Meridian To Preview Stunning New Flagship Digital Active Loudspeaker
At the 2000 CES show in Las Vegas, Nevada, high-end audio trend-setter Meridian Audio, Ltd. previewed a revolutionary new product. The new flagship to the British companyís hallmark Digital Active Loudspeaker line, the $45,000/pair DSP8000 is the ultimate expression of the state-of-the-art in digital-audio/DSP, electro-mechanical loudspeaker design, and amplifier and active-speaker engineering. By delivering both fully 24-bit dynamic range and truly realistic-level playback of any musical genre the DSP8000 rewrites the standards for music and cinema reproduction. Meridian Chairman Bob Stuart says, ""In all honesty itís no more than a happy coincidence that the DSP8000 bows at the dawn of a new millennium, but itís no less appropriate. This new design combines all weíve learned in nearly 20 years of digital audio and speaker design, providing, we believe, a real look ahead along the road high-end home entertainment will travel in the 21st century."" The DSP8000 Digital Active Loudspeaker incorporates superbly accurate digital-to-analog conversion and powerful DSP to optimize speaker and amplifiers, including very sophisticated digital crossovers and time-and amplitude-domain corrections, as well as extensive user control and acoustical tailoring. The dual 100MHz DSP processors, four high-resolution 24-bit/96kHz D/A converters (per speaker), and Meridianís exclusive, jitter-immune ""FIFO"" data input/receiver together ensure ultimate audio purity. The result is a system fully capable of 24-bit resolution in both its digital- and analog-audio systems. Just a few of the DSP8000ís more prominent characteristics: - Eight high-resolution drive units, in two fully independent enclosures (mid/top and bass) - Dual 100MHz DSP engines, four discrete DACs with 24-bit/192kHz resolution - Horizontally opposed and profiled, vibration-canceling bass system - Five fully independent, ultra-low-feedback power amplifiers in each system; all-modular electronics layout - Expansion port for future connection and configuration options; Meridian PC Setup software for perfect, logical installation and system integration in any array: mono to many-channel - RS232 port for firmware upgrades, diagnostics, control, and more - Sculpted metal-wood composite cabinet with uniquely non-resonant properties - Hand-rubbed piano-black lacquer finish, and tempered-glass panels - Unique cabinet material promotes astounding imaging, low coloration and wide dynamic range