LAS VEGAS – Luxury-audio supplier Meridian is marking the 25th anniversary of the home-audio industry’s first active digital speaker, Meridian’s own D600, with the launch of three special-edition DSP speakers said to make a major leap in transient response.
Separately, Meridian is reentering the home amplifier market after an absence of five years and previewing a music-management application for PCs and mobile devices. It could presumably carry over into the company’s own multi-room music server.
The three special-edition DSP speakers are the DSP8000SE, DSP7200SE and DSP5200SE, all delivering enhanced transient response through a combination of transducer design, mechanical mounting techniques, and new DSP developments, said John Buchanan, sales and marketing executive VP. He called the speakers “the highest performing Meridian DSP digital active loudspeakers available.”
The three speakers also incorporate enhanced bass-alignment (EBA) technology rolled out in the DSP7200V2 speaker last February and now being rolled out as a software upgrade to the company’s entire range of speakers. The technology is said to deliver fast, clean bass and an open transparent soundstage.
The DSP7200SE will be demonstrated live at suite 30-335 at the Venetian. Production of all three special- edition models is expected to start in February. Pricing hasn’t been announced.
The current DSP5200 is priced at $15,000/pair, the current DSP7200 is $38,000/pair, and the DSP8000 is $65,000/pair.
All three special-edition versions of these speakers, Buchanan said, offer the following improvements:
• Meridian-designed semi horn-loaded tweeters with a new beryllium dome to deliver “outstanding transient response” and wide bandwidth;
• wide-bandwidth analog electronics optimized for high-resolution recordings;
• new DSP processing that includes enhanced bass alignment (EBA); and
• all drive units clamped with machined rings for enhanced mechanical stability.
The new SE speakers will be available in addition to the current production DSP8000, DSP7200 and DSP5200 speakers.
The new speakers will be available in piano-lacquer black or high-gloss white as standard finishes, but custom finishes will also be available.
In amplifiers, the $6,000 two-channel G57 and $7,500 five-channel G55 will ship in January in silver and black finishes. They are back by popular demand and are designed to integrate Meridian Surround Controllers with other-brand passive speakers, the company said.
The G55 delivers 5×100 watts continuous into 8 ohms, and the G57 delivers 2×200 watts continuous into 8 ohms, or up to 1 kilowatt bridged into 4 ohms.
