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Meridian early pre/amp combos

Aagh...this thread brings back some memories.....

I bought a S/H 101B/103 combo back in '83 when I was a 'poor' student and sold it 1990.

My recollection was that it was indeed rather bass shy and was trounced on all fronts by the Audiolab 8000A that replaced it.

In my ownership though the support from Meridian was brilliant - they modified the MC module to increase the sensitivity (I was using a low output Ortofon MC that was otherwise a 'bit quiet'). All foc of course.

I spoke to either Mr Boothroyd or Mr Stuart (can't remember which) a number of times who was most helpful. It was around the time CD players were becoming available and I had just bought a Marantz CD63B and he even volunteered to convert the 'mono' switch position to an additional output....maybe they weren't very busy at the time. IIRC Mr B/S did also admit that the aluminium extrusion used for the casework was in fact a std one used in the double glazed window industry at the time.
 
Now to add my two pence worth to this discussion... I had a 101/103, bought in '78. Worked superbly with Spendor BC1s. I added another power supply a little later, thus converting the amp. to a 101/103D. It sounded little different, but somehow less 'strained' at higher volumes. I used an Entre MC ( I still have it! ) with the double input module. I sold the amplifier as it didn't have enough inputs for my expanding system. I now have an Audiolab 8000A. That should promote some discussion on the merits of the two amps... Martyn Miles .
 
Don't tell me you bought the Meridian combo from KJ Wigmore St? Before Naim came along and blew everything else away (as it did back then), we sold plenty of 101/103 (and 105) iombinations, despite HiFi Choice being a bit sniffy about them (politics?). Entre cartridges were our speciality too. We tended to sell Harbeth HL1's and Tangent RS4's with them as well, because the BC1's were still in their "iffy" period.

We liked the separate input and eq modules, finding the "IMCOS" combined one a bit "dead and dry" for our tastes.

Due to "Flat Earth" considerations, I didn't get to hear these amps until some years later, but was very impressed with the 101b version into late M2's.
 
Re DSJR's ref. to Spendor BC1s 'iffy' period. What year would that have been? Mine were affected by the hot summer of '76. As a temporary measure my Spendor agent inverted the mid/bass units. The speakers worked OK after that. Spendor sorted out the problem ( and changed the roll surround from white, but not just to solve the 'drooping' problem) and the BC1 was back to spec. by mid '77 at the latest. In September '77 I took my BC1s to the factory and Spendor fitted replacement mid/bass units. The speakers have worked perfectly since then. OK, there might have been some 'iffy' ones in stock at retailers, but Spendor responded to the problem very quickly. As I said, my BC1s were superb with the Meridian combo. Martyn Miles .
 
I have nothing but praise for the late Spencer Hughes. His honesty and candour is something lacking these days in many audio companies (Bob Stuart was very helpful too when I knew him, but these days he has staff to deal with trade and public). Early white surround BC1's sagged badly and inverting the drivers was a common thing to keep them going. My BC1's were made in 1976 and sounded ok (roll surrounds but alnico magnets), but this was apparently the "iffy" period and Spencer suggested replacing these bass units in 1978, which I did. I thought the replacement units slightly better in the bass (this was before the foam lined porthole, let alone the tuned tubular port from late samples). I replaced them with Isobariks in 1980 and wish I hadn't...

No, we sold HL1 Harbeths more with the 101/103 and 103d, as they were efficient, sweet toned and had a lovely open, "liquid" quality to them and played rock a little better than BC1's, which sounded like they were going to shake apart with little provocation on R&R at anything much above a modest level. The BC2 wasn't supposed to be as good (even though it was louder), yet a pair I sold a mate, played me for the first time quite often, some of my favourite albums of the late seventies..

I remember Bob bemoaning the rave reviews the 105's had at the time, as the product "sales life curve" was thrown out of the window within a year, whereas the 105's could have lasted longer with steadier sales.
 
In reply DJSR, to your earlier enquiry, I bought my Meridian amps. from Westwood & Mason, Oxford. Sadly they closed over 10 years ago. Richer Sounds moved to Oxford. Say no more... I got to know the Proprietor of W & M and his colleague, Nigel Pearson, very well. Nigel moved onto Loricraft and then designing amplifiers/power supplies. After hearing my BC1s, which I bought new in '76 from G. O. Moorhen (a real gentleman) in Henley, W & M decided to stock Spendor. It was one of the last retail outlets Spen Hughes visited before his untimely death in '83. Meridian was a good seller for W & M, but they didn't stock the later ' Component Amplifier'. That seemed expensive for what it was. I don't know how successful it became for Meridian Martyn Miles .
 
