World First – Meridian Firmware Update Enables MQA Playback

The following is a press release from Meridian Audio.

January 29, 2016 – Meridian Audio announces the availability of a firmware update for its MQA-compatible products including Explorer², Prime Headphone Amplifier, 808v6 Reference CD Player, 818v3 Reference Audio Core, Special Edition Loudspeakers and its 40^th Anniversary Systems.

From 4^th February, Meridian customers will have access to the necessary updates to allow MQA playback—offering listeners for the first time in their own home, the opportunity to experience the full, intricate detail of a live performance for the first time in the history of recorded music.

Commenting on the announcement, Ken Forsythe, VP of MAI, said, “The commercial availability of MQA heralds an exciting time for Meridian and our customers. We are proud to be the first to offer MQA playback at the highest level in a pure digital signal path straight from the studio to your home or pocket. Meridian has been a pioneer in the digital audio revolution for decades, and we are thrilled to add MQA as the next evolution to our reference level feature set—establishing a new benchmark in superior audio performance.”

Ryan Donaher, National Sales Manager at MAI stated that from, “the work that MQA has been undertaking with recording studios we know that many artists have been using the Explorer² to sign off their master recordings, which makes the fact that this product is available to buy for under $300 in the US even more remarkable.”

Firmware updates for the personal audio products will be available for download from the support pages on the Meridian web site (www.meridian-audio.com), while updates for Reference Series products and Loudspeakers will be handled directly by Meridian dealers and Meridian Customer Support. 

ABOUT MERIDIAN AUDIO
Meridian Audio, based in Cambridgeshire, UK, was founded in 1977 by two music lovers: psychoacoustics expert Bob Stuart and design engineer Allen Boothroyd. With almost 40 years of innovation and development of consumer home entertainment systems offering exceptional performance, Meridian Audio is recognised as a world leader in high-quality audio and video reproduction. Meridian developed the world’s first audiophile CD player, digital surround controller and digital loudspeaker; and the MLP lossless packing system included in Blu-ray Disc. The company’s award-winning optical disc players, DSP loudspeakers, video systems, streaming and personal audio products are unique in the industry, maintaining a super-quality digital signal from the studio to the home, using advanced digital signal processing to deliver natural sound and crystal-sharp images. In 2008 Meridian entered the world of automotive with its partnership with McLaren Automotive. Drawing from its expertise in the home entertainment sector, Meridian developed two stunning stereo and surround systems for the McLaren 12C, 12C Spider, P1 and McLaren 675LT. The in-car system for the Range Rover Evoque signalled Meridian’s partnership with Land Rover in 2010. The following year Meridian extended its automotive partners to include Jaguar, launching in the XJ Ultimate. In 2012 Meridian introduced its innovative Signature Reference Sound System in the All-New Range Rover. This is the world’s first 3D in-car surround, which redefines in-car audio possibilities by applying Meridian’s unique technologies such as Trifield 3D, setting new standards in the automotive world. Visit: www.meridian-audio.com