Naim AV2/NAPV175 etc.

merlin,
the sharc as well as the motorola are processors not memory so they don;t store much at all - this is taken care of by an eprom or flash memory that can be updated. the processor does the decoding and to be honest i'd be very surprised if dolby and dts didn;t provide an sdk (software development kit) or even an off the shelf code solution for popular processors such as the sharc, and motorola 56367. after all dolby digital and dts are proprietory codecs that are tm'ed and copyrighted up the wazoo. the proprietory coding tag would have done would have been more on enhancing these base functions to interface with their circuitry and on the control / user interface.
as for 'defending' meridien or some other company, if i had the knowledge and someone was obviously talking bollocks then yes i'd call them on it.
so you've never bought anything without a good demo then? what about all the imported kit you get, did you demo that, did you demo the merlins? or the shunyata? if you did fair enough but i'm sure you've bought stuff without trying it as have most poeple, sometimes it just isn;t possible.
still at least you're back to the predictable old merlin, life was much more interesting with him around rather than restrained p.c. merlin.
cheers


julian
 
Ooh merlin! repeat to yourself "must not take on computer expert when it comes to chips!"

Now, accepting that you are skilled in this area, I was not aware that chips such as the Analogue Devices came with all algorythmns preprogrammed and unalterable. I was under the impression that the coding could be either standard OEM, or written in house by software engineers. Forgive me, I am computer illilerate, I was unsure of exactly where in the unit this code was stored. Could you let me know what Naim do to the off the shelf unit they buy in from Taiwan or whereever?

My understanding is that both Meridian and Lexicon write their own algorithems, and send the finished codes over to Dolby/Dts/THX for approval. One offshoot of this is the early arrival of new algorithems, months before they hit the street in a preprogrammed kit as found in the Naim. Another alledged offshoot is far better steering accuracy and channel integration.

Must go,

I'm off to shear a few sheep.
 
Originally posted by penance
FACTual :bs:

How can it be a fact, surely the listeners preference plays a role aswell:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Everyone who hears Meridian processors on a side-by-side shoot-out with other similarly priced competitor's offerings prefer meridian! As do 8 out of 10 Lexicon owners. FACT!!!
 
Now I'm confused. Just how did this thread degenerate so quickly into a debate over chips/DACs?

For one thing, and please correct me if I'm wrong on this, but surely the processor is only part of the solution, just as it is in a CD player or DAC?
I got the impression that a DAC would be dependant upon the following:
- The DAC itself
- The quality of the input signal
- The quality of the power supply
- The analogue output sections

Surely the above is just as true for an AV pre amp as it is for a DAC? If it is, then arguing over the digital side of things is a little pointless if the real gains are made elsewhere.
Lets face it, if you compared say a top of the range Pioneer or Denon AV integrated amp to say a high end Meridian unit, I'd guess that in software processing power that there's not much in it, whilst I'd expect the Meridian to completely annihilate the Japanese kit on the other areas I mention.
 
Mike K, don't fret too much mate, it's all 1's and 0's sir, **** the spec's uses your lug holes. as for the meridian being well the tops :knight: maybe they should listen to a pre/pro with decent 2 channel too, maybe fireman sam need to thrash his truck some more to get his rocks off, after all it is Friday :D
 
Originally posted by Mr_Sukebe
.
Lets face it, if you compared say a top of the range Pioneer or Denon AV integrated amp to say a high end Meridian unit, I'd guess that in software processing power that there's not much in it, whilst I'd expect the Meridian to completely annihilate the Japanese kit on the other areas I mention.
Click to expand...

Michael,

It's not the power but how you use it that matters. It seems Naim let someone else determine that for them. It's not only Naim that cop out, most hifi manufacurers do, others merely rebadge other kit and pay attention to psu's etc.

But if you want to experience real quality, get a s/h Lexicon MC1 from the states for about £800 and if you still want the naim sound for music, get a 202 or something - then you get the best of both worlds. The AV2 to home cinema for Sheep not conoisseurs.
 
Originally posted by merlin

But if you want to experience real quality, get a s/h Lexicon MC1 from the states for about £800...
Click to expand...

Now you've totally discredited yourself, how can anyone take you seriously after this statement? :rolleyes:

The Lexicons are good for movies, but have you tried listening to music through one of these things?

Meridian Meridian Meridian - All the way...

