My thoughts on the Meridian 808.3

jtein

New Member
Mar 25, 2012
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I'm now the proud and satisfied owner of a four-day old Meridian 808.3 Signature Reference CD player.

I won't be organizing my thoughts and observations in a nice orderly piece of essay but I'll just state them as they come to mind. I'm not too good at using audiophile terms and jargon either.

So here goes. Wow....oh boy....yeehaaaw! It paid off! My gamble paid off! I had no opportunity to listen to the 808.3 in a dealer's demo room, let alone auditioning it in my home with the rest of my system. So I had to do a lot of reading and research of reviews, both online and physical magazines. I had to "listen" and "compare" various products like dCS Puccini, EMM Labs XDS1, Playback Designs MPS-5, Esoteric K-01 through the ears of magazine reviewers. I had to resort to asking questions and comparing notes with forummers like the good folks here. I do know the sonic character of the rest of my components and speakers, so after much "auditioning" the 808.3 with the others I just listed, I made a judgment call and went for it.

What a buy! The 808.3 is indeed a state-of-the-art player. It is extraordinarily revealing. It's just 4 days old and I'm already hearing so much low-level detail and transients in a given piece of music/song. In terms of transparency, the 808.3 trumps my previous player, the widely-acclaimed Esoteric X-03 SE SACD/CD player. Mind you, I'm comparing a 4-day old 808.3 to a player that has clocked over 1,000 hours.

Ok, I think I'm tired. So that's it for today.....to be continued.....

Meanwhile, here's something for your reading pleasure: http://www.hifichoice.co.uk/news/article.asp?a=10142 :)
 

joeinid

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2011
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Congratulations jtein,

Please keep up updated. I am glad you are happy. This is one player on my list, partly because of their reputation and mostly because it can interface with the Sooloos system and be a complete digital music solution. Can you post any photos?
 

LL21

Well-Known Member
Dec 26, 2010
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Congrats Jtein! Good for you and it sounds like you did your homework...so well deserved. Pls continue to post your observations. Enjoy!
 

jtein

New Member
Mar 25, 2012
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Malaysia
Congratulations jtein,

Please keep up updated. I am glad you are happy. This is one player on my list, partly because of their reputation and mostly because it can interface with the Sooloos system and be a complete digital music solution. Can you post any photos?

Congrats Jtein! Good for you and it sounds like you did your homework...so well deserved. Pls continue to post your observations. Enjoy!

Thanks Joe and Lloyd. Will try to post some pics.
 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
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435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
This is so awesome! Meridian is a solid 'sound' name you can trust; that I already knew.
And now to have you with one more confirmation is just awesome.

I share with you your delight. :b

And thank you for bringing me here (thread's direction).
 

jtein

New Member
Mar 25, 2012
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Malaysia
Thanks for your affirmation, Northstar. :)

Ok, let's see where I left off in my last post. Right, I was comparing the 808.3 with my Esoteric X-03 SE. One thing the Esoteric has over the 808.3 was that it had a lot of grunt, especially in the lower registers. One of my test tracks that I always use is "Frenzy", Track 2 from the album "Kenya Revisited" (CD Jazzheads JH1167) by Bobby Sanabria and the Manhattan School of Jazz. At the end of the track, there's a drum solo and I can really feel the "thwump" and the "air" of the kickdrum on the Esoteric. Very realistic. That's not to say the Meridian is bass-shy. It can do bass.

I find that the Meridian lingers a little longer on each note than the Esoteric. As such, I can really hear the timbre and decay of each note and instrument. Some may call it lack of rhythm and pace which results in not being so emotionally involving, like what the review by Hifi Choice said (click on the link I provided above). For me, I don't find it to be emotionally uninvolving. The sheer transparency of the 808.3 allowing me to listen deeeeep into the recording mix makes it very emotionally satisfying for me. The retrieval of the most fleeting of transients and the minutest low-level detail is really astounding. I have been looking for this kind of sound ever since I began this hobby many years ago. But each time I upgraded my components, I knew there was still something missing. I knew there was just something more. This now has been met by the Meridian 808.3. I can't tell you how relieved and elated I am.

