FEBRUARY 2017—Meridian Audio, pioneer of high-resolution audio showcased a number of innovative new products and exciting partnerships at ISE 2017. The new products, designed to provide Hi-Res Audio solutions that give customers the very best experience, were received very positively by dealers visiting the Meridian booth, with a large number of pre-orders committed during the show. On Wednesday evening Meridian hosted press, dealers, and integrators to its booth to enjoy drinks and snacks while listening to stunning Hi-Res Audio, provided by a pair of Meridian’s DSP5200 Special Edition Loudspeakers in a beautiful matte black finish.

Throughout the show Meridian had conversations with dealers eager to add Meridian’s unparalleled audio performance to their home theater and audio solutions offerings. Competitive new price points throughout the product range helps dealers around the world realize they can easily create unbeatable Hi-Res Audio experiences for their customers. With an ever-expanding portfolio of market-leading audio products and partnerships with premium home theater technology suppliers, such as Barco Residential, there has never been a better time to be a Meridian dealer.

New Product Introductions Represent Meridian’s Commitment to the Custom Installation Market

The new Meridian 258 dedicated rack-mount eight-channel power amplifier can be integrated with any existing passive loudspeaker system. This powerful, high performance cold-running Class D amplifier is suitable for a wide range of applications and delivers >100W per channel into 4 Ohms. At only 1U high and carrying a 5 year manufacturer’s warranty, the 258 is a category-changing amplifier. As with all Meridian products the 258 is manufactured in the UK. Priced at $2000 (US MSRP) the 258 is a very competitively priced power amp that enables dealers to boost their client’s audio systems with some serious Meridian muscle.

Meridian also displayed its new 857 reference two-channel power amplifier delivering 500W per channel into 4 Ohms. This Hi-Res Audio amplifier, bridgeable to >1.5KW, is available as a dedicated rack-mount component and incorporates a totally new design based upon extensive research and dealer feedback. Tremendously powerful with an incredibly low noise floor, the Meridian 857 represents a step change in amplifier design. Similarly to the 258, the 857 has been specifically designed to work with any audio product, so that dealers can include Meridian Hi-Res-enabling technology with their client’s preferred brand of loudspeaker. The price of just $10,000 (US MSRP) means that the 857 can power a Hi-Res Audio system of almost any budget.

The final product Meridian previewed is the new 218 Zone Controller. Combining digital and analog inputs and outputs, the Sooloos/MQA–enabled Meridian 218 is suitable for a wide range of distributed audio applications from single zone to multi-zone use. With control features including IP and IR, and the ability to be easily integrated with 3rd Party control systems, this versatile 1U-high product can be rack, shelf, VESA or wall mounted. Priced at a very competitive $1,000 (US MSRP), the 218 can offer a comprehensive and powerful solution to a distributed audio system, regardless of budget.

Updates were also announced for the complimentary Meridian Design and Specification Service that helps dealers to integrate these innovative products into designs for home theatres. All dealers have to do is send a plan of the room or home where they are installing the system, and Meridian will return a schematic that details where to position speakers, audio panels, and projector and screen to ensure that the technology is optimized to provide the ultimate movie-watching experience. The service can also show how Meridian components can interface with third-party control options and existing audio and video distribution systems. The Meridian Design and Specification Service saves design time and reduces costs for dealers working on whole-home, home theater, or super-yacht projects and ensures that customers receive the very best experience.

Meridian recently entered into a new partnership in the UK with Barco Residential that enables dealers to specify Barco Residential projectors into Meridian projects. Building upon each brand’s distinguished legacy to create the highest quality home cinema and media room experience, dealers will have access to a wide range of Barco Residential projectors, offering significant performance advantages for a number of applications, specifications and price-points. Meridian has also signed recent partnerships to distribute Cinema – ATS in the UK, an innovative, easy to install acoustic treatment solution for home theatres, and Display Technology Screens, projection screen specialists who have developed a superior masking technology for improved screen size accuracy. Meridian can now offer dealers a comprehensive range of home theater technology that can be specified alongside Meridian’s existing product portfolio of high-resolution audio solutions.

To learn more about Meridian, visit www.meridian-audio.com.