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Meridian Explorer² Impressions Thread
May 16, 2016 at 2:44 PM Post #588 of 1,003
Are you sure 
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I thought it was also powered by USB?
 
May 16, 2016 at 4:02 PM Post #589 of 1,003
sheldaze said:
  Actually was just getting back to my computer, but you might not like my conclusion. There are always going to be subtle differences between each of the options. I found Apogee Groove interesting enough to keep. I'm planning to upgrade from Explorer 2, so I'm still keeping some of the Meridian "house" sound in the upgrade. Mojo, as @yage mentioned, really should not be judged on its size. I found it more competitive with much higher grade gear.
 
But my conclusion - pick one. Almost any one of the modern USB DAC/AMP is going to serve you quite well! Then, when you're ready, upgrade to a desktop solution. There really is a lot of delta between a desktop and a USB DAC/AMP solution. That's where the biggest change is, in getting A/C power coming from a wall. Otherwise you're just playing with small deltas from one to another.
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I had the Explorer2, the Mojo is in another league. It is very neutral sounding, I also owned the Explorer 1, I do not miss either of them. You may wish to note the AudioQuest Red DAC is very close to Mojo's performance. You should not need a jitterbug if your DAC is galvanically isolated. All of the above DACs are not made this way as it drains the battery and should benefit. On the contrary, you should also consider a USB Hub to ensure a clean feed, especially for the Explorer DACs. Items like the Schiit Audio Wyrd work very well with all the DACs listed here. 
 
May 16, 2016 at 6:55 PM Post #591 of 1,003
$600 ish but... I got the Meridian Explorer 2 today, ran the updates and setup (still don't have the Jitterbug) and my first impressions are Very positive, on my Amp/Speaker system. I need a few days to really try it out. It's sound is closer to the High End Sony was but I think it has more width, depth and air. 
 
May 16, 2016 at 7:55 PM Post #593 of 1,003
fredrico58 said:
Last question for the day. How good is the Schiit Bifrost Multibit?
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IMO, beats the pants out of the ME and ME2 only on 16-bit 44.1 KHz files unless you're playing high res files which sounds lifeless on Bimby
 
May 16, 2016 at 9:28 PM Post #597 of 1,003
IMO, Bifrost Multibit and generally entry level multibit DACs aren't for you since Multibit DACs are usually 16-bit to 24-bit (high end) only. Bifrost Multibit is only 16-bit so it excels at 16-bit files. Even Schiit Yggrasil DAC is only 20-bit thus performing best on files that are also 16-bit. Usually Delta Sigma DACs like Meridan Explorer, etc, have 32-bits of upsampling capability and therefore suitable for high rez files.
 
May 17, 2016 at 7:36 AM Post #598 of 1,003
theveterans said:
  IMO, Bifrost Multibit and generally entry level multibit DACs aren't for you since Multibit DACs are usually 16-bit to 24-bit (high end) only. Bifrost Multibit is only 16-bit so it excels at 16-bit files. Even Schiit Yggrasil DAC is only 20-bit thus performing best on files that are also 16-bit. Usually Delta Sigma DACs like Meridan Explorer, etc, have 32-bits of upsampling capability and therefore suitable for high rez files.
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Have you heard the Yggdrasil?
Are you suggesting that a Meridian Explorer sounds better than a Yggdrasil on high resolution audio?
 
May 17, 2016 at 8:17 AM Post #599 of 1,003
sheldaze said:
Have you heard the Yggdrasil?
Are you suggesting that a Meridian Explorer sounds better than a Yggdrasil on high resolution audio?
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It's up to your taste. Chird Mojo that I have sounds very lively with 24/96 and 24/192 while the MB Bifrost sounds tinny and lacking body. Yggy might do it better, but it sounds best with redbook files.
 
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