Specifications

Bob Stuart answers Questions about the Meridian 800 V3
Page 3
9 What about 192kHz?
192kHz is available on some DVD-Audio discs. The 800 is fully capable, the analogue output
cards use an extremely high quality studio-grade 192kHz 24bit D/A conversion system.
Although MHR Smart Link can support it, at the moment there is no industry-standard digital
interface for 192kHz. We expect that at some point a standard will be established; then you
will be able to reconfigure or add a suitable output card.
Current 800 software deals with 192kHz on its digital outputs by using exquisite double-
precision signal processing optimised by Meridian to give transparent downsampling to 96kHz
24bit. This result sounds fabulous and retains all the benefits of the high-speed recording.
10 What is upsampling?
Upsampling uses a complex digital filter to double the rate of samples from the source so that
the following system can more accurately reproduce the sound. 800 combines Resolution
Enhancement with upsampling. For example, CD (which starts as 44.1kHz 16-bit audio) is
upsampled using Meridian proprietary DSP to 88.2kHz 24-bit and DVDs with 48kHz audio are
upsampled to 96kHz 24-bit.
Meridian has been famous for its Resolution Enhancement technology in products like 518.
The upsampling and Resolution Enhancement can be applied to signals fed into 800.
11 But my DAC/Decoder doesn’t support high rates like 96kHz. What do I do?
There is more benefit from double or quad-speed digital audio the further down the chain it
goes. If you cannot receive 88.2kHz or 96kHz don’t worry. For now, use the incredibly
transparent downsampling DSP in the 800 to feed one or both of the digital outputs. If you
upgrade your DAC or DSP speaker then you can turn double speed on again.
12 Does 800 have multichannel output?
Yes, if you want. There are two basic configurations for 800: stereo or multichannel.
We expect most people will want to buy the multichannel version because it provides and
supports so many exciting new choices and formats.
The multichannel output can be analogue, digital or both. In the multichannel configuration
800 also has a secondary 2-channel Aux digital output that can be separately configured as
bitstream/decoded and high-rate/low-rate. This output is intended either to provide a second
path to a surround decoder or to feed a separate zone.
13 Can I just have stereo?
Yes, if you want you can configure the 800 to use only 2 main outputs. In this mode 800 will
put out 2-channel from CD, it will pass bitstreams like AC-3 and DTS on to a surround
decoder. Movies can also be decoded to 2-channel PCM. In addition, if it suits your system,
800 will access the 2-channel mix on DVD-Audio discs.
Naturally 800 is a superb stereo device.
14 What is MHR?
MHR (Meridian High Resolution) is a proprietary method for getting the highest possible
sound quality in playback systems that use Meridian components like 800, DSP
Loudspeakers or 861.
MHR also uses proprietary encryption and anti-copy techniques to ensure secure transfer of
audio streams between elements of a Meridian-only system for the purpose of playback only.