Meridian M3100 User manual

DSP3100
Digital Signal Processing
Loudspeaker System
M3100
Active Analogue
Loudspeaker System
www.meridian-audio.com
Powerful, compact, high-
accuracy loudspeaker system
available in DSP or active
analogue formats
Ideal as surrounds, second
room or nearfield/surround
studio monitoring
New dual amplifier design
based on the acclaimed
DSP8000 minimizes coloration
Self-contained audio system
with custom drivers and two
amplifiers built-in. M3100
includes superior line-level
crossover
DSP version employs two
digital converters, digital
crossover and advanced
sound-shaping DSP capability
for maximum fidelity.
Dynamic bass protection
system avoids LF distortion at
high levels
DSP3100 includes S/PDIF
digital inputs support up
to 24-bit, 96kHz with MHR;
M3100 offers balanced and
unbalanced line-level inputs
Ultra-rigid cabinet features
aluminium panels bonded to
wood, bitumen damped for
the ultimate in low coloration
Available in black or silver,
with black piano lacquered
wood accents
Maximum output level
up to 105dB spl
Meridian’s acclaimed active and DSP-
based loudspeakers are unparalleled
in the industry. Each unit includes not
only carefully-chosen loudspeaker
drivers and excellent cabinet design
and acoustics, but also multiple power
amplifiers and – in the case of DSP
designs – D/A converters and the DSP
power required to create crossovers,
filters and control systems that
would be completely impossible in a
conventional speaker configuration.
The DSP loudspeaker is the ultimate
expression of Meridian’s loudspeaker
philosophy. DSP capability delivers
crossover specifications that cannot
be matched by conventional designs
and bass extension vastly superior to
other loudspeakers of the same volume,
while keeping the signal in the digital
domain until the last moment means
that there is an unbroken link between
the recording studio or concert hall and
your listening room. Thus, they sound
unlike anything else you’ll hear.
Meridian active loudspeakers give each
driver its own amplifier, in direct and
close control of all its parameters, fed
from a line-level crossover for superior
performance.
The DSP3100 and its active analogue
equivalent, the M3100, represent a
breakthrough in compact loudspeakers.
Available in vertical or horizontal
centre configuration, they deliver an
astonishing performance for their size,
and are ideal for stereo or surround
listening in smaller spaces. Their
accuracy and uncoloured sound also
makes them ideal for monitoring in
recording and mastering studios.
The 3100 is
available with
satin silver or black
with piano-lacquer
wood accents,
and in vertical
configuration
(above) or
horizontal centre
(3100HC, left)

Meridian Audio Limited
Latham Road
Huntingdon
Cambridgeshire PE29 6YE
England
T+44 (0) 1480 445678
F+44 (0) 1480 445686
Meridian America Inc
8055 Troon Circle, Suite C
Austell
Atlanta GA 30168-7849
T+1 [phone]
F+1 [phone]
www.meridian-audio.com
3100DS v1.6 20060106 • REƒ
The 3100 series from Meridian
represent new benchmarks in the
development of compact, high-
performance active loudspeakers.
The DSP3100 DSP loudspeaker and
its active analogue counterpart,
the M3100, are designed for use
as bookshelf or stand-mounted
loudspeakers. Specially-designed
aluminium stands are available that
may be sand-filled for maximum
stability and to minimize any impact
on sound quality. The vertical units
also include universal wall bracket
mountings for additional flexibility in
location. The horizontal centre unit is
magnetically-shielded.
3100s are tonally similar to other
Meridian loudspeakers and as a result
they are ideal for use, for example,
as surrounds in a Meridian system.
They are equally suited for use in a
smaller stand-alone system in a study
or bedroom, and can be used as
second zone speakers in a Meridian
multi-room environment. The DSP
version features S/PDIF digital inputs
at up to 96kHz while the analogue
version includes switched balanced
and unbalanced inputs, so either can
also be used as high-end computer
loudspeakers.
