Meridian Prime User manual

2 Meridian Prime Headphone Amplifier User Guide
Important safety instructions
• Read these instructions.
•
Keep these instructions.
•
Heed all warnings.
• Follow all instructions.
•
Do not use this apparatus near water.
• Clean only with a dry cloth.
• Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the
manufacturer's instructions.
•
Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers,
stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
• Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.
• Unplug this apparatus during lightning storrns or when unused for
long periods of time.
• Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required
when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power-
supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects
have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to
rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.
WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK,
DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPARATUS TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.
Use only with the mains power adapter supplied with the unit, or with
the Meridian Prime Power Supply available separately. Replacements are
available from your Meridian dealer.
Safety warnings
• Do not expose the unit to dripping or splashing.
• Do not place any object filled with liquid, such as a vase, on the unit.
• Do not place naked flame sources, such as lighted candles, on
the unit.
• To avoid overheating leave at least 1 Ocm around the equipment to
ensure sufficient ventilation.
• Do not position the unit in direct sunlight, near heat sources such as
a radiator, or directly on top of heat producing equipment, such as a
power amplifier.
• To avoid interference do not position the unit near strong electrical or
magnetic radiation, such as near a power amplifier.
Use with USB 1.1, 2, 3 only.
Power rating: 5V 2.5W max.
Radio interference
FCC Warning: This equipment generates and can radiate radio frequency
energy and if not installed and used correctly in accordance with our
instructions may cause interference to radio communications or radio and
television reception. It has been type-tested and complies with the limits
set out in Subpart J, Part 15 of FCC rules for a Class B computing device.
These limits are intended to provide reasonable protection against such
interference in home installations.
EEC: This product has been designed and type-tested to comply with
the limits set out in EN55013 and EN55020.
Copyright
Meridian Audio Ltd
Latham Road
Huntingdon
Cambridgeshire
PE29 6YE, England
Copyright© 2013 Meridian Audio Ltd.
Visit us on the Web:
http:! /www.meridian-audio.com
Part no: Prime (P88423)
This guide was produced by: Human-Computer Interface Ltd,
http:!/www.interface.co.uk!
Listening safety
The Meridian Prime Headphone Amplifier may generate high
volume levels in sensitive headphones.
To avoid damage
to hearing, make sure that the volume is fully turned down
before turning on the
unit
Once you have placed the headphones over your ears, gradually raise the
volume to a comfortable listening level.
Never listen at high volume levels for prolonged periods as permanent
hearing damage or hearing loss may occur. If the music is uncomfortable
to listen to, so loud you cannot hear external sounds, or you experience
ringing in your ears after listening, then it is too loud.
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Meridian Prime Headphone Amplifier User Guide
Connections
The Meridian Prime Headphone Amplifier is supplied with the
following accessories:
• Power supply.
• This manual.
Connections
If any of these items are missing please contact your retailer.
NOTE: You should retain the packaging in case you need to
transport the unit.
The following diagram gives details
of the back panel connections:
Inputs
Use this connection
Input 1 Land R
Input 2
USB input
Input 1
R L
®®
Phona
inputs
Mini jack Phono
input outputs USB
input Power
input
To connect to this
The output of an analogue preamplifier,
or a fixed source such
as a CD player,
using phono leads.
The output
of an analogue preamplifier,
music player, computer, or mobile phone,
using a 3.5mm mini-jack lead.
The USB connector
of a computer, using
a
USB-A to min i-USB lead.
Outputs
Use this connection
Output Land R
Power input
To connect to this
The line input of a power amplifier, or
active loudspeakers, using phono leads.
Connect the Meridian Prime Headphone Amplifier power input
to the power supply provided.
Alternatively you can power the Meridian Prime Headphone
Amplifier from the matching Meridian Prime Power Supply.
For more information see the application
To use the Meridian
Prime Headphone Amplifierin conjunction with the Meridian
Prime
Power Supply, page 7.
3

4 Meridian Prime Headphone Amplifier
User Guide
Front panel
Sample rate
indicator Input ASP indicator indicator
On/off and
status indicator Jack socket
outputs
Mini jack Input
output selector Analogue
Spatial
Processing
Outputs
Use this connection To connect to this
Jack socket outputs One or two pairs of headphones fitted
with a
1" jack plug.
