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Meridian Explorer² Impressions Thread
Jun 13, 2015 at 7:27 AM Post #256 of 1,003
Searching through the posts, people are using AKG K612 and AKG K702 65th anniversary edition. I'm happily using AKG Q701 
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I cannot comment on your specific headphones, but the Meridian has a fairly neutral presentation. As long as you have enough power, you cannot go too far wrong. From what I've read, the K812 actually takes less power than the Q/K70x headphones. The Meridian will not mask any specific headphone issue, but it does have a smooth, clean, balanced presentation.
 
Jun 15, 2015 at 6:00 PM Post #257 of 1,003
Hello to the community!
I have a question for you Explorer and/or Explorer 2 owners.
I own the Explorer and I am using it as a DAC only, as I also have an 02 amp.
Do you think it will be a worthy upgrade to buy the Explorer 2 for this use (DAC only)?

I am not considering the standalone DAC by Meridian because rarely I use it as an amp when travelling and it is perfect, but 90% of it's time will be used as DAC only, so I would like your opinion on that!
 
Jun 15, 2015 at 8:46 PM Post #258 of 1,003
I'm listening to my Meridian Explorer2 as I write this! There's no doubt in my mind about the audio quality. I will also, on occasion, use it as a DAC-only. However I start to doubt the value if used as a DAC-only all the time, never to connect headphones directly to the headphone output. For much less cost, I think one could find another DAC-only option, such as one of the entry level Schiit boxes.
 
For me, it's not a quality question - quality is good from both outputs. It's a value question. Once you have a separate amplifier box, I think you'll find more value in also getting a separate DAC box. Save up, and keep an eye out on the used listings. I did not pay much at all for my Meridian Director used.
 
Jun 16, 2015 at 2:20 AM Post #259 of 1,003
Well there are occasions that I will take the explorer on a trip and then its' amp capabilities come in handy. I use it rarely that way, but still I would like to have this option.
I don't know if you own explorer 1 but in term's of upgrading you are saying it's worth it, right?
In this case I will put my explorer 1 for sale!
 
Jun 16, 2015 at 11:02 AM Post #260 of 1,003
Definitely!
 
I just sold my Explorer 1 - definitely keeping my Explorer 2. It did take my ears a little while to adjust to the difference. But it's more than a hardware change. They added Meridian proprietary processing, and I like it
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And perhaps you'll be able to use it with MQA?
 
The only thing missing is the optical output, but my Mac computers provide that same capability.
 
Jun 22, 2015 at 10:00 AM Post #263 of 1,003
Hmm…a little confused by the DSD comment
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If you're referring to the MQA, it is a Meridian proprietary audio codec used to transmit high resolution 24-bit/192kHz audio across networks using the same bandwidth as 16-bit/44.1kHz audio. The MQA decoder is built into the Explorer2. So say a company, such as Tidal, wanted to switch from PCM to MQA, they could do so with no penalty to their current bandwidth capacity. And people who have a regular PCM decoder can still listen to regular PCM audio. The MQA apparently resides safely in the noise.
 
I connect to my Explorer2 the same way, with an adapter feeding the line level output into one of my dedicated headphone amps. Using the external amp definitely makes the height, width, depth properties of the sound grow 
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 And I can match the amp to the preferred headphone. Still I wouldn't hesitate to use the headphone output, especially during travel.
 
I noticed on your other thread post (yes, I have the Director too) that you use a separate USB power box. That, in my opinion, makes a noticeable difference to both the line level and headphone audio outputs. The Meridian products seem to benefit greatly from having clean source power, and my 2008 Macbook does not provide it 
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Happy listening 
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Jun 22, 2015 at 9:22 PM Post #264 of 1,003
alpha421 said:
  Curios if anyone is using a USB power isolator with his/her Explorer?
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I just got an Explorer2 a few days ago, and have been giving it a listen.  I've mostly been using it plugged into the little minijack "A2" input of a Meridian Prime, comparing the Explorer2 as a DAC to the Prime's built-in DAC and to a Schiit Bifrost (the latter with the latest audio and USB boards).  Where it gets weird is that I'm most often not using headphones plugged into the Prime;  I'm using the Prime as a linestage which drives a little Parasound power amp, which in turn drives a pair of Audience's The One speakers.  So my setup is kinda weird, and your mileage on entirely different roads may be seriously different.
 
Plugged directly into a USB port on a Mac Mini, the Explorer2 sounded a lot like the Prime's DAC, but lighter-weight.  It was genuinely pleasant, but wasn't up to the standard I was used to.
 
Plugged into a Schiit Wyrd, the Explorer fleshed out and started to sound shockingly much like the Prime's DAC section.  I highly recommend that combination.  I haven't tried any other flavor of USB cleaner-upper/power-supply replacement with the Explorer2.
 
Comparing the Bifrost...  I continue to respect it, and for all I know is may be more "correct" in some sense, but I tend to find myself preferring the Meridian D/As for the music I've been listening to most these days - mostly jazz.  The Meridian sound feels more organic to me;  when I switch to the Bifrost, it's as if somebody switched on a light with slightly too high a color temperature for the atmosphere in the club I've been in.  I've been finding the sound of both Meridian DACs more engagingly musical to me, and I listened to the Explorer2 quite happily.  I could listen to it as a line-level-output DAC long-term without feeling I was deprived.  I'm seriously impressed with it for the price - although I'd recommend budgeting another hundred bucks for a Wyrd.
 
I haven't done enough listening to the E2 driving headphones directly to pass judgement on its chops there.
 
And I fully acknowledge that my Meridian-vs-Schiit impressions here may be influenced by the greater amount of time I've spent listening via the Prime's DAC than via the Bifrost, and whatever acclimation may have happened because of that.  May be.
 
Jun 24, 2015 at 1:18 AM Post #265 of 1,003
I did hear the Meridian Explorer2 with a Macbook Pro and is sounded very nice. I am going to take my Explorer2 along with my IFI power supply to see if it helps the Macbook Pro when I go back to Florida for vacation. I did try my setup with a Mac Mini with Audirvana and is sounded great and it is better than JRiver. The mac mini was mine but I tried to install an SSD drive and destroyed it. 
 
Jun 25, 2015 at 10:40 PM Post #266 of 1,003
Meridian has always been PCM they have no plans for DSD as far as I know. They claim PCM sounds better with the filters and has more dynamic range. I have compared the Schiit Loki DSD with the Explorer2 and there is no comparison. The Explorer2 sounds so much better. 
 
Jun 26, 2015 at 1:47 AM Post #267 of 1,003
Well, after years of trying all formats on budget and high-end systems, including systems like famous Meridian DSP 8000, I've come to believe well-mastered CD quality is the highest human ear can hear. Mastering is the key to good sound. A poorly mastered track won't sound good even if has the highest resolution. Meridian understands this, and they have developed a codec called MQA, which has to be applied at mastering stage to provide good sound. I hope we can get our hands on some MQA files soon. 
 
Jun 26, 2015 at 8:52 AM Post #268 of 1,003
huberd said:
  Meridian has always been PCM they have no plans for DSD as far as I know. They claim PCM sounds better with the filters and has more dynamic range. I have compared the Schiit Loki DSD with the Explorer2 and there is no comparison. The Explorer2 sounds so much better. 
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Cool!
I had definitely thought about getting the Loki, but will probably hold off. I still plan to hear DSD at some point, but I may just wait for the newest CEntrance products to come to market.
 
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