Meridian - Explorer2 USB DAC

This little pocket DAC is a fast and convenient way to connect a set of decent quality headphones to a PC or Mac. Simply download the drivers from meridians website, plug in and off you go.I use a set of sennheiser HD650s. They don't require a massive amount of output to drive them compared to other pro headphones, but the average headphone output from a computer soundcard will struggle not to mention carry a lot of RF from the motherboard, so a little device like this is very welcome.The Explorer is the size of a very large USB stick, or about 5 apple TV remotes stacked on top of each other. The fittings are secure and very well made and it is most refreshing not to have 40 foot of useless USB cable included with the device, instead a short little cable is provided which is perfectly sized. IN addition, a well made pouch is included, making the whole thing pocketable and well protected.I own the original meridian explorer which I was impressed with from the get go. Sound output is warm, clean and nicely spacialised such that you can pick out each instrument with no difficulty. This version 2 is a nice upgrade and seems if anything, a little warmer, with a cleaner and fuller output, the stereo field is widened just that little bit further and there is a definite sense of depth, such that you can hear sounds from the back and front of the soundstage.The entire power supply has been redesigned such that it will drive headphones requiring a great deal more output such as the Graddos line. It also supports MQA decoding which promises to be the next big thing in terms of audio compression and is soon to be utilised on many streaming servicesSomething which both this and the Explorer 1 have in common, is the inclusion of an Asio driver, which is designed to force the DAC into the exact matched outputof an audio file to provide it in a completely unaltered form with no processing. Whilst I don't suggest you use this for every day listening due to the conflicts within a computer system this can cause and because the Explorer is already engineered to provide a superior sound, it can be useful to sound editors such as myself when using a product like Reaper.Is it worth £200 for the upgrade? probably not in truth and I will be selling my explorer 1 at some point to pay for this. However, if you don't already have one, it's a very whorthwile investment.Highly recommended.

Arrived promptly, installing driver was painless and just worked. Sound is noticeably improved compared to onboard sound on my Dell laptop. Was it 200 quid better? Not sure, but I'll be keeping it.Update: Installed a more capable audio player software (supports ASIO) and the difference is more pronounced. Definitely a good bit of kit.

Does not work with Tidal MQA so it was an utter waste of money.

This is the 3rd meridian Dac that i own :previous Eplorer ,which always worked flawlessy;Director which had some issue with usb 3 portfixed after months with a firmware .Now the explorer 2 :works great from line output ,better than Expl 1 ,but i have a problem with control panel volume ,not working;tried to reboot several times the driver ,on diferent Pc without success.I discovered that one application it is not loaded ;i suppose that most of troubles of this unit is due to v1717 firmware ;i am not ableto up load other bin files ,and i know ,by my previous experience with Director ,that people at Meridian are not very responsive .I posted my problem on computer audiphile ,hope someone should help me ,before i return the unit.Aniway the sound from line is fantastic ;downside :2 out of 3 of my Meridian purchase made me crazy to fix the problem

I guess it depends what your computer sound card is like as to whether you think these are brilliant or not. Plugged into a newish macbook pro, which has a pretty decent DAC on board, the audible difference is so small as to not warrant the £!99 price tag, for me anyway.I can see on a PC, with a low end sound card, the difference would be more spectacular though.

To me, Meridian has always been some unattainable, rarefied hifi boutique. I remember the reverence and starry eyed way which various dsitributors refer to the Meridian setup at the Bristol hifi show. Was quite surprised to learn they were doing a relatiely low-cost DAC like the Explorer. From specs alone, it looks like there is a lot of trickle down technology.I was looking for an affordable DAC for a friend who runs his music off a Mac Mini via headphone out to a Yamaha AS500 and B&W 685 speakers. the weak link being obviously the source.Amongst the DACs in contention were the Audioquest Dragonfly 2 and the Arcam rPAC. A bit more digging and I came to learn of the Meridian and the newly launched Explorer 2 with MQA technology.Now this is the first time I've heard of MQA, but I read about Meridian's recent presentation at an international conference regarding the differences between hi-res and normal Red Book music. Together with Rob Watts amazing Chord Hugo (which I use), the emphasis now is on time domain; which is what MQA is supposed to bring to the equation.But first, let's talk about delivery and packaging. Being skint, I chose free delivery and it arrived ahead of schedule on Sunday. The Explorer 2 is double boxed with a rather bland white outer box and a classier one inside. The Explorer 2 itself is about the size of those slim cigar-shaped spectacles holder with a mini USB port on one side and headphone jack on the other.It comes with a short mini USB cable to full USB to plug into your PC/mac. the device is basically plug and play. Macs and PCs will detect it as a USB audio device, and just select it as the output device, plug in the headphones jack and that's it.So how does it sound?The most obvious thing when it comes to higher quality DACs is you hear "more sound". Now, I haven't heard the Dragonly or rPAC, so my comparison is basically between the Mac Mini onboard DAC, and from memory my Chord Hugo and linn Majik DS.In terms of "more sound", it took a few tracks for the electronics to run in. there is "more sound", but not immediately apparant. then again, I was playing compressed iTunes store tracks.But there is additional sound in where it matters. Extension. Bass ad treble. Doesn't strike you in the face, but every note seems a little fuller. And a little more natural.It doesn't have that "incredibly clear" quality like some products which while impress initially, gives you a headache after some time.Rather every note, and every instrument has its distinct character. Kick drums have a nice snap. Strings are silky. You can hear breath being drawn in the vocals.In many ways, it reminds me of the Chord Hugo. Every sound is distinct, natural and pleasing.No matter that it was compressed audio. Every track was engrossing. You just can't stop. It completely transforms your music collection.And I suspect this has all to do with Meridian focusing on the time domain aspect rather than trying to eke out every frequency.Its not a DAC that makes you go "wow" immediately. But one that makes you tap our toes and put your hands in the air.Forget about graphs or measurements. This is a DAC that brings musicality to your music.Its not about how sharp or how humping. Its about how it makes your music enjoyable. Which at the end of the day, is what music is about.ps. that is not to take anything away from the actual frequency reproduction. Prior to the Meridian, my friend had to tweak the bass and treble adjustments on the amp. With the Meridian, I was able to defeat both settings and yet the treble is clearer and bass deeper.