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Pre-amp recommendation for Meridian M2s

Chris Tarling

Yellow Hound
I have been offered a pair of Meridian M2s. The cabinets need work (not unexpected) but they are not too tatty. One tweeter has a silver mounting and the other is black, which is curious but not a deal breaker.

I'm tempted to take them and treat them as a restoration project.

Apart from a period correct Meridian 101B what would be a good pre-amp recommendation to use with these speakers?
 
Anyone have any thoughts??

The M2s I have incoming are coming with a 101B pre-amp but the amp is in a dreadful condition.
So I'm looking for a more modern alternative that will work well with the Meridian M2 loudspeakers.
 
Just look at the input sensitivity specifications of the speakers, i.e. what voltage do they need for full output. That will give you all you need to shortlist a few nice preamps.
 
I had M2s with a 101B when they first came out, before that a Naim 12s/160 (should have kept that!) and before that a Meridian 101 (not B) and 103.
From memory (40 years ago) the 101 was better than the 101B. I believe the 101B used ICs where the original 101 used discrete transistors. I seem to recall reading somewhere that the 101B era "was not Meridian's finest hour".

After I'd moved to the other end of the country another dealer suggested trying an alternative pre amp and sold me a Naim NAC 22 (and a Snaps power supply for it) and I found that an improvement on the 101B.

As Tony says you have a wide range of pre amps available that will drive the M2s just fine.

I would try the M2s with the accompanying 101B first just to check that the speakers are ok and work in your listening room, only then consider spending more money on a new pre amp.
 
With my M2s I used long leads supplied by Boothroyd Stuart, unbalanced and later balanced, with all the various output modules in the 101B (standard, 75 ohm and balanced) then long unbalanced co-ax leads with the Naim pre amp.
Never noticed any difference between them!
 
Used my bought from new M2's initially with the 101B, then a Musical Fidelity The Pre (an improvement to my ears). Won a competition in a mag
and Meridian gave me brand new upgraded amp boards, much sturdier new stands, cables and a Modular Pre. Good of them as the actual prize was
a pair of M3s which I had no need for.
M2's lay idle in the spare room for years but on a whim, hooked them up to a 3K cd player, Supratek Syrah all ran from a Shunyata Hydra and was Gobsmacked
at the sounds produced.
Have run them from an Audio Mirror valve pre on the telly system for quite a few years now but again relegated to the spare room as her indoors never liked the look
and just spent 2.3K on a Sony Bravia, which whilst sounding nice , hardly matches the M2's with valve pre set up.
Long winded way of saying use them with the best pre you can afford. Had mine for 43 years and had I to loose the big system tomorrow, I could happily live with them again.
Kept me happy for 18 years and only the missus hating 'those horrible black boxes in the middle of the floor' led to a never ending period of box swapping !
 
The 101 is modular and uses plug in boards covered in vacuum formed plastic covers.

you need to unglue the covers to reveal the circuit boards and then it’s mostly tant replacements.
 


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