Meridian 565 User Manual Supplement for DTS
Introduction
Meridian have recently released a new hardware version of the famous 565. The hardware change includes a new Z3 DSP card.
The Z3 card runs Version 4.x software, and will add support for all the audio formats of DVD – including Dolby Digital
The first release of Version 4 software does not include MPEG decoding; this will be provided as a maintenance upgrade.
This sheet supplements your 565 Installation and User guides and describes how to use the 565 to play back DTS material.
The information in this sheet will be incorporated into a new 565 User Manual when the MPEG software upgrade to your 565 is available. Please return the enclosed form to register your Version 4 purchase. We will send you a final manual in due course.
Installing 565 for DTS
DTS soundtracks are available on CD, LaserDisc and DVD. In each case the encoded DTS stream is delivered from the SPDIF cable or optical output of the player to the 565. There is no need for a demodulator for DTS LaserDiscs or for Dolby Digital on DVD.
Consequently there is no need to change the way your 565 is connected; DTS will be delivered from the digital output of the CD and DVD players or the optical output of the LaserDisc player directly to the 565, or 562V if one is present. (See page 9 of the 565 Installation guide.)
Please note: the digital signal carrying DTS can be safely passed through a Meridian 519 Demodulator if you have one.
The setup procedures for a new 565 are the same as those outlined in the Installation guide for a 565
New presets
The 565 has three new factory presets for DTS. These are:
∙DTS CD – normally used for CDs. This preset will be automatically called up by 565 if you play a DTS CD and the 565 source is labelled ‘CD’.
∙DTS – for DTS movie soundtracks. The default settings for Version 4.x assign this preset to the LP source.
∙DTS THX – adding THX processing to DTS movies.
This preset loads automatically when the source is ‘LD’.
In keeping with current guidelines from Dolby, the
How to use DTS
The 565 automatically detects DTS if you play a DTS CD, LaserDisc or DVD.
When the disc starts playing, the 565 will switch to one of its DTS presets.
If you subsequently play a different disc (such as a standard CD or a Dolby Digital LaserDisc), the 565 will reload another DSP preset – like Trifield or Dolby Digital
Alternatively, you can manually select one of the DTS presets at any time. (See page 18 of the User guide.) Please note: if you do deliberately select a DTS preset, the 565 will only decode DTS and be silent for all other formats until the preset is changed.
DSP parameters
The DSP preset parameters for DTS are the same as those for Dolby Digital
Correct use of the LFE Level control is important with DTS recordings.
It is conventional for decoders to boost the LFE signal by 10dB for movie reproduction (this is the expected setting at the cinema).
Some DTS music material may not expect the normal theatrical 10dB boost to the LFE signal. If you find the sound of some material to be particularly boomy, you should turn this parameter down to ‘LFE
When DTS is being decoded, there is an additional display available on the 565 that shows the encoded format, like ‘4.0’ or ‘5.1’.
Storing Presets
Once you have customised a DTS preset to your liking, you can store and name these settings as a User Preset in the same way as any other DSP preset.
However, there is a very important difference in functionality: while 565 will allow you to create a DTS preset – it will not assign it to a source as part of the ‘Store’ process. (See page 30 of theUser guide.)
If you want to assign a DTS preset to a source, you have to do that in Config. (See page 48 of the Installation guide.)
Why is DTS handled differently?
Unfortunately, to understand this we have to delve into some arcane technical issues.
Dolby Digital and MPEG are both ‘flagged’ as non- audio in the data stream and so devices like 565 or digital/analogue converters (DACs) know not to play it as normal audio by mistake. (This same method is used to prevent you playing back CDROMs as audio in a CD player.)
If, for any reason, compressed streams are directly played as audio, the result is a loud hiss.
Like Dolby Digital and MPEG, DTS is a compressed
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