relmu
Member
do any of you have or have heard the meridian speakers? obviously I'm talking about assets with dsp. For example the Meridian DSP3200 or the more imposing M6. Thanks in advance for your comments.
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Meridian active loudspeakers
- Thread starter relmu
- Start date
I've reviewed some but that was long ago and I have no useful memory of them.
I've had M2s and DSP5000s for many years, and my brother is still using the 5000s. Very nice indeed, I only changed them as I fancied making my own actives out of some B&Ws.
Neutral 'speakers. The DSP3200s will be similar in sound but without the extension of the larger 5000s. I have no idea about the M6, but they look much more like a 'lifestyle' loudspeaker rather than something for serious hifi.
S
Neutral 'speakers. The DSP3200s will be similar in sound but without the extension of the larger 5000s. I have no idea about the M6, but they look much more like a 'lifestyle' loudspeaker rather than something for serious hifi.
S
M1s, M2’s and M10s here but nothing more modern, sorry.
Meridian were absolutely groundbreaking in their day.
Keith
Meridian were absolutely groundbreaking in their day.
Keith
syzygetic
Active Member
5200.2 set here for my main system. I love them. If they ever break, I’ll be rebuilding them, but they work like a champ and have since 2008. Happy to answer any questions!
I've got a set of DSP5000s and (non dsp) M33s. To me they both sound amazing, and I can't really fault them. However I've been following this forum for a while and just joined in fact to reply to this. While they sound great to me I'd like to have more objective data to guide my choice about whether I replace them or not and I can find very little in the way of measurements. If you search there is a thread where a link is provided that takes you to a German magazine that has a graph - I'm still learning how to read them but its quite small so I'm not sure how much detail it provides.
So I can only provide you with subjective impressions, and in that respect they sound very good, the stereo image seems excellent - the voices hover in space between the speakers (....I know this can quickly go off piste but bear with me...trying to avoid flowery language!) and everything sounds very clear and as it should. I am in a very small room (2.5m distance to speakers and wall directly behind listening position - minimal room treatment) so did have concerns about the bass, but the advantage of using these with Meridians own kit (G68 in my case) means you can apply room correction. I also have a DSP5000c and use it in tri-field occasionally for music but full time when watching films or TV.
They can be a bit of a hassle to set up to get the most out of them, I found I had to get some help from the Meridian forum to get the cables setup correctly with the G68 once the DSP5000c was involved. Prior to the G68 I ran them from Coax direct from a PC soundcard and that worked fine.
What really appealed to me was the value they offer - the main towers cost £500, the centre £200 and G68 was about £500 as well and for me they offer really good value on the second hand market. From what I understand there is very little difference between the 5000s and 5200s, its mainly looks.
However with all that said I really want to be able to reproduce accurate sound - I found this forum because I work in Film, in particular for a while in post where we obsesses over making sure that what we are looking at is as accurate as possible and as an artist creating the images it really bugs me that the marketing department in many TV companies paste colour 'corrections' over the top of our carefully crafted images! I want to hear the music as accurately as I can so I get as close as possible to what the artists intended. (I'm amazed there seems to be no standardisation like we have for work that goes to screen for audio recording? but that's a separate thread!)
So to summarise a slightly rambling reply - they sound amazing to me and I like the convenience the setup provides, however I am searching for more objective data to help me decide if I can do better and get closer to a more accurate sound for hopefully not crazy money.
Hope that helps!
Tim
So I can only provide you with subjective impressions, and in that respect they sound very good, the stereo image seems excellent - the voices hover in space between the speakers (....I know this can quickly go off piste but bear with me...trying to avoid flowery language!) and everything sounds very clear and as it should. I am in a very small room (2.5m distance to speakers and wall directly behind listening position - minimal room treatment) so did have concerns about the bass, but the advantage of using these with Meridians own kit (G68 in my case) means you can apply room correction. I also have a DSP5000c and use it in tri-field occasionally for music but full time when watching films or TV.
They can be a bit of a hassle to set up to get the most out of them, I found I had to get some help from the Meridian forum to get the cables setup correctly with the G68 once the DSP5000c was involved. Prior to the G68 I ran them from Coax direct from a PC soundcard and that worked fine.
