Meridian is the latest in line, with news of new additions to its reference 800 Series. The 808.3 CD player is joined by the 861 V6 'reference digital surround controller'.
Also new – and as standard on the CD player but optional on the controller – is the inclusion of the ID40 Sooloos Card.
Wireless media streaming
The card connects the host to a Sooloos system enabling it to connect to a home network using an Ethernet cable.
The 800 Series product can then upsample lower sample rate audio streams to 88.2 or 96kHz using Meridian's ‘apodising' upsampling technology, and in the case of 861 apply other processing, such as Trifield, for improved presentation on a multi-channel system.
The Meridian ID40 Sooloos Card is expected to be available in the UK from early 2010 at a suggested retail price of £1000.
Reference CD player
If you have a spare £10,000 then the 808.3 Reference CD player could be up your street, offering CD playback from a specially built drive, which claims vastly improved data recovery and error correction.
Other features include triple FIFO buffering and, like the 808.2 before it, 808.3 employs Meridian's proprietary DSP based ‘apodising' up-sampling system.
You'll find analogue, digital and a new balanced digital SpeakerLink input, an integrated preamp, updated DAC. New twin SpeakerLink outputs allow for left and right DSP speakers.
The 808.3 Signature Reference CD Player will be offered Graphite, Silver and Black as well as the full range of Meridian Select colour options. It's yours for £10k from February.
Digital surround controller
Meanwhile the sixth version of the 861 reference digital surround controller incorporates SpeakerLink output for up to eight Meridian DSP speakers and is designed to be the switching hub of your AV system.
An on board digital output card means the 861 V6 allows a simple single-wire connection to be made between it and a Meridian HD621 processor.
This link functions at up to eight-channels and allows a system combining 861 V6 and HD621 to deliver the full multichannel audio from Blu-ray, while Speakerlink inputs are here, too.
Again the Meridian 861 V6 Reference is available in graphite, silver and black, as well as the full range of Meridian Select colour options, and will be available from February for £11,500.