Meridian Audio 565 manual

Meridian 565 Digital Surround Processor user guide[...]

Preface ii Sales and service in the UK Meridian Audio Ltd Stonehill Stukeley Meadows Cambs PE18 6ED England Tel (01480) 52144 Fax (01480) 459934 World Wide Web http://www.meridian-audio.com Part no: 565U/3 Sales and service in the USA Meridian America Inc 3800 Camp Creek Parkway Building 2400 Suite 122 Atlanta GA 30331 Tel␣ ␣ (404) 344 7111 Fax[...]

iii Preface Contents Introduction 1 Introduces the digital surround processor and describes the alternative surround sound configurations that it supports. The Meridian 500 Series ........................ 2 Sample configurations ........................... 3 Specification and accessories ............... 7 DSP presets ...............................[...]

Preface iv Service and guarantee 45 Gives information about servicing your digital surround processor. Glossary ................................................. 47 Index ...................................................... 51 DSP presets 33 Gives technical information about each of the DSP presets, with details of the special parameters availabl[...]

Introduction 1 Intr oduction T he Meridian 565 Digital Surround Processor is unique in being the first completely digital surround-sound processor, and it defines the standard for both music and cinema performance. To achieve this we have combined the latest techniques in high-precision analogue electronics and digital signal processing with a care[...]

2 Introduction The 565 Digital Surround Processor is part of the Meridian 500 Series of advanced digital, analogue, and video components designed to meet the demand for absolute quality, ease of use, and lasting value. The flexibility of the Meridian 500 Series is such that you can assemble a system as simple or as complex as you need, perfectly su[...]

Introduction 3 Three-channel stereo system Five-channel surround system Sample configurations The first step you can take in exploring the benefits of surround sound is to add a centre speaker to the left and right speakers of a conventional stereo system. An ideal choice is the Meridian M60C Active Loudspeaker, which can be connected directly to t[...]

4 Introduction THX system Meridian Analogue Theatre M60 565 M60C M60 M60 M60 The ultimate analogue surround system consists of two pairs of Meridian M60 Active Loudspeakers, in conjunction with a Meridian M60C Active Loudspeaker. These speakers can be connected directly to the 565 to provide a complete five-speaker surround system. The 500 Compact [...]

Introduction 5 Meridian Digital Theatre™ Meridian Digital Theatre using DSP6000 Digital Loudspeakers 565 DSP6000 DSP6000 DSP6000 DSP6000 DSP6000C The ultimate Meridian Digital Theatre uses a 565 in conjunction with four or six DSP6000 Digital Loudspeakers and a DSP6000C Digital Centre Loudspeaker. Each speaker accepts a digital input from the 565[...]

6 Introduction A complete multimedia surround system An AC-3 LaserDisc system 586•2 DSP5000C 504 LaserDisc Video recorder 562V 565 DSP5000 DSP5000 The 562 Digital Control Unit is the ideal control unit for use with the digital surround processor for a complete multimedia system. It provides direct digital inputs for digital sources, such as the 5[...]

Introduction 7 Specification Digital inputs Cable inputs: 75 Ω . IEC958 and data compatible. Optical input: TosLink to EIAJ, IEC958 and data compatible. Analogue input Input signal for full digital level: 2Vrms. Input impedance: 12k Ω . Analogue/digital conversion: 1 stereo 16-bit Delta-Sigma converter running with 64-times oversampling at 44.1[...]

8 Introduction Available accessories The following accessories are available from your dealer: ❍ Meridian System Remote. ❍ Power cord Europe. ❍ Power cord Canada and USA. The Meridian System Remote provides access to all the facilities available from the digital surround processor, including those available from the front panel controls. In a[...]

Introduction 9 DSP pr esets The digital surround processor provides an extremely comprehensive range of options for decoding both analogue and digital audio signals and processing them for multi-channel reproduction. The digital surround processor provides several digital signal processing options, called DSP presets, and these are designed to prov[...]

10 Introduction MPEG Surround MPEG Surround is the preferred audio format for DVD in PAL territories, and along with Dolby Digital is a contender as the standard for music and performance videos on DVD worldwide. In addition, it is widely available in US satellite broadcasts. THX versions THX versions of Dolby Digital, MPEG Surround, and DTS are pr[...]

