http://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/707-meridian-explorer-usb-digital-to-analog-converter
Meridian Explorer USB Digital-to-Analog Converter
Doug Blackburn
Full-Length Equipment Reviews
15 April 2014
Meridian Audio was founded in 1977 in the UK, by Bob Stuart and Allen
Boothroyd, to make high-performance audio products, beginning with a preamp, a
power amp, and an active (i.e., self-powered) loudspeaker. In 1989 they
introduced the first digitally driven active speaker, and in 1990 the first
speaker with onboard digital signal processing (DSP). Meridian also developed
and licensed Meridian Lossless Packing (MLP), the standard data-compression
codec used in the DVD-Audio format and in Dolby TrueHD soundtracks. Today,
Meridian manufactures digital-active speakers and digital and analog components
designed to work together as a system, as well as personal and network audio
products.
Meridian’s Explorer USB digital-to-analog converter ($299 USD), designed and
made in the UK, looks a bit like a jumbo Bic butane lighter with a body of
silver-gray aluminum just 4”L x 1.25”W x 0.75” thick and weighing less than two
ounces. Power comes from the USB connection -- no outboard power supply is
needed. Three LEDs on the top surface indicate the incoming sample rate. At one
end is a mini-USB connector thicker and narrower than the connector commonly
used on smartphones. Meridian supplies a short USB cable with a matching USB
connector on one end, and a USB Type A connector on the other end, to plug into
a computer. Because the best USB cables I have here both have the square Type B
connector on the DAC end, I couldn’t use them with the Explorer, so I used
Meridian’s cable. At the Explorer’s other end are two mini jacks: one, with
variable volume, for headphones, the other a combination TosLink optical output
and fixed-level analog stereo output that glows red from the LED that transmits
optical data through a TosLink cable. I used both of these outputs.
The Explorer’s list of features is impressive for a DAC only 4” long. Meridian
says it packs the small, six-layer circuit board with the same high-quality
components found in its other digital products. Unlike USB DACs that
downconvert high-resolution digital files to 48 or 96kHz, the Explorer’s DAC
accepts digital files with sample rates up to 24-bit/192kHz, though its TosLink
optical input is limited to 96kHz. The Explorer operates asynchronously: it
controls the flow of data from the computer rather than the other way around.
Meridian says the Explorer’s analog circuitry is carefully isolated from its
digital circuits. The headphone jack’s volume is controlled in the analog
domain, to avoid the digital-domain loss of resolution as the volume is
decreased. The Explorer’s high-precision dual oscillators (for the data clock
required for asynchronous operation) are based on components and designs used
in Meridian’s top-of-the-line Reference components, which sell for well over
$10,000 each.
Sound
The Meridian Explorer did a great job of putting some life and excitement into
my AKG K702 headphones, which are usually difficult to perk up. I was struck by
the spacious sound -- which may seem odd to say about headphone listening,
since the sound happens inside the head. The overall experience with the
Explorer was a little less inside my head than I’ve experienced with other DACs
that have headphone jacks, but it still wasn’t close to the much different
sound of loudspeakers.
Adjectives that came up again and again as I listened to the Explorer through
headphones were facile, agile, and quiet -- the Meridian’s noise floor was
notably low. That quietness made for a more engaging listening experience in
which I could focus more on musical textures, the silences between notes, the
drama in the music. The facility and agility came via better reproduction of
the bass octaves, precise localization of sounds, and an excellent sense of
speed in transients.
Listening to the Corrs’ Forgiven, Not Forgotten (16-bit/44.1kHz FLAC,
Atlantic), the voices of the three Corrs sisters, whether singing solo or in
harmony, were exceptionally attractive, sonically and emotionally. The Explorer
conveyed more of the conviction, longing, sorrow, and joy than I could recall
hearing before through the AKGs. The album’s mix of traditional Irish melodies
and modern electric pop may seem a recipe for disaster, but the album, which is
predominantly pop, is considerably more heartfelt than most popular music of
the last 20 years. The Corrs’ voices were reproduced so seductively and
gracefully that it was impossible to listen passively. My K702 ’phones sounded
better with the Explorer than with other DACs.
The Crash Test Dummies’ first album, The Ghosts That Haunt Me (16/44.1 FLAC,
Sony/BMG), was nicely rendered by the Explorer, with great placement of images
-- each sound emanated from a unique location. The sound was open, no doubt due
to the DAC’s very low noise floor, which allowed individual and complex sounds
to float in air rather than feel as if painted on a scrim. The violin was clean
and clear, with great pop when a string was plucked. Following individual
instruments was a breeze through the Explorer: Even as one instrument faded and
another became more prominent, I could still easily follow the first. Brad
Roberts’s deep voice was authoritative and full, with great clarity, and just
the right feeling of restrained power.
The Explorer will play files with sample rates above 96kHz without
downconverting them to 96kHz or less. Listening to a PCM rip of the Rolling
Stones’ Let It Bleed (24/192 FLAC, ABKCO), I instantly knew I was hearing
“Gimme Shelter” as never before. Most of the improvement was in the midrange
and higher, where clarity and transients were stellar. The noise floor remained
very quiet, allowing all sorts of subtle textures and variations in transients
to be audible and nuanced. Each note had a character more unique than I
remember ever hearing. If you’re into hi-rez music files, you’re missing some
of the advantages of the 176 and 192kHz sample rates if your USB DAC is limited
to 96kHz or less. Hearing my hi-rez files as they were intended to be heard for
the first time was an addictive experience that went on for days, as I explored
everything I had at the highest sample rates.
