll topic.

Originally posted by VK They're still really useful for the car though!

Cliff

The Kaleidescape (kaleidescape.com) is a DVD and CD server. It rips DVDs and CDs to a multiple terabyte hard drive in native (uncompressed) form and then allows replay with client devices. The client devices can be local or (as in my set up) central and feeding an audio/video matrix.
In rooms with a screen, you can browse and select music and video on screen and the user interface is superb. DVD and CD info and cover art is downloaded from a database so you can browse cover art and read reviews on screen.
In rooms without a screen (i.e. used for music only), you can select music and control playback with a web browser.

I've ripped all my CD's (500 odd) to the system and can't see me opening a case again. Most of my music listening is done in my study where the matrix feeds digital audio to a pair of DSP 3100's. There I use a laptop web browser(connected to my intranet by wi-fi) to select and control music. Since I'm playing back a .WAV file via a digital audio connection I'm assuming it's the same quality as if I connected a CD player to my DSPs. It certainly sounds great.
I can say that with this system I've unlocked the value in my music collection. I'm enjoying music I love and also listening to albums I bought but never got round to listening to. It's also great fun reading the album reviews (which get downloaded and are accessible on-screen).

I also have a Meridian Digital Theatre. This is used mostly for movie watching but is also a fun place to listen to albums in PLII. (The system won't rip DVD-As).

I should say too that my wife loves the system. We have it distributed to ceiling speakers everywhere and she and the kids love rocking out to Led Zep. AC/DC etc. in the kitchen and playroom. Let's face it, the kids are not going to be a generation of CD buyers and I would rather they enjoyed music this way instead of staring at a PC and listening to strangled MP3's.

The system is expensive but we use it all the time (for music and video) so I think there's value there.

I prefer ripping DVD/dvda not be discussed on this site because it's illegal. You can't rip mlp to a music server but you can rip the dts, pcm, dd to a music server. search slimdevices.com forums for info. I only know it works on squeeze box. It may work on other music servers as well, as long as the bit stream is unaltered.

Shuffleboard, we have very similar setups! I too have a Kaleidescape system and I have put all my DVDs (over 800) on it and I am in the process of loading all my CDs (about 1000). To the best of my knowledge the audio out of the digital output on the K player is bit for bit accurate to the source- it certainly is for DVD and the literature says it is for the CDs as well.

The thing that makes the Kaleidescape so powerful is the same thing that makes the iPod so powerful- they are both joys to behold and, more importantly, to use.

Previously I was using an old mac with a digital output and playing AIFF (same as WAV) files.

My experience with both music and movies is that when you have a lot of discs and you have to pick a physical disc, you will gravitate to the same 10-20 choices out of your total library- thats like the top 1-2% if you have ~1000 choices. Its just how it is- its been a long day, you want to relax and listen/watch something and you will make the same choices over and over again. The Kaleidescape has liberated my movie collection because it is so well thought out that titles I had forgotten are easily accessible.

And I can tell all here that the audio and video output are first rate. Had Meridian decided to do a server system, this is what we would have wanted to see from our friends over at the Mothership.

best regards,
Jerry

JerryL:

How much space do your 800 DVDs take up on your hard drive(s)? It's got to be well over three terabytes!

When you said expensive I wasn't anticipating $22K.

Frank,
My K system is the big 5U server with all 12 bays filled with 750 GB drives. Because some space is needed for their software and also probably some OS type drive formatting issues which usually eat up a few KB here and there the system tells me I actually have 8,243 GB (as opposed to 9,000) of total storage capacity. Currently I am using 90% of that.

Jez,
That is just the starter fee. I can find you a $300 receiver which processes DD or a relatively expensive surround processor in a Meridian which does the same. It is very much the same with Kaleidescape you are in a low volume, therefore higher margin sector of the business. As a customer you understand this and you also demand excellence in the products. Both Meridian and Kaleidescape deliver. I have not had a moment of buyers remorse with either product- as a matter of fact, my respect for these companies has grown with time and experience and I cannot say that for everything I have dealt with.

best regards,
Jerry

CD Player sales are up according to Bob at Meridian, so I think there is a Market for everyone.
He also said that there is no point making a product, if you are not clearly the leader in that field. The F80 proves that.
Read into that what you will.

Cheers, Chris

I voted for the 5% spin, but only for DVD-A / SACD discs where I don`t have a choice.

For everything else, I spin only to rip. But I rip using Exact Audio Copy to straight 16/44.1 .WAV`s (plus companion highest bitrate VBR MP3`s for the iPods and remote players).

I then use a PC with an M-Audio soundcard to play back the .WAV files, but upsampled via FooBar 2000 to 16/88.2 before feeding the 568. Sound quality is superior to any CD device I`ve ever used or auditioned.

Convenience and Quality, win-win.