Introduction 11 TV Logic TV Logic provides user-adjustable steering, and is recommended for use with TV broadcasts that are not surround encoded, where Pro Logic may give reduced intelligibility. THX Cinema THX Cinema enhances Pro Logic to replicate the sound of a dubbing stage or theatre, whether or not the other equipment in your system is THX ap[...]

12 Introduction Trifield Trifield uses a different processing technique to give a stable, three-dimensional image, with the ability to adjust the width of the image. Because of its precision we recommend this option for solo, chamber, or vocal music. Super Stereo Super Stereo provides a form of Ambisonic decoding suitable for material that is not s[...]

Using the digital surround processor 13 Using the digital surr ound pr ocessor T his chapter provides a summary of the functions of the digital surround processor to identify the controls which you use to operate the unit. It also provides step-by-step instructions for operating the digital surround processor, using either the front panel or the Me[...]

Using the digital surround processor 14 Fr ont panel 1 Source Selects the source. 2 Store Changes the DSP preset selected for a source. 3 Display Changes the information displayed on the front panel. 4 < (menu left) Selects the previous DSP parameter. 5 V (menu down) Decreases the currently- displayed parameter. 6 A (menu up) Increases the curre[...]

Using the digital surround processor 15 Switching on and of f To switch to standby ● Press Off on the front panel or the remote. The display will show: . If you have other Meridian 500 Series equipment or Meridian DSP Loudspeakers connected to the digital surround processor these units will also switch to standby. When not playing, the digital su[...]

Using the digital surround processor 16 To select a source ● Press Source (front panel) until the display shows the source you require, or press the appropriate source key on the remote; eg CD . The display shows the source and volume setting. For example, if you select the CD source the display will show: CD 56 Then after a short delay the displ[...]

Using the digital surround processor 17 The digital surround processor adjusts the volume in precise steps of 1dB, where 9dB is equivalent to doubling the loudness. The current volume setting is displayed in dB on the front panel display, and can be varied in the range 1 to 99dB. When you first connect power to the digital surround processor the vo[...]

Using the digital surround processor 18 Changing the DSP p r eset You will be able to choose any of the predefined DSP presets, or any user-defined presets you have stored. The following table gives the sequence of DSP presets for each audio format, followed where appropriate by the abbreviated name used on the display: Audio format Presets Two-cha[...]

Using the digital surround processor 19 The digital surround processor displays information about the current settings on the twelve-character front panel display. In addition, it can display the same information superimposed on a video image. For more information about setting up the on- screen display refer to the Meridian 565 Digital Surround Pr[...]

Using the digital surround processor 20[...]

Customising the digital surround processor 21 Customising the digital surr ound pr ocessor I n addition to being able to change the source, volume, and DSP preset, the digital surround processor provides a sophisticated range of more advanced adjustments for each DSP preset, to allow you to tailor the sound. This chapter explains how to change thes[...]

Customising the digital surround processor 22 Locking and unlocking the menus To simplify the normal operation of the digital surround processor, and to protect the settings from accidental changes, you can lock the menus so that the parameters cannot be accessed. To display or change the DSP presets, or to define your own presets, you first need t[...]

Customising the digital surround processor 23 Changing the DSP parameters Each DSP preset provides a series of parameters that you can vary to customise the behaviour of the preset to your specific requirements. For example, most presets provide Balance and Depth parameters which alter the characteristics of the sound. For each of the built-in DSP [...]

Customising the digital surround processor 24 Parameter Range Default What it changes Treble * † -10dB to +10dB +0dB The slope of the frequency response. Bass * † -5dB to +5dB +0dB The bass response. Phase * + or - + The phase of all loudspeakers. Balance <10 to 10> <0> The L-R balance. Centre -3dB to +3dB +0dB The level of the cent[...]

Customising the digital surround processor 25 The digital surround processor provides sophisticated treble and bass controls, to allow you to adjust the broad balance of the system to correct for the acoustics of your listening room, or for a misbalanced recording. The controls are more subtle than conventional tone controls, and take advantage of [...]

Customising the digital surround processor 26 Note that this adjustment is not available for the Mono or Academy presets. To change the relative level of the rear or side loudspeakers ● Press > or < until the display shows the speaker(s) you want to adjust. For example: Rear +0 ● Press A or V to change the relative level of the speakers, [...]

