New processor has arrived

[Mr_Sukebe]

Big smiles over the weekend.
I spotted a sensibly priced processor last week, and picked it up on Sat.

The new one is a Meridian G68ADV, and replaces a Meridian 568.2mm.
Sources are PS3, Xbox and a Pioneer BDP via a Meridian HD621.
Amps unchanged, Bel Canto Evo2 on the front, Rotel on the rear. I'm running 4 channels at the moment as I've yet to come across a centre good enough to match with my stereo speakers. I'm now considering a sub, but as my speakers already make it down to the mid-20s, not sure how much that will add.

As for the G68, it looks like this:

The rear is absolutely covered in inputs and outputs, so no issues on that score.
Unfortunately it doesn't have balanced connections, which is a minor issue, but seemingly not the end of the world.

Setup was "interesting". Meridian have a complex PC based application for configuration and I'm guessing that it's taken a good 4 hours to get it mostly up and running. So I now have music and my AV sources all playing fine. Just looking to get the room correction in place. For that, the recommedations seem to be to use a 3rd party product like REW to measure, then manually set filters to achieve exactly what you want, as against allowing an automated system to bugger it up.

As for SQ, I think it is an improvement on the 568.2mm, if not massive. The key thing being that it achieves that, and THEN adds room correction.

Very happy bunny.

 

[Lowe]

Very nice

I'm looking to move toward a wholly digital set up in the longer term, but can't find anything that really does what I want. Ideally I'd like a processor that has HDMI in's, but 5.1 or more surround AES outputs. As yet I've only found the Datasat stuff with this and frankly that's way out my price range.

 

[Mr_Sukebe]

Lowe>
Do you mean you want a digital pre-amp, HDMI inputs with balanced analogue outputs?
If so and you want to do it at sensible money, buy yourself an Oppo 105.
I had a home demo of one earlier this year. Wasn't as good as what I use, but it was massively cheaper (£1k new), and was at least on par with anything else I've heard.
For they money, as a great piece of kit.
The only real issue with the 105 is the number of inputs, IIRC, only has 2 HDMI. Being fair though, it can stream and is it's own BD player, so chances are that you'd end up only needing to add in a Sky/Virgin box and potentially a games machine.

 

[Lowe]

Not quite, let me flesh out the bones so to speak.

I'm looking at these:

http://www.pmc-speakers.com/products/professional/active/twotwo6

I say look; where I work we have a 5.1 system based around them, and they're nothing short of breath taking. We have three twotwo.6 across the front and twotwo.5 as rears. They punch so far above their size they beggar belief. The midrange for a two way design rivals many three ways, and the bass extension goes far beyond their specifications suggest. They're a replacement for the TB2, but frankly they nip on the heels of the AML2 which is twice the price.

So I'm looking at how I can convert my system at home to go active. Obviously my power amps will become redundant, but because the twotwo's have AES digital inputs (plus a through for the other channel via RJ45) I simply don't need any kind of analogue conversion. As such my AV Receiver also becomes useless; along with 99% of all the processors out there.

All I want is HDMI in to AES out. A gain stage would be nice, but not essential since the twotwo's can be controlled remotely. There is one box I can find that does the conversion and also has an HDMI bypass for a screen, but it's made in New Zealand and costs US$1425 before duty and taxes. It also only has one HDMI input. So if I want to keep the signal purely digital I have to make a lot of financial and convenience compromises, or to save money add in an extra stage of D/A conversion which I don't really need, especially when the DACs in the twotwo's are top notch. Pretty frustrating.

 

[Mr_Sukebe]

The only group I'm aware of that make digital out capable processors happen to be Meridian.
Even their older processors can output a combination of analogue or digital. So for example, my 568.2mm can output SPDIF digital to say your front channels, then analogue for your rears (or the other way around). Infact the first time I set the 568.2mm I'd buggered up the settings and tried sending digital to my rears. Didn't sound great.

The bad news is that to get on the ladder with a unit capable of taking in HDMI inputs is a 568.2mm/HD621 combination. Even s/h that will set you back circa £2k.
Making up for that, it's damn good stuff.

 

[Lowe]

That HD621 might be a winner - just looking into the outputs, the websites suggest it's 'Smartlink coaxial digital audio output'. Not sure if that's a proprietary connection or anything else, but it might be a start

/edit - it's encoded. No good

 

[Mr_Sukebe]

The HD621 does use encoding AND has no volume control capability, hence why you need a processor behind it. The good news is that the HD621 is NOT just a switching box, also does some interesting jitter reduction and "apodising", which is some weird voodoo magic filter that seems to result in music sounding better.

 

[Lowe]

Yeah, it's a possible solution then judging by the 8 digital output channels. They're SPDIF which isn't ideal but it's not too difficult to convert from SPDIF to AES.

Hmm, you've got me thinking now. Need to look into trying one out.

/edit

Looking a bit more a G61R with the HD621 might be another workable possibility. However it's looking fairly pricey and it's competitors might edge it even if doing the extra conversion.

 

[Mr_Sukebe]

The SPL meter finally arrived (had been out of stock). So I've just had a first go at room correction.

Fairly easy to do. Plug in meter, connect to the processor turn on the config software on my laptop and let it spend 10 mins collating measurements from the speakers.
From that, the software calculated a set of "optimisation filters", allowing me to pick and chose which ones to use per channel.
Some key points about this are that Meridian believe that room correction can have a negative impact upon sound if overzealously used. Having heard the solutions from Behringer and Tact/Lyngdorf, I agree with their sentiments. As such, the filters are only applied at frequencies below 250hz (where the biggest room issues typically are) and only in a negative manner to reduce bass "humps".

In practice this has resuled in 15 filters being recommended for the left front, 9 for the right front and none for the rears (smallish standmount Kef 3001s).
And the results, well it's early days, but I've just spent and hour listening to a variety of tracks that typically made me slightly uncomfortable with and excess of bass. The bass is still there and seems to time well, what it doesn't suffer from is that dum, dum, DUM, DUM, dum response and say a bass player goes down the fret board.

How I love Meridian gear. Sure, their approach is very single minded and sometimes not always seemingly sensible, but boy do they make some great gear.

 

[lucid]

Some key points about this are that Meridian believe that room correction can have a negative impact upon sound if overzealously used. Having heard the solutions from Behringer and Tact/Lyngdorf, I agree with their sentiments.

That's exactly my feeling with most AV room auto calibration software. Chucking the speakers in anywhere and letting the software sort it out isn't a recipe for a happy marriage.

 

[Lowe]

I never use room correction - bar an Antimode on subwoofers which is pretty much the same as the Meridan approach. Placing and some minor absorbtion/diffusion gives far better results in my experience.

 

[Mr_Sukebe]

Result, picked up a reasonably priced pair of Quad 11s for use as rears over the weekend. Of course that meant another re-calibration as these have some (if not great) low end bass. Going to get some Atacama stands from a local chap in a minute. Fairly reasonably priced upgrade.
Just gotta sell the Kef 3001s that I've been using now.

Quite enjoying Meridian's "trifield" mode, which is better done on the G68 than the 568.2mm and adds subtle rear effects to music, creating a better feeling of depth to soundstage.