Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems My thoughts on Meridian

I have had the 561 now for about three years. It has performed flawlessly, all software upgrades worked without any problems, DTS and DD still sound better than most of the other high-end processors out there, and all music modes sound very good. It also responds very well to tweaking, such as upgrading the power cord (I now use Analysis Audio Power 10), and using Black Diamond Racing cones and a Seismic Sink.

The negatives: bass management can be confusing and challenging (although I now have full-range, powered sub speakers, so this is no longer an issue), tech support sometimes give different answers to the same setup questions, it is a dead-end for upgrades (even though I was promised it would be full DVDA capable when I purchased it), and it is quite expensive for what you can now get in surround/music processors.

There are many processors in the $3000-5000 range that offer sound quality close to the 561 (or the 568 for that matter) that are full featured and are much more upgradeable for the near future. Meridian has been slow to upgrade, and I understand that they won't do it until it is up to their standards. I also understand that three years is a long time when it comes to software technology.

All that said, the 561 continues to satisfy my current needs since I have no immediate desire to do DVDA. But in the future would I buy another Meridian product? I just don't know. Given pricing, features, and ease of upgradeability, I would probably take a long, hard look at all the other products out there first.

Regards

[This message has been edited by Pete Saunders (edited 02-11-2003).]

[This message has been edited by Pete Saunders (edited 02-11-2003).]

Well, I'd say Meridian was well ahead of the curve on DPL2. It was available on the 561 well ahead of other 'upgradable' pre/pro's, and without a hardware cost. Still, it's too bad the 561 is already at (or near) the end for future upgrades.

Yes, I agree that DPL2 was definitely ahead of the entire field and sounds exceptional; it's just that there seems to be so much out there right now with as many or more features than the 561 or 568 for less than their prices.

Now, I'm still admitting that the 561 sounds very good, but a couple of months after I purchased it, the 568 came out (a highly upgradeable unit), and the 561 was all but forgotten. $5000 was a lot of money to spend on a processor for it to be outdated (hardware wise) in a couple of months. I feel a little cheated out of Meridian's promise of future upgradeability, especially for the price you pay for these products.

[This message has been edited by Pete Saunders (edited 02-12-2003).]

Pete,
When you bought the 561, the 861 was out and still the 565 i assume. I had to make the same decission, but did not take the 561, one of the reasons was that it only has a 6 channel analogue output. (+ 2 digital)
And since the product number was lower than the old 565 it had to be below the 565 on the product chain.
Logic suggested there would be an update for the 565 or a replacement. So no 561 for me.
But the 561 is upgradable as far as the DSP's inside can handle the code i assume.

I choose a 861 and have no regrets till now. It is more expensive, and the upgrades are also no cheap, but it does most of the things i want, and does them well.

Jaco

I will agree that there is not much else out there that can better an 861! But with two very young kids now I don't want to spend $15,000.

The 561 meets most of my needs for the moment, but when I do decide to upgrade in the future, I will certainly look at all the other options out there. I believe this market has become more competitive, and there are a lot of processors out there now which offer many if not more features at lesser prices than Meridian (excluding the 861 of course). Do they sound any better? That is definitely the question! My 561 is no slouch when it comes to decoding DD, DTS, etc, but maybe in the three years that I have owned it, other brands have caught up.

If money were no object, however, Meridian would still be my first choice.

By analogy, Meridian is the audio counterpart to Mercedes Benz, BMW or Lexus. Those car cos offer a range of models, including low-end models like the 3 series, but to truly enjoy the quality and performance those car lines represent, one has to purchase a much higher priced model. Same with Meridian. It offered the 561 and the 565, and now the 568, as it entry level model. But the 8 series is really what Meridian is about, just like the 540i is what BMW is about. If you buy low end Meridian, then all you can expect down the road is whatever leftovers flow down from 800 upgrades. Meridian does not come out and say that, which it should, but thats the way it acts, and for us who want a taste of Meridian but who cannot pony up the jack for an 861, we cannot expect anymore.

A thought provoking analogy (good job as there's not much else going on right now )

I agree in some respects, however, it is worth noting that the sales of the low-end products probably support the development costs of the high-end. I would be curious to know what the sales ratio is for 861 vs 568.