Mini jack output A pair of headphones or earphones fitted
with a 3.5mm mini-jack plug.
Controls
Control
On/off
Input selector
Analogue Spatial
Processing
Volume control
Volume
control
Description
Push to switch between standby and on.
The indicator glows blue when the
Meridian Prime Headphone Amplifier is
in standby, and white/green when it is
operating.
Push to select between A1, A2,
and
USB, as shown by the Input indicator.
Push to select between 0, i, or ii , as
shown by the ASP indicator.
Rotate clockwise to increase the volume.
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Meridian Prime Headphone Amplifier User Guide
Using the Meridian Prime Headphone Amplifier
Connecting headphones
• Connect headphones to either of the jack socket outputs or
to the mini-jack output on the front panel.
You can connect multiple pairs of headphones at once.
You can also connect a single pair of headphones to both jack
sockets simultaneously, with a suitable balanced cable, to drive
the left and right phones separately for highest quality.
Disabling the audio outputs
For headphone listening you can turn off the rear audio outputs:
• Hold down the power button
on the front panel until the
power light changes from white to green.
Sample rate
When using the USB input the sample rate indicators show
the current sample rate: 1x (44/48kHz), 2x (88/96kHz), or 4x
(176/192kHz).
Analogue Spatial Processing
• Push the Analogue Spatial Processing button to select
between
0, i, or ii, as shown by the ASP indicator.
Most stereo recordings are mixed with the intention
of playback
over two loudspeakers. When we listen to loudspeakers each
ear does not receive a pure copy
of the corresponding channel;
instead, just as with live sounds, each ear hears a mixture
of
all the sound in the room. The ear further from a loudspeaker
receives its sound slightly later than the nearer
ear, and the
sound
is also shadowed by the head, causing a roll-off of
higher-frequencies.
When we listen with headphones, simply playing the
recording directly so that each loudspeaker signal
is fed to
the corresponding ear can often
be unnatural. The impression
depends on the recording, but there
is often too much
separation; sounds happen close to each ear
and the sound
image feels 'in the head'.
The Analogue Spatial Processing (ASP) built into the Meridian
Prime Headphone Amplifier provides two carefully designed
options which blend the left and right signals to emulate
listening to loudspeakers. The processing modes i and
ii both
provide blend, but with progressively increasing amounts
of
delay, representing different loudspeaker angles. The 0 setting
is a pure bypass, and the left and right are fed directly with no
crosstalk.
We find this processing very natural and it can move the image
out
of the head and provide a more coherent sound. You should
experiment with the choices
on different types of recording.
5

6 Meridian
Prime
Headphone Amplifier
User
Guide
Applications
To
use the Meridian Prime Headphone
Amplifier to connect headphones or active
loudspeakers to a PC
• Connect
the
analogue
outputs
from
the
Meridian
Prime
Headphone
Amplifier to
the
line
input
on
each
active
loudspeaker,
using
phono
leads.
• Set
up
the
computer
to
use
the
USB
output;
see
Setting
up,
page
8.
Right
Active
Speaker
l·l
oo
..
.
01
Meridian
Prime
Headphone
Amplifier
USB
INPUT
• Connect
one
of
the
USB
connectors
on
the
PC
to
the
USB
socket
on
the
Meridian
Prime
Headphone
Amplifier,
using
a
USB-A
to
mini
-
USB
lead.
•
Press
the
Input
selector
button
to
select
USB.
When
listening
through
headphones
connected
to
the
Meridian
Prime
Headphone
Amplifier
you
can
turn off
the
analogue
outputs;
see
Disabling the audio outputs,
page
5.
Computer
Left
Active
Speaker
USB
Phonolead l
___
M_i_
ni
_
-u
_s_B_
Ie
_
ad
_....,.
J
Phono
lead
Headphones
To
use the Meridian Prime Headphone
Amplifier to connect headphones to
an
iPod
or other music player
• Connect
Input
2
on
the
Meridian
Prime
Headphone
Amplifier
to
the
headphone
output of the
iPod,
using
a mini-jack
lead.
•
Press
the
Input
selector
button
to
select
Input
2.
•
For
highest
quality
tum
the
Meridian
Prime
Headphone
Amplifier
volume
control
to
minimum
and
the
volume
control
on
the
iPod
to
maximum
.
