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Adding a source to my Meridian system

My entire system is Meridian (G68 processor, G57 amplifier, G55 amplifier, and Meridian speakers) except for my source. Right now my source is an Apple Express with its optical output connected to the G68 optical input. This way I can stream music wirelessly and I can control my song selection with my iPhone. Pretty cool, convenient, and pretty (I hate clutter)!

But how about sound improvement? I think the source could be cleaner. I would be willing to sacrifice the convenience of being a couch potato and get up to change the CD if the sound were better. Of course, the obvious choice is adding a Meridian source. But would money be better spent for my system? Because the G68 has a digital coaxial input with low jitter and a good quality DAC, I would probably want to connect the coaxial digital output of a source to the G68 and bypass the internal DAC of the source. Does anyone disagree?

In that case, wouldn't my source need just a digital coaxial output with good signal integrity (low jitter)? I realize that a CD/DVD player may be able to decode some audio recording standards that the G68 cannot. But my music collection contains only CDs. So wouldn't I need just a transport rather than a CD/DVD player? After all, why pay for something that you don't use? What would be a good quality transport with a low jitter coaxial output that doesn't have so many features (like a DAC and other types of interfaces) that I would never use?
axle
johnmcelfresh
97 posts
 
Axle - I strongly suggest you visit the Hitchhiker's Guide to Meridian website - http://www.meridianunplugged.com - and ask this question. Here's what I do with my 568.2 and DSP8000 system:

My CDs are all ripped lossless (if your music isn't lossless - not MP3 or AAC - that's the FIRST thing you should do. Nothing else will make a bigger sonic difference than making sure the source files are lossless, either WAV, FLAC, Apple Lossless or AIFF). I use a Sonos ZP80 (new version is ZP90) system connected to the 568 via coax digital.

Some Meridian owners use the Squeezebox Transporter from Logitech (or other Squeezebox versions), some use the Meridian Sooloos system and other still use high-end transports. The Sonos and Squeezeboxes can be modified by 3rd parties to reduce jitter if that's something you're inclined to do.

Good luck! - John
kennyt's avatar
kennyt
1,226 posts
 
If you add the G98DH it will not only match the rest of your system, it will add DVD-A, DVD-V, and CD and with the coms cable will run off the same remote. Great transport, I used mine with an 861v4 and it sounded great.....

Shameless plug here, I still own it, still sealed from Meridian (I did a firmware update and the video was funky so they took it back and replaced all the video boards and I sold my 861 so never opened it since!) If your interested, I would sell it.....
axle OP
49 posts
 
John,

Thanks!

What you say about the Sonis makes perfect sense and that is just the type of solution that I am looking for. I will check out www.meridianunplugged.com.

About music -

All physical CDs you buy in stores should be lossless, correct?

If your original recording is poor quality, will converting it to a lossless standard necessarily eliminate distrortion? Or is it possible to just convert distrotion from non-linear (MP3) to linear (WAV)?
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