Meridian America 808 - Manual (Page 2)

808/808i
The Meridian Compact Disc Heritage
than 50 awards for our CD players, including
particularly prestigious awards for our
landmark 207 in Japan.
Over the years we have researched,
pioneered and ultimately mastered the art of
refi nement of every aspect of CD playback.
We showed how jitter was a major challenge
to audio quality – indeed, Meridian was the
fi rst company to isolate jitter, as far back as
1984. Our technologies include advanced
servo implementations, unique power supply
designs, signifi cant innovations in the digital
arena and, of course, peerless analogue
sections. Meridian also pioneered the idea
that special disc navigation could improve
the playback quality on diffi cult discs (such
as those with fi ngerprints, scratches or
manufacturing defects). Our players also
benefi ted from digital output capabilities.
Meridian was also the fi rst company to offer
a 2-box solution (utilising an outboard DAC),
and has developed special phase-locked
loops and FIFO buffers to produce the very
best result in such systems – including of
course our preferred system, a CD player
directly connected to a pair of Meridian
DSP loudspeakers. The quality of digitally-
connected Meridian systems is further
enhanced by our music-industry-approved
MHR interconnection system.
Meridian has also offered its technologies
for the mastering of Compact Discs. Some
of the highest quality recordings were made
using our 607 A/D converter, while even
more have used the 618 Mastering Processor
to maximise the dynamic range on disc. Top
recording studios tend to use a Meridian
player for checking, and over the years a
Meridian CD player has become synonymous
with the best sound, and ‘a reference’. This is
a reputation we cherish, and one which we
aim to defend by making each player better
than the one before.
Of course, today there are new formats
available – with more on the way – promising
higher resolution. However, after 20
years, the CD catalogue is overwhelmingly
comprehensive and strongly-supported.
Today there are believed to be tens of
millions of CD titles available, with thousands
added to that total every month. No matter
what the success of music on DVD or other
formats, many serious music lovers already
own a cherished collection of Compact Discs
and will continue to buy them to satisfy
their particular interests. The serious listener
needs to enjoy the very best sound from this
huge musical resource.
1984
1989
1993
2004
Meridian MCD and Pro-MCD
Meridian’s first CD player, the MCD, based
on a Philips chassis with completely custom
analogue circuitry, was the world’s first
audiophile CD Player. Its successor, the Pro-
MCD shown here, included a separate cus-
tom-designed power supply, DAC and oscil-
lator, mounted underneath the transport.
lator, mounted underneath the transport.
1985
Meridian invents the CD Transport Meridian invents the CD Transport
The idea of separating the transport from The idea of separating the transport from
the rest of the player – to minimise jitter
the rest of the player – to minimise jitter
and other distortion from the mechanism
and other distortion from the mechanism
– was developed to produce the world’s
– was developed to produce the world’s
first separate Transport/DAC product
first separate Transport/DAC product – the
critically-acclaimed 200/203 shown here.
critically-acclaimed 200/203 shown here.
Meridian 208 CD Player Meridian 208 CD Player
The highly successful 200 Series included sev- The highly successful 200 Series included sev-
eral CD players. Using different DACs as the
eral CD players. Using different DACs as the
technology developed,
technology developed, the 208 was a land-
mark in Meridian’s CD player development
mark in Meridian’s CD player development,
with up to 20-bit conversion capability and
with up to 20-bit conversion capability and
preamplifier functionality.
preamplifier functionality.
508 – Compact Disc Classic Compact Disc Classic 508 – 508 –
The 500 Series, launched in 1993, developed The 500 Series, launched in 1993, developed
into a full range of audio/video products,
into a full range of audio/video products,
including Meridian’s first DVD player,
including Meridian’s first DVD player,
the 596, in 1997. Meanwhile, from 1994
. Meanwhile, from 1994
onwards, the 508 set the standard for CD onwards, the 508 set the standard for CD
until the advent of the G08 in 2003.
until the advent of the G08 in 2003.
Meridian 808 Reference Series
Originally a superb DVD player, the Meridian
800 has developed to become one of the
most highly-specified optical disc players in
the world, with full DVD-Audio/Video capa-
bility. Now, from its impeccable pedigree
comes the 808 – the highest quality Compact
Disc player Meridian has ever built.
1991
Meridian 602 Transport Meridian 602 Transport
& 601 DSP Preamplifier
& 601 DSP Preamplifier
The 600 Series was highly regarded by was highly regarded by
reviewers and owners alike, especially the reviewers and owners alike, especially the
602 transport and its companion 601 DSP
602 transport and its companion 601 DSP
Preamplifier, 603 Digital Control Unit or
Preamplifier, 603 Digital Control Unit or
606 DAC.