Customising the digital surround processor 27 If you have a centre loudspeaker you can adjust its relative loudness, to provide the best integration of the centre with the main left and right speakers. You can also adjust the relative delay of the centre speaker to give the best perspective between the three front speakers. Note that these adjustme[...]

Customising the digital surround processor 28 Changing the spaciousness of the sound The Dolby Digital , Music , Trifield , and Ambisonic presets allow you to vary these delays down to 0ms. You can adjust the spaciousness of the sound by altering the delay on the rear and side channels. Note that these adjustments are not available for the Direct ,[...]

Customising the digital surround processor 29 Changing the lip sync and on-scr een display To change the position of the on-screen display For each DSP preset you can specify the position of the on-screen display (OSD), or blank the on-screen display altogether. For example, you may prefer to have the on-screen display at the top of the screen when[...]

Customising the digital surround processor 30 Each source has an appropriate DSP preset associated with it for each music format. For example, for a standard stereo (PCM) signal the CD source uses Trifield and the TV source uses TV Logic . This section explains how to change the DSP preset associated with any source. To change the DSP preset for a [...]

Customising the digital surround processor 31 The 565 Digital Surround Processor allows you to design up to 16 DSP presets of your own and save them permanently, with names of your choice, so you can use them alongside the built-in DSP presets. To save the preset settings ● Make sure the menus are unlocked; see To unlock the menus , page 22. ● [...]

Customising the digital surround processor 32 If you have an on-screen display it shows: ● Press > or < to select the character position you want to edit. ● Press A or V to change the character. Each press steps through the sequence A to Z, a to z, 0 to 9, full stop, and blank. You can also select a blank directly by pressing Clear on the[...]

DSP presets 33 DSP pr esets T his chapter gives technical information about each of the DSP presets built in to the digital surround processor. It explains the processing performed by each DSP preset, and gives details of the types of material you should use with each preset. It also gives details of the special DSP parameters available for each pr[...]

DSP presets 34 Logic DSP pr esets The digital surround processor provides five DSP presets specifically designed for reproducing stereo film soundtracks. Three of these presets, Pro Logic , THX Cinema , and TV Logic , are designed for Dolby Surround encoded material. Most films, and many TV programmes and series, are encoded using Dolby Surround, a[...]

DSP presets 35 THX Cinema The THX Cinema DSP preset provides Pro Logic decoding, followed by additional signal processing refinements developed by Lucasfilm Ltd. The THX extensions to Pro Logic decoding are designed to provide a better match between the sound of the movie theatre and a home cinema in the following ways: ❍ The front channels are r[...]

DSP presets 36 TV Logic DSP preset parameters Parameter Options What it changes Roll Off, Low, Med, High The degree of left- right steering. Yaw Off, Low, Med, High The degree of front- rear steering. Mono Rear Steered Rear, Steered Which of the surround Side, Steered All, channels are Mono All, Mono generated by steering. Rear, Mono Side Mono and [...]

DSP presets 37 Music DSP pr esets Music The Music DSP preset extracts the mono and surround components of the original recording. These components provide an alternative representation of the original sound, and this representation is sometimes used for recording systems or in broadcasts such as FM radio. The mono element is equalised using a propr[...]

DSP presets 38 This gives a significant improvement over traditional stereo, which converts the differences between the microphone signals into amplitude differences in the speaker signals. This version of the Trifield algorithm is virtually impossible to implement without digital signal processing. Trifield is recommended for well-made recordings [...]

DSP presets 39 Ambisonic The Ambisonic DSP preset is designed for replaying material encoded in UHJ format, the two-channel stereo-compatible encoding found on Ambisonically-recorded discs and broadcasts. This material is specifically encoded for surround reproduction and can give breathtakingly realistic sound when replayed using the digital surro[...]

DSP presets 40 Ambisonic and Super Stereo DSP preset parameters Parameter Options What it changes Width * 0 to 1 The width of the image. Position † A, C, E, G, I, K, M The seating position; the letters are like rows in a hall. 5 Channels 7, 6, 5, 4 The number of speakers. R Filter Off, 3kHz, 7kHz, The cutoff of high 9kHz frequencies from the rear[...]

DSP presets 41 MPEG Music MPEG Music is a special version of the MPEG preset designed for listening to MPEG encoded music CDs. Stereo and Direct The Stereo preset passes the left and right input signals directly to the left and right main speakers. Any mono or front left and right subwoofers continue to be used. With the Direct preset only the left[...]

