New Digital Surround Processor & Multimedia Controller Form New Meridian Benchmark
Meridian Audio Limited, the British audio manufacturer widely acknowledged worldwide as the leader in digital audio technologies for high-end audio and home theatre, has unveiled a new two-component audio-video centerpiece. Combining the new Meridian 568 Digital Surround Processor with the newly updated Meridian 562V.2 Multimedia Controller yields a home theatre solution that is without peering the world of audio-video systems and is rivaled only by Meridianís own flagship 800-Series designs. The Meridian 568 Digital Surround Processor provides state-of-the-art decoding of every current and near-term digital and analog surround format and sophisticated logic-surround. In addition, it offers enhanced-stereo playback, extensive user-customization, and flexible, simple operation - all with a level of inherent audio quality from digital and analog sources unmatched by any other equipment at any price. Complementing the new 568 is the 562V.2 Multimedia Controller which provides even more flexible signal-routing and extended S-Video facilities. ""The new 568 takes the Meridian digital theatre concept to a higher level of versatility and sophistication,"" says company Chairman and Chief Designer Bob Stuart. ""By incorporating improvements in technology and performance from preceding designs, Meridian has produced a component that combines power with simplicity unequaled in this price category. We created the 568 to become the undisputed industry reference and we are entirely confident that it will very quickly be accepted as precisely that."" In simple terms, the Meridian 568 is a surround-preamp/processor of exceptional audio quality, designed to stand alone or work in tandem with the 562V.2, a sophisticated and flexible audio-video preamp/switcher. The 568ís five digital and two analog audio inputs and pass-through video facilities will prove ample for many. However, pairing a 568 with a 562V.2 Multimedia controller the system expands to 12 digital and eight analog inputs altogether (a MM or MC phono card is an option), plus ten video inputs comprised of six and four composite/S-Video; there are three video outputs in each format. The 562V.2ís signal-routing abilities, both audio and video, are unmatched, and include very flexible record-output and multiroom options for video and audio signals, both digital and analog. The Meridian controller can also perform S-Video-to-composite conversion on its main monitor video output. The Meridian 568 delivers stereo and multi-channel surround, and decoding of all current surround formats digital or analog ñ DolbyÆ Digital, DTSÆ Digital Surroundô, MPEG/Surround, Meridian Lossless Packing (MLP), Dolby Surround/Pro Logic, Ambisonics, and more - via as many as eight loudspeakers. Its system configuration and optimization options are extensive, ensuring that the 568ís inherent audio and surround qualities can be best reproduced by virtually any real-world systems. The 568 is THXÆ Ultra-certified by Lucasfilm, and thus includes the full complement of THX enhancements. In addition, the Meridian 568 embodies the most musically adept collection available of two-channel and multi-channel options for listening to stereo and other unencoded sources. These include Meridianís universally acclaimed ""Trifield"" and ""Music"" modes, and an impressive selection of other enhanced-stereo modes for serious listening to natural-acoustic and studio-recorded music alike. And, of course, the 568 includes a range of logic-enhanced film sound and surround-music modes - including ""Mono"" (with an optional Academy filter) for the thousands of films available with pre-stereo soundtracks that were often overlooked. And yes, the Meridian 568 also offers Direct and Stereo modes for two-channel purists. Important as modes and features are the internal features are just as critical to the design of these components. The 568 incorporates 24-bit/96kHz audio processing in the front four channels, and employs Meridianís proprietary DSP for all audio processing. Since Meridian can control this processing at the code level, the 568 utilizes internal precision of at least 48 bits ranging up to 72 bits throughout. By upsampling 16-bit PCM signals (CD) to 44.1kHz/16-bit, and DVD-Video signals to 88.2kHz/24-bit, the Meridian 568 produces essential audio qualities of depth, detail, and transparency - regardless of the digital audio source - that simply are not available from any other preamp or processor. And even more, it does so equally for stereo and surround playback. This unmatched performance is achieved by Meridianís proprietary ""FIFO"" memory-based dejittering system, which eliminates time-base errors as a potential source of sonic compromises, and by Meridian High Resolution digital output when combined with Meridian DSP speakers. Despite its considerable power and flexibility in everyday use, the Meridian 568/562V.2 system is dramatically simple and easy to enjoy. When fully configured, each of the sources, when selected, automatically recalls a default program that incorporates the listenerís choice of surround decoding or processing options, and fine-tuning of balance and channel-levels and delays, bass and mid/treble ""tilt,"" and numerous additional parameters. Whatís more, each source also recalls individual bass-management options, including crossover frequencies and filter characteristics. The full value of such an extensive and flexible setup becomes clear only when you realize that each Meridian 568 ""source"" need not represent a separate hardware component, or a unique set of physical input jacks, and that each can be assigned a user-defined name. So, for example, when the listener selects his DVD source for movies the DVD playerís optical-digital output might provide the 568 with signals for auto-selecting Dolby Digital/Pro Logic playback, with various user-settings and bass-management optimized for home theatre impact. But the same DVD playerís optical-digital output might also serve, when the listener selects a CD source, as the signal for more intimate and intent stereo-CD music-listening via the 568ís Trifield mode, with minimized bass-management. The Meridian 568 can be configured via its front panel or with a PC utilizing the Meridian set-up software. For the design and implementing of more elaborate systems, Meridian recommends using the PC application, as a quick and easy way to complete system setup. The customer can review settings store and print the setup for a reliable backup of the system configurations. The program runs under Windows 95/98/2000 or WindowsNT. In designing these new systems the Meridian team has gone to great lengths to ensure that they will serve the needs of even the most demanding owner and the most sophisticated system. They are fully, expandable and upgradeable, and include facilities to accept a future Meridian multi-channel-input module. This might accommodate proposed systems including DVD-Audio and multi-channel Super-Audio CD. Lastly, since Meridian is one of the lead contributors to the DVD-Audio technical standards, and the developer of the MLP Data-format DVD-Audio employs, it is reasonable to suppose that they would be among the first to offer on-board expansion to decode these formats within the 568. The Meridian 568 and 562V.2 are designed and manufactured entirely by Meridian, at its Cambridgeshire, England facilities. The 568 extensively employs sophisticated, 4- and 6-layer PCB layouts and relies on ten re-programmable logic devices for internal control. Support for 5 DSP processors, four of them on plug-in cards, makes the Meridian 568 fully upgradable and uniquely powerful: It delivers 180 MIPS of processing power. Future software updates can be made available by flash-ROM, via an RS-232 connection, and downloadable from Meridianís worldwide Web site www.meridian-audio.com. Existing Meridian 562 or 562V units (six years old or less) can be upgraded via new software for a reasonable cost. However, the outstanding video features in the 562V.2 are not available as an upgrade. Manufacturerís suggested retail prices: Meridian 568 Digital Surround Processor: $6,495 Meridian 562V.2 Multimedia Controller: $2,495