Because of the apodising filter, I love putting in CDs that are poorly recorded/mastered into the 808.3 and listen to it do its job. The upper registers are no longer harsh to my ears. Very easy to test this one. With the Esoteric, when the treble gets harsh, my right eardrum will buzz which can be rather discomforting. Now with the Meridian, there's hardly any buzzing. So it's true. The apodising filter has removed the pre-ringing, not only during playback, but the pre-ringing introduced during the ADC stage of the recording/mastering process. Vocals and instruments are more three-dimensional than before and more analog sounding. But I don't mean that the 808.3 has rolled-off or smoothen the high frequencies. By no means. In fact, vocals and instruments have more bite but without the grain, glare, grunge and the hard CD sound.

Well, that's it for now.
 

LL21

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Dec 26, 2010
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Sounds great! Look forward to hearing more! Are you going direct into your amp?
 

jtein

New Member
Mar 25, 2012
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Malaysia
Unbelievable. I'm listening to the first track of Hillsong's "Shout To The Lord" Platinum Collection (CD E2K 61499) and for the first time I heard the 50-member choir behind the band. It's a live concert and it's pretty congested with a lot of instruments and vocals. But the Meridian 808.3 is doing a fine job delineating each line of instrument and vocals and the choir. The bass is taut and articulate. I continue to be amazed.
 

mullard88

Well-Known Member
Jun 5, 2010
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62
1,588
Please keep posting. There is real joy in your prose and it brings me cheers just reading your posts. I also enjoy reading how it is making you feel. To me, the feeling is as important as the sonic observations. Congratulations! You are one lucky person for finding what you have been searching for since you started in this hobby years ago. Your Meridian is heaven sent. Enjoy it as I enjoy reading your blog.
 

jtein

New Member
Mar 25, 2012
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Malaysia
Ok, imaging. With my Esoteric X-03 SE, I found that vocals sort of tilted to a bit to my left. That was corrected when my dealer lent me an Esoteric G03-X word clock. Images were stabilised and vocals were airier. So it's true, jitter (which is measured in picoseconds) is audible. With my Meridian 808.3, I had the same results - stable imaging and vocals had more air to it - without the need of a clock. I find that the 808.3 is superior to the X-03 SE + clock combo in terms of sheer transparency and retrieval of very low-level detail buried deep in the recording. Delicious! :)
 

jtein

New Member
Mar 25, 2012
97
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0
Malaysia
Please keep posting. There is real joy in your prose and it brings me cheers just reading your posts. I also enjoy reading how it is making you feel. To me, the feeling is as important as the sonic observations. Congratulations! You are one lucky person for finding what you have been searching for since you started in this hobby years ago. Your Meridian is heaven sent. Enjoy it as I enjoy reading your blog.

Wowsers! Thanks mullard88....I'm humbled. Although not a newbie, I'm not the typical audiophile that knows a lot of stuff. So it's heartwarming to know that my posts are bringing cheers to you.
 

joeinid

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2011
1,543
12
400
NY
Wowsers! Thanks mullard88....I'm humbled. Although not a newbie, I'm not the typical audiophile that knows a lot of stuff. So it's heartwarming to know that my posts are bringing cheers to you.

jtein,

I am equally interested and happy you are loving the 808.3. Thank you for all the updates and look forward to more and more.
 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
Wowsers! Thanks mullard88....I'm humbled. Although not a newbie, I'm not the typical audiophile that knows a lot of stuff. So it's heartwarming to know that my posts are bringing cheers to you.

"Knowing is one thing, Listening is another." - Bob

...Then Sharing your Findings is Audiophilia. :b
 

LL21

Well-Known Member
Dec 26, 2010
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Ok, imaging. With my Esoteric X-03 SE, I found that vocals sort of tilted to a bit to my left. That was corrected when my dealer lent me an Esoteric G03-X word clock. Images were stabilised and vocals were airier. So it's true, jitter (which is measured in picoseconds) is audible. With my Meridian 808.3, I had the same results - stable imaging and vocals had more air to it - without the need of a clock. I find that the 808.3 is superior to the X-03 SE + clock combo in terms of sheer transparency and retrieval of very low-level detail buried deep in the recording. Delicious! :)