Comparisons
The level of the Explorer’s output signal is much higher than that of
AudioQuest’s DragonFly v1.0 USB DAC ($249 when available; replaced by the
DragonFly v1.2, which costs $149, but I have not yet tested it). Perhaps that’s
a function of the Explorer’s larger size, which permits the inclusion of
beefier power-supply components. A photo of the Explorer’s circuit board shows
a comparatively large storage/filter capacitor that simply couldn’t fit inside
the much smaller DragonFly. The Explorer’s output level is even further beyond
that of my other comparison DAC, Wavelength’s battery-powered Proton ($900).
I took great care in matching the volume levels of the three DACs, using a
315Hz test tone and a voltmeter. A voltmeter is far superior to an SPL meter,
since even small changes in placement of the latter can lead to differences in
readings of several dB -- and without specialized measuring equipment, it’s
almost impossible to match SPLs when using headphones. It’s not surprising that
the Proton’s output level was the lowest -- it draws less energy from
batteries, which helps it last for 30 hours or so per charge. The Proton’s
output level required a little more amplification from the preamp to get it
percolating along like the other two DACs.
Comparing the Meridian Explorer to AudioQuest’s stellar DragonFly v1.0 USB DAC
revealed that the DragonFly, which tops out at 96kHz, still sounds as musical
as all get-out. There was nothing off-putting or unenjoyable about the AQ’s
sound -- I could easily listen to it exclusively and be perfectly happy. But
the Explorer sounded better. The three main characteristics of the Explorer
that I mentioned earlier -- agility, facility, and quietness -- leapt out in
high relief in direct comparisons. The Meridian better controlled my 62-ohm AKG
headphones -- especially in the bass, where it made the AKGs come alive --
while the DragonFly just made useful, enjoyable bass. The Explorer’s sound was
simultaneously more dynamic and more nuanced. After having heard it so many
times with less impact, the whack in the middle of the Stones’ “Midnight
Rambler” (also from Let It Bleed) was almost shocking. The Explorer could start
and stop sounds seemingly instantaneously -- other USB DACs I’ve reviewed seem
to suffer from a bit of inertia. No other $300 USB DAC I’ve heard gets so much
of the music from the digital domain into my analog hearing system as well as
the Explorer did.
Wavelength’s more expensive Proton ($900), a USB DAC in a small box rather than
a small, ultra-portable device like the DragonFly or the larger but still small
Explorer, produced sound that was not so clearly inferior to the Meridian’s.
The battery-powered Proton was a bit less dynamic than the Explorer but sounded
even richer and more musical, with an even lower noise floor -- but you’d
expect that for the difference in price. I preferred the Proton’s more refined
sound with recordings up to 24/96, the highest rates it supports. While the
Proton downsamples 24/176.4 and 24/192 to 24/96, the Explorer natively decodes
24/176.4 and 24/192 files, which gave it an advantage in clarity and detail
that it didn’t have at lower sample rates. The Explorer sounded more
rambunctious because of its wider dynamic range and big, bright sound. The
Proton’s sound had a more suave, effortless slickness that I found attractive
and addicting. The sounds were different; neither was a clear winner.
So far, all of my comparisons and comments have referred to the sound of the
Meridian through headphones -- but everything I’d said also describes the
Explorer’s sound through a high-quality preamp, power amp, and speakers. Now,
however, I heard space around me in the room, and the greater harmonic detail I
heard with headphones was even more obvious through speakers. Sonic images were
bigger in every direction than the AQ DragonFly could manage. Great guitar or
string quartet music that I’d thought sounded fabulous through the DragonFly
had cleaner, clearer string tone through the Explorer. Nor was this improvement
confined to specific recordings. Everything that came out of the Explorer had
more meat on its harmonic bones, and sounded exceptionally clean and pure. When
it came to reproducing large, believable spaces in my listening room, however,
the Proton and Explorer fought it out pretty well.
Conclusion
It might sound as if the giant-killer AudioQuest DragonFly was handily bested
by the Meridian Explorer -- but keep in mind that the DragonFly is smaller and
doesn’t have the stubby USB cable to deal with. The DragonFly is still a great
bargain. If you’re listening in a noisy environment, such as outdoors, that
higher noise floor will erase much of the advantage the Explorer will enjoy in
a quiet listening room. Still, the Explorer clearly sounded better, overall,
than the DragonFly v1.0. But it’s surprising that the Wavelength Proton, a very
good DAC that costs three times as much as the Meridian, wasn’t obviously
superior in sound. That’s what makes the Explorer a bona-fide high-end bargain.
Highly recommended.
. . . Doug Blackburn
dougb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Associated Equipment
Speakers -- Vandersteen 3A Signature
Power amplifiers -- Belles/Power Modules 350A Reference, AudioControl Savoy G3
Preamplifiers -- Belles/Power Modules 28A, AudioControl Maestro M3
Sources -- Mac Mini with solid-state drive, 8GB RAM; Western Digital 1.5TB
drive in FireWire 800 enclosure; Wavelength Proton USB DAC
Speaker cables -- Audience Au24 SE
Interconnects -- AudioQuest Yosemite DBS (analog) and Diamond DBS (FireWire,
USB); Audience Au24 SE (analog)
Power cords -- AudioQuest NRG-X1.5 (Mac), Audience Au24 e and PowerChord
Power conditioner -- ExactPower EP15A, Audience aR6-TS
Meridian Explorer USB Digital-to-Analog Converter
Price: $299 USD.
Warranty: Two years parts and labor.
Meridian Audio Ltd.
Latham Road
Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE29 6YE
England, UK
Phone: +44 (0)1-1480-445678
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need
JavaScript enabled to view it.">info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Website: www.meridian-audio.com
Meridian America, Inc.
110 Greene Street, Suite 407
New York, NY 10012
Phone: (646) 666-0140
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