Meridian Delivers New Flagship Digital Active Loudspeaker

13-Sep-00

Meridian Audio, Ltd. has debuted a new flagship loudspeaker - the DSP8000, a four-piece system that is said to be the culmination of nearly two decades of evolution of the companyís ""digital-active"" speaker concept. ""By combining power and precision digital signal processing with the well-known advantages of the active-loudspeaker concept, albeit at quite an advanced level,"" says Meridian co-founder and Lead Designer Bob Stuart, ""We are able to reach a higher plane of sound reproduction than is otherwise possible. The DSP8000 combines all weíve learned in nearly 20 years of digital audio and speaker design, and we clearly believe it is the path high-end home entertainment must take to progress into the 21st century,"" Stuart continues. ""There simply is no more accurate, full-range, dynamically capable audio playback system available, at any price."" Meridianís DSP8000 is a four-way DSP active loudspeaker that features proprietary digital processing at virtually every stage of its operation. Each channel comprises a pyramidal head assembly containing custom treble and midrange drivers, and a bass cabinet with six horizontally opposed, long-throw drive units, arrayed in vibration-canceling pairs, that are claimed to combine for ""unrestricted ëendlessí deep bass extension and dynamics."" The bass enclosure also houses each channelís full electronics complement, including channels of power amplification that serve the tweeter, midrange, and each opposed-pair of bass drivers.The systemís dual 100MHz DSP engines and controlling computer, both of which run from proprietary Meridian software, are also on board the lower unit, as are three discrete, 24-bit/192kHz digital-to-analog converters - all per channel. The DSP8000ís three digital crossovers integrate each channelís eight drivers using proprietary digital filters. The result is said to be a ""total elimination of the phase errors inherent in virtually every other loudspeaker design regardless of price.""The DSP8000ís Digital Active design also boasts control features, all remote-controllable from the listening position via the included Meridian System Remote. These functions include source selection, bass and treble ""tilt,"" listening axis, time-compensated balance, absolute phase and master volume. Meridian also has included their proprietary upsampling resolution-enhancement system, memory-based de-jittering circuit, and jitter-immune ""FIFO"" input digital audio input/receiver. The DSP8000 is claimed to be fully capable of 24-bit resolution in throughout both its digital and analog audio components.Both DSP8000 cabinets are formed of curved pressure-laminated panels using multiple, interlocking layers of wood and metal, and hand finished in gloss-black (or special order colors). All eight drivers are fixed using custom-machined clamping rings in place of conventional screw-in assembly, an arrangement that is said to contribute both enhanced rigidity and a smooth, diffraction-free sound-radiating surface.The DSP8000ís lower enclosure serves as the base for the mid/treble ""head."" Its tempered-glass front panel includes a window for the systemís eight-character matrix display, and one for an infrared receiver that responds to commands from the supplied controller. A DSP8000 pair is a fully capable, complete audio system requiring just a digital data source such as a CD/DVD transport, but equally able to cooperate with a digital preamp or surround controller such as Meridianís own models 518 or 561. The DSP8000ís two coaxial digital inputs accept data up to 24-bit, at any sampling frequencies from 32kHz to 192kHz. An expansion port provides future connection and configuration options, while its RS232 serial port accepts firmware upgrades, diagnostics, control, and communicates with Meridianís supplied PC setup software, enabling system configuration options as well as backup.The Meridian DSP8000 is available now, at a suggested price of $45,000 per pair.

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