Who is enjoying their Meridian G08?

[Canman]

I am very tempted to pick up a Meridian G08 based on my listening at Hirsch's meet. Back to back it beat up my Wadia 301 for soundstage and smoothness.

So I want to know who is enjoying their G08. I know a few of you guys have one (tuberoller, tk_suki, steveio, todd), but how has it held up under scrutiny of long term listening? Any of you guys feel the need to move on or purchase something else? I am asking because first impressions are not always accurate and minor flaws which can become irritating can take time to surface. Basically, I am trying to gauge whether or not its worth it to upgrade.

 

[Tuberoller]

I'm sure you know that I auditioned many high-end digital sources in search of a great one and I feel I found it with the G08. I had the Musical Fidelity Trivista,Nuvista,and Trivista DAC, the Teac Esoteric DV-50,Bel Canto Universal Player,MacCormack Universal player,and various Cary,Krell and Arcam sources passed through my system before I found the G08. I have probably heard about 125 sources over the past year or so at various trade shows, meets and at dealers and the G08 is the one for me. Your milage may vary but I think Meridian makes the best digital gear. It's certainly the most "analog" sounding gear and that's what I like most about my G08. My review will be posted this weekend.

 

[gpalmer]

Heh, I'm enjoying my 588 after months of extensive use and have had thoughts of upgrading to the G08, but mostly I wanted to bump this thread for you!

 

[Canman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gpalmer Heh, I'm enjoying my 588 after months of extensive use and have had thoughts of upgrading to the G08, but mostly I wanted to bump this thread for you!

Thanks gpalmer...if the 588 sounds anything like the 508 then its not such a bad player. The G08 is quite a player though...sounded like it was the one with the Stax setup. Plus it looks badass.

Fred, I'm really looking forward to reading your review. Your articles are always fun to read. We don't see eye to eye on a lot of products (Stax mafia is coming for you), but I think I share the same goals as you when it comes to sources. A source should have smoothness and liquidity--but the clarity has to be there too. The Wadia has the clarity, but it lacks some of the soul that the Meridian held in the midrange. Plus, the soundstage was noticably wider on headphones. The G08 seems to be really good at getting the ambient details.

I didn't find any local dealers so if I ordered one it would be from Todd.

How was the Bel Canto Universal Player? I haven't seen too much talk about that one.

 

[Tuberoller]

The Bel canto was expensive($9,000) but that's perhaps the best thing I can say about it. It refused to read a bunch of discs and sounded only slightly better than the 963 I had installed right next to it and then only on SACD playback. Certainly not worth the cash.

I'm glad you can take a joke about the Stax Mafia thing and it's good that we can disagree a bunch and still have some common goals. That's what this is all about.

 

[stevieo]

canman,

so far the go8 is a winner. but i have only run it through my speakers. i can not do any serious listening until my ppx3 amp arrives in a few weeks.

feel free to come on down & take it home with you. just p.m. me & i'll send you my tel. #.

hirsch got a new knee today & may be home this weekend but will probably be feeling like s.... for a while but you can come & get the g08 if you like.

 

[spritzer]

Ohhhh you guy's are killing me. My G08 is supposed to arrive this week and I can't wait.

 

[gpalmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spritzer Ohhhh you guy's are killing me. My G08 is supposed to arrive this week and I can't wait.

Congrats, can we count on some impressions?

 

[gpalmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canman Thanks gpalmer...if the 588 sounds anything like the 508 then its not such a bad player. The G08 is quite a player though...sounded like it was the one with the Stax setup. Plus it looks badass.

I understand it's considerably better than the 508, even upgraded to 24 bit. OTOH, the little feedback I have seen seems to indicate the G08 will be much better, but there are some other goodies I need to buy before doing the upgrade.

 

[Old Pa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spritzer Ohhhh you guy's are killing me. My G08 is supposed to arrive this week and I can't wait.

Yup. We need a drool "smiley" around here. I'm also in the "anticipation" stage of G08 enjoyment with probably ten days to 2 weeks to go before mine arrives. Because of my fundimental and undying belief that "black is beautiful", the G08's finish choice was easy.

 

[lan]

What is the difference between G07 and G08, just the latter is balanced?

