Showcase

Meridian audio/video systems:
sound, vision and style

About Meridian

Meridian Audio Limited is based in Huntingdon, near Cambridge, UK, and was founded in 1977 by Allen Boothroyd and Robert Stuart. With a 25-year history of innovation and development of the highest quality consumer audio systems, the award-winning company is widely recognized as a world leader in digital and analogue audio reproduction. Meridian developed the world's first audiophile CD player, the world's first consumer digital surround controller, developed the MLP lossless packing systems mandated for use in DVD-Audio and high-definition disc systems, and is the only UK audio manufacturer to be a member of the DVD Forum. The company's optical disc players, DSP-based loudspeakers and Digital Theatre systems are unique in the industry, maintaining a super-quality digital audio signal throughout the path from the source to the amplifier, and using digital signal processing to generate advanced crossover characteristics that would be impossible with conventional passive analogue systems.

Meridian's product ranges can be broken down into three parts: DSP Loudspeakers, the 800 Reference Series and the recently-released G Series. Where appropriate, components are supplied with a versatile and stylish learning/library-based infrared remote.

DSP Loudspeakers

Meridian's DSP Loudspeakers look, and sound, like no other speakers available. Meridian invented the DSP loudspeaker 15 years ago, and has gone on to develop the concept ever since. Each elegantly-styled loudspeaker cabinet includes powerful DSP processing, D/A converters and power amplifiers, directly connected to carefully-chosen drivers. The digital input signal - which can be sourced from a single Meridian component such as a CD or DVD player if desired - is processed with a DSP-based crossover system and filtering, offering a degree of control that would be completely impossible to achieve in the analogue domain. The resulting signals are converted to analogue with a separate D/A converter for each frequency band. For maximum control, the amplifiers are connected directly to their carefully-selected drivers: the latter are mounted in uniquely-styled, sturdy and solid cabinets. The result is a superb, full-bandwidth sound from loudspeakers that dramatically out-perform conventional analogue designs on every front. DSP Loudspeakers range from the compact new DSP5200 to the flagship DSP8000. In many cases, horizontal centre-channel versions are available as are active analogue versions of several of the designs, for the maximum flexibility.

800 Reference Series

Meridian's 800 Series components have been so highly acclaimed around the world that in some cases the press have had to create a special category for them. Designed around a sturdy but elegant chassis which may optionally be rack-mounted, the 800 Series features a card-based approach which allows for a great deal of flexibility and options. Three primary models are available.

The 800 optical disc player has received equally high praise for the unparalleled quality of its video as it has for its world-beating audio performance. In addition, its modular, card-based architecture allows it to be expanded and developed as technology and industry standards advance. The latest 800 Version 4 exemplifies this approach, taking this acclaimed player still further, with support for HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) output and video input cards, along with video switching cards originally designed for the 861 and extensive video scaling capability. In addition, the 800 Version 4 can be set up with Meridian's new MConfig application, which includes step-by-step configuration and graphic system design.

The 808 Signature Reference Compact Disc Player is a special Limited Edition and marks the 20th anniversary of the release of Meridian's first CD player, and the world's first audiophile CD player, the MCD. It is hand-signed by Meridian designers and co-founders Allen Boothroyd and Bob Stuart, and offers the highest quality CD replay of any of the two dozen CD players produced by the company over the last two decades. Like the 800, the 808 uses a multi-speed DVD-ROM drive to recover data from the disk. This normally runs at standard speed, but in the event of encountering a problem on the disk, it can re-read at high speed, allowing many opportunities to access all the data, even on difficult media. The 808 is specifically designed as a CD-optimized machine, able to play virtually any CD, from conventional pressings to CD-R, CD-R/W and disks of MP3 files (64-256kbps).

The 861 Digital Surround Controller is a full-system controller/preamp that provides seamless control of up to 12 analogue or digital inputs and up to 12 video sources. An optional Tape card provides additional internal A/D and D/A converters to provide support for tape recorders, extensive 2- and 3-zone multi-room capability (analogue or digital formats) and headphones. Perfect for the latest in digital audio and video such as DVD-Audio and DVD-Video, analogue signals are immediately converted via 24-bit multi-bit Delta-Sigma converters to high-sample rate digital, while all digital signals are re-clocked to minimize jitter and maintain total data integrity. The latest Version 4 861 includes Meridian Room Correction, which first measures the room and then automatically builds a series of digital filters that reduce the reverberation time of significant room modes. As the filters generated are entirely within the digital domain, they are free from artefacts and are easily incorporated into the all-digital Meridian signal path. The result is a very noticeable improvement in the sound of a room, calming down the resonances and smoothing out the overall acoustic behaviour.

G Series

Since its release in 2004, the widely-acclaimed G Series has quickly become Meridian's most popular range of products. The high performance digital and analogue audio/video components feature a stylish cabinet in traditional black or a sleek silver finish. Designed to be either free-standing or rack mounted, G Series components build on their predecessors, the multi-award-winning 500 and flagship 800 Series, with multi-layer boards to reduce system noise and improve performance. In products that include video capabilities, broadcast-quality, wide-bandwidth video components are employed for maximum image integrity.

G Series units are easy to use: where appropriate, a knob is included to control volume, while the positive-action front-panel keys are software-defined - their legends are presented in the vacuum fluorescent display and change intelligently according to context. Full installation configuration of many G Series components is achieved by running a special setup program on a Windows computer, connected to the G Series unit via a serial link - or they can be configured directly from the front panel. G Series products also include serial ports for remote operation and configuration, along with infrared sensor input and trigger capabilities, plus Meridian communications ports.

The range includes two CD players, two DVD-Audio/Video players, two analogue preamplifier/controllers, a surround processor with Meridian Room Correction, a stereo receiver and three power amplifiers.

Meridian Audio Limited
Telephone/fax 01480 445678/445686
info@meridian-audio.com
www.meridian.co.uk