Westwwod and Mason, a great dealer, bought my 62/140 from them in 1988/89 and a Linn Axis a short whle later.

Oxford had three good hi-fi shops at the time, W&M, Oxford Audio Consultants and Audio-T (?) out in Headington, those were the days!

I don't think the component amplifier (zebra) was that succesful, though they fetch reasonable money on eBay these days. The 200 series kit however was much more succesful
 
Mr Perceptive said:
Oxford had three good hi-fi shops at the time, W&M, Oxford Audio Consultants and Audio-T (?) out in Headington, those were the days!
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Gosh this brings back memories. I grew up in the city in the 60s/70s before going off to uni and bought my Celef PE1s from Audio-T in around 1980/81 - I still have them - along with my original (and now recapped) 101/104/105 combination.

But there was also a fourth dealer in the Cowley Shopping Centre. I don't recall the name but it was run by a friend (and semi-retired former colleague) of my Dad's. In 1974/5 I had one of the early Hadcock GH228 tonearms fitted to my TD150 along with and AKG P7E - my first really good turntable combo. I think I also bought my JR149s there - which subsequently made way for the Celefs.

Fond memories indeed.
 
Hey lads, don't forget Geoffrey Horn, the man who designed the original Quad FM1 and countless other things I suspect...

W&M were good dealers, but probably suffered by not being a natural "flat earth" dealer, or was there something else?
 
Horn's. Ah, yes. Phil Tandy, who worked there, won the first ( yes, really) Quad electrostatic in a competition set by Quad. He eventually acquired another one when stereo arrived ! I remember hearing Quad Electros./ Quad 33/303 / Thorens TD 124 /SME arm with Shure V15 for the first time on that 'hallowed ground' in North Oxford. Ah, memories... Martyn Miles .
 
There was also a branch of Audio-T in Summertown, but it must have closed about 10 years ago. Summertown was quite well endowed in those days, with Horns as well. There was also a shop selling cds.....
 
I thought Audio T was still there, although I've heard rumours about one or two closures, mainly of a few Sevenoaks shops around the country........
 
Yes, the Headington branch is still open - the one in Summertown was smaller, and just a little north of where M&S is now.
 
I have an old Meridian component amplifier with a separate power supply - and some M10 speakers. The power supply is 19v AC which I assume is something clever to avoid cross talk. The supply is dead and I can't really understand why as it is incredibly simple inside. Meridian say they cannot help as they have run out of spares long ago. Any ideas?

I have never been particularly fond of the pre amp and a friend has leant me a 208 which is a combined pre amp and CD player. To say my system sounds rather better is a complete injustice. Trouble is he wants it back eventually and it doesn't have a phono stage (Garrard 301 with unmodded Rega RB250 but no cartridge yet as just finished building the plinth). I am not clear whether the better sound is due to the pre amp or my very old and rather poor quality CD player. The 208 adds so much musicality and removes all the brightness which made listening to the M10s at any volume rather difficult. Also the bass has filled out so that I am finally pleased with the M10s after all these years. I also tried the pre amp section of an old Arcam 7 I have lying around and that was pleasing too so I suspect the old Kenwood CD player.
 
FrancisRo said:
The supply is dead and I can't really understand why as it is incredibly simple inside. Meridian say they cannot help as they have run out of spares long ago. Any ideas?
Click to expand...

Assuming there is one, it could be the transformer. They can have some form of protection on the output which may have failed. Plugtop power supplies can go the same way.
 
Good answer, thank you. There is what seems to be a fuse but on the input coil. When jumpered out the power supply produces about 24v AC which the pre amp isn't too keen on. All the lights go on and the on/off switch doesn't work. Will probably put it up for sale as spares/repair. Thanks again. Francis
 
Despite a good 'Choice review, the modular preamp never seemed to catch on. I heard one a few years ago and it was very poor to my ears, all mid with little bass or real definition. perhaps they age badly? A generation 1 Cyrus preamp (discrete components and now abandoned and all but forgotten for the latest WTF Cyrus rave) absolutely blew it away (I think the Cyrus pre mk1 makes a bargain these days, but others may disagree).
 
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