I haven't heard the 900W system and I'm sure it's a noticeable upgrade over the base system, but I have to say the 380W system is nothing to shake a stick at. It is fantastic in my opinion. I'm also usually one to upgrade the sound in my vehicles, but I feel the 380W requires nothing. I bought my LR4 off the lot so I didn't have the option of the upgraded sound system, but I'm not overly disappointed I missed out.
Meridian audio system
- Thread starter Interpol
- Start date
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Meaning no offense at all, your first 5 words are the only thing that make the rest of your message possible. Having heard both, I was willing to pay the extra to get it. You are right in that the 380 is no slouch, but my goodness the upgrade knocks it out of the park.
We have the higher output Meridian system and I am not blown away. Not an audiophile either, but just don't see a huge improvement over the 380W system that I listened to. Admittedly I haven't spent much time with the lower end version but nothing about this one would lead me to say I would order it again.
Also one point to note, don't get too hung up with "watt" ratings. Like megapixels with cameras and so many other ratings, not all watts are created equal. Take a listen to a Sony or other mainstream system rated for x hundred watts, then listed to a high end system with clean sound and lower rated output. You will be blown away...
Also one point to note, don't get too hung up with "watt" ratings. Like megapixels with cameras and so many other ratings, not all watts are created equal. Take a listen to a Sony or other mainstream system rated for x hundred watts, then listed to a high end system with clean sound and lower rated output. You will be blown away...
Lol, if you're happy with what you've got then that's a good thing!
Colorover makes a good point too. Watt ratings are really more marketing tools than anything else these days. Double the wattage does not mean double the sound. Unlike horsepower, that's just not how electricity works! Yet you won't hear any of these manufactures explain that. It's that fact that made me want to hear both systems before paying extra. To rule out natural bias, I told the salesman not to say which system was which.
For those on the fence, either for this vehicle or something in the future, I think the best test is to listen to a quality audio source such as a CD (not your highly compressed recording on a phone or anything over the radio) and preferably one representative of the music you enjoy. Be sure to adjust the bass output as many new vehicles are bass-heavy and really ruin anything other than modern music (and the 1812 Overture).
Realize that listening in a quite showroom with the engine off is a vastly different experience than listening with 70+dB of background/road noise.
Wattage does make a difference beyond high-volume capability. Any system is going to introduce distortion, with greater distortion as the output increases. If the standard system is close to maximum output (volume) at your regular listening level it may be distorting enough to notice. It may also lack the "headroom" to increase the volume as need by the music. All of that said, I would be surprised if the base system lacks sufficient power to efficiently drive the installed speakers without noticeable distortion at "typical" listening levels.
If the vehicle is old(er) and/or has inexpensive speakers, there are many excellent aftermarket speaker upgrades available which will have an obvious affect on sound quality. I upgraded the speakers in a 6-year-old BMW and was very happy with the improved sound from the base stereo.
Realize that listening in a quite showroom with the engine off is a vastly different experience than listening with 70+dB of background/road noise.
Wattage does make a difference beyond high-volume capability. Any system is going to introduce distortion, with greater distortion as the output increases. If the standard system is close to maximum output (volume) at your regular listening level it may be distorting enough to notice. It may also lack the "headroom" to increase the volume as need by the music. All of that said, I would be surprised if the base system lacks sufficient power to efficiently drive the installed speakers without noticeable distortion at "typical" listening levels.
If the vehicle is old(er) and/or has inexpensive speakers, there are many excellent aftermarket speaker upgrades available which will have an obvious affect on sound quality. I upgraded the speakers in a 6-year-old BMW and was very happy with the improved sound from the base stereo.
