Meridian 818V3 Pre-Amp
Meridian’s 818V3 combines transparent resolution, airy treble and a remarkably expansive soundstage with the poise of a serious analogue preamp. HiFi Advice found it fast, refined and emotionally engaging across recordings, while generous digital, analogue and SpeakerLink connectivity makes this a formidable high-end system hub.
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
93/100
Build Quality
84/100
Features Connectivity
94/100
Value for Money
85/100
Pros
Exceptionally transparent, detailed presentation with open, airy treble and a large, stable soundstage.
Fast, lively and emotionally engaging sound that remains enjoyable even with less-than-perfect recordings.
Extensive analogue, digital and SpeakerLink connectivity supports both conventional systems and Meridian DSP loudspeakers.
Streaming operation was reported as highly stable, responsive and free from signal dropouts.
Cons
Its neutral, energetic balance can sound slightly over-controlled on poorer recordings until system matching is optimized.
USB input configuration was found unintuitive, requiring legacy software and potentially a serial connection.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 93/100
The review describes an exceptionally open, refined and emotionally engaging presentation, combining strong detail retrieval with a neutral, quick-moving midrange. It also reports a large, stable soundstage and says the unit retains pace, scale and clarity without blurring.
Transparency Resolution
94/100
The 818 is repeatedly described as transparent, detailed, open and airy, with the reviewer finding it more revealing and neutral through the midrange than the comparison component. Its ability to make well-recorded music sound brilliant while keeping lesser recordings enjoyable suggests resolution without an overly analytical edge.
Tonal Balance Musicality
92/100
Initial listening found the sound smooth and refined, while longer comparisons characterized the 818 as lighter on its feet and more neutral than a riper, more organic-sounding rival. The reviewer nevertheless calls its presentation majestic, big and emotional, indicating that its neutral balance remains musically involving.
Dynamics
92/100
The reviewer consistently heard the Meridian as faster and describes its overall sound as lively. Comparisons also found no loss of pace, supporting a presentation that preserves musical momentum and rhythmic ease.
Soundstage Imaging
93/100
Listening notes specifically praise a large soundstage alongside open, airy treble and strong detail. The reviewer reports no shrinking of the stage or blurring, suggesting that spatial scale and image stability are retained even in comparative listening.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
84/100
The review notes unusually substantial packaging and expects the unit to withstand rough treatment in transit. Its toroidal-transformer power-supply design is intended to support low noise and signal integrity, although the review offers little direct commentary on chassis execution or long-term durability.
Features Connectivity
94/100
This is an unusually comprehensive digital and analogue control center, with six analogue inputs, balanced and single-ended analogue outputs, USB, coaxial and optical digital inputs, Ethernet/Roon integration, MQA and DSD capability. Twin SpeakerLink outputs, Meridian system communications, RS232 control, three triggers and supplied remote operation make it especially well suited to both conventional systems and Meridian DSP loudspeaker installations.
Value for Money
85/100
The reviewed unit was listed at €9,950 including VAT in the Netherlands. The reviewer is emphatic about its sound quality, stability and operational polish, but does not directly assess whether it represents stronger or weaker value than competing products at that price.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
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Specifications
- AUDIO OUTPUTS- ANALOGUE
- 1x unbalanced on phono, 1x balanced on XLR-3M, rendering of decoded MQA streams
- AUDIO OUTPUTS - DIGITAL
- Coaxial S/PDIF ≤96kHz/24-bit Twin SpeakerLink, RJ45 balanced (AES/EBU) digital interface for single-cable connection to other Meridian equipment, ≤96kHz/24-bit, and MQA streams for rendering by Meridian DSP loudspeakers
- AUDIO INPUTS - ANALOGUE
- 6x unbalanced on phono
- AUDIO INPUTS - DIGITAL
- 2x Coaxial S/PDIF ≤192kHz/24-bit, DoP, 2x Toslink optical ≤96kHz/24-bit, 1x SpeakerLink ≤192kHz/24- bit, 1x Asynchronous USB ≤192kHz/24-bit, DoP, MQA source decoding, DSD (DoP) native decode
- SOURCES
- One network input (Ethernet) for connection to a Roon system or an alternative control interface
- COMMS
- Meridian Comms: 2x 240 degree 5-pinDIN, 1x SpeakerLink input with Comms, 2x SpealerLink outputs with Comms RS232: 9-pin D-sub, remote control & configuration Triggers: 3x 12V (barrel connectors)
- CONTROLS
- Front panel: Source, Play/Pause, Previous, Next, Mute, Volume+, Volume-, Off Behind long door: Menu, Up, Down, Left, Right, F-Fwd, F-Rwd, Setup, Source, Display, Mute, Volume+, Volume- Remote Control: Via MSR+ (supplied) and RS232
- DIMENSIONS / WEIGHT
- HEIGHT: 175mm [6.9in] WIDTH: 480mm [18.9in] DEPTH: 411mm [16.2in] WEIGHT: 16.0kg [35.2lbs]
- POWER
- Advanced linear power supply: 110 - 120 Volt 50/60Hz, 220 - 240 Volt 50/60Hz Max Power Consumption: 40 Watts
Manufacturer's Description — Meridian
The ultimate home audio system hub, the 818v3 Reference Audio Core is the highest performance two-channel preamplifier manufactured by Meridian. With a full suite of the unique resolution enhancement technologies on-board and extensive connection options for all of your audio sources, the 818v3 delivers the very best listening experience.
Zone Control
Reference 818V3
Finished in high grade materials, the 818v.3 features sculptured end panels which mirror the soft lines of Meridian’s DPS Loudspeakers. The 818v3 is available in black and the full range of Meridian Select colour options.
Q-Sync
Meridian Q-Sync deploys Meridian's multiple “First In, First Out” buffering system which minimises jitter, ensuring perfect timing and improved clarity.
True Link
Meridian True Link is an encryption method for transferring high-definition digital audio over SPDIF connections. It allows secure movement of digital audio whilst ensuring that the SPDIF clock signal can be transmitted with minimum degradation.
True Time
True Time is Meridian's proprietary Apodising Filter that avoids pre-ringing and cleans up the effects of early filters, converting pre-echo to post-echo.
The Meridian 800 Series represents the pinnacle of technological audio innovation and, most importantly, designed and engineered to provide you with the most rewarding personal listening experience possible.
Meridian’s Audio Core concept combines the source connectivity features of a high-performance preamplifier with a full suite of proprietary resolution enhancement technologies, providing connectivity to Meridian’s unique range of DSP Loudspeakers.
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Authorized dealers for Meridian 818V3 Pre-Amp
- Absolute Sound (SG) — online and in-store — Singapore, Singapore (website)
- Alex Audio Video — in-store — Sofia, Sofia City Province, Bulgaria (website)
- Alpha High End — online and in-store — Brasschaat, Vlaams Gewest, Belgium (website)
- American Sound — in-store — Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada (website)
- Analogue Seduction — online and in-store — Whittlesey, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Art & Voice — online (website)
- Audio Connection — online and in-store — Verona, New Jersey, United States (website)
- Audio Evolution — online and in-store — Volla, Campania, Italy (website)
- Audio High — in-store — San Jose, California, United States (website)
- Audio Reference — in-store — Hamburg-Nord, Hamburg, Germany (website)
and 54 more verified dealers