The analogy fails slightly when considering the price range and competition

e.g. BMW 316 vs 540i (or larger).
568 vs 861

There are quite simply dozens of similar spec & quality cars for the same money as a 316.
�4000 on a 568 does not give you much choice in competition which suggests that, whilst the 568 is the low-er end of the range, it is probably more like the 540i vs the 850i (i.e. 861)

Yes, I am biased as a 568 owner
No, I don't have a BMW
Yes, I still aspire to the 8xx series
Yes, I also have 2 young kids
Yes, I'm still concerned over the apparant corner that the 5xx group may find themselves in

How many new DVD-A titles will be released in the 6 month upgrade window.........?

You have got the wrong car analogy. Meridian is like Ferrari not BMW.

The Meridian 500 Series is like the 8 cylinder 3XX smaller Ferraris.

- excellent performance
- some annoying features
- some things that don't work
- priced beyond the pockets of most

Ferrari do not expect to sell volume like BMW 3 Series but they have an entry level product. The big Ferraris are "world's best" like the Meridian 800 Series but can also be annoying.

Car manufacturers generally do not promise performance upgrades to be retrofittable to your car and you must buy the product on current features rather than some future promise. However, if the company states that these will be available then you might reasonably expect them to support this claim.

I don't think that I will bother to upgrade my 596 at the price levels indicated and in the next 6 months. It will still be a brilliant DVD-V player.

Malcolm - BMW X5 owner. Meridan 500 Series owner.

P.S. BMW is similar to Sony in the audio/video market.

[This message has been edited by malcolmw (edited 02-16-2003).]

Awe common, BMW closer to Sony! Never.

Ok. I own an 861 version 3 AND a BMW 540i and I rate the analogy between the two as very good.

The 861 will handle any audio situation with aplomb.

The 540i has brilliant roadholding, as much power for overtaking safely as one could ever want, built in active and passive safety features, is quiet and surefooted. About the only crit I could aim at it is the sound system - it is above average but not outstanding (listen to the system in the latest Lexus 400 to know what I mean).

No, Sony components are the equivalent of the Toyota range (including Lexus). There are base models and more sophisticated ones but none truly satisfy the petrol head with auto appreciation. In similar vein it takes the Meridian 861 to satisfy the discriminating music lover. No longer sure the 800 is to be rated similarly - see my other post.

I would differ as to Sony being the BMW of av equipment. I believe it equates to Toyota which offers models from economy to luxury as does Sony whose lines range from those sold in Best Buy to its ES line. BMW's 540is, 740s and 745is are far removed from the 3 series, and the 525s (the 850i actually was considered a bust and was last manufactured in the mid-1990s).
I bought first the 565 because Meridian made a processor that produced the purest digital signal for music and movies, and remained with Meridian when I traded for a 568 because of above reasons, plus the Trifield mode which brings me more enjoyment than a analog pass-thru. And by analogy I would buy a BMW 3 series, not because it is made by the same people who make the 540i or 745i, but because independently it beats most of the similarly priced competition.

if only BMW would OEM its car audio from Meridian....

This post is in no way a critcism of Meridian's sound qualities. All I'm saying is that there are now other products (Krell and Classe' for example) that have products in the $4000-5000 price range offering more features than the 561 and 568 with far more upgradeabilty and have been reviewed to have excellent sound. Do they actually sound better? I don't know as I haven't heard them myself.

Does Meridian want to cater to the super high-end megabuck people, or do they also want to increase their overall sales base by providing relatively affordable products that still give a hint of Meridian's excellence in digital technology?

I purchased the 561, then a few short months later the 568 came out. If I had known I would have waited and paid the extra money.

Again, I have been very statisfied with the sound quality of the 561, especially since I use it for home theater and have no immediate desire for 7.1 sound or DVD audio. If I do in the future, I may look elsewhere.

And I'm no slouch when it cmes to judging sound quality having been a former audiophile for over 20 years. My last system consisted of all Balanced Audio Technology (BAT) equipment which I consider them to be one of the finest in the field of high-end audio. But kids came along and I went with Meridian as a good compromise between excellent home theater and good high-end audio.

[This message has been edited by Pete Saunders (edited 02-17-2003).]

[This message has been edited by Pete Saunders (edited 02-17-2003).]