The British company unveiled the DSP9 Digital Active Loudspeaker in Munich with a pre-determined demonstration routine that unfortunately only provided a very sterile - albeit perfect - impression of what the new design is able to do. A masterpiece of product design and audio engineering, technology and performance, the DSP9 features a new more compact cabinet that Meridian says signals a new design signature for the company and will produce "outstanding fidelity, dynamics and power for cinemas and listening rooms."
"Meridian’s goal is for our products to be as beautiful to look at as they are easy to use and amazing to listen to. A design where you can see no effort - elegant, simple and powerful," comments John Buchanan, CEO of Meridian. "With the DSP9, we achieve the perfect synthesis of function and form through our holistic system approach. It’s an artful balancing act that allows us to create a beautiful aesthetic whilst pushing the boundaries of world-class audio engineering. We are delighted to launch the DSP9 at High End Munich and showcase this incredible loudspeaker to our partners from around the world."
The DSP9 is the second loudspeaker to emerge from Meridian’s "Extreme Engineering Programme"; a result of years of investment in technology innovations at the extreme edge of audio design, particularly exploring digital optimization of the signal chain and transducer non-linearities. Built around Meridian’s continued research and expertise, this effort delivers a level of performance that the company says was "never previously achievable from a loudspeaker of these proportions."
The DSP9 cabinet design and construction uses the geometry of the ellipse to create a speaker that seems to disappear in the room, with clear acoustic benefits. As Meridian explains, advanced engineering was used to create the sculptured exterior lines, where the curvatures minimize unwanted diffraction, and the sophisticated three-dimensional spaces within the cabinet enhance its overall performance.
"The DSP9 loudspeaker is undeniably Meridian," comments product manager Natalie Reynolds. "It is a powerhouse of performance that delivers goosebump moments thanks to incredible dynamics, full frequency response and massive power handling. It is also aesthetically stunning, introducing a brand-new iconic design - the beauty is in its simplicity."
The DSP9 features all of the company's latest engineering developments including its software processing, new R1 electronics platform, next-generation speaker drivers, force-balanced bass configuration and much more. In fact, anyone really committed to explore Meridian's lingo will note the combination of all its fascinating nomenclatures and acronyms such as "Digital Precision, Q-Sync, True Link, True Time, E3 Bass, Image Focus+, Pro-Active Bass, Pro-active Thermal, FFA, Free-Q, Perfect Balance and BSM." This all means that the DSP9 is a fully optimized loudspeaker system with integrated DSP and amplification, that is able to deliver 119dB SPL measured at 1 meter with a linear response from 20Hz (-3dB) to 40kHz.
The speaker uses dedicated amplifiers for the tweeter and midrange - each >150W into 4Ω, Class AB - plus four class D bridged pairs, each pair >240W into 4Ω. The tweeter is a 25mm beryllium dome with silver voice-coil on a custom waveguide, while the midrange driver is a deceivably conventional looking 6" unit, paired with four 8" woofers with polypropylene cones. Meridian uses custom digital signal processing for its crossover filters, designed specifically for each configuration of drivers within a loudspeaker, enhanced with the Meridian E3 Bass processing to expand the low-frequency response of the loudspeaker.
Meridian calls this combination of digital filters FFA (Full Frequency Alignment), which includes time alignment, enhanced further with Meridian's Free-Q to compensate for acoustic problems associated with specific loudspeaker placement conditions.
And it's not only the speaker design but also its system integration and connectivity. The DSP9 offers easy setup and control via Bluetooth, IR, USB, RS232, or with a Meridian Controller product. Meridian SpeakerLink connections, digital coax, optical and USB-C audio inputs. The Meridian B-Link adapter (supplied) provides a Bluetooth connection, and the IA21 analog input module changes the functionality of the DSP9 so it can be fed from any non-Meridian product or system which features a balanced or unbalanced line-level output.
And Meridian’s Select finishing service allows buyers to choose a complementary finish for a particular room, or choose a bold, vibrant color, finished in matte or gloss.
www.meridian-audio.com
