Meridian 218 source switching

[HerbertGoat (Mike Norris)]

My current set-up consists of an MS200 endpoint into a pair of DSP7200.2s
Currently this is the only source into the DSPs

I’d like to be able to feed an SPDIF into the DSPs from my TV/STB - so just one extra source.
I currently have a few options as I see it:

1. Run the cable in now and use the Meridian remote for source switching and audio control
   Negatives - I need to use Roon AND an MSR for volume control/source switching. Inelegant.

2. Get an AC200 or 218 and use the MSR for volume control and source switching
   Negatives - two control devices required again, plus a significant expense. Cost and inelegant.

3. Roon (with your magic extension) allows me to continue to use my favourite method of controlling volume, and source on my DSPs and I can then move seamlessly between listening requirements
   Negatives - None! I’d be a very happy bunny. And cake icing would arrive when MQA comes to Roon, so reducing the one plus side with the 218

[danny (Danny Dulai)]

Meridian Roon Extension

1. Run the cable in now and use the Meridian remote for source switching and audio control
   Negatives - I need to use Roon AND an MSR for volume control/source switching. Inelegant.

I don’t understand… how could you run the MS200 AND the spdif at the same time without a device like the AC200/218?

Meridian Roon Extension

3. Roon (with your magic extension) allows me to continue to use my favourite method of controlling volume, and source on my DSPs and I can then move seamlessly between listening requirements

this doesnt make sense to me…

I dont see how youd get the TV’s spdif into your speakers without some type of device to do source switching device, and if you drop the ms200, you wont have Roon. The MS200 either has to go to the DSPSpeakers directly via speakerlink or into one of their “processor” devices, no?

[HerbertGoat (Mike Norris)]

Meridian Roon Extension

I don’t understand… how could you run the MS200 AND the spdif at the same time without a device like the AC200/218?

Obviously not at exactly the same time, but switching using MSR between
MS200 --> Speakerlink, SPDIF -->> Digital Input socket

But as you say, and now I have thought about it, what I am asking for cannot possibly work.

To persevere - any chance of Roon controlling source switching for a 218?

[danny (Danny Dulai)]

Meridian Roon Extension

MS200 --> Speakerlink, SPDIF -->> Digital Input socket

my understanding about those inputs is that they are the same, and not 2 sources. Am i wrong? You are currently able to switch between them? By “same time”, I meant they are plugged in at the same time and independently switchable, not mixing.

Meridian Roon Extension

To persevere - any chance of Roon controlling source switching for a 218?

roon triggering the 218 to switch to the ms200 should already work fine

[HerbertGoat (Mike Norris)]

Meridian Roon Extension

roon triggering the 218 to switch to the ms200 should already work fine

Sorry, I should have been more clear.
My plan was to replace the MS200 with a 218 to allow an extra source to feed into the DSPs via Speakerlink Out. So the question was about switching sources within the 218 from Roon.

If you don’t ask…

[danny (Danny Dulai)]

Meridian Roon Extension

So the question was about switching sources within the 218 from Roon.

so yah, if you want to switch TO Roon, no problem… but if you want to switch away from Roon, Roon can’t help.

it sounds like you dont need this extension at all.

[HerbertGoat (Mike Norris)]

Indeed, it looks like I got the wrong end of the stick, completely.
Sorry about that.

I was hoping for a single interface for my simple AV needs, but it looks like I’ll have to mix and match.

[danny (Danny Dulai)]

I was hoping for a single interface for my simple AV needs, but it looks like I’ll have to mix and match.

people have asked for this and I dont get it at all…

tell me why you want to use a music focused app to control the volume for your tv.

[HerbertGoat (Mike Norris)]

Obviously, I can only speak for my particular case, which may be rather specific.
But to summarise I have two - no, three - basic scenarios in my living space.

For music I use my DSP speakers as a stereo pair with (currently) an MS200 endpoint - and that’s it for now.
Everyone has Roon on their iPad/Android phone and love using it.

For TV/DVD we have a Panasonic large screen with a dedicated soundbar and the supplied IR remote control.

From time to time (eg for some films, and music events such as Glastonbury in the UK) I would love to play the audio through my high quality speakers, not the soundbar.

However, even if I buy a 218 to allow two sources, it wouldn’t get used by other household users as it would be too complicated for them: put down the iPad with Roon, use the TV RC to set the channel, then switch to the MSR to change the speaker source and volume. Then when they go back to music, it’s the MSR to change source back and carry on with Roon on their phone/iPad.

I guess the point is that we/they use Roon to listen to high quality sound, and they use the TV remote to control the TV/STB for everything else. If they had a simple source switch in Roon to switch a 218 from Roon to TV, and then volume control for the speakers (the zone is labelled Meridian Speakers) it would make a lot more sense to them.

So - TV remote for video, Roon UI for audio.
Does that make sense, I’m not doing very well today so far ?

I could probably do all this with a Logitech Harmony remote and IR blasters etc, but this would probably be unintuitive for the family, and is yet another remote to learn/use. I just sense it wouldn’t happen.