808

About the 808

The Meridian 808 Signature Reference CD Player is a high-end audiophile CD player designed for exceptional sound quality and versatility. It features three powerful on-board digital signal processing (DSP) chips capable of 150 MIPS each, which upsample the 44.1 kHz/16-bit CD signal to 176.4 kHz/24-bit before conversion by DVD-Audio quality delta-sigma DACs. This process allows filtering beyond human hearing range, enhancing transparency and sound quality. The player employs a triple buffering system and a high-stability clocking system to reduce jitter to below 90 picoseconds, ensuring precise and stable stereo imaging. Separate power supplies for analog and digital sections and multi-layer circuit boards minimize noise. Outputs include balanced and unbalanced analog, S/PDIF digital coaxial, and Meridian comms sockets for direct connection to Meridian DSP loudspeakers. The 808 can be configured as a player or as a player/preamp (808i) with multiple analog and digital inputs and variable outputs to drive power amplifiers. It supports CD, CD-R, CD-R/W playback and the CD layer of SACD. The unit comes with a programmable remote and offers RS232 interface for customization. It is housed in a large, elegant chassis and carries a five-year warranty.