Meridian 808.3 to replace Esoteric X-03 SE?

While I am unable to provide comment regarding the 808.3 (I had the 808.2 in home for a month for audition but obviously that's an earlier model), in that price range, you should be auditioning other models as well (e.g., EMM XDS1, dCS Puccini plus U-Clock, Spectral SDR-4000SL, etc.) and preferably in your system.

I wouldn't go with the Meridian. I had a 508.24 and an 800. They just don't come alive with music. I would look at the Ayre universal player and the Cary 206 CD/SACD player. Both are extremely good and can compete with anything out there but they do sound different from each othe. You will have to listen to them both and decide which one you like better.

Loved my 808.2 so much I sold it to buy 808.3 but lost out on a good buy due to slower sale of my 808.2. The owner of the 808.3 sold the Meridian to keep his Esoteric, I think it was the model you have??? Never heard the Esoteric, but the 808.2 is great and the 808.3 is supposed to be even better! Whether you sell yours or buy the Meridian you have great digital!

Thanks guys for your input.

Gshepardbuster, can you elaborate why you loved your 808.2 so much? I assume you have bought the 808.3 already? How is it?

Yes as they say it seems to make a poor recording better. Any disc played felt very musical and detailed. I felt it was a little plumper in the midrange and walked a fine line as was very revealing yet at the same time not calling too much attention to its ability to separate transients. I sold mine to finance a 808.3 but waited till mine sold to buy and missed out. I own Mcintosh so I demoed the Mcd 1100 and kept it as it meshes well with my other gear and is very well balanced from the low to the absolute high. But if I found a good deal on the 808.3 I think I would have both, or do a serious head to head and sell one. I have a lot of lesser discs and would love to own another Meridian and am confident enough to buy blind. The Mcintosh is a great player, but it is less forgiving of poor recordings, but with decent to great recordings its top notch, super quiet, dead neutral with superb imaging extreme bass response and highs to shatter glass. As with most high end its a dual edged sword but with the Meridian its like a world class sports car that works still as a daily driver in heavy traffic.

Thanks for the interesting observation Gshepardbuster. Some say that the 808.3/808.2, while very revealing, is not very involving/emotionally satisfying. Do you find that to be true?

Not at all, but with audio what affects me does nothing for the next guy. With me the Meridian would stir the soul, reveal unknown detail, and have me listening to tracks which used to be skipped. The more I write about it the more I ponder having another Meridian, maybe the key to staying off the merry go round is to have multiple sources?? I wonder if my wife will buy that?