FS
 
Originally posted by Fireman Sam
Now you've totally discredited yourself, how can anyone take you seriously after this statement? :rolleyes:

The Lexicons are good for movies, but have you tried listening to music through one of these things?
Click to expand...

Springing to Merlin's defence again but I think you'll find that when he said:

"But if you want to experience real quality, get a s/h Lexicon MC1 from the states for about £800... "

He was talking about the MC1's excellent DD/DTS decoding not about it's performance in stereo. Having said that, I understood that although it's stereo performance is nothing to write home about, it is a lot better than the older Lexicon DC units.

Anyway, it must be said that an MC1 for £800 is an amazing bargain (rrp was £5.5K!) - presumably you'd need a transformer to use a US one over here though?

Mind you, you can buy 2nd hand UK ones for £1200-£1500 - if it had a 5.1 bypass I'd probably get one!

Matt.
 
merlin,
an sdk is a library of helper functions that enable a chip or o/s to be programmed quickly without having to re-invent the wheel. i suspect that dolby and dts would provide source for this if you pay enough. it is this source that i suspect tag and lexicon have tweaked to cet their 'custom' versions of the decoder. either that or they reverse engineered it in which case dolby and dts would be a mite peed at them. this isn't to say that they are unalterable just that some have decided to expend effort in other places than hacking code.

cheers


julian

p.s. you've got the gibbering down pat, just need to work on your frothing now.
 
Originally posted by julian2002
to work on your frothing now.
Click to expand...

Julian

I thought true hardcore Naimees were anti any kind of froth...just the music..straight line..... As Naim stereo soundstaging is hardly known for it's dimensionality, are we to beleive that they have suddenly become masters of creating a holographic soundfield?

Anyway, it must be said that an MC1 for £800 is an amazing bargain (rrp was £5.5K!) - presumably you'd need a transformer to use a US one over here though?
Click to expand...

Matt, no transformer required, all Lex's are multivoltage! The units are trade ins, and available from authorised dealers! I agree, shame no 5.1 bypass.

With regards to Fireman's enthusiasm, I would agree that the Meridian will paste any Lexicon with music for most people (again Meridian has a laid back perspective especially with MHR engaged.). Having said that, the AVR32BP192 runs it very close, and the EAD is better IMO on stereo material, as many would consider the AV2 to be.

And when it comes to movies, if you get the chance to listen to a Lexicon paired with seven full range speakers in L7 with bass enhance engaged, you will hear why many of us consider it to be the king when it comes to home cinema.
 
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Penance,

This isn't just my opinion, no. It is a fact. And as to your earlier post asking about "FACT's", I think you meant to spell it without the apostrophe i.e. FACTs. Punctual errors such as this have been the cause of actual battles! It's no joke.

Now then let's get back to the topic in hand; the only people who doubt Meridian's processors are people who have never heard one properly set-up and calibrated. - FACT

FS
 
Matt,

On a serious note for a minute. :D

If you are looking for a one-box solution pre/pro I honestly think what I've said so far is true. If however you aren't bothered about stereo reproduction and would prefer to keep the hi-fi seperate to the HC, then it's worth considering the Lexicons and Tags etc.

Listen for yourself, I'm sure you'll agree the Meridian processors are the best!

Trifield is well worth a listen, better than 2 channel stereo IMO.

FS
 
Originally posted by Fireman Sam
Penance,

This isn't just my opinion, no. It is a fact. And as to your earlier post asking about "FACT's", I think you meant to spell it without the apostrophe i.e. FACTs. Punctual errors such as this have been the cause of actual battles! It's no joke.

Now then let's get back to the topic in hand; the only people who doubt Meridian's processors are people who have never heard one properly set-up and calibrated. - FACT

FS
Click to expand...

Hi Sam

Theres a lot of Meridian users on this site. I'll soon be getting a Meridian transport to go with my valve DAC... perhaps not Meridians idea when they designed it, but they arent listening to it! :)

Im sure there are some people on the other hand who have listened to Meridian kit though and just not liked it - in regard to all their models.

Best practice really is to avoid absolutist comments and only infer a fact if its source is quoted... kind of keeps everyone happy :D

Cheers
Chris
 
as Chris said

FS - i am merely interested in where you get these facts from, can you show they are a fact. Or is it just that is the way you want it viewed

and i dont realy care about punctuation on a forum ;)
 


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