Extremely accurate characteristics make
either 3100 version eminently suitable
for studio monitoring applications,
particularly as a near-field or surround
monitor in recording and mastering
facilities: the DSP3100 accepts standard
digital audio at sample rates up to 24-
bit, 96kHz.
Construction
The DSP3100’s distinctive cabinet is
made from braced wood with piano-
lacquered ends and aluminium side-
panels bonded for rigidity.
The 3100 offers extremely low colora-
tion, and this is partially a result of this
cabinet construction. Wood tends to
vibrate at lower frequencies, where
aluminium is very stable; conversely,
aluminium tends to resonate at higher
frequencies while wood does not.
Combining the two by bonding them
together tends to cancel out vibration
across the range. The cabinet is further
damped with bitumen, leading to an
enclosure that is exceedingly dead.
Cosmetic finishes available are black
or silver, matching Meridian’s G Series
components (bead-blasted, brightened
and anodised).
The vertical units feature a 2-way rear-
ported enclosure, while the horizontal
centre is a 2½-way closed box design.
Featuring high-efficiency long-throw
6in (160mm) (vertical model) or dual 5
¼ in (120mm) (horizontal model) bass
drivers with doped carbon fibre cones
and cast alloy baskets, the 3100 also
includes a very high quality 1in (25mm)
Meridian piston treble drive unit with
doped fabric dome.
Electronics
The drivers are powered directly by
independent high power, low feedback
amplifiers fed from an audiophile-
grade power supply with a substantial
toroidal transformer. DSP power in the
DSP3100 is a provided by a Motorola
56367 running at 150MHz; D/A
conversion is handled by dual 24-bit,
multi-bit delta-sigma converters. The
DSP3100 may be controlled via RS232,
and both analogue and digital versions
may be operated by an infrared remote
control unit such as the MSR+.
Outline Specifications (common to both versions unless indicated)
Performance: Frequency response in-room within 3dB from 45Hz to over 20kHz. Linear-phase mid/top crossover.
Output >105dB spl @ 1m on music material. Noise less than 15dB spl. Overall electronic distortion
typically <0.02% at any frequency or level.
Inputs: DSP3100: Two S/PDIF digital inputs, 32kHz-96kHz sampling rates at up to 24 bit with MHR support.
M3100: Line level unbalanced (phono) and balanced (XLR-3F) inputs, switch-selectable.
Construction: Vertical unit: 2-way ported design with 160mm bass driver; Horizontal centre: 2½-way closed box
design with twin 5¼ in (120mm) bass drivers, with doped carbon fibre cones and cast alloy bas-
kets. 1in (25mm) Meridian piston treble drive unit with doped fabric dome.
Electronics: Constructed using advanced surface-mount techniques and partitioned 4-layer printed-circuit
boards. DSP3100 includes two precision 24/192 oversampling converters for bass/mid and tweeter
signals; Motorola 56367 150MIPS digital signal processor; Digital crossover at 2.3kHz; Response
correction for the whole system; Bass protection; User tone controls; Analogue/digital volume and
phase control. M3100 features precision line-level active crossover.
Amplifiers: Two 75W power amplifiers, one for each band.
Display: Eight-character display with system lights, can be blanked.
Dimensions: Vertical units: 7.65in/194mm x 15.2in/386mm x 10in/254mm; Horizontal centre unit: 18.5in/470mm
x 6.9in/173.5mm x 10in/254mm. Optional floor stand: 12.2in/310mm x 20.2in/513.7mm from floor
to top of platform x 12.65in/321.5mm. (All dimensions w x h x d; original units are metric.)
Weight: Vertical unit: 30lb/13.5kg; Horizontal centre unit: 36lb/16.5kg.
Meridian retains the right to improve or modify product specifi-
cations and design at any time. E&OE.
DSP3100 rear panel (horizontal version)
DSP3100
Digital Signal Processing
Loudspeaker System
M3100
Active Analogue
Loudspeaker System