Then
gradually
tum
up
the
Meridian
Prime
Headphone
Amplifier
volume
control
to
adjust
the
volume.
l
·l
oo
.
..
OI
Meridian
Prime
Headphone
Amplifier
INPUT
iPod
2
0 Mini-jack
lead
Headphones
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Meridian
Prime
Headphone Amplifier
User
Guide
To
use the Meridian Prime Headphone
Amplifier
in
conjunction with the Meridian
Prime Power Supply
The Meridian Prime Power Supply optionally provides
an
extremely low-noise stable power source for both the analogue
and
digital sections, which will help deliver the highest possible
audio perfonnance from the Meridian Prime Headphone
Amplifier.
• Connect one
of
the five 12V outputs from the Meridian Prime
Power Supply to the Power Input of the Meridian Prime
Headphone Amplifier, using a power lead.
Computer
USB
1·1
I I
Meridian
Prime
Power
Supply
USB
PASSTHROUGH
IN
USB
PASSTHROUGH
OUT
POWER
OUTPUT
Optionally, when using the USB input:
• Set up the computer to use the USB output; see
Setting
up
,
page 8.
• Connect one
of
the USB connectors
on
the
PC
to the USB
Passthrough input on the Meridian Prime Power Supply, using
a USB-A to USB-B lead.
• Connect the USB Passthrough output from the Meridian
Prime Power Supply to the USB input
on
the Meridian Prime
Headphone Amplifier, using a USB-A to mini-USB
lead
.
• Press the Input selector button to select USB.
l·l
oo
...01
Meridian
Prime
Headphone
Amplifier
USB
INPUT
POWER
INPUT
l
__
u_s_B-_B_
Ie
_
ad
__
J Mini-USB
lead
Power
lead
Headphones
7

8 Meridian Prime Headphone Amplifier
User Guide
Setting up
Setting up for Mac OS X
Configure the Meridian Prime Headphone Amplifier
• Connect the Meridian Prime Headphone Amplifier via USB.
• Open System Preferences.
• Click Sound.
• Select the Output panel.
• Select Meridian Prime Headphone Amplifier from
the list.
Optionally for best sound quality
• Select the Sound Effects panel.
• Set Play sound effects through to Internal Speakers.
• Open the Audio Midi Setup utility (found in the
Applications/Utilities folder).
•
Select Meridian Prime Headphone Amplifier and
select the desired bit/sample rate.
Setting up for Windows XP
NOTE: DO NOT connect the Meridian Prime Headphone
Amplifier before running the driver install application.
Install the USB2 driver
• Download and save the driver .zip file to a suitable location
such as the Desktop.
• Double dick the .zip file and open the enclosed folder.
• Run the driver installer by double -clicking setup.exe and
follow the installer instructions, connecting the Meridian Prime
Headphone Amplifier when requested.
• Click Continue Anyway if Windows warns about the
Meridian Prime Headphone Amplifier not passing Windows
Logo testing.
•
Click Finish when done.
Windows will then show a Found New Hardware Wizard.
• Select No, not this time, then Next.
• Select Install the software automatically, then Next.
• Click Continue Anyway if Windows warns about the
Meridian Prime Headphone Amplifier not passing Windows
Logo testing.
•
Click Finish when done.
• Restart the computer.
Configure the Meridian Prime Headphone Amplifier
• Connect the Meridian Prime Headphone Amp l ifier.
• Open the Sounds and Audio Devices control panel
(Start 7 Control Panel 7 Hardware and Sound 7
Sounds and Audio Devices).
• Click the Audio tab.
• Select Meridian Prime Headphone Amplifier from
the default device list in the Sound playback box .
• Click Apply.
Optionally for best sound quality
• Connect the Meridian Prime Headphone Amp li fier.
• Open the Sounds and Audio Devices control pane l
(Start 7 Control Panel 7 Hardware and Sound 7
Sounds and Audio Devices).
• Select Meridian Prime Headphone Amplifier from
the default device list in the Sound playback box.
• Click the Sounds tab.
• Select No Sounds from the Sound Scheme drop-down
list and click Apply.
