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Pioneer DSP loudspeakers and digital audio from Cambridgeshire, the lab behind MQA and the first audiophile CD player.
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rooms in 5 states
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about meridian audio
Meridian Audio was founded in 1977 by Bob Stuart and Allen Boothroyd, originally trading as Boothroyd Stuart, and became one of the foundational names in British digital audio. The company built the first audiophile CD player in the early 1980s, the first DSP-controlled active loudspeaker, and the lossless coding work that fed DVD-Audio and later Dolby TrueHD. Bob Stuart's research line also produced MQA, the encoding format Meridian originated. The current catalog spans DSP active loudspeakers led by the DSP8000 reference, the Ultra DAC, the 218 zone controller and 818 reference preamplifier, and digital theatre processing — a system approach where source, processing, and loudspeaker are designed to work as one digitally-controlled chain rather than separate boxes. Meridian holds an established US dealer network, sold through authorized retailers including Bravo AV and The Audio Store, with European parent AV EMEA BV behind the brand. It has extensive Stereophile coverage across the Ultra DAC, DSP8000, 518, and Digital Theatre lines, and competes with Linn, Naim, and other system-led digital brands. For US dealers it is an instantly recognized name with deep digital-audio credibility. For a showroom, Meridian appeals to buyers who want an integrated DSP-controlled system rather than assembled separates, and its MQA and CD-era history gives it standing with serious two-channel and home-theatre customers alike. The brand is designed and manufactured in the United Kingdom, in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.