Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems 808i compared to G08

I came across an opportunity to pick up an 808i that is only a few months old that had been traded in on an 800 as the person wanted video as well but not two players.

I currently have a G08 connected to a pair of DSP5200 as well as running balance into my RSA Apache headphone amplifier. My question is whether I would be able to discern enough improvement to warrant the upgrade?

The 808i would sound better than the G08 in an all analogue system - due to the better DAC, build and components used in the 808i.
But, in an all digital system, the 5200's DAC would be used, and the G08 should sound the same as the 808i.

Hopefully, others more knowledgeable can comment also.


Cheers


M

GET A DEMO !!!!!!!!!

Suffice it to say that, on this forum, there are VERY different opinions on the RELATIVE performance of Meridian players when connected DIGITALLY to Meridian Processors or Speakers.

Rather than listen to ANYONE on this site, I would encourage you to listen for yourself and see what suits YOU

It seems like the 808i is at a Meridian dealer (as the original owner changed to an 800) so surely he would loan the 808i to you, for a listen over a weekend at home. That would be an ideal scenario, as you could then compare the G08 and 808i back to back in your own listening environment with your own speakers etc

At a minimum, bring your own G08 to the dealer and do a back to back comparison there.

I've always said to people to bring a selection of your own favourite CD's with a cross selection of music (Rock, Female Vocals, Jazz instruments, Classical, Opera etc.)

Then spend a few hours and decide for yourself what you prefer

Good luck

Yep. The key to auditioning is a wide variety of music that you are very familiar with.

Thanks for all the input.

While it is at a dealer, there are no local dealers so it is at one out of state. It is the same dealer I bought my DSP 5200s and they have indicated they guarantee satisfaction. I would need to clarify what that meant, though since it could be a store credit instead.

The interesting thing was when they talked with me about it, they kept referencing the basically computer CD drive they use. If it somehow failed, it is inexpensively replaced. It seemed the whole issue was about the DAC and not the CD component.

..and if it's all about a DAC, then it's a non-argument...your DAC's are in the speakers !! A dealer should know this and not try and sell you a great DAC in a player.

If you have 2 copies of your demo CD's, you can play both players direct into speakers and just toggle between input 1 and input 2. This way you'll get as close to an A/B as you can get.

i talked with a dealer and he thought there would be some improvements with the DSP 5200s but not the same as in a non all digital system. I asked him about the new 808v2 and he indicated Meridian hadn't really provided much information. Even Meridian's website doesn't include any reference to the new v2. However, he did indicate he asked about whether his current demo 808 could be upgraded to the 808.2 and was told it could not. For a $14,995 player to not be upgradeable to the new version just has to kill the resale of the existing ones. He did indicate the new version is supposed to be even better.

Hey sns,

I'm actually a pretty easy going guy, particularly since the recent arrival of my new son but... The single-minded manner in which you pursue some subjects on this forum with such an intensely negative viewpoint really sticks in my craw!

My original intent when I began this post was to write some huge point-for-point diatribe detailing the manner in which so many of your posts SUCK. However it's the Holidays and I've changed my mind. Rather I'll simply state that a large part of the reason I spend time on this forum (in addition to owning a boatload of M gear) is the generally positive manner in which information is passed between HitchHikers. FYI it isn't your often conflicting opinions that I have a problem with. Its your delivery. Perhaps a conscious effort on your part to set a somewhat less condescending, less know-it-all, just plain less knob-like tone in your replies would be in order.

Happy Trails!
Vince@freewheelcycle.com

PS: Your latest analogy, "it's like buying a $15k turntable......and btw DJs use their laptops, even for scratching..." really pissed me off. The statement is completely bullshit. Great LP replay is nothing like digital playback. Even microscopic levels of air or structure born vibration can mess with a phono cartridge pulling all that is possible from the grooves. Your DJ comparison is just plain retarded! I'm pretty comfortable in stating that the majority of HitchHikers aspire to a higher standard of musical accuracy than does a DJ!

...which is why a great record deck which properly addresses and overcomes those sources of external vibration supporting an equally capable tonearm and a great MC cartridge can sound so freakin' amazing. In fact, such systems have the potential to recreate two channel recordings in a more involving manner than high-end CD players ever have. Even with the large transparency loss due to the ADC that Meridian DSP use entails, records played on my Oracle give up next to nothing in comparison to Redbook sources.

Perhaps one day you'll have the opportunity to hear a truely great vinyl spinning set-up and understand. Until then, best not to make fun of that which you obviously have no direct experience.

Happy Trails!
Vince@Freewheelcycle.com

totally OT but i have to chime in, I love this forum for all it's friendly people.
Treads normaly don't go this way here (to many of us must have been on the squeezebox forum's audiophile department lately).

ON topic.. I have to little experience with varius M players to say.
But even if it was so that the 808i is a better digitalsource than anything else, it can not be a big difference as any good modern digitalsource often tend to be so similar that they for all practical reason's are the same.
And is i understand it most new M players use the same DVD rom drive to retrieve information from the disc's.

The OP of this tread want's to use the player as a digital source and has a pair of DSP 5200...

This is noot an effective use off money to get such an expensive player in this case, you can probably get moore effective uppgrades by changing speakers and fix the room acoustic's get an G series processor and a center channel to enjoy Trifield and MRC etc. I would speculate(my opinion) that you probably have to get everything else state of the art before considering this

Therefore some people attacks the OP's strategy instead of answer to the topic.
I do exectly that myself, but i try to be nice about it.

/Mikael

To contribute to the more cynical aspekt of this tread, regarding the QC of the DVD rom drives has anyone compared two of the same player eg two G08 or G98 the case is that i'm one off many that had to exchange the ROM drive in my G98 to get it right. The problems where only obvius with DVD-A so i assumes that many owners actually have ROM drives with, let's say marginal performance whitout nowing it.

I have listened to G08 and the 808i on a pair of DSP7000, I have listened on the 808i in an all analogue system as well.

For me there is no doubt, I could really appreciate what the 808i did both for the DSP7k system and the Analogue system. It just seems to dig deeper into the tracks and extract and retain more information. The soundquality difference was apparent to me when comparing G08/808i.

I myself struggle to get my PC anywhere near even a G08 in performance, so in my world, bits are bits, but they are not delivered and retained equal.

Listening to the 808i and other players I would consider 808i the finest CD player I have ever experienced (and I have listened to Teac's Esoteric series).

My concern in your post is that you have not got a guarantee to $$$$ upgrade the 808i to 808.2. I would try get hold of M USA/HQ on this one, because it doesn't sound like a statement in the spirit of M.