What really appealed to me was the value they offer - the main towers cost £500, the centre £200 and G68 was about £500 as well and for me they offer really good value on the second hand market. From what I understand there is very little difference between the 5000s and 5200s, its mainly looks.
However with all that said I really want to be able to reproduce accurate sound - I found this forum because I work in Film, in particular for a while in post where we obsesses over making sure that what we are looking at is as accurate as possible and as an artist creating the images it really bugs me that the marketing department in many TV companies paste colour 'corrections' over the top of our carefully crafted images! I want to hear the music as accurately as I can so I get as close as possible to what the artists intended. (I'm amazed there seems to be no standardisation like we have for work that goes to screen for audio recording? but that's a separate thread!)
So to summarise a slightly rambling reply - they sound amazing to me and I like the convenience the setup provides, however I am searching for more objective data to help me decide if I can do better and get closer to a more accurate sound for hopefully not crazy money.
Hope that helps!
Tim
@TimH
When I had my DSP5000s, I measured their frequency response using ARTA, and equalised them flat to +-1dB with a Behringer DEQ2496 digital in to digital out. Although there wasn't a lot wrong with the 'speakers as they were, it was a small improvement which I did just because I could! I tried EQ on and EQ bypassed, unfortunately not blind, and thought I heard a small improvement...but then I would, wouldn't I!
In any event, I completely agree about the DSP5000s, great 'speakers. I used mine with a pair of D1500 subs just to fill out the bottom end a bit.
The DSP5200 is the same 'speaker as the 5000, just with an Armani suit on.
S.
When I had my DSP5000s, I measured their frequency response using ARTA, and equalised them flat to +-1dB with a Behringer DEQ2496 digital in to digital out. Although there wasn't a lot wrong with the 'speakers as they were, it was a small improvement which I did just because I could! I tried EQ on and EQ bypassed, unfortunately not blind, and thought I heard a small improvement...but then I would, wouldn't I!
In any event, I completely agree about the DSP5000s, great 'speakers. I used mine with a pair of D1500 subs just to fill out the bottom end a bit.
The DSP5200 is the same 'speaker as the 5000, just with an Armani suit on.
S.
That's really helpful, thank you. I will investigate a bit further by looking at ARTA and the Behringer seems like a great option too - it would be interesting to compare what the G68 does vs the Behringer. As I'm still really new to the science of all this the room correction applied by the G68 was a bit of a mystery and the exact measurement data seems to be a bit limited, at least in terms of what it allows you to see.
I'm also looking at Subs as a way to improve the sound - something I hadn't really thought about until I found this forum. If I was in the states I would love to ship one of the towers to Amir to test - but from the Uk....it would probably cost the same as I paid for both speakers
Another thing the OP might want to know is that the newer speakers use 'Speaker Link' which is a cat5 type cable (Not sure if it is identical?) rather than the older style multipin connector mine has - not sure it it impacts performance but probably makes thing neater and easier to hook up.
Cheers
Tim
I'm also looking at Subs as a way to improve the sound - something I hadn't really thought about until I found this forum. If I was in the states I would love to ship one of the towers to Amir to test - but from the Uk....it would probably cost the same as I paid for both speakers
Another thing the OP might want to know is that the newer speakers use 'Speaker Link' which is a cat5 type cable (Not sure if it is identical?) rather than the older style multipin connector mine has - not sure it it impacts performance but probably makes thing neater and easier to hook up.
Cheers
Tim
Perhaps some context? Why do you ask? Are you considering purchase of one of those two models? I have owned a pair of DSP5000’s for almost 2 decades. And am currently listening to a pair of DSP3100’s. Both are immensely enjoyable. The 3200 and M6 are both reportedly nice - I have not heard either. But would like to. What is unique and what Meridian pioneered is that the signal is kept digital throughout - right up to DAC which then feeds the individual amplifier dedicated to the individual driver. Allows all parameters to be known and controlled. Phase, impulse response, timing, crossover and individual driver EQ are all built into the DSP firmware. I just finished auditioning a Purifi EVAL unit driving some nice passive speakers and although the best they’ve ever sounded, when I went back to the Meridians, there was no comparison.
