Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems The Quasi-Official Meridian CEDIA Q+A Topic.

I have both analog and 5.1
Meridian makes an excellent processor, at least that was my decision when I purchased the 861 v4 at the suggestion of the dealer. As a processor its clearly better than the G68 and Lexicon 12B...it just seems to me that they could be more forthcoming about their direction and better focused...as a digital/surround company. There is no better forum than this to try and learn...perhaps prod things along. I apologize if you think I am offensively interested in what they plan to do to support a very expensive unit that heavily markets on their "future proofing" with their open architecture. I do appreciate all the effort on this form to try and answer the question that I pose.

We'd all like to see Meridian more open about future plans. But that just isn't gonna happen. They feel they would lose some of their competitive edge if they let the competition know what they are up to. I'm sure they know customers would like it but it's a tradeoff they feel strongly about. Also if something goes wrong with annouced future plans it tic's some customers off.

Looking at a lot of posts on this forum, I would say they already have succeeded in ticking some customers off ...

Since Meridian is a reasonably closed system I don't see how disclosing their plans for the 800 series and G series would provide the slightest benefit to a competitor....do you seriously think some other organization would provide a solution for Meridian...and thus loose sales....I don't think so. In the past 20 years or so...through all the market/performance standards has anyone offered anything to replace Meridian devices... the only competition is from organizations that are more responsive and supportive...that likely will cause a reduction in the market opportunity for Meridian....

I don't think that is quite right. For example they take a unique approach to Room Correction that someone could have borrowed. Their apodizing filter. etc. We may see their approach used on other products but why give the competition a years notice. Maybe their will be some unique approach used in their HDMI box that we don't know about. Some stuff is closed some is not, some is obvious and some is not. But their position/policy is consistent.

I don't believe that Meridian is a 'reasonably closed system'. The only thing within a M system that requires another M box is MHR smartlink ie DVD to Processor and this is no different to say Denon with Denonlink and that would never be classed as being a closed system.

Everything else can be linked to pretty much anything else, including DSP speakers as long as the source has a digital out.

I have been away again and missed much of the exciting discussion live. However, the latest complaints do not seem to me to be very fair minded in the light of Meridian's detailed replies. I am very impressed indeed with the quality and depth of Bob's answers given the framework of commercial confidentiality that he so eloquently explained.

Before CEDIA I posted under "Keep the faith" about the quality that Meridian have given us and the problems of HDMI. I do not want to appear smug but I feel Meridian have vindicated my viewpoint. My main concern was over communication. Not only do they promise better communication in the future but Bob has clearly invested a lot of time and effort into answering our questions. Like many here I offer my thanks (and also to John for Herculean and unpaid efforts).

I think Meridian has now done (or promised) everything we could reasonably expect. To continue griping is self-indulgence.

I forgot to add that for anyone wanting great two channel sound they should try the 808.2i before moving to Ayre or elsewhere. This combines outstanding CD replay with flexible inputs of other sources such as iPod docks.

I am quite sure Meridian did not invent apodizing filters. I am already using some kind of apodizing filter for years in Audio Remaster and I only recently learned on this forum how it is called ...

Meridian doesn't have to invent it for it to be something they want to keep close until they release a product. The information of applying it within their DSP speakers/CD player is fairly new and wasn't about to let their competition know ahead. Maybe the competition already does have it or does it without talking about it. But Meridian's unique application may be new to consumer products.

Sometimes you can get an idea of what a company is working on by looking at their recent patent applications

e.g. http://v3.espacenet.com/textdoc?DB=EPODOC&IDX=US7245721&F=0

Assuming you can understand them that is!

Cliff

That's the MHR patent. Funnily enough, I discovered the same link last week!

Hi Evdberg,

It was quite a long time ago, but, in many ways I am not surprised to learn that it was part of your DVD+A approach. I think I remember posting at the time when I tested it that I liked what it was doing sonically and only wished it was something that could be done on-the-fly - rather than having to remaster and burn all my CD's onto a DVD+R. That was something I was never going to do even when I hadn't discovered disc-less playback and gone environmental (as-if)

That was all before server playback became what it is, so, it's essential to get such a filter into the audio chain without the need for silver discs. That's what M are hopefully going to provide.

If the new filters achieve something similar and maybe more to even what your app was doing I expect we'll be in for a treat.