Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Thread Like Summary - Power cord discussion (spin off from DSP8000XE topic)

Did anyone actually believe them?

Unfortunately it is the little barbs in all such debates that tend to ruin any chance of having any meaningful discussion. Such has been the way of online forums for some time now.

It would be really great if we all heard someone say - "I just installed X and I think it's really quite good. No idea how it works in detail but I am happy with it"

And then the responses were - "ok...that's really interesting. I've never actually seen something like that work/don't know how that works but thanks for sharing"

What we get is instead "I am actually open minded BUT the people that actually buy this stuff are nuts. Especially brand Z is obviously snake oil.....I know about science or I have had a job for 30 years so no flies on me"

And the end result is no-one learns anything.

Those predisposed to try stuff will try. Those that are anti will argue why not. The emotive language between the two sides is just so worn out ....especially a topic that has been done to death over the years. We learned nothing.

Search my "snake oil" thread from 15+ years ago if you want a slice of deja vu.

I’ve never understood how someone would invest large sums on active speakers designed by Bob Stuart and the engineers and yet disagree with these same engineers about the need for expensive power cables.

BS was asked at a factory tour this question. He replied that the power supply work was done inside (words to that effect). Assumptions are made that noise passes through the entire process. I’m no EE but I think that’s a huge assumption. Low dropout regulators can clean up DC voltage thoroughly, easily and cheaply. I’ve read the Shunyata spin on their website and found it utter tosh. I’m no EE though.

Admittedly there were slow off the mark regarding linear power supplies but the are pros and cons to SMPS and LPSs with LPSs apparently acting as a filter. One trend is hybrid, “tuned” power supplies (Antipodes). For me this has much more credibility than some of the marketing I’ve read from cable manufacturers.

I read the initial comment that - how can M be so dumb, do they expect us to believe them? If you don’t why are you spending this money on their engineering? Free world though, well less so now but mostly.

Thinking a little more about ncpl's comments above, I suspect that for > 99% of the time on HH, postings are generous, warm-hearted & welcoming. It is rare for comments to stray into 'barbed' territory & in my experience it only happens when the subject is one of 'marginal gains'.

eg: Meridian introduces an SE / XE version of their perennial DSP8000 flagship speaker, some forum members buy or otherwise get to hear the latest version and declare it to be wonderful. Result: No barbed comments. Elsewhere, somebody replaces his ageing G68 with a Trinnov & cheerfully announces that the improvement is wonderful. No barbed comments. On another forum perhaps, a member upgrades from a VW Golf (other cars are available) to a Lamborghini Huracan & declares the uplift in performance to be wonderful. No barbed comments. Someone on this forum suggests that Meridian is mistaken in placing little or no importance to the subject of mains cables and spends £X,000 satisfying their belief & attracts some barbed comments for their trouble. Elsewhere, our hapless driver announces that he is about to spend £X,000 on some bespoke car polish or some after-market HT leads & finds himself the subject of unwelcome derision.

Of course, to the outsider, pretty much everything we discuss on here is about marginal gains! But comments on here range from extremely generous at one end to perhaps 'barbed' at the other. Should we try to eradicate the barbed ones? Two people can read the same article about the benefits of mains cables / bespoke car polish; one finds any potential gains to be marginal at best (*snake oil*), the other reaches for his wallet. Personally I feel it is ok for those two wildly contrasting result to be reflected in postings on there. Others may well disagree.

Yes, of course it is absolutely fine and legitimate to say product x is rubbish. That can be helpful, especially if supported by evidence or reasoned argument. But crucially, what is not acceptable is to say or infer that person y is an idiot for buying or endorsing product x.