Meridian G98 CD, DVD, DVD-Audio Transport Reviewed

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HTR Product Rating

Performance: 4 Stars
Value: 4 Stars
Overall: 4 Stars

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Meridian has long sat atop the digital food chain in the world of audiophile and home theater gear, for very good reason. Being one of the first companies to make an audiophile CD player and offering a true upgrade path for many of their other components, Meridian has earned a loyal following. The G98 is the little brother to the reference-grade Meridian 800 disc player. It comes in two distinct models. The DH model is transport-only, designed to mate with either of Meridian's AV preamps via a proprietary digital connection, while the H model offers conventional 5.1 channel analog outputs. Priced at $6,000, depending on the model, this piece is designed to perform in high-end systems and, in the right system, it will reward you in spades.

Additional Resources
• Read more source component reviews from HomeTheaterReview.com.
• Find a receiver to connect the G98 to.

Offering every format except SACD and the new high-resolution movie discs (Blu-ray and the now defunct HD DVD), the G98 is a solid performer across the board. Meridian utilizes an 8x DVD-ROM drive in its players to minimize errors by over-reading the disc when necessary. The video is spectacular and offers 1080p output via HDMI and 1080i via component video. The AH model offers exceptional analog outputs, thanks to Meridian's 30 years of experience, making some of the finest DACs in the world, while the DH allows you to utilize the DACs in your Meridian processor, and not just the newest models - any Meridian AV preamp, regardless of age, can accept the MHR link.

The sound and video from these players is topnotch. Thanks to the 8x DVD-ROM drive, digital read errors are almost totally eliminated, making for a very clean and open sound with plenty of weight and separation to the music and movies they portray. The massive build quality is on par with what you'd expect in this price range and should last you a lifetime; the piece is software upgradeable as new features arise.

Read about the high points and the low points of the Meridian G98 on Page 2.

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