News

Meridian's G Series A Winner (5/1/2004)

New, Ground-Breaking Designs Acclaimed by Press, Industry

Meridian Audio Limited (Booth #17220, Las Vegas Convention Center, South Hall 1 & 2), recognized international high-end leader in digital audio and video for home theater and music systems, is showing, for the first time at CES, the new G Series line of products that have taken the industry by storm since they were announced recently - so much so that they have already received awards, including one from the CEA. The new line draws on the established state-of-the-technology engineering of the famous Reference 800 Series components, combined with the latest developments from Meridian's research and development team, to define entirely new standards of A/V performance and full-system flexibility.

Meridian's new range comprises three basic families of all-new designs: four optical-disc CD and CD/DVD player/transport/controllers-two with extended, preamp-like capabilities; four components including surround processor/tuner, preamps, and a two-channel receiver; and three power-amplifiers including stereo and multichannel models. The G Series products are equally at home in analog systems using passive loudspeakers, as they are in high-performance configurations based around Meridian's DSP digital loudspeaker models.

Each G Series component features stunning new industrial designs by Meridian co-founder and multiple international award-winner Allen Boothroyd, including full-width, all-metal construction and optional rack mounting capability. The sleek finish, available in pearly silver or all-black, is complemented by Meridian's traditional black glass accents and an elegant new user interface accessed by the softly-lit front panel, rotary volume control and flexible, customizable key layouts-and the units can be controlled from the new backlit learning remote.

The new line also features serial ports that may be used both for complete system-control integration and for configuration with Meridian's custom Windows software application.

The four G Series optical-disc components include the G07 CD Player and G08 Upsampling CD Player, the G98 CD/DVD Audio transport, and the G91 DVD Audio Player/Controller, a fully integrated CD/DVD player with on-board stereo preamplifier-tuner.

The G68 Surround Controller is a unique, modular, and upgradeable THX Ultra2 component serving as a digital-and-analog A/V surround preamp-processor with RDS/RDBS tuner. It is also one of the first Dolby Pro Logic IIx processors on the market, and provides a variety of multichannel inputs including two 6-channel digital inputs, which accept Meridian MHR Smart Link signals from compatible Meridian disc players. By upsampling these signals, the G68 offers an improvement in sound quality from movie and music multichannel recordings. Numerous stereo digital and analog inputs are also present for audio and A/V sources, and balanced-out analog options are available. Flexible video configurations can include broadcast-grade switching incorporating multiple S- and component-video inputs and outputs. Its proprietary Meridian DSP room-correction system counteracts room resonances for outstanding real-world sound, eliminating "muddiness" and dramatically improving stereo and surround imaging.

While Meridian is best known for its countless digital audio achievements, superb analog circuitry has always been a critical element of every Meridian design, and the company's analog audio engineering expertise is no less advanced. Consequently, Meridian created an entirely new trio of analog stereo components among its G Series family: the G01 stereo RDS tuner/control unit, the G02 balanced/dual-mono control unit, and the G51 AM/FM RDS stereo receiver. (The last-named incorporates a 2 x 100 watts power amplifier derived from the G56, below.)

There are three power amplifiers among Meridian's new G Series, two stereo models and a five-channel design. All derive from the superb amplification technology of Meridian's reference-standard DSP8000 Digital Loudspeakers. The dual-mono G56 produces 100 watts per channel (8½), while the G57 doubles this to 200 x 2 at 8½ and more than 650 x 2 at 4½. Both two-channel models can be bridged to mono for dramatically higher single-channel output. The Meridian G55 duplicates the stereo amps' features in a five-channel configuration delivering 100 watts each (8½); again, the "outer" channel-pairs may be bridged to 300 watts each. All three G Series amps include a flexible trigger input that responds equally to DC or AC signals over a wide voltage range, ensuring virtually universal compatibility with system-control hardware.

Each G Series component (except the power amplifiers) is supplied with the latest MSR+ System Remote. This backlit, ergonomic tabletop controller incorporates 51 keys grouped into intuitive sections; user-replaceable keycaps allow simple, semi-permanent re-labeling to match a particular system's actual components and sources. The MSR+ is a pre-programmed/learning remote with a vast internal library able to command an enormous array of equipment from numerous manufacturers.

G Series models are now shipping.

www.meridian-audio.com