I didn’t find EBA to be audible and I didn’t find much evidence (chatter e.g. Hitchhikers) that others did either. Great theory, I heard a difference once but couldn’t replicate it however much I tried. Switching on and off made no difference. Same with centre lift, great theory but sorry, I couldn’t hear it. I tried desperately…Perhaps setup dependant.
Difference in sound? I deliberately didn’t as it would be the standard vague descriptions, far more detail, punchier bass,separation between instruments, sharper. Adjectives I’m not keen on reading or writing.
In my room/setup, difference between EBA on/off is certainly noticeable - it tightens the bass, for want of a better term. Whether one likes it or not is a different matter. Personally I think it’s recording dependent; e.g., I do find myself turning it off for certain recordings or soundtracks, if they’re dry/thin in the bass and I actually want the extra ‘bloom’.
Haven’t tried the Allo Digione yet, but considered it as a feed to a DAC in the analogue system. Did you mean as a source into DSPs, though?
(Yes, probably a bit off topic now, but interesting…)
If you ask the question on HH, I think that many Hitchhikers will say that it makes a significant, if sometimes material-dependent, improvement. I think that many HH’ers are just used to it now, so it’s no big deal and is taken for granted.
This is my impression also. Early on there were plenty of positive impressions, but it’s such an established thing now it doesn’t get discussed any more than, say, apodising now does.
I don’t remember many positive impressions at all (given the buildup (and wait)). It was a damp squib. Everyone loves it of course but I doubt many can hear it. I tried really hard, I wanted to and even with all the expectation bias, I still couldn’t. Same with centre lift, established, taken for granted (nearly impossible to detect).
Great ideas and theoretically there but not very easy to hear, reflective surface adjustment (M6) ceiling height adjustment (M6)? Audible? Now width on the AC200 is distinct audible and rather pleasing, works.
I think it’s one thing to claim that it was a ‘damp squib’ for you, and you couldn’t hear a difference, and quite another to claim it on behalf of everyone else.
[quote=“Barrowboy, post:96, topic:41053, full:true”]
It was a damp squib. Everyone loves it of course but I doubt many can hear it.[/quote]
Is your point that no one cared about it, hence it was a damp squib, or that they love it, so sort of the opposite to a damp squib, but they all have flawed hearing?
Point was that unfortunately it didn’t really work. Off topic again! Meridian users defending mothership… Compare an Allo DigiOne to an 818v3, the results are surprising (but off topic, the DigiOne being £100).
And my point was that if it didn’t work for you, that’s fine, but you’re stating it as fact and claiming the same response on behalf of every Meridian owner, which I don’t believe to accurately represent the overall response to EBA. I did a quick search on the forum. I’m counting roughly 80-90% of those who expressed an opinion noticing a positive difference, and generally not a subtle one-
“It isn’t subtle.”
“bass [is] distinctly better defined, tighter and with a greater sense of tunefulness.”
“I’ve never heard more precise imaging and clear presentation. I think it’s a very BIG deal.”
“to be direct. here is a very loud shout for EBA. To use a well worn phrase, it’s a game changer. It snaps the sound into focus and and makes it thrillingly realistic and musical.”
“There is an unmistaken proper and crucial bass/mid-timing going on with EBA… for me there is no question about it. EBA stays enabled! It is a game changer for Meridian speakers."
“Plenty of people shouted when they got it. I certainly did and will say again that I have never had such a good SQ”
Of course we’re both entitled to our own opinions about EBA. But the general consensus isn’t about either of our opinions, it’s quantifiable.
I was bored this morning waiting for an MOT and had time to waste for once. So to arrive at the above estimate, I searched the forum for EBA in the subject. I found 5 threads specifically about EBA over a 4 year period. There were 22 direct opinions about the effect of EBA (I didn’t count double opinions in the same thread twice). Of those -
2 expressed they heard no difference (although one of these was in the context of a suspected system/setup fault).
2 people were unsure: 1 thought there might be a difference, but questioned their own expectation bias, 1 thought there was a difference in some setups/music and not in others.
18 people were unequivocally positive.
Discarding those who were undecided either way, that leaves 2 negatives and 18 positives.
11 % negative
89 % positive
If you are generous and include the undecideds as negative, that still gives 4 negatives and 18 positives.
22% negative
78% positive
As noted in the above quotes, most who expressed a positive opinion were very enthusiastic, not mildly so.
My conclusion from the above is that, regardless of what you or I personally think, the general consensus is that EBA was not a damp squib.
In your opinion. Hitchhikers board discourages(ed) criticism of Meridian and may have even banned members for doing so. Sometimes you have to read between the lines… Damp squib it was. How scientific were these observations or were they just casual observation from a supporters club. Hand on heart, can you really hear it?
Yes, I can. As someone who listens to live music upwards of 6 hours almost every day as my profession, I feel reasonably confident in my assessments of what I hear.
If you can’t hear the effect of EBA, that’s your problem, not mine (nor anyone else’s).
You are entitled to your own reading of the situation at the time. I’ll not argue the toss, it was, unfortunately, a damp squib. Early adopter, I was there, As a long term Meridian user a also have perspective and context. You have an opinion, so do I.
Check out Allo DigiOne…I’ve got one sitting on the 818, interesting comparison (but off topic)…