Price Paid:  $1000.00 from Audiogon

Summary:
This is the CD player puts the music back in digital. I have been searching for a CD player that lives up to its claim of being "musical" for years now. The 506.24 delivers the music on a bed of pure silk. There is not a hint of harshness even when listening to highly electronic songs by Radiohead, Portishead, FSOL, etc. Insturmental and orchestral recordings are sublimely lush and smooth, not frantic and hard like most CD players.

The build quality is simply Meridian: understanded simple elegant looks with black glass (not plexi), matte black metal, minimal use of plastics only in practical places (buttons, etc). The excellent Philips based transport makes it effectively a top loader (which I like because I don't believe that the optical surface of a CD should ever be touched if it can be avoided, even by a quality tray loading CD player). The drawer moves very smoothly and quietly: just as it should, and the whole transport mechanism is contained in it. The thick black glass top plate of the player is a beautiful, reflective touch. It is a truly unique piece.

Voices and insturments are conveyed with a sense of natural realism that I hadn't yet experienced with recorded music. There is a useful delay in changing tracks so the laser doesn't make any unneccisary quick jerks if you hit the wrong track numbers a couple of times. The silent track searching is a little bit of a drawback, but I rarely search through tracks anyway. The huge remote took some getting used to but I just sit it on an end table and have gotten good at punching its buttons in the dark, the amusingly excessive use of real glass in the remote is also a nice touch. It is a pleasing unusual shape, and funtionally it is almost omnidirectional (you can face it almost any direction and it will operate the player just fine).

Before and during my ownership of the Meridian I have owned and used both Rega Planets, Roksan Kandy and Caspian Mk1 and Mk2's, Ah! Tjoeb '99 and 4000, Shanling scd t200 and cd t100, and a number of other lesser players. I found them all lacking certain tonal qualities that the Meridian delivers deftly. It is a lovely thing to own and use every day.

Strengths:
Deliverance of music, quality, simplicity, understated elegant looks, etc. For less than the cost of a substandard quality player new you can get one of these in mint used condition (and they take a long time to burn in anyway).

Weaknesses:
The only two that I can think of is the silent track searching and the enormous button laiden MSR (Meridian System Remote) remote control. But as I've said, I've grown used to them and neither bother me at all.

Similar Products Used:
Used with a modified Cayin TA30 tube integrated, excellent custom solid core interconnects, Audioquest Type 2 speaker cable, Von Schweikert VR1's on factory stands.

Price Paid:  $960.00 from Private

Summary:
Very engaging and vinyl-like quality to sound. Great detail at the top end. Superb bass control, weight and slam. The midrange is exemplary - vocals are life-like and the timbre of voices and instruments are well relayed. This player throws an excellent broad soundstage within which vocals and instruments are easily placed. All frequencies are well balanced and proportioned. The overall sound is smooth and non-fatiguing without losing any excitement or emotion the music is conveying. Rhythm and timing are also very good. This is a quality product which has breathed new life into my entire CD collection and I am discovering old discs that simply were not done justice by my older CDP. It plays all types of music well: rock, pop, jazz, orchestral, instrumental.

This is an audiophile bargain in the used market.

My system:
Unison Research S8 amplifier
ProAc Response 1.5 speakers
Audioquest Viper interconnects
Nordost Blue Heaven speaker cables
Clearlight Audio Aspekt RDC Rack

Strengths:
Well built.
Design - minimalist and timeless.
Audiophile sound at bargain price on used market.

Weaknesses:
Remote control is huge and screwdriver required to change the battery.

Similar Products Used:
Arcam FMJ CD23T
Musical Fidelity A3.2
Densen Beat

Price Paid:  $900.00 from Private

Summary:
The 506.24 is simply sublime. It offers neutrality with any type of music and imposes no traits of it's own. High levels of detail astound with existing CD's, and you find yourself listening to your whole collection as it all sounds new. I cannot praise this player highly enough. If you can find one, buy it while you can.

Strengths:
Neutrality with all type of music.
Tank like build quality.

Weaknesses:
None whatsoever.

Similar Products Used:
Marantz CD-17MK2
Arcam CD72
Audio Notd AN-CD2

Summary:
very musical player, very smooth and detailed,very rich sounding. beautyful build-quality and styling. I have tried a arcam fmj cd23, naim cd5, rotel rcd991, marantz cd17mkII and marantz cd6000'KI', but nothing comes close to the relaxed,detailed and rich sound of the 506.24. The sound is very real,focused and airy with excellent soundstaging. Important: burn-in time over 500 hours!!!

Strengths:
very musical, detailed, focused and airy, relaxed and easy sound but very real

Weaknesses:
what do you mean?? at this price??

Similar Products Used:
arcam fmj cd23- rotel rcd991- naim cd5- marantz cd17mkII, marantz 6000 'KI'

Price Paid:  $1000.00 from used

Summary:
I've had this for 9 months & have used a variety of amps/pre-amps/IC's/PC's & the sound just keeps coming through. My system has changed a lot over the past year but I have held onto the 506.24 as nothing in this price range (used) comes close. The E-624 was a very nice player but for a few hundred more I replaced it with the Meridian. It only has RCA outs but I've upgraded to Stealth PGS IC's, so even though my Pass Aleph P is balanced the RCA's don't seem to be a problem. I never did use the stock power cord but am now using the Stealth M-21. Other IC's I've used were HT Truthlinks & Pro-Silways, PSS, AQ Ruby & Python, Stealth FLR & CWS & some homemade silver cables. Since this isn't a cable review I won't go into the specifics of these others but the soundstage/imaging/detail/etc. has improved with the better cables, so that means the player has the information available-all it needs is the means to get it to your ears. I'm pretty happy with this player & of course there is better out there, but my rating is for a $1,000.00 CD player. I bought this as a one year old unit & have had no problems at all. I even emailed Meridian as it was missing the owners manual & they sent one right out at no charge. Pretty cool. If you're looking to upgrade to a high end one box player with some advanced features this is worth a listen.

Strengths:
detail, clamping device, solid construction & a big enough remote that you can't possibly misplace!

Weaknesses:
none for me although balanced outs would've been nice.

Similar Products Used:
MF E-624, Mission PCM-7000 (British players)