DESIGN
Meridian invented the digital surround controller, and Meridian's 861 Reference Surround Controller represents the pinnacle of the company's achievement in the real of surround sound, where it delivers the ultimate realism from multichannel music and movies alike.
861 supports a large number and wide variety of audio sources to ensure that every option is possible. Based around a set of core elements, the 861 can be customised in many ways simply by adding additional cards to build a surround sound controller that provides all the capabilities you need - multiple sources and multiple destinations, driving up to eight loudspeakers.
861 is able to select the right settings for a source automatically, so that you always hear the best. The same player, for example, might deliver stereo sound from a CD or multichannel high-resolution audio from Blu-ray Disc®. 861 selects the correct settings without the need to press a button.
Style, elegance and quality are once again key elements in the 861. The sleek cabinet is attractive enough to be free-standing, but in addition it can be rack-mounted and hidden away.
AVAILABLE IN OVER 270 COLOURS:
861 is available in Piano Lacquer Black as standard. Meridian Select, our bespoke colour service, provides a choice of over 270 additional colours and shades to help your Meridian system achieve an ideal match – or striking standout look – within its surroundings.
The heart of the ultimate surround sound system, 861v8 links all your audio sources at the very highest quality, with advanced DSP algorithms and loudspeaker management.
Each 861 is individually built for its owner, with optional cards allowing inclusion of specific features to suit the individual installation.
CORE AND OPTIONAL CARDS
Exact specifications dependent on card complement. Available card specifications are given below.
CORE CARDS:
- The following cards are fitted as standard inside a Meridian 861 Version 8:
- IE44 6x Digital Audio Inputs, Phono, D1 to D6 can be configured as 2x six-channel digital inputs with Meridian SmartLink performance. 2x Optical Audio Inputs, Toslink. SpeakerLink Input, RJ45. Meridian Multi-channel High Resolution (MMHR) Input, RJ45.
- IA04 6x Analogue Stereo Inputs, Phono. Can be configured as 2x six-channel analogue inputs.
- ID29 Digital Input card with 1x USB input, 3x Optical Audio Inputs, Toslink, 2x SpeakerLink inputs, RJ45.
- OE34 8x Digital Output, SpeakerLink. L, R, C, SUB, Side L, Side R, Rear L, Rear R.
- CD20 & EF20: Internal (no rear panel) 48-bit DSP cards each containing two Motorola 56367 chips running in dual precision mode, each card offering 300 MIPS (million instructions per second) capability.
- CO00 Control computer card. Complete with Flash memory, RS232 port for control and status, 3x configurable trigger outputs and 2x Meridian Comms.
OPTIONAL CARDS:
- OA18 Analogue Output card 4x Analogue Outputs, XLR, configurable, with 24-bit, 192kHz DAC.
- OA08 Analogue Output card, with 4x Analogue Outputs, Phono, configurable, with 24-bit, 192kHz DAC.
- ID41 Digital Media System Card. Audio endpoint card with 1x Ethernet network, RJ45
DIMENSIONS
- 480mm (18.9in) x 175mm (6.9in) x 411mm (16.2in) (WHD)
WEIGHT
- Weight as standard – 13.5kg (30lbs)
- If fitted with optional Sooloos and analogue output cards – 14kg (31lbs)