Meridion 203 DAC 5&7.. Anygood?

[martian1]

I can pick up either of these models for about £130 i would like to try a Dac with my Pioneer 703 cd player, and have a Audiolab amp. Am i likely to get any improvement mainly in the treble which seems a bit bright. Oh...anyone got any links on these old models?

Thanks

[ditton15]

I have the Meridian 203 and was happy with its pairing with the Meridian 200 CD transport. It's top end is very pleasant and not harsh.

whether it would be an improvement over your existing cd player I could not say - but at that pricing its got to be worth a whirl.

(I can't resist mentioning that both the 200 & the 203 are going spare as it happens - and I would be happy to have up to £130 for the 203)

[martian1]

Ditton what price were these Dacs new? and what is the difference between the different model numbers.

[overkill]

The 203 was around £550-600 new. The DAC5-7 refers to the type of DAC chip the model was using. Both are well reviewed and other members of this forum rate both types highly. As for improvements over your 703, well, that's more tricky. However at £130 you can't really lose, as if you don't see any radical improvement it's the pioneer thats at fault not the 203!! So, you could look to upgrade again keeping the DAC!

[martian1]

Thanks overkill, this is my intention give the thing a try if i get an improvement great if not get a meridian transport [seen the 206 for £195] later.
I have never heard any meridian equipment and have been given the chance of a audition so i ain't got a lot to lose really!
I must admit though i am not impressed with the look of Meridian gear... sad i know but its going to look bad stuck on top of my standard size hifi. unless i change the lot that is !!!!!!!1

[ditton15]

Originally posted by overkill
The 203 was around £550-600 new. The DAC5-7 refers to the type of DAC chip the model was using. Both are well reviewed and other members of this forum rate both types highly. As for improvements over your 703, well, that's more tricky. However at £130 you can't really lose, as if you don't see any radical improvement it's the pioneer thats at fault not the 203!! So, you could look to upgrade again keeping the DAC!

thanks for that.


martian, I would be happy to sell at that price. I have box and manual.

If you want the 200 transport as well, then that would be extra! together they sing.

[edit: forgot to say that I have an AudioLab 8000S, previously the 8000A. The AudioLab remote works both, though I also have the Meridian remote. ]

[CJROSS]

FWIW dudes a DAC user over on HFC replaced an Arcam CD72 with a Meridian 203 (£125 2nd hand) running off a DVD player (as transport) and liked the 203 better than the CD72.

Edit : Actually dudes it was a Arcam 7SE so roughly equivalent to a CD72/73.

[martian1]

Thanks for the offer ditton 15 i may be interested in the transport at a later date. unless the 203 i am auditioning is either cosmetically damaged or has a fault i will be buying on the day. Your offer is appreciated but i won't get a listen and postage costs will start to make the thing less attractive. Please don't take offence! How much for the transport [out of curiosity?]

CJROSS i have a high spec sony dvd player [£900] thanks for the idea of using it as a temporary transport. Is this how i link things together... DVD digital out to Dac then analogue phonos out form Dac to Audiolab. Should i get a digital lead that matches the phono pair [same manufacturer] and how much would i need to pay for it. My current phono leads cost about £150.

[CJROSS]

Is this how i link things together... DVD digital out to Dac then analogue phonos out form Dac to Audiolab.

Yep Martin prefferably the Coaxial output of your DVD player then Optical Toslink to AV DD Amp for AV duties.

Should i get a digital lead that matches the phono pair [same manufacturer] and how much would i need to pay for it. My current phono leads cost about £150.

Im not a huge believer in cable mythology Martin especially in digital cabling (when I cant see what cable is in place I could not pick them out of a blind test for example), you definitely don’t need a digital cable from the same cable co. as your ICs, A very good dealer bought starter digital IC is the Ecosse Producer ? £20 one, I would definitely not spend more than £50 on one for the kit & cabling you have, you should check out Mark Grants Power Buys he makes very reasonably priced digital ICs and that will get you started. Or pop into your dealer and get a few home for home demo. Try this blind BTW and your thoughts on cabling may change. You can also make your own cables from Maplins (75ohm Sat TV cable + some decent RCA plugs) for under £10. So you see your choices are many dude. Enjoy your DAC and don’t get too hung up on cabling.

FWIW I got my VDH Source hybrid coax cable flung in free when I bought some speakers, but my £10 DIY coax cable sounds fine (and its 10m long !!!!), as does a QED P75 digital cable. Ive tried quite a few and they don’t vary as much as is painted out.

[ditton15]

Originally posted by martian1
Thanks for the offer ditton 15 ... Please don't take offence! How much for the transport [out of curiosity?]

none taken.

am speaking to another about the 200 transport at present, as combo with the 203, so I'd rather not quote you a price. I'll let you know if/when I sell it.

[martian1]

Thanks ditton 15