Meridian America Digital Audio Processor Meridian 518 - Manual (Page 10)

Overview of 518 10
518 User Guide
Overview as Resolution Enhancement Processor
(Type 1)
There are a wide number of applications for this mode of 518: three
examples are described.
CD or LaserDisc playback improvement
Many installations use the 2-box CD player format of CD transport + DAC.
The CD transport provides a digital output, and of course may be a
normal CD player where the digital output is used to drive an outboard
DAC to improve the quality.
This CD playback system may then have its analogue output connected
to a preamp or integrated amplifier in the usual way.
518 DAC Preamp
CD Player
LaserDisc
Analogue inputs
Using 518 as part of CD playback
The diagram above illustrates how 518 is added to such a system. The
picture shows that the source could be a CD transport, a LaserDisc player
or both.
3
The 518 provides two resolution enhancement methods: de-jittering via
the twin PLL and DAC optimisation through DSP. These are explained in
'Overview of Resolution Enhancement' – page 49.
The de-jittering element is of great importance to some CD players, and of
enormous significance to any LaserDisc player as they tend to have
relatively high-jitter output. If you want to use a LaserDisc player for
serious CD listening, then the de-jittering in 518 is absolutely necessary.
The DSP DAC optimisation uses the techniques described in Appendix 4.
One function the 518 provides is matching the wordlength of the source to
the capability of the DAC, so for example, it can match LaserDisc or CD
(both 16 bits) to an 18 or 20 bit DAC.
Normally in this mode, the 518 is not used as a volume control. Optimum
performance for a disc will come, either from using unity-gain (i.e. 0dB
gain) or possibly a few dB boost to optimise the disc.
Meridian DSP speaker improvement
The Meridian DSP loudspeakers, provide the most advanced performance
and highest-resolution sound available today. The DSP speakers only
accept a digital input and in order to use analogue sources a Meridian 562
or 562V is often added. The 562 provides input handling for up to seven
analogue signals using its in-built 16 bit delta-sigma analogue-to-digital
converter (ADC).
3 Setup details: set 518 to Type 1. Adjust Out to match DAC.