DSP presets 42 The discrete digital formats can encode up to eight separate channels, which can be decoded to provide separate signals to the eight speakers in a surround configuration. Dolby Digital Dolby Digital is a totally digital format capable of encoding five full frequency-range channels, together with one restricted frequency-range channel[...]

DSP presets 43 5.1 Movie DSP preset parameters Parameter Options What it changes Surr. Rear Surr. Rear, Surr. Side, Switches the surround Surr. All signal between the side and rear speakers. LFE 0 to -30dB The relative level of the LFE bass channel. Max SPL * 105 to 120dB SPL The peak-level limit for an LFE subwoofer. Limit * -15 to -5dBFS The peak[...]

DSP presets 44 Using peak-level limiting The Max SPL or Limit parameters allow you to set up peak-level limiting for bass signals, and the setting applies to all the discrete digital DSP presets. If your loudspeaker layout includes one or more subwoofers the parameter is named Max SPL , and it sets the peak-level limit for the LFE channel. If your [...]

Service and guarantee 45 Service and guarantee[...]

Service and guarantee 46 Service The Meridian 500 Series of hi-fi components have been carefully designed to give years of untroubled service. There are no user- serviceable parts inside the case, nor do the units require any form of maintenance. In the unlikely event that your 565 fails to function correctly, it should be returned, in its original[...]

47 Glossary Glossary Absolute phase A control which changes the phase of the signals to all the speakers. AC-3 An alternative name for the Dolby Digital format. Ambisonic A music encoding and decoding system designed to recreate the original soundfield using an array of loudspeakers. Aspect ratio The overall shape of the speaker layout. Compress A [...]

Glossary 48 Layout Refers to a particular arrangement of speakers and subwoofers. You can select different layouts for the cinema, music, and 5.1 DSP presets. LFE The Low Frequency Effects (LFE) channel which enhances movie soundtracks with sound effects and ambient sounds. It is band limited to 120Hz in a Dolby Digital system. LFE sub A subwoofer [...]

49 Glossary OSD On-Screen Display, which the 565 can superimpose on a composite video signal to give information about the state of the system, and to help during configuration. PCM Pulse Code Modulation, the method used to encode music digitally, as used on audio CDs. Preset A DSP decoding option in the 565. You can create user-defined presets bas[...]

Glossary 50 Type A standard configuration of the digital surround processor. Selecting a Type resets any configuration and calibration changes.[...]

51 Index Index A AC-3 encoding 9 AC-3 LaserDisc system 6 Academy DSP preset 12, 36 Accessories 8 Ambisonic DSP preset 11, 39 Audio formats 18, 37 Dolby Digital 9, 18 DTS 9, 18 MLP 10, 18 MPEG 10, 18 two-channel (PCM) 10, 18 B Balance (DSP parameter) 24, 26 Bass (DSP parameter) 24, 25 Bass, changing 25 C Centre (DSP parameter) 24, 38 Centre speaker [...]

Index 52 DSP presets (continued) defining 31 Direct 12, 41 Dolby Digital 9, 42 Dolby Digital THX 10, 42 DTS 9, 42 DTS Music 10, 40 DTS THX 10, 43 editing the name 31 MLP 10, 41 Mono 12, 36 MPEG 10, 42 MPEG Music 10, 41 Music 11, 37 Music Logic 12, 40 Pro Logic 10, 34 source association 30 Stereo 12, 41 Super Stereo 12, 39 THX Cinema 11, 35 Trifield[...]

53 Index Meridian Lossless Packing 10, 41 MLP DSP preset 10, 41 Mono DSP preset 12, 36 Mono Rear (DSP parameter) 35, 36, 40 MPEG DSP preset 42 MPEG Music DSP preset 10, 41 MPEG Surround encoding 10 MPEG THX DSP preset 10, 42 Multi-channel digital formats 9 Multimedia surround system 6 Music DSP preset 11, 37 Music Logic DSP preset 12, 40 Muting the[...]

Index 54 U UHJ format 39 Unlocking the menus 22 User-defined presets 31 editing the name 31 Using the digital surround processor 13 V Volume adjusting 17 muting 17 W Width (DSP parameter) 38, 40 Y Yaw (DSP parameter) 36, 40[...]