Meridian America 861 - Manual (Page 3)

800/861
Version 3
800 Series DVD-Audio Update
Sales Information
1
st January 2002
Meridian Audio Limited
Stonehill, Stukeley Meadows
Huntingdon
Cambridgeshire PE29 6EX
T +44 (0) 1480 445678
F +44 (0) 1480 445686
Meridian America Inc.
Suite 122, Building 2400
3800 Camp Creek Parkway
Atlanta GA 30331
T (404) 344 7111
F (404) 346 7111
www.meridian-audio.com
800 Reference CD/DVD Player
The 800 CD/DVD Player has been radically updated to add support for DVD-Audio. It stands
alone as a uniquely capable full-function player, with unparalleled performance on CD, DVD-
Audio and DVD-Video sources. Meridian's proprietary disc navigation and decoding
architecture provide the highest quality signals while exclusive multiple-FIFO data buffering
eliminates time-domain errors. The net result is sound quality that exceeds any previous
design. Just as important, these techniques have further improved picture quality: 800 again
re-defines the best available from DVD.
Considerable work has been done in this upgrade to offer yet further improvements in CD
playback. Meridian and their 800 Series already have worldwide acclaim for CD
performance, playability and navigation and the latest enhancements in 800 affirm this.
The 800 and 861 combination offers upsampled multichannel playback of CD sources, using
the huge DSP power on hand to double the effective sampling frequency, to use 48-bit
internal precision and to render up to eight channels.
As before, 800 can be fitted with analogue and/or digital inputs and, of course, the user can
specify digital or analogue outputs with up to 192kHz 24-bit precision.
861 Reference Surround Controller
The 861 boasts a newly developed digital signal processing engine with unprecedented
power, flexibility, and future configurability. Raw processing power is vital, but so is
throughput, and this new design is capable of running more channels at 96kHz; allowing
expanded options for speaker arrays: more subwoofers or additional speakers for height.
861 provides full support for multichannel inputs (both analogue and digital) and several new
DSP modes have been added to support these.
The addition of MHR Smart Link gives 861 the unique ability to automatically adjust speaker
and processor settings for each incoming format from 800. A vital benefit is that bass
management can be automatically optimum for each input medium.
Meridian’s proprietary resolution-enhancement process that increases the sampling
frequency and word length of source material to double-rate 24-bit has been a key feature in
the 800 Series from the outset. Now, for the first time we enable the processor to upsample
up to eight channels with superb results.
Meridian’s 861 is the first surround controller to provide full support for new DVD-Audio
recordings that include height – so-called 2+2+2 formats. These new recordings assign the
six disc channels as two main speakers, two height speakers and two rear speakers. This
system can be set up alongside an existing Meridian theatre.
The original capabilities of the 861 are all retained. These include 7.1 Dolby Digital, THX,
EX, DTS, Meridian EZ, support for 2+2+2 playback, Dolby ProLogic II processing for stereo
and matrix-encoded sources, discrete Ambisonics, MPEG, MP3 and the full panoply of
Meridian’s proprietary modes for reproducing stereo and multichannel recordings with
unmatched depth, dynamic detail, and spatial precision.
Being card-based, the 861 offers a range of options including output capabilities of 192kHz
or 96kHz/24-bit analogue. New cards include a range of extremely high resolution
multichannel analogue inputs which allow 861 to fully support the many DVD-Audio or SACD
players with analogue outputs.
The new DSP engine is designed to allow future updates of software.
More information
This update supplements our data sheets, FAQs and other brochure material on the 800 and
861. Please contact your dealer for further information.