Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I purchased the Meridian 557 in 1998 which replaced an Audiolab 8000 that blew up!

I have never regretted it. This beast can handle ALL TYPES OF MUSIC!! . From Kate Bush Kick Inside to Ace of Spades Motorhead . It can do gentle. It can do nasty. It will not break up when playing the craziest of music & laughs at the 1812 Overture & Who Live at Leeds!!!

Over the years I have assembled an all 500 series Meridian system. Including B&W 703 speakers & chord cable throughout. Its not cheap & I'm not rich but if your a real music fan , not some audiophile fool that has a high end system & 12 records , then go for a 557. It will power any domestic hi-fi speaker easily. It is built like a tank & destroys the competition like one!!!!!!!!!

Strengths:
Clean controlled sound. Good separation. Build quality. Reliable. Nice looks

Weaknesses:
Might sound a bit empty at first listen but what you are hearing is an absence of harshness that the artist NEVER recorded & your previous amp added its own sonic signature.

Price Paid:  $0.00 from -

Summary:
Started hard clipping into my Infinity Kappa 9.2i speakers when I turned up the volume. It must really have trouble delivering high current into a low impedance. My speakers are 4 ohm nominal with dips below 1 ohm, so they can be tough. But I have tried ten other amps and newer experienced this problem. The amp sounded good at lower speaker levels, but this realy scared me and I did not test it for very long after discovering this problem

Strengths:
Looks very nice

Weaknesses:
Can not handle low impedeances

Similar Products Used:
Parasound HCA 3500, Vincent 991, Carver X-760a, Nakamitchi PA7-mk2,NAD 218 + more tested

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Meridian 557 delivers great power and control of my PMC LB-1 speaker. It sounds so right with much details and fast bass. Maybe bass is not very strong and the tone is not very beautiful. As all good solid-state power-amp, it brings everything right. Drive the speaker with uncolored signal. Kick the speaker to work hard. You can hear very clean sound with good CD-player and pre-amp. I know 557 is not designed to be a best quality high-end amp. But it sounds as good as all high-end amp in most cases. Personally, I like it's elegant look very much.

Strengths:
nature, smooth sound with great power. beautiful design.

Weaknesses:
Maybe a little light bass in some small system.

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Hi, I found a great modifier of this Meridian amp. Steve Huntely from Great Northern Sound is one of the best modifiers out there. Steve Modified by Meridian 557 Amp and after the upgrade this amp is as good as any Amp I'v heard. He used to work for Audio Research, Wadia and CAl. He mods Dacs, CD Players, Transports Amps, Preamps, you name it. http://www.greatnorthernsound.com/home.htm Here's the upgrade he did for my 557 amp. 4 sets of Cardas Copper CCBP Binding posts Rewired supply wiring with Cardas 11.5 gauge high purity copper wire. 4 larger/better Nichicon Great Supply 10,000 uf 80v power supply filter caps for the main high voltage supply. Added appropriate MIT power supply bypass caps across filter caps. Bybee noise reduction on main supply lines. High quality high speed rectification devices. Upgraded the 4 main signal coupling caps to the new Cardas/RTI type coupling caps. Fine tuned sonics with appropriate bypasses. Upgrade costs: $1,200.00.

Similar Products Used:
Parasound 3500, Adcom 5802, Innersound, Conrad Johnson 2300A

Price Paid:  $2500.00 from Alpha High end

Summary:
I own the 557 for about three years now and have used many other power amps .
When used with the 502 pre amp there was a loss of clarrity in the high frequenties .
So a bit of advice for other 557 owners , dont use a Meridian pre amp because the 557 outclasses them.
The best results i got with the Musical Fidelity Nu Vista Pre.
sound was verry open and soundstages honest and verry real.
Also the 557 has enough power reserve to drive most speakers.
I even used it on th B&W Nautilus 802s whitout any problem.
now i use the power amp on my Martin Logan ReQuests and the sound is verry detaled and open with verry good controle over the lower frequenties.
In my opinnion this is THE BEST power amp at this price and it can match up with others costing 3and 4 times the price of the 557.
So my conlusion is verry simple
EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE ONE OR TWO 557s

Strengths:
Verry nice looking , power reserve , sounds great with Martin Logan ReQuest etc etc...

Weaknesses:
Needs verry good pre amp although thats not really a weakness

Similar Products Used:
Perreaux P350 , Harman Kardon Signature 1.5 ,Meridian 505.