Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Thread Like Summary - MQA How

Hi

I am pondering whether to have a go at MQA and how to set up etc?

Most of modern day computer language doesn’t mean to much to me and l easily forget.

With my present system what do l need to hear MQA through my speakers (I understand will only be stereo?).

The 218 seems a choice?

Can it be set up as such that l can switch from MQA back to my present set up from my armchair?

I have an Apple iPad 7.

Thanks,
Colin

Hi Colin

I think the Meridian hardware side is fairly straightforward (218 or 210, or 818v3 if you want to really push the boat out) but you need a means of acquiring MQA content in the first place.

The Tidal streaming service is the content provider, and you'll also want Roon software installed on your PC/Mac to seamlessly draw in Tidal's music and send it out to your hifi (eg 218) in the most efficient and best sounding way.

Tidal costs £20 per month for the MQA level service, and Roon is £119 per year (lifetime licence is about £700 IIRC). You can get trial periods of both, ideally timed with a home trial period of a 218, to see if it all works for you.

Do you have a relatively modern PC or Mac? (ie 2-3 years old, and not an entry level very basic machine) You will need this to run Roon, although it is possible to buy preconfigured devices from Roon, at the kind of cost you'd have previously paid for Meridian Sooloos kit. Your iPad would be the control device for selecting and playing music from Roon (Tidal MQA and any CDs you have previously burned to your PC)

You'll have wifi around the house for your iPad, but do you have any network points installed, or use "homeplugs" for spots around the house where the wifi isn't so good? The 218 (and 210 and 818v3) aren't usually connected directly to your router, but to a network switch (very inexpensive and easy to plug in and get going) Normal practice is computer>network switch>218 etc.

And that's it! As Altus suggested, a dealer could set this up for you, or we could talk you through it here (and I've presented the most straightforward way of doing it, it can be made more complicated depending on taste )

On the Meridian specific side, you could have a 218 etc going directly into the second input of your 5200SEs for the best possible sound, whilst still having the rest of your system set up exactly as it is now. So you can still control it all easily from your armchair, with MSR+ and iPad to hand.

Hope that sheds some light on matters...

Cheers

George

Reviver and AC12 are completely passive devices and do no manipulation of bits whatsoever.