Hi!

[gizze]

My "Welcome" post.

I have been running Meridian DSP systems for the last 15 years now. I have run other bits as second systems, but none have really matched what the DSPs brought me.

However, bought a second system recently of Quad S-2 Speakers and a Snook Modded 405-2 amp, being fed by a Raspberry Pi and Meridian Explorer 2 dac.
So impressed with this set up I have ordered a pair of the Quad Z-3 speakers and looking for a power amp to drive them, thinking Quad 606, 909 or Musical Fidelity CR.
The Meridian DSPs have gone.

Not been box swapping for years, but I am back with a vengeance, I can feel it already!! :D

Cheers

Guy

[walpurgis]

Hello Guy. Welcome to AOS.

Back into 'box swapping' are you? That'll sting your bank account! :)

I like Meridian and Quad. You can't go wrong really, both high quality makes. You'll find many members here assemble systems from obscure components, not just to be different or to 'penny pinch', but to get the sound they like. Have a look through the Gallery and you'll see.

Take a look around and feel free to join in the chat and ask any questions you may have.


Enjoy the forum,
Geoff.

[struth]

hi Guy. Welcome to AoS.:)

[gizze]

Thanks guys.

Over the last 20 odd years I have tried lots of different kit.

One of the nicest systems was Conrad Johnson pre that I picked up for shirt buttons with a Meridian 500 transport into a Levinson 36S DAC, Classé Power and Dunlavey SCIII speakers.
But they were big speakers and not the most wife friendly, and at the time I was getting into the AV side, so moved to a Meridian 568 processor and Cinepro 3K6 amp (amazing amp and one of my biggest regrets letting that go) with Dunlaveys all round.

That is when I got into the Meridian sound, I used that as a 2 channel pre/dac until very recently.

But although I have loved the Meridian gear, it just works, I have missed playing about with different kit.

I bought some Logans Electromtions, then some Scansonics MB2.5s and then when the Meridians went moved the little Quads into the front room and realised 'they are my kind of sound' hence ordering the Z-3s, which will be here Wednesday.

Bought a Bel Canto amp to drive the Logans/Scansonics etc. but decided to swap it for the power amp version and keep the Meridian G68 pre, it has crossovers, time alignment, room correction etc.
However, in the mean time the 405-2 arrived to drive the Quad S-2's, and to be honest I love it, so holding off on the Bel Canto S300 power amp and going to put in a nice 606 or 909 or similar. The MF A5 CR in the classifieds appeals, I ran the A3 CR with some Roksan Ribbons a few years back and it was seriously sweet sounding.

So already in the last 6 weeks I have bought and sold more kit than I had in the last 10 years or so, but it's fun!!

Problem is, the money from the sale of the Meridian kit is now gone, so I have to be careful, strict budgets could easily be broken, at a very rapid rate. Haha :D

[Barry]

Welcome to AoS Guy.

Nice introduction. If you like the Snook modded Quad 405-2 (I do - I have a pair that have been 'monoblocked'), then I'm sure you will like the Quad 606 and/or the 909.

What are your tastes in music?

Enjoy the Forum
Barry

[gizze]

I never saw your reply until today Barry.

I have to say, I am still loving the 405-2.

I bought a 909, but the preferred the 405-2, there was just a slight hard edge on the upper mid that is simply not there on my 405-2.


I bought some Harbeths since I joined, love them, but P3ESRs to try them, the idea was if I liked them but them in my snug and then splash out on some Compact 7s for the main room.
However, a rather large vet bill last week has got my wife telling me I either run the P3s in the main room or sell them to pay for the C7s, hence the ad for the P3s.
The P3ESRs, I feel, may be a bit small for my main room, which is quite big at 6m wide and 5m deep with 11-12ft ceilings, hence wanting the C7s. I will be gutted if they sound the same, I'm using a Rel so might be a silly move, I hope not.


I should add, I bought the Quad Z3s mentioned back in July, and they were good, but, and it is a big but, not as good as the little S2s that I also have, so I moved the Z3's on. I still have the S2s now, and they are just stunning speakers. The way the ribbon integrates with the mid is perfect on the S2, something I felt was not as good on the Z3. The imaging, the soundstage and just how detailed yet sweet the S2s are amazes more and more.




My musical tastes?
Blimey, quite vast I would say.
If I look back at the albums I have been playing recently......

22299

22300

It shows the sort of thing I am into.



Happy New Year All!

[Puffin]

Hi Guy, I think I heard the Z-3's at a show about 3 years ago (well they looked very similar :)). They were demoed with the massive electrostatics and IMO they sounded better.

You mention liking the 405-2, it is surprising how well amps that would be considered "old skool" sound up against newer stuff.