Meridian Explorer USB D/A processor/headphone amplifier Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Analog Sources: Garrard 301, Thorens TD 124 turntables; EMT 997, Ikeda IT-407 tonearms; EMT TSD 15 70th Anniversary pickup head; Miyabi 47, Miyajima Premium BE mono cartridges.
Digital Sources: AudioQuest DragonFly, Halide DAC HD, Wavelength Proton USB DACs; Apple iMac G5 computer running Apple iTunes v.11.0, Decibel v.1.2.11 playback software; Sony SCD-777ES SACD/CD player.
Preamplification: Auditorium 23 Standard (SPU version), Hommage T2 step-up transformers; Sutherland Insight phono preamplifier; Shindo Masseto preamplifier.
Power Amplifiers: Shindo Corton-Charlemagne & Cortese, Fi 421A.
Loudspeakers: Altec Valencia, DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/96, Quad ESL.
Headphones: Sennheiser PMX 90.
Cables: USB: AudioQuest Carbon, Nordost Blue Heaven. Interconnect: Ayre Acoustics Signature Series, Nordost Tyr (balanced); Audio Note AN-Vx, Shindo Silver (single-ended). Speaker: Auditorium 23, Tel Wire. AC: manufacturers' own.
Accessories: Box Furniture Company D3S rack (source & amplification components), Keith Monks record-cleaning machine.—Art Dudley

COMPANY INFO
Meridian Audio Ltd.
US distributor: Meridian America Inc.
110 Greene Street, Suite 407
New York, NY 10012
(646) 666-0140
ARTICLE CONTENTS

COMMENTS
jaywillin's picture

i believe there are several companies that make aftermarket usb cables, with all the necessary connector types at either end of the cable, and at differing degrees of quality, when i had the explorer, i used an audioquest forest usb cable.

audioquest alone makes a few different models.

Hi-Reality's picture

How does the M2Tech hiFace DAC (same price but 384kHz/32bit!) perform compared to the Meridian Explorer? 

Does Stereophile plan to test the M2Tech hiFace DAC?

Another question: can either of these DACs drive a power-amp when connected directly (i.e. with no pre-amp)? 

Thanks for any feedback!

nicoch's picture

HI

look like low latency  filter by on chip hardware pcm5102a  ...the chip dont have external filter pin, ie no meridian apodizin filter!

manu

JR_Audio's picture

Yes, this looks like the 0.55 FS notch of the TI low latency digital filter. The Meridian apodizing filter should have had his notch at exact 0.50 FS.

Juergen

John Atkinson's picture

nicoch wrote:
look like low latency  filter by on chip hardware pcm5102a  ...the chip dont have external filter pin, ie no meridian apodizin filter!

JR_Audio wrote:
Yes, this looks like the 0.55 FS notch of the TI low latency digital filter. The Meridian apodizing filter should have had his notch at exact 0.50 FS.
Thank you for the correction, guys. I have amended the text accordingly.

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

nicoch's picture

Thanks you for Stereophile :)

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