The press on Meridian’s CD players…
Meridian CD Player
“…a breakthrough for CD players. …[Soundstage] is where the Meridian renders the competition irrelevant and worthless.”
—The Absolute Sound, Winter 1985
“One of the most significant developments in CD player technology.”
—Audio Magazine (USA)
Meridian Pro-MCD
“I suspect that [the Meridian Pro-MCD] will be the first CD player to be regarded as a ‘classic’!”
—Hi-Fi News & Record Review, Feb 1986
“[The] MCD-Pro… has found itself used as a quality reference by several CD manufacturers as well as equip- ment and record reviewers.”
—Which Compact Disc, Jan 1988
Meridian 207
“The original Pro-MCD set the benchmark in its day, but the 207-Pro was the radical step, placing Meridian for all time in the CD player hall of fame.”
—Hi-Fi Choice, June 1990
“There is nothing else on the market remotely like the Meridian 207… It is…one of the finest-sounding CD players on the market.”
—Sydney Morning Herald, Aug 1988
Meridian 602/606
“In Meridian we might be looking at a company that has a real contribution to make towards raising CD performance.”
—Audiophile, June 1991
“…the 602 [via the 606] was damn near impossible to fault… Its resolution of the subtlest treble details was intricate to the point of being exquisite… the 602/606 turned out to be a very ‘special’ combination.”
Meridian decided to introduce the 808 Signature Reference Compact Disc Player for several reasons. We have been both surprised and pleased by increasing levels of interest in our CD player models 588 and G08: this tells us that there is a strong element of enthusiasts that does not want pictures or complications attached to their music enjoyment. Some believe that modern DVD or ‘Universal’ players cannot get the best from CD because of the additional circuitry and compromises involved and, to some extent, this is true.
Meridian also wanted to mark the 20th anniversary of the category ‘Audiophile CD Player’ – a category we can legitimately claim to have invented. Thus the 808 is offered as an exquisite music-only player, embodying the very best of our art and technology. For the first time we are creating a ‘signature’ model – each one hand-signed by Meridian’s founders, Robert Stuart and Allen Boothroyd.
Player or Player/Preamplifier 808 is available in two forms.
Both versions offer analogue balanced and unbalanced outputs which can be fixed in level (to suit a preamplifier), or variable (for direct connection to a power amplifier).
Both versions also have two digital outputs: Aux (which runs at 44.1kHz) and Main (which can run at either 44.1kHz or, via upsampling, at 88.2kHz, and can use MHR to enhance performance when connected
to a Meridian DSP loudspeaker or Surround Processor).
808i adds analogue and digital inputs. This means that 808i can also be the system preamplifier. When connected to a power amplifier or DSP loudspeakers, all the user’s sources can be routed through the player.
808 Technology
Meridian’s 808 is the latest in a series of op- tical disc players that use a specially-selected ROM drive for reading. The ROM drive allows multiple passes to be made, ensuring that the correct data are recovered from the disc and improving Compact Disc’s error-correc- tion a hundredfold. It also allows complete buffering of the recovered data.
To ensure the lowest possible jitter, 808 incorporates three buffers, two of which are used as FIFOs. By the time the data is passed to the DACs or the digital output, the jitter is incredibly low – in fact 808 has the lowest jitter we have ever measured on a CD player: around 90 picoseconds, with the jitter spec- trum held below 0.1Hz.
The signal path includes proprietary error correction and concealment, and Meridian’s acclaimed ‘Resolution Enhancement’ DSP, in which the original 44.1kHz, 16-bit audio is upsampled to 176.4kHz, 24-bit in one of three 150MIPs processors operating with
48-bit internal precision. This is ‘true’ DSP upsampling, unlike anything else available in the marketplace.
—Hi-Fi Choice, July 1991
Meridian 508
“…the Meridian 508.24…the world’s best single-box player and used as a reference machine by renowned US publication Stereophile… brings out aspects of music that most players can merely hint at…”
—Audio & Video Lifestyle, 1999
“…the 508.24’s measured performance reveals that Bob Stuart and his talented digital design team have done a
Building a System
The 808 is a single component, but it is designed to interface seamlessly with other Meridian products, and with a wide range of third-party audio equipment, to build a system that is uniquely your own.
You can begin by considering which model of the 808 is most appropriate for your needs: the 808 player or the 808i player/preamplifier.
fabulous job.”
—Stereophile, May 1998
Meridian 800
“…a true reference-quality product…”
—The Absolute Sound, January 2004
“…the 800 is perhaps the finest overall CD player I’ve ever laid ears on. When you consider that there are some CD-only players round that demand this outlay, the price tag doesn’t seem all that eye-watering… Takes audio to another level, if you can afford it. Without doubt the finest optical disc playing system we’ve encountered. ”
—HiFi World, December 2002
“…I found that the Meridian… was clearly superior… not just to my reference components, but to any other CD front ends that I’ve auditioned or reviewed.… The
performance of Meridian’s 800/861 with CDs is superior to the performance you get with the great majority of SACDs and DVD-As through any player.”
—Absolute Sound, December 2003
808 Player
•Digital and fixed or variable analogue outputs, ideal for connection to an existing preamplifier or surround controller (eg 861).
•Drives a pair of Meridian DSP Loudspeakers directly (eg DSP8000 shown here) or a conventional amplifier and speakers
•Can be used to create a simple, stereo CD replay system with the highest quality CD playback available.
808i Player/Preamplifier
•Additional analogue and digital inputs to connect radio, tape, turntable/phono preamp etc
•Digital and fixed/variable analogue outs: drives a pair of Meridian DSP Loudspeakers directly, or conventional stereo amp/speakers.
•Powerful and versatile stereo replay system with the highest- quality CD playback available anywhere, at any price.
Either way, the 808 delivers the same, superb performance.
A pair of Meridian’s DSP8000s makes an ideal companion for the 808.