 

[spritzer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gpalmer Congrats, can we count on some impressions?

Yup I will post some impressions. Now I have to decide on whether I will get a Blue Hawaii or a KGSS.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lan What is the difference between G07 and G08, just the latter is balanced?

Well the G08 upsamples, can play MP3's and has a universal PSU but I think thats it.

 

[tk_suki]

I am partial to vinyl since better part of my software but the G08 has revived my CD collection. I am now almost as eager to buy/listen to a CD as Vinyl.

The MP3 feature I love great for ambient listening, hours! For romantic evenings well, 20min LP and even 70min CD just is to short. MP3 xtreme, quality is quite good even for headphones.

Have no desires to upgrade the G08. Done phew! Money reasonably spent.

Hard to compare to others, which I auditioned in short sessions in foreign enviroments. But none, in sub $8K range, thrilled me and at those prices expect a WOW feeling, which I experienced when first hearing G08. I started baselining at the highest end Esoteric flagship, Wadia, etc... As you prefaced it takes time for impressions to settle. New toy syndrome wore down and still brings satisfaction.

Doubt you will be seeing any of these on the second hand market for quite some time, unless Meridian can come out with a significantly better product in similar price range, perhaps SACD and/or DVD-A. All my CDs though are redbook. Resale value should still be good like their other products.

If you can afford it get a Meridian and TT and rest should be downhill. At least that is how I feel. Still have challenges, power amps to pair with Stealth, rack, etc... but core infrastructure is solid so can enjoy regardless.

Meridian is not the perfect player, do not want to suggest that it beats my vinyl rig but can hang and that is something I was having trouble with most other players. As a CDP has some nice features which vinyl well is more ltd.

Regardless tanoshii!

-tk
p.s. There may be as good or even better products in this range, but the G08 has a proved rep. Want to take a chance elsewhere on expensive experiment. Unfortunately, I am not that adventurous with my walllet.
--------------------
sayonara, sayonara, sayonara mo sugu Ginza ni iku!

 

[Old Pa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tk_suki I am partial to vinyl since better part of my software but the G08 has revived my CD collection. I am now almost as eager to buy/listen to a CD as Vinyl.

While I would not pretend to put words in the mouth of tk, he has struck upon what I think is a valid measure of value in high end audio. Since the value of the Meridian G08 has already been raised, I guess I will ride my horse for a while.

Whatever out personal sentiments about the term "audiophile", most of us regard it as applying to us when used and apply it personally to our love of music. This is a love that does not pass and does not die, but continues to grow and mature with music both old and new. I've been doing this now for over forty years and will continue as long as I draw breath. Over the years, we amass considerable libraries of recorded music; these are our real treasures and expressions. The hardware we use to play and appreciate our music libraries is but means to an end. While the good components provide joy of ownership and operation commenserate with other fine machinery, they are but devices while the music is the art and expression and experience we need, that our souls require.

That said, what higher value can be placed upon a new hardware component than that it allowed us to further enjoy our existing music libraries? My Arcam FMJ23T was the first CDP that brought emotion out of my CD collection for me. One of the joys I look forward to when my Meridian G08 arrives is that the Arcam gets kicked upstairs and my oversampled Ahh! Njoe Tjoeb gets packed for field camp. Both the upstairs RKV setup and the field Cambridge Model 12 rig are going to get better! This is in addition to my anticipated rediscovery of parts of my existing CD collection with the Meridian. If it gets better than this, then I don't know.

The value of adding the Meridian G08 then runs through my systems and at each level my enjoyment of my existing music library is to be enhanced. This must be considered as the true measure of value in adding the G08 as a component.

EDIT: Well the object of desire and anticipation showed up early this afternoon and I'm already tickled pink. Wait for a couple hundred hours of burnin before getting critical, but already this thing is getting so much more material off of discs and getting it so natural and right. Makes all the other hardware and software worth that much more. I think I see a K-works PC in my future . . . .

 

[Old Pa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lan What is the difference between G07 and G08, just the latter is balanced?

G07 has a different CD transport and electronics, no balanced output , and the DAC doesn't have oversampling, different error correction and some other differences. More different than I had originally thought.