CUSTOM INSTALLATION HOW-TO

I could go through my CD collection disc by disc and tell you how great each of them sounds when played on the Control 15: how cymbal strikes have more life, how cello plucks have more weight, or how nuances are more easily distinguishable. Or you could just take a batch of your discs to a Meridian dealer and be wowed for yourself.

I have only two real nits with the system. First, the album art that Sooloos has licensed looks rather low-rez on the giant touchscreen. Second, since the metadata currently tags entire albums and not individual tracks, there's no Genius-type playlist creation feature; as a result, tracks will sometimes play that don't fit in within a given music "mood." Sooloos has said that it plans on addressing this, but an update is "at least a quarter out."

Bottom Line

If you're looking at the Control 15 and moaning about how you could cobble together a computer and a giant hard drive, build your own DAC, and . . . well, then, forget it. This system isn't for you. The Control 15 is a product aimed at audiophiles seeking a high tech way to integrate their CD library with their high-end audio systems - and to prepare for the near-religious experience that is high-resolution audio. For them, the Meridian Sooloos Control 15 will provide an elegant, bulletproof, and simple solution. (And when you factor in the high-end Meridian hardware that this system has onboard, its price is actually a bargain.) Quite simply, if you love music, you'll love the Control 15.