New series offers in-wall, flush mount and on-wall, active and passive options
CEDIA Expo, Denver, Colorado, September 14, 2006–Meridian Audio Limited (Booth #264) has been known for many years as an innovator in the loudspeaker field, introducing active designs to the consumer audio industry and developing the first digital and DSP-based loudspeakers. Today, Meridian systems are renowned for their superb sound and elegant design.
Having dipped its feet into the waters of installation loudspeakers with the highly regarded and popular DSP420 and M420 in-wall designs, Meridian has take a major step forward with the introduction of the 200 Series in-ceiling speakers and the extensive 300 Series of in/on-walls.
The goal of Meridian’s new in/on-wall loudspeakers was to offer comparable audio power and quality to Meridian’s freestanding speakers in a compact, easy-to-install form.
The new 200 Series in-ceiling designs and the 300 Series of in-wall/flush-mount and on-wall systems allow exceptional flexibility of configuration. They can be supplied as passive speakers to be driven by conventional external amplification, or as a ‘remote active’ analog system driven by a G41 Powered Crossover/Amplifier, including 8 x 100W power amplifier and modular plug-in electronic crossovers, which can handle up to five channels of audio. An upcoming firmware revision for the G68 surround processor will integrate the new speakers directly via Meridian’s configuration application, for superior performance.
The 200 Series of in-ceiling speakers are 2-way designs with an 8in (200mm) bass driver, pivoting tweeter and optional crossover, for either surface grille or flush mounting.
The 300 Series consists of three ultra-slimline systems for in-wall (surface grille), flush-mount (completely hidden, e.g. behind wall coverings) and on-wall applications, featuring 6.5in (165mm) bass drivers, and a wide-dispersion ribbon tweeter for superb performance in any location. Enclosures are extremely rigid and sturdy, minimising cavity excitation, ensuring that you hear the sound of the loudspeakers and not wall resonances. A white paintable grille and frame is included, and rough-in boxes are available.
The 320 includes a single bass driver and tweeter; the 330 adds an 8in (200mm) Auxiliary Bass Radiator (ABR); and the 350 features two bass drivers and two ABRs. A subwoofer is also available. The enclosure in each case is extremely slim and narrow, fitting into the depth of a partition and between studs in in-wall configurations — the width is only 12in at the widest point — and extending only a short distance into the room in the case of on-wall applications. The on-wall variants feature natural wood or painted finish with white grilles.
The 300 Series is available in conventional passive configuration, with a built-in high-quality crossover and terminals for bi-wire/bi-amped operation. It is also available in a ‘Remote Active’ configuration, where units are instead supplied with an active crossover card for the G41 Powered Crossover/Amplifier.
The G41 has the same form factor and appearance as other G Series units, and features eight 100W power amplifiers. Its standard configuration provides bass and tweeter outputs for four loudspeaker systems. Both balanced (XLR-3F) and unbalanced (phono) inputs are provided for each channel, and there is a 5–30v AC/DC trigger input. There is also a fan output controlled by temperature sensing in the unit. Crossover modules are inserted from the rear panel to provided appropriate crossover parameters. The Channel 4 crossover module can optionally be replaced by a dual full-range input module, which provides a pair of unbalanced inputs. The Channel 4 output is thereby reconfigured to provide two full-range outputs (a rear panel label is provided to overlay the existing one) to drive speakers with passive crossovers, thus permitting the G41 to power a complete 5-channel surround system. The amplifier stages are designed to have a negative output impedance to compensate for cable length, adding extra punch and control, plus tighter bass. Rear panel switches allow each pair of amplifiers to be set for up to or beyond 10m cable lengths.
The 300 Series offers unparalleled performance from an installed loudspeaker system, rivalling the sound of Meridian’s standalone designs but with the flexibility of invisible/semi-visible in-wall or slimline on-wall mounting capability — and with awesome power and sound quality.
The 200 and 300 Series are now available.
Suggested retail pricing:
200 Series In-ceiling: $397 (each)
300 Series In-Wall/On-Wall: $2,395-$4,895 (each) depending on configuration
Meridian Audio Limited is based in Huntingdon, near Cambridge, UK, and was founded in 1977 by Allen Boothroyd and Robert Stuart. With a 25-year history of innovation and development of the highest quality consumer audio systems, the award-winning company is widely recognised as a world leader in digital and analog audio reproduction. Meridian developed the world’s first audiophile CD player, the world’s first consumer digital surround controller, developed the MLP lossless packing systems mandated for use in DVD-Audio and included in emerging high-definition disc formats, and is the only UK audio hardware manufacturer to be a member of the DVD Forum. The company’s optical disc players, DSP-based loudspeakers and Digital Theater systems are unique in the industry, maintaining a super-quality digital audio signal throughout the path from the source to the amplifier, and using digital signal processing to generate advanced crossover characteristics that would be impossible with conventional passive analogue systems. Meridian is also the exclusive manufacturer and distributor of Faroudja High-Definition video processors and projectors.
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