When I buy a new Meridian 808i and APC S20 from TTVJ, I get a five and two year warranty respectively and I get an extra one year when I register my 808i on https://www.meridian-register.com/index.html . Before everybody jumps in to dour my dreams, Meridian will not touch a defective product if it was bought used from an unauthorized dealer...unless I pay at least several thousands of dollars [depending upon the age of the used 808 player] to ship it to Atlanta, Georgia for inspection, certification, and a full warranty...again, for a used model that now has a repair history. Much like other high end audio brands, Meridian will not authorize warranty transfers period. Remember, I bought a used Denon DVD 5910 weighing in 42 pounds from a shady eBay seller in California that arrived dead on arrival; a new one lists at $3800 USD MSRP. It cost me several hundreds of dollars to repair and upgrade the unit to the current 5910ci specifications. If something goes wrong with an Audigon purchase of a used 808, then who here can afford to pay for an amicable resolution to my problematic situation? A new Meridian 808i lists for $14,850 USD MSRP.

To belabour the point some more, I bought a new Ayre Acoustics CX-7 Evolution last summer from The Home Theater Group. It shipped with a loose screw inside of the chassis. I took it back to the authorized Ayre dealer for a quick repair and he had told me that screw was responsible for the only ground wire for all of the electronics. If I did not have my BPT unit with its automatic circuit overload shut off mechanism and something happened, "everything inside would become toast." That was a brand new $3,000 USD CD player.

No offense meant to others.

I can understand this completely, Welly. Your reasoning is very sound. Hopefully you never need to use the warranty, but I'm glad you will have the security. I cross my fingers for my own gear. Hopefully all will be fine.

I hope you get your gear soon!


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I got my Cary used in Audiogon and it was a dealer demo. I got it half price and with 3 years of warranty. Is it possible that Todd has a demon somewhere that he wants to get rid off?

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No, but he has a used Meridian G07 available.

a six year warranty is amazing. i totally retract my previous comment if Meridian is actually so anal about servicing pre-owned gear... What its high-fi, everybody buys used. i have no records for my 596 i need to call them to see if i am screwed if something happens to it.

I am using Intuit's TurboTax and Quicken Premier 2007 to adjust my budget and prepare my 2006 federal and state taxes. If my calculations are correct, then I just found an extra few thousands to save that I had not anticipated a few weeks ago. If correct, then I am looking at buying both the Meridian 808i and APC S20 a full month and a half earlier and paying off my student loan two months earlier than my target deadlines.

I have to call Fidelity and call up a tax accountant / attorney tomorrow. Dman I'm so excaited that I can't speell right and sleep now.

http://www.meridianunplugged.com/cgi...c;f=7;t=001083

http://www.meridianunplugged.com/ubb...=000359#000000

Yes, nothing is perfect

Meridian USA charges a flat $45 diagnostic and evaluation fee for any piece of equipment that arrives for repair out of warranty from the 500 series to the 800 series. they will service all used gear but the mfr warranty is non-transferable from the original owner. they also will not re-establish an original manufactures warranty after the repair work is complete, they back the repair with a 90-day parts and service warranty... so basically its a straight forward policy that any company should offer.

in consequence i would re-suggest that you look into a used unit, and also tell your dealer or whoever else is trying to scare you with misinformation that he lost a sale.

A six year warranty is still valuable to me. Repairing a used 808i is more expensive compared to a 596. I guess supporting a Head-Fi sponsor is worthless?

I think it's clear that Welly wants to purchase a new Meridian. He's gathering his forces and they'll transfer to TTVJ and he'll get an incredible preamp and source. I'm not sure any amount of convincing will change his mind. In some ways he's right, in some ways we are right. Either way, the cause of fine audio is served.

All that matters to me is that he'll let me listen to it some day!

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there are other Meridian owners here and potential Meridian owners who might be considering buying a used player, the information you posted about their service was false and fairly disturbing. youre simply sounding like an alarmist now.

i asked Meridian specifically about the 808i so i would not further confuse this thread, and AFAIK my 596 uses the same transport as "your" 808 which should cost the same to repair, except this information actually applies to me at this point in time.

if you really want to support TTVJ buy a used 808i and give him a $6000 donation. lol, im sorry i corrected you i hope your job works out.

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in case you forgot your own reasoning, we just made a suggestion.

yeah!

Listen, no offense meant or taken to anyone. I am surely glad that I discovered the Meridian 808i and that I started this thread. You guys are driving me "past the point of no return" with regard to this purchase and the APC S20. Honestly, had I just kept to myself, I would have "chickened out" a long time ago.



Thanks. I got two unexpected cash influxes coming next week which will accelerate my savings plans to the last Thursday in September 2007. That gives me an extra month of "breathing room" to pay off my debt for good too.

Where is the insanity smilie?

I know exactly which song to play first on my Meridian 808i/APC S20, but I won't share it with you until I post pictures. A teaser.

The man is determined to achieve his audio nirvana! Sounds like a good plan to me.

Wow.

I just finished reading this thread as part of my research into a future audio source. Very interesting reading indeed.

I especially like the interview of Bob Stuart about the format wars. It is such a shame. Practically all SACD titles are released as a hybrid anyway so they are backwards compatible. But due to corporate greed, Sony are charging the world for the right to use their patented format which is one of the reasons I boycott the company. I rate them as low as Bose from that standpoint.

Also, I saw a LOT of posts saying that it's total madness and stupidity to spend that kind of money on a source.

I wouldn't hesitate to get the 808i and I don't make $100k a year. Just over half that if the photography is good, but it's not about how much you make, it's about disposable income. I have no debts, no kids, I live cheap. My HD-650's is worth more than my wardrobe.
From what I can understand, the 808i is a top of the range digital source. It can also be used as an outboard DAC and it's a high end preamp all in one. I've seen some people's signatures and by the time you get your source, DAC, headphone/pre-amp and all the relevant IC's to the standard of the 808i, I doubt there's a package out there that would fare much better cost wise.

When I bought the kW SACD, one of the players I did a direct comparison with is indeed the G08. I chose the kW because I wanted to try SACD's but eventually found that there aren't enough titles released to warrant the investment which is why it's up for sale.

But I would gladly sell the kW for the chance of acquiring the 808i. Hell, I wouldn't even need the Grace Design M902 anymore as the 808 would also act as my outboard DAC.

Right now, I can only dream... but one day...

Now... THIS is ridiculous!!!!