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

Thanks Ian!!!

In which kind of room do you use your F80 and which are your preferred settings (placement, tilt, bass, width)?

BTW: Where (money-wise) starts the Meridian world for a stereo set-up? I suppose that you need a CD-player and a pair of active loudspeakers. Can anybody recommend a good starting system? I am getting really interested into Meridian enjoying so much the F80....virus?....

My F80 is in my kitchen/diner. However, it will follow me to which room that I am working in. It is on a corner shelf - see picture in this thread.

I currently run corner mode with bass 0; tilt 1; width 4. I have been recommended running width 6, bass 1, tilt 2+. Have not had a chance to try that yet.

The F80 really comes on song at volume around 75-85. About the same level that my deaf next door neighbours hearing aid kicks in

The world is your Lobster with that question Haddock. Your Hooked lol

You can get early 500 series kit for very good prices, 506CD or 596 DVD �500ish 565 processor for similar money.

Active speakers or DSP speakers will cost you more.
I have seen early DSP5000's go for �1500 ish.

A good question to ask is, do you want to go the DSP speaker route?

Start saving your euro's and enjoy the F80. It really is somthing. Wish I had one!!

Cheers, Chris

Hi Ian,

I detected two small display problems with my F80 unit.
The top row of the pixels seems to be faulty: about 2/3 of these pixels are illuminated, the others not (only speaking of top row of display panel). Listening to an RDS radio station the illuminated pixels "move" (scroll) with the radio text.
And one complete vertical pixel line in the right half of the display seems to have a different colour: white instead of yellow. It's easy visible with scrolling radio text or looking at the clock when in standbye mode (when clock on right side).

Did you encounter similar display irregularities?

Thanks for feedback,
Christian

P.S.: Two more comments on the sound:
a) In my quite large bedroom with wooden floor the system sounds great sitting on a sideboard (using settings "table", bass"-1.0", tilt "+1.5", width "4").
b) Having my iPod Video connected to the F80 via Aux1-Input I encountered several sound problems with files that sound well with high-quality headphones (256kbps .aac encoded from CD). It often sounds like heavy distortions listening to pop music (like Richard Ashcroft's "Keys to the world"). Do you guys think this is because of the probably poor Aux1-input or because of the F80-DSP on these AAC-Files????

Hi

My display is perfect, however, when I went to pick up my F80, the one on display had a similar issue to yours - its top line was illuminated and, appeared to move. I was not sure if this was an attempt to make the display look like the old tuning valves that were used on old wireless'

If there is a fault, Meridian will sort it out.

As for your iPod problem, I have the same issue. The general consensus on this forum is that its due to the quality of the iPod output. My iPod is a copy of the files that I have in my Squeezebox, and these sound fine with squeezebox (OK with optical input but my test with analogue was inconclusive due to it being in mono as my cable is faulty), but when played through my iPod, some harshness was heard.

I am looking to see what Meridian deliver on the iPod front. I would prefer to use my F80 with iPod (for charge and control) rather than buy another squeezebox. But they are a bit slow releasing anything and I am concerned that it too will suffer from distortion.

Imagine my surprise whilst walking through Colchester on Saturday, to see 2 Meridian F80's in the window of a Hi-Fi shop, not known to be a Meridian dealer.

The sign said, "Come in for a demonstration", so I did as instructed.

Well; I had to show them how to set it up with regards to getting the best from it. (Position, Width, Tilt), they didnt even know the remote was magnetic!

So far so good, now I had to get a decent CD in the thing. Keb Mo seemed a good choice, always well produced.

Wow, you should have seen the salesmans face, genuine surprise and approval.

A Man at the Till paying for somthing after emerging from the dedicated listening rooms, turned his head in surprise and said, "Wow, Thats good"!

A more headstrong customer assured me it would distort when it was turned up loud; So I did just that and it didn't!!!

I was able to induce SWMBO in the shop for a look and got the useual "Yes Dear, Very Nice".

She didn't say NO!!! (Think Positive)

So the upshot is; I want one, I want one now and it is as good as I remember from the factory tour!!!!

Cheers, Happily saving, Chris

That's eactly what my wife says too when I browsing new toys.

Good story, I love a sleeper.

Hi Chris

Don't leave it too long otherwise the moment will pass and SWMBO will think of other uses for the expenditure. One of my brother in laws who thinks I'm crazy spending serious cash on hi-fi was absolutely staggered by our F80 and said that`s "just an amazingly staggering sound, I want to take it apart and find out how they can possibly do that". Needless to say he was allowed to look but not touch.

Regards

Gavin

Well you may have read in the restaurant, I have an F80 lined up, thx.

Does anyone know if, on the DVD side, it is or can be, Multi region?

Not A high priority but its a thought.

Cheers, Chris

Don't worry about multi region

Cheers Ian, I Just re-ead your first post and your gradual aclimatisation to the F80 through following posts. All the Info I need is there.

My pick up date is Friday, Cant wait.

The conservatory will be its main home and I can turn it up without complaint.

Cheers, Chris

Anyone planning to SDI-mod their F80?