I think actives, particularly DSP controlled ones solve many issues. KEF and Kii are other examples.
I have a set of DSP7200 and DSP5200 in 2 different homes.The speakers are wonderful but the customer support is terrible. As indicated above they are not the easiest to set up and Meridian always defers to the local dealers even when nothing is being dome to help. Power outages are a major issue with digital sources and this is no difference for these babies. I would be very careful before emptying your wallet.
Both are missing the heads? How?!? What were the circumstances?
I have on a rare occasion seen a single head for sale on EBay, but never two. And never in that color which was specific to the 40th anniversary model. You might want to contact a dealer - I recommend Bruce Sinclair at http://www.cmbintegrations.com/ to help find head replacements. Otherwise these are worthless alone.
As for connecting to an AVR, these are digital input only. You would need special arrangements that Bruce can perhaps help you with. I think you inherited a very expensive project.
I have on a rare occasion seen a single head for sale on EBay, but never two. And never in that color which was specific to the 40th anniversary model. You might want to contact a dealer - I recommend Bruce Sinclair at http://www.cmbintegrations.com/ to help find head replacements. Otherwise these are worthless alone.
As for connecting to an AVR, these are digital input only. You would need special arrangements that Bruce can perhaps help you with. I think you inherited a very expensive project.
To mislay one could be forgiven but two looks like carelessness.
Keith
Keith
I owned a set of DSP5200 with speakerlnk and a DSP5200HC and DSP3100 for the back channels and a G68J to control them . And a rhythmic subwoofer.
I consider them a mixed bag , they don’t really work in the midrange by their own so you need trifield and the center to make them work . The tonal balance was slightly bright out of the box I always turned the treble down a bit .
Bass ok ish . But in the context of a complete Meridian system in trifield with sub and room correction they where my main speakers for a long time .
On their own I think not . Modern speakers have better acoustics like controlled directivity that can make a 2.5 way speaker work .
I’m now in process of installing my new KEF LS60 and I have no room correction and only the single pare of speakers, sub are back ordered.
It outcompetes my complete old system easy, by the power their acoustic engineering and better drivers .When the subs arrive I will experiment with REW and implement som corrections .
Imo Meridian where pioneers in the 90’s and early 2000’s but lost the plot and they where always a overpriced even when they where technically competitive, but you could forgive that at the time .
I consider them a mixed bag , they don’t really work in the midrange by their own so you need trifield and the center to make them work . The tonal balance was slightly bright out of the box I always turned the treble down a bit .
Bass ok ish . But in the context of a complete Meridian system in trifield with sub and room correction they where my main speakers for a long time .
On their own I think not . Modern speakers have better acoustics like controlled directivity that can make a 2.5 way speaker work .
I’m now in process of installing my new KEF LS60 and I have no room correction and only the single pare of speakers, sub are back ordered.
It outcompetes my complete old system easy, by the power their acoustic engineering and better drivers
.When the subs arrive I will experiment with REW and implement som corrections .Imo Meridian where pioneers in the 90’s and early 2000’s but lost the plot and they where always a overpriced even when they where technically competitive, but you could forgive that at the time .
I’m now in process of installing my new KEF LS60 and I have no room correction and only the single pare of speakers, sub are back ordered.
It outcompetes my complete old system easy, by the power their acoustic engineering and better drivers
I’m considering the same setup. Curious what sub?
Thank you for replying Yes both missing and this is really crazy! I email Bruce and let see what he says , other questions is I never heard them or I never lessen to any meridian how do you compare to Martin Logan 13A / or B&W 803 d3 I mean dsp8000 sound better ? Or just pricey?
KC92 two of them , you can probably get a deal on the old KF92
So you have not answered - where did you purchase these and did you purchase them like this?
Any discussion of relative sound is rather pointless unless you can get fully functional units, wouldn’t you agree?
Sorry , yes I bought them at local estate sale and AS IS so even they don’t know quality of those and move on dolly whitout any care make many scratches and dent so I have fix them all ,
I don’t know how much should I spend be work again and no idea of those active speakers, i really want give them another life !
Thanks