Hi JTein, Fantastic! I will say, my observation of the latest digital has not always been 'net net' favorable relative to my old Zanden. But where i HAVE acknowledged big improvements has been in separation of instrumentation, detailing...the ability to hold an entire orchestra separated and delineated rather than slightly blurred. The DCS Scarlatti does this, and so does the Stahl-Tek Vekian. That is what it seems the 808.3 is also adept at doing. That really makes a big difference on orchestral...and on 'hearing new details' you never heard before on recordings. That is truly enjoyable to have in the latest digital.
 

jtein

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Mar 25, 2012
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Hi JTein, Fantastic! I will say, my observation of the latest digital has not always been 'net net' favorable relative to my old Zanden. But where i HAVE acknowledged big improvements has been in separation of instrumentation, detailing...the ability to hold an entire orchestra separated and delineated rather than slightly blurred. The DCS Scarlatti does this, and so does the Stahl-Tek Vekian. That is what it seems the 808.3 is also adept at doing. That really makes a big difference on orchestral...and on 'hearing new details' you never heard before on recordings. That is truly enjoyable to have in the latest digital.

Yes Lloyd, it's really enjoyable. And I think it's value for money compared to the dCS Scarlatti since it's three times the cost of my 808.3. I also find that now with the 808.3 in place, it has significantly diminished the urge/need/desire to upgrade. The Burmester can wait :cool:

I'm now embarking on building from scratch a dedicated listening room with full acoustic treatment. My contractor and acoustic guy just been to my home to do the measurements. I can tell you that with proper acoustic treatment, your gear will perform at a level it has no right to perform.
 

LL21

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Dec 26, 2010
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Yes Lloyd, it's really enjoyable. And I think it's value for money compared to the dCS Scarlatti since it's three times the cost of my 808.3. I also find that now with the 808.3 in place, it has significantly diminished the urge/need/desire to upgrade. The Burmester can wait :cool:

I'm now embarking on building from scratch a dedicated listening room with full acoustic treatment. My contractor and acoustic guy just been to my home to do the measurements. I can tell you that with proper acoustic treatment, your gear will perform at a level it has no right to perform.

Agree...that is a big part of any system, though often the most challenging one to get right. It is far more disruptive to pull apart the walls, flooring and ceilings...than to buy a new cable. As for DCS Scarlatti, i think it is a sensational technical accomplishment...but if i had to choose, i think i would: a) choose Meridian to play my music collection, or b) really have to ensure the rest of my system was setup to get that extra bit of lyrical 'magic' out of the DCS.

Enjoy!
 

LL21

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Dec 26, 2010
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Hey JTein, did your dealer ever indicate to you the difference between the 808.2 and your 808.3 in terms of sound? Just curious as i have never heard yours...only the 808.2. Thanks for any guidance!
 

jtein

New Member
Mar 25, 2012
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Hey JTein, did your dealer ever indicate to you the difference between the 808.2 and your 808.3 in terms of sound? Just curious as i have never heard yours...only the 808.2. Thanks for any guidance!

That's a good question Lloyd which I'm unable to answer, the reason being that my dealer has heard the 808.2 but he's never heard the 808.3 before! LOL! In fact, my dealer told me mine's the first unit in Malaysia!

But from the specs, Meridian has changed the transport to a TEAC one so that ought to be a plus since TEAC is the parent company of Esoteric which has arguably one of the best transports. Although the software is still the same as found in the 808.2, they have totally reworked the clocking so as to reduce even more jitter. So that ought to account for something.
 

LL21

Well-Known Member
Dec 26, 2010
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That's a good question Lloyd which I'm unable to answer, the reason being that my dealer has heard the 808.2 but he's never heard the 808.3 before! LOL! In fact, my dealer told me mine's the first unit in Malaysia!

But from the specs, Meridian has changed the transport to a TEAC one so that ought to be a plus since TEAC is the parent company of Esoteric which has arguably one of the best transports. Although the software is still the same as found in the 808.2, they have totally reworked the clocking so as to reduce even more jitter. So that ought to account for something.

FUnny...i thought Meridian 808.2 alwso used Esoteric. Perhaps not. In any event, reducing jitter and lowering noise floor i bet. Both of which result in dramatic improvements in microdynamics, decay and detail...which it seems have been big parts of your observations.
 

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