Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems how good is DAC/preamp part of G68?

If you are going analog there is no question XLR is the way to go in my opinion. Comparing G68ADV to 861-OA13 is comparing apples and oranges. You should compare G68XXV to 861-OA13 and I'll bet they both sound excellent and they might sound slightly different (partly because G68 is several years newer). I don't bother with analog any more though and have not done the comparison myself. But I have compared enough to know how the processors stack up and where to put the money.

90% of the sound is the character of the speakers.

So many DACs are so good these days and not that expensive to make extremely good. They can sound different and it's more a matter of taste than quality.

I also agree with the Trifield comments. No matter how much you tweak your main two channels if you put comparable effort into center and surrounds Trifield just takes you to another level. If it doesn't there is a good chance you have something setup wrong or have not put the same effort in the quality of center and surrounds. You can't skimp on the center. You can skimp on the surrounds though and still have it add depth. Surrounds depend a lot on room size.

I would concur with George about no difference in sound with xlr as opposed to rca, only a 6db jump in signal with xlr otherwise no sound difference.

If you are making long runs or some other reasons like interference quality cable etc then xlr could be the way to go.

I am surprised to hear that the advice I got from Meridian about the superiority of the 861 over the G68 was unfounded though. I will call and ask for a deeper explanation.

If they offered the same build, you would think they would be the same price. Upgrade-ability ?? only

No matter what anyone tells you, more care and thought is put into the 800 series than the G/500 series. The 800 series is going to be better optimised for quality than the G series. Whether this is going to be audible simply depends on where the optimisation has taken place.

Just because both appear to run the same firmware, internally the G and 800 series are physically different, and I would expect that the firmware is going to be optimised for one or the other and I bet its the 800 series that gets the red carpet treatment.

Just like PC software, different PC's may on paper have the same capabilities, but at the end of the day, its been optimised for just one of the platforms, and, whilst the other platforms will work, they are likely to be compromised in some way.

If a G68XXV was the same as an 861v4 they would call it an 861v4?

It's like saying you can pull up to a Gas Station and there are 2 pumps, and they have the same Petrol, but one is 1/2 the price. Everyone would take the cheaper Petrol.

So its like saying the G68XXV is an 861v4 with a different outer shell and no reason to own an 861v4.

I did not say there is no difference between XLR and RCA. Quite the contrary. There is way more difference than a 6db gain. Even if the run was 1ft I'd use XLR for any analog setup. The difference is way more difference you'll ever hear between an 861 and G68 running the same type connections.

Asking Meridian which is "better" is a little biased don't you think?

Ask Meridian which has better quality ADC's while you're at it.

Ask how many multi channel analog devices I can hook to each.

Ask how many total stereo 24/96 analog ADC's each can have.

Ask which processors have the reseting of volume when going into standby feature with DSP speakers.

Ask which has a better and more flexible user interface on the front panel.

The G68 wins in all the questions above. But why should it when it costs so much less?

The 861 was king and will be king again. It's sort of an unwritten contract that they will keep it at the forefront. But that contract needs to be renewed. I think with HDMI delays and the investment with 861 cards/buss it may be tricky on coming out with an 861V5/V6 that will have appropriate price and upgrade path. It needs a new front panel (one better than G series) and it may need a new buss which would require ALL cards be replaced. That doesn't leave much to carry foreward for an upgrade.

Build wise the 861 is a tank and more rugged. But G68 is built very nicely as well.

George,

I have very expensive XLR Nordost cables and also RCA and it is commonly known that the jump between RCA and XLR is 6dB. It is what I see when I change the connection from RCA to XLR as well which happens from time to time with my system as I move cables. If I change the connection to RCA from XLR I have to adjust down 6dB etc.

There does seem to be a lot of benefits to the G68 and the most interesting for me missing from the 861is the second zone.

Does the G68XXV have room correction? Why did you change from the 861 you owned.

I don't need to hook up more than 1 multi channel as it is only for my DVD, but can't you ad another IA45 card to the 861 for a 2nd multi analog.

I mean by your reasoning I should sell my 861 and buy a G68XXV and I will be happier.

I plan on calling Meridian and posing some questions tomorrow.

No, you can't add a 2nd IE45 card. You can only put ONE IE45 on an 861. You get more 24/96 analog input capabilties with a G68.

Yes, all G68's have the same room correction as the 861.

I don't know much about the zone capabilities of an 861 vs G68.

I upgraded to the G68 because it was a perfect match for my needs. Integrated FM with 5 reception modes per preset station was much nicer than using a 504 with the 861. The bug fix on volume reset with DSP speakers was huge for me. All else I expected to be the same but it turns out the G68 is nicer in many ways than the 861. But I may kick myself when the 861V5/V6 is released. But I have a feeling it will be out of my price bracket and I can wait until the 861V5/V6 features trickle down to the G68.2.

NO second zone yet for 861

I looked thru the manual and there are a lot of plus'

not enough to sell my 861 and buy a G68 that would be stupid

Perhaps to have bought the G68 to begin with XXV

George,

When I asked about the DAC's the response was that they were similar, but the 861 was superior because it is "the way they use the DAC's" that makes them different. The 800 was the "Bee's Knee's period.....

I already asked the question about speakers, and also to many of the people in this forum who have listened and owned both.

The answer is:

At the top of the food chain, it is not which is better, but which is better suited to your listening taste.

Period......

If you think the Meridian DSP 8000 are the very best speakers in the world, I believe you and wish you good luck in your choice.

If someone else says the B&W Nautilus (Shell) speakers at 75,000 Euros a pair are better, then I believe them, that is what suits them.

If someone else says they prefer the sound of Wilson, Sonus Faber, McIntosh or the myriad of speakers out there for $200,000 a pair, I believe them too.

I've heard all the arguments for DSP without Separate amplification, less wires, less crowding, absolute fantastic sound, and I believe them too.

There are a great deal of people on this forum that use Meridian with Passive speakers, some who have switched back to Passive, and it doesn't mean anything to anyone except them.......