Meridian 808.3

As part of the Reference 800 Series, the 808.3 is the highest performance CD Player manufactured by Meridian, and forms the heart of Meridian’s ultimate music system.

808.3 inherits Meridian’s quarter-century tradition of award-winning players, while setting a new benchmark in audio performance. 808.3 features a brand new internal CD-ROM-based drive, which allows for data recovery and error correction many times better than that employed in standard CD systems. A brand new master clock and timing circuitry minimises jitter for improved sound source localisation, clarity and imaging, while the proprietary ‘apodising’ digital upsampling filter system developed by Meridian adds a new accuracy and clarity to CD replay – even correcting digital faults in the original recording, and helping to make CDs played on the 808.3 sound like high resolution recordings.

808.3 also offers an array of high-performance analogue and digital inputs, including a new SpeakerLink input, as well as analogue, digital and SpeakerLink outputs. These features combine with source switching and volume control facilities, enabling 808.3 to work as a high-performance pre-amplifier for other sources in the same system.

In addition to its standard inputs, 808.3 includes an ID40 Sooloos Card, allowing it to be connected to a Meridian Sooloos Digital Media System. Once connected, the ID40 card appears as a zone within the Sooloos system and renders audio for playback through any of the 808.3’s outputs. The ID40 signal is also upsampled via the apodising filter for the ultimate in audio performance.

The 808.3 is offered in Graphite as standard, with Piano Lacquer Black or Silver available at no additional cost. In addition, the full range of Meridian Select colour options is available.

THD & Noise
• Better than –96dBFS

Mechanism
• Triple-beam laser, multi-speed CD-ROM transport

Conversion
• 192kHz-capable, 24-bit, Delta Sigma converters operating at 4 x CD sample rate (176.4kHz).
• Apodising-style upsampling filter system.

Stereo Outputs
• Analogue: 1 unbalanced on phono, 1 balanced on XLR-3M: 2.3V rms fixed/variable, Class A, 47O impedance
• Digital: coax unbalanced (S/PDIF); twin RJ45 balanced (AES/EBU) SpeakerLink digital interface for single-cable connection of other Meridian equipment. Operating at up to 2 x CD sample rate (88.2kHz), 24-bit with MHR option.

Stereo Inputs & Sources
• Analogue: 6 unbalanced on phono.
• Digital: S/PDIF (3 coax & 2 Toslink optical); SpeakerLink RJ45
• Meridian Sooloos digital media system connectivity via RJ45 Ethernet connection

Formats
• CD Audio (CD-DA), CD-R, CD-R/W

Comms
• Two 5-pin 240° DIN sockets for Meridian Comms, and RS232 full remote/configuration interface. Three programmable 12V trigger outputs. RJ45 SpeakerLink.

Construction
• Black lacquer, graphite or silver finish in metal & glass. Meridian Select colours also available.

Controls
• Front-panel keys for Open/Close, Play, Stop, Pause, Previous, Next, On/Off. Additional controls behind hinged front access cover include Repeat, Fast Forward/Reverse, Display, Mute, Volume Up/Down, Store/Clear, Source.
Full remote control via MSR+, RS232.

Display
• 20-character dot matrix display with adjustable brightness and contrast. Indicators for Phase, Repeat and EQ (emphasis).

Dimensions
• 480mm (18.9in) x 175mm (6.9in) x 411mm (16.2in) (whd)

Power
• Universal power supply for 100–240VAC, 50/60Hz, 25W