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Meridian Prime Headphone Amplifier
User
Guide
Setting up for Windows
7/8
Install the USB2 driver
•
Download
and
save
the driver
.zip
file
to a
suitable
location
such
as
the
Desktop.
•
Connect
the
Meridian
Prime
Headphone
Amplifier to
the
computer
via
USB
ignoring
any
Windows
driver insta
ll
ation
notifications.
•
Double
click the
.zip
file
and
open
the
enclosed
folder.
•
Run
the driver installer
by
double
clicking
the
setup
application.
•
On
the
next
window,
allow
the
instal
l
er
to
make
changes
to
the
computer.
•
Click
Install
to start the driver
instillation
and
follow
the
installer instructions.
•
Click
Finish
when
done.
•
Restart
the
computer.
Configure the Meridian Prime Headphone Amplifier
•
Connect
the
Meridian
Prime
Headphone
Amplifier.
•
Open
the
Sound
control
panel
(Start~
Control Panel
~
Hardware and Sound
~
Sound)
•
Click
the
Playback
tab.
•
Find
Meridian Prime
Headphone
Amplifier
in
t
he
list,
right
click
and
select
Set
as Default Device.
•
Click
Apply.
Optionally for best sound quality
•
Connect
the
Meridian
Prime
Headphone
Amplifier.
•
Open
the
Sound
control
panel
(Start
~
Control Panel
~
Hardware and Sound
~
Sound).
•
Click
Meridian Prime
Headphone
Amplifier
in
the
list.
•
Click
the
Sounds
tab.
•
Select
No Sounds
from
the
Sound Scheme
drop-down
list
and
click
Apply.
•
Click
the
Playback
tab.
•
Double
cl
ick
Meridian Prime
Headphone
Amplifier
in
the list.
•
Click
the
Enhancements
tab.
• Set
Disable all enhancements
and
click
Apply.
•
Click
the
Advanced
tab.
• If not
already
set,
set
both
options
in
the
Exclusive
Mode
bo
x.
• Select the
desired
bit/sample
rate
in
the
Default Format
drop-down
list
box
and
click
Apply.
Support
For
more
detailed
support
please
visit:
www.
meridian-audio.com
/
support
9

l 0 Meridian Prime Headphone Amplifier User Guide
Specifications
Analogue inputs
• 1 x 3.5mm: gain 12dB; 500mV rms in for 2V rms out.
• 1 x phono stereo: gain 3dB; 1.4V
rms in for 2V rms out.
• Analogue inputs overload capability >40dB.
Digital input
• 1 x USB: asynchronous, 44 .1kHz to 192kHz at up to 24bit,
jitter <90ps p-p.
Outputs
• 1 x phono pre-out: maximum output 3. 1V rms @ 1kHz,
THD less than 0.
001% @ 1kHz up to 3V rms,
crosstalk below -70dB @ 1kHz. Output can be disabled.
• 2 x
~" phone jacks: Maximum output 3V rms off load,
THD below
0.002%, output impedance< 100m0,
power output 250mW up to 420 (see graph),
short-circuit protected.
300
200
~ 100+--------- ~r- -- -r~----~~ -----
E 90
~ 80
.a- 70
6 60
50
40
30
100
Headphone impedance (ohm)
• 1x 3.5mm phone jack: maximum output 3V rms off load,
THD below
0.002%, output impedance 2.20,
short-circuit protected.
10
Audio performance
• Output noise (input A) < -1 OOdBV CCIR or A weighted.
• Frequency response:
+0 / -1dB DC to 70kHz,
+0 1-3dB DC to 200kHz.
Headphone compatibility
• Suitable for impedances in the range 160 - 1 kO or more.
Suitable for open, closed, in-,
on- or over-ear models.
• Recommended sensitivity high
er than BOdBspl /m W or
96dBspiN.
Controls
• Volume with precise tracking and 70dB range.
• Input switch.
• Analogue Spatial Processing
(0 / i/ ii).
• Power including rear output mute.
Processing
• Analogue out-of-head processor on phone jack outputs only.
Power
• 12V DC.
• Consumption less than 0. 5W standby.
• Under 1W
in quiescent.
Weight
• 0.9kg (201bs).
Dimensions
• Width 160mm (6.3in).
• Depth 150mm (5.9in) plus connections.
• Height 50mm (2.0in).
EN

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