Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems Do you use a CD player any more?

My G98 is used 99% of the time for viewing Region 1 and 2 DVD movies - with very occasional playing of DVD-A discs. As I only own six DVD-As that isn't very often...

My music is served by an Apple TV and Apple Lossless, controlled by an iPhone/iPod Touch. I can't detect any audible difference between the original CD and the lossless file from the Apple TV.

The convenience of the system is great - but there is one major disadvantage for me. I find myself 'grazing' through the music on the system, rather than selecting a silver disc from the shelves and playing it from beginning to end as I would have done in the 'old days'.

No music server in the forseeable future for me. I'm a disc-spinner via my G91a every time. I also believe that amplification and speakers play a huge role in sound reproduction.

Im using media players only. The second I get something, its ripped.

And Meridian Have to keep you both happy......Chris

What I find fascinating is that, on a Meridian enthusist forum, 50% of respondents to the poll are no longer using CD players for primary listening.

The real question is how many of those 50% think that Meridian can actually improve their system performance and/or listening experience with a Sooloos. How many are contemplating droping their Sonos, SB, Transportor, AppleTV, Airport Express etc. now that Meridian have jumped in?

VK, That does suggest a trend but I think it is heavily weighted here.
There must be plenty of Meridian users who do not use this forum or any other. Perhaps by nature, they are not necesserily computer enthusiasts and therefore unlikly to DIY a server solution. This is where "Sooloos" comes in as a future technology for them.
The world is heading the way of the server though. Chris

Chris, you're absolutely right. I'm still surprised that it's as high as 50% though.

I can see another poll coming!

"Perhaps by nature, they are not necesserily computer enthusiasts and therefore unlikly to DIY a server solution. This is where "Sooloos" comes in as a future technology for them."

I don't think that it's about wether or not you are a computer enthusiast, because the ease of use is already there. You don't need to be an enthusiast to set this up. You just need to be computer literate these days. I think that Sooloss appeals to those people who simply want someone else to do it for them. They don't want to set up or tweak their own system, and they aren't critical listeners either. They don't know what room correction or upsampling is either. It's the convenience and luxury over iTunes GUI, sonos, etc., and they are prepared to pay for it. There is a kind of hi-fi customer who isn't really into hi-fi.

Now if you just so happen to have the money to burn, and the kind of room with Creston/AMX consoles etc., then by all means get a Sooloos. But for your normal audiophile, I'm curious about who in that 50% is looking to trade up now that Meridian owns the company.

I think that is a valid question / comment. However it is aimed at the current Sooloos product (and can only be so at this point in time).

If you expand the product possibilies and include, for example, multichannel audio server cabability and integration with existing M kit and even non-M kit as seen with the HD621, then we see trade up offering more than a simple like-for-like swap of branding.

If M offered the ability to decode 5.1 MLP files and o/p those to a processor (much how a M player does today) along with all likely resolutions of .WAV, .FLAC, etc I for one would be very interested.

If it came with video/DVD playback capability then it would be quite a package.

M Fanz, May I draw your attension the the threads on Meta data and problems associated when useing FLAC.
I myself had trouble and after pouring hours into ripping and trying to label as I wanted, and have given up on the idea for now.

You do have to know your way around a computer and be prepaired to do it.
Technophobes cant and wont, but they may well be interested in sound quality also having dealers instal using MRC etc.

Cheers, Chris

There's the rub.

To me Meridian is about processors and speakers. It's unlikely I will ever buy a Meridian source component again when my �199 Apple TV, �150 iPod touch and �299 Sony Blu-ray deliver the goods.

This is coincidentally an opinion voiced by my local (non-Meridian) dealer - sources are increasingly PC-based and the money is spent on the other components in the system.