Meridian 5xx vs newer lossless systems

First, I don’t know what everyone’s talking about, the setup on the 565 was a breeze. I just printed out the manual, READ it and had it programmed in about 15-20 minutes.
Second, the sound is fantastic. Granted, it replaced a Pioneer Elite receiver but the added processing control made a world of difference. My speakers have never sounded so good. The Trifield and Music DSP modes are so good, I never listen to straight two channel anymore. The detailed setup really fine tunes your system to get the best balance and sound. I never watched movies in THX because I didn’t like the sound until the 565. Bottom line is that the 565 is a great unit, even if it’s a little long in the tooth and can be had for a great price in today’s market.

Hey Brax--glad to hear you're happy with the 565. I think I might have been a little extra cautious on the setup warnings, because it's still a little more effort than what most people are used to. Measuring tweeter distances and doing the math to figure out delay times, etc. means there's some extracurricular labor involved.

I also have a full stack 565, 562v, 518 and a DSP 5000--all of which require programming and which must be done differently depending on the settings chosen for the other gear in the stack. Add in the fact that these products came to market at different times with different software versions and contradictory manuals, and I certainly got lost in the weeds. But I've never had any desire to switch as I don't think there's much more to be had from a sound quality point of view!

Hey Kjweisner,

I just picked up a 562V to go along with my 565. Do you have your gear connected with the Meridian Comms cables? If so, what are the advantages. I have a Haromny remote that can do the switching or is there something the comms hookup adds?

Hey Brax:

Sorry for the delayed response--have been working like a fiend lately and not enought time to check a'gon.

You should definitely be using the comms cable. . . the 565 and 562 will become basically one seamless unit with the comms connected. Essentially, the 562 is your pre with all your sources connected and then converted to a single digital output, which in turn is the entire audio link to the 565. By having the comms cable, your 565 essentially controls the 562. You pick a source on the 565 ("TV") and it tells the 562 which set of inputs to select, etc.

But my guess is that you've already figured this out and this is "old news". If not, and you want to reach me directly, please write to kweisner@embarqmail.com.

Enjoy!

Kjweisner,

I ended up making a comms cable (couldn't find one anywhere) and hooked the units together. They work great hooked together a real must do if you have these units. The Meridians sound great so I have decided not to upgrade to a HD pre/pro for the near future. I am keeping my eye open for a 568.2mm and if run across one at a good price I'll pick it up. Thanks for the reply.