Meridian G-08 or ProAc Response TriTower Upgrade

I used a PD-65 happily for years. Great player, and mine was stock. Now I use a Pioneer PD-S95 transport and an Audio Note outboard Dac, but I still think that the PD65 was a really musical player. Those ProAcs are really special little towers. I would go with them for now.

My vote is the best speakers you can afford first -- everything else follows - the home audition is priceless if you can arrange it:-)

Thanks for the respones everyone.

That's funny, Roxy54. Years ago, I bought a brand new PDS-95 and used it with a ARC dac2 and later with a modded musical fidelity tri-vista 21 dac. It was gorgeous and sounded fantastic. John Hillig from Musical Concepts performed the $1800 signature mods on this transport too, and it was unbelievable. But years passed and I started getting nervous about the lack of replacement parts for it, so I decided to sell it, and wound up going into single box mode and bought a new Esoteric X-03SE and used it for one year before having to downsize and sell it (that was painful). Larry Diaz at the High End Palace gave me a fair offer for my PDS-95 and he's been using it in his personal system for a few years now. They're killer transports...

I'm listening to the totem hawks now, and they're really untouchable for the money. My ultimate goal is to replace my long lost DeVore Fidelity Nines, so I may just hold onto the hawks until that happy day arrives.

As good as the PD-65 cd player is, I'm starting to think the digital front end is the weak link in my system right now. The rest of my components and speakers are of a higher caliber, so I think the cd player gets the vote for the upgrade. I just don't know if the meridian G-08 is the way to go. I've read about some problems with these and the G-08.2 so I'm not sure what to get for $2500 or less. Like I said, the X-03SE is the holy grail in my book, but not financially obtainable right now. I like the vrds transport clamping mechanism that esoteric uses, and the stable platter mechanism on the older pioneer players and transports. I know some of the older krells have vrds. Do you think it would be wise to try and pick up a krell kav-300cd (with vrds transport) cd player and try that, or do you think the G-08 would smoke the krell? I know it probably would, but I hate the uneccessarily HUGE meridian remote control, and I question the build quality of the meridian. Krell with vrds (a few wadias also) and the Pioneer Elite's with the stable platter were "overbuilt" exceptionally well, but nowdays in many cases they're pretty much unrepairable once they become broken. Part of me just wants to stay off this site and keep everything I have, and not upgrade anymore!! But having previously owned the Esoteric X03-SE.... I know the PD-65 is holding me back, but I can only allow $2500 max on an upgrade right now.

Any thought???

Before I got the G08 I had demoed the esoteric sa-10. To me the sa-10 was too detailed and sterile sounding. The G08 has a lot of detail but has better prat. In other words the G08 would get my toes tapping where the sa-10 just didn't do it for me. Again try to demo it in your home.

You need a new DAC, it's your limiting factor, and you'll be prepared for a computer based server, when you get around to it. Use the PD-65 as a transport; I've used one forever. The rest of your system looks very nice.