[sheldaze]

Cheap headphones or not, I absolutely love how this sounds with my Grado SR60i.
But...
 
...they still need a clean power source. That is, when I feed input via Wyrd, I like the sound. When I feed input directly from my laptop computer, the sound is not quite there, to my ears. I've recently acquired a taste for an even more odd pairing, of the Grado SR60i with the Meridian Prime (and power supply). That's about a 50 times ratio between MSRP of the source and the destination. But to my ears, the power is even more clear and clean.
 
In summary, the issue I have with the Explorer² is it is only best when fed clean power. Other USB DAC/AMP solutions are less susceptible to poorer power feeds. This may be what you're hearing?

 

[oceandream1]

hi i do not know what you mean by clean power? do you mean the device is powered by a system external to the computer? if so i am not sure how it works. can you link me to what is needed and the cost. i could try it if it is cheap. 

 

[sheldaze]

  hi i do not know what you mean by clean power? do you mean the device is powered by a system external to the computer? if so i am not sure how it works. can you link me to what is needed and the cost. i could try it if it is cheap. 

In my personal experience with the Explorer² it simply sounded better when I used a powered hub. Schiit makes one called the Wyrd, which is relatively expensive at $99. However even using a simple one from Amazon provided better audio from the headphone output of the Explorer²:
 
http://schiit.com/products/wyrd
http://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Port-2-5A-power-adapter/dp/B00DQFGH80
 
You do not need both. I first tried using the AmazonBasics. I liked what I heard, and later tried the Wyrd - I liked what I heard just a little more. In my experience, it was all about providing a better power source to the Explorer². And that was worth the $16 for the AmazonBasics to trial.

 

[kendavis]

  In my personal experience with the Explorer² it simply sounded better when I used a powered hub. Schiit makes one called the Wyrd, which is relatively expensive at $99. However even using a simple one from Amazon provided better audio from the headphone output of the Explorer²:
 
http://schiit.com/products/wyrd
http://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Port-2-5A-power-adapter/dp/B00DQFGH80
 
You do not need both. I first tried using the AmazonBasics. I liked what I heard, and later tried the Wyrd - I liked what I heard just a little more. In my experience, it was all about providing a better power source to the Explorer². And that was worth the $16 for the AmazonBasics to trial.

Thank you @sheldaze for this thought. I have had my Meridian Direct DAC (1, not 2--before they called it Director), bought when I was younger and foolisher, sitting connected to my computer in my office driving my Asgard 2 or my Lyr 2 for some months and feeling uninspired by the combination. After reading your post I brought up my iFi iUSBPower Power Supply which I also bought some time ago and put it between the PC and the Meridian. I've just started listening to things but the difference is already clear as night and day. Now I have to sit at my computer all night and listen to all my music through this new setup. Anyway, it makes sense that the Meridian devices which get their power from the crappy power in the USB from my PC would benefit from decrapification (is that a word... well it is now). Thanks for your sharing some of your broad experience.

 

[oceandream1]

ken do u own a ifi nano?

 

[kendavis]

  ken do u own a ifi nano?

The one I have is a micro as shown here: http://ifi-audio.com/portfolio-view/micro-iusbpower/
 
I'm not familiar with the nano. Is it newer? better? cheaper?

 

[oceandream1]

oh ok i was talking about ifi nano. it is a amp/dac device like the meridian. just asking if you any ifi dacs/amps and how they compare with others u have including merdian etc

 

[kendavis]

I think I have a clearer idea of what you were asking, @oceandream1. I hadn't realized that ifi makes a variety of different products including DACs and amplifiers. There seem to be three products in ifi's nano line and more in the micro line. I have just the USB Power device which now connects my PC to my meridian Direct. I also have a Meridian Explorer (not second generation) which is put away since I got the Meridian Direct. I'm waiting on a Bifrost just upgraded to Multibit, but that's for my real stereo downstairs, so I can't offer much comparison insight at this time. I can only say I am pretty impressed how much benefit I got from cleaning up the USB power.

 

[oceandream1]

ok thanks man

 

[Decommo]

 

  In my personal experience with the Explorer² it simply sounded better when I used a powered hub. Schiit makes one called the Wyrd, which is relatively expensive at $99. However even using a simple one from Amazon provided better audio from the headphone output of the Explorer²:
 
http://schiit.com/products/wyrd
http://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Port-2-5A-power-adapter/dp/B00DQFGH80
 
You do not need both. I first tried using the AmazonBasics. I liked what I heard, and later tried the Wyrd - I liked what I heard just a little more. In my experience, it was all about providing a better power source to the Explorer². And that was worth the $16 for the AmazonBasics to trial.

Thank you @sheldaze for this thought. I have had my Meridian Direct DAC (1, not 2--before they called it Director), bought when I was younger and foolisher, sitting connected to my computer in my office driving my Asgard 2 or my Lyr 2 for some months and feeling uninspired by the combination. After reading your post I brought up my iFi iUSBPower Power Supply which I also bought some time ago and put it between the PC and the Meridian. I've just started listening to things but the difference is already clear as night and day. Now I have to sit at my computer all night and listen to all my music through this new setup. Anyway, it makes sense that the Meridian devices which get their power from the crappy power in the USB from my PC would benefit from decrapification (is that a word... well it is now). Thanks for your sharing some of your broad experience.

 
Thank you for sharing.. Is there any difference between Schitt Wyrd and iFi iUSB in terms of performance? I guess that both does the same thing. Please correct me if  I am wrong.

 

[oceandream1]

HI ANYONE had any luck playing MQA files with the meridian explorer. i noticed there is some MQA file of some classical piece on tidal but my meridian explorer does not turn green as it is supposed to. i also downloaded foobar and downloaded a mqa flac from the web but again it does not seem to turn green etc. so i am not sure what is the proper way to play the MQA file. thanks

 

[sheldaze]

  HI ANYONE had any luck playing MQA files with the meridian explorer. i noticed there is some MQA file of some classical piece on tidal but my meridian explorer does not turn green as it is supposed to. i also downloaded foobar and downloaded a mqa flac from the web but again it does not seem to turn green etc. so i am not sure what is the proper way to play the MQA file. thanks

Are you certain your Explorer has been successfully flashed with the MQA update?

 

[Avatar86]

...

 

[oceandream1]

how to do that?

 

[sheldaze]

  how to do that?

There are instructions on the Meridian site where you need to download and extract an archive.
 
If you have not done this, your Explorer is only MQA-ready. It does not have the MQA code as yet fully installed:
 
https://www.meridian-audio.com/support/computer-audio-support/explorer-2/
 
See notes on DAC UPLOADER.