Meridian 208 CD Pre-Amplifier User guide

CONTENTS
9. 10
9.11
9.12
9.13
9.14
9.15
10
10.1
10.2
10.4
10.5
10.6
10.7
10.8
10.9
11
11.1
11.2
12
12.1
12.2
12.3
12.4
13
13.1
13.2
Introduction, 1
About this manual, 1
About the 200-Series, 1
Unpacking your 208, 1
Accessories, 1
installing your 208, 2
General precautions, 2
Transit collar, 2
Connections, 2
If you have a 201 Preamplifier, 2
If you have both a 201 and a 204, 2
If you are using D600 Loudspeakers, 2
Using the 208 as a preamplifier, 2
If you have no other Meridian, 3
Headphones, 3
Siting, 3
Setting up the 208,3 —
Checking, 3
If all is well, 3
If you have a problem, 3
Standby, 3
Basic operation of the со Player, 3
Error, 3
Equalisation, 3
Phase, 4
Display, 4
Open/Close, 4
Standby, 4
To load and play a disc, 4
To load and play a particular track, 4
To move to a different track, 5
To move to the next track, 5
To restart the current track, 5
To pause the disc, 5
To stop the disc, 5
To play a disc from standby, 5
To repeat a disc continuously, 5
Using a 209 Remote Control, 5
To play a disc, 5 -
To play a particular track, 5.
To move to the next track, 5
To restart the current track, 5
To pause the disc, 5
To stop the disc, 5
To scan through a disc, 5
To repeat a disc continuously, 5
More advanced operation, 6
Programming, 6
Pause play, 6 |
Advanced remote operation, 6
To move to an index point, 6
To enter a program, 6
Programming cancelled tracks, 6
Phase inversion, 7
Preamplifier operation, 7
To listen to a tape recorder, 7
To listen to a tuner connected to the Line
input, 7
- 13.3 Tolisten to an LP, 7
13.4 To go back to CD, 7
13.5 To adjust the volume level, 7
13.6 To mute the sound, 7 —
13.7 To make a tape recording, 7
14 CD operation summary, 8
15 Preamplifier summary, 8
16 Maintenance & Service, 8
17 Guarantee, 9
18 Cleaning, 9
19 Help!,9
19.1 Standby key not lit, 9
19.2 Drawer will not open, 9
19.4 No sound, 9
19.5 Radio interference, 10
20 The Compact Disc medium... 10
21 Specification, 11
Appendix
208 display options, 11
A1 Source displays, 11
A2 Compact Disc displays, 11
A3 Selection display, 11
A4 Miscellaneous displays, 11
AS . Version number, 11
index, 12
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1 Introduction
The Meridian 208 Compact Disc Player is part of
the 200-Series of advanced high fidelity equip-
ment. Used with other components in the range, it
can offer the music lover much more than just
very high quality digital sound.
The 208 is a sophisticated device and you are
advised to read through the whole manual before
using it for the first time, particularly if you are
using it with other , Meridian components. How-
ever, we have given a lot of attention to making
the operation of the unit as intuitive as possible,
so those of you who are familiar with high fidelity
equipment and who cannot wait to get the 208
working will be able to get immediate results.
In purchasing a Meridian 208 Compact Disc
Player, you have acquired a refined state-of-the-art
piece of equipment which will continue to bring
you listening pleasure for many years. This
manual will enable you to get the most from it.
2 About this manual
A number such as 201 refers to a component in
the Meridian 200-Series range of audio equip-
ment, unless otherwise indicated, for exampie ‘the
socket marked 200 COMMS’.
Whenever a key name is printed in bold
typeface, it means that you should press this key.
When you must make a series of key strokes, for
example press Next then press Previcus, the key
names will be separated by a hyphen, ie Next —
Previous. If the key name is not in bold type, it in-
dicates that the course of action is not required at
present, for example ‘if you want to change the
display, press Display’ means you can do this, but
it is not essential as part of the operation being
discussed.
In some instances, a key and the status of the.
equipment share the same name, for example the
Standby key and the standby state. For absolute
clarity, the key name will always start with a capital
letter and the status will always be indicated by
the use of italic type. |
Text between square brackets indicates the
appearance of the display panel on the front of the
208. For example, [LP.27] is the information dis-
played by the 208 when set for LP input with a
volume level of 27. Where the volume level is
unimportant or undefined, we shall use the in-
dicator [t3.##]. This means that the Tape input
has been selected, but that the volume level could
be anything from 1 to 64. |
Because the 208 combines both preamplifier
facilities and Compact Disc operation in one unit,
it may appear more complicated than other
players. In practice, you will soon find its operation
becomes instinctive. To simplify the familiarisation
process, however, we shall discuss the
preamplifier and CD functions separately.
3 About the 200-Series
The Meridian 200-Series of high fidelity equip-
ment is probably the most sophisticated family of
hi-fi products available. it has been developed to
operate at a variety of levels, from the simplest
conventional single-room hi-fi to a whole-house
music-management system. The range of com-
ponents in the 200-Series ensure that a Meridian
system will satisfy the needs of any user. In addi-
tion, the system can be further enhanced by the
use of one or more pairs of Meridian D600 Digital
Loudspeakers.
The 208 Compact Disc Player is very ad-
vanced, being one of the first third-generation CD
players. The 208 uses proprietary circuitry to im-
plement a unique differential mode of two Bit-
stream converters for each channel. The design
has been skillfully optimised to provide the high-
est quality of sound available from the Compact
Disc medium. Ш
The additional preamplifier facilities are unique
to Meridian and have been given equal attention,
Your 208 is directly comparable in quality with the
best conventional preamps. In purchasing the
208, you have acquired a top-quality Compact
Disc Player and. preamplifier.
Despite its high performance, each piece of
equipment in the 200-Series has been planned for
ease of use, with microprocessor control being
applied throughout the range to simplify opera-
tion. We have also paid great attention to the ap-
pearance of the units, and much care has been
taken in the selection of the materials used in the
construction of the components to ensure that
your Meridian 200-Series equipment will look and
sound as good in the years to come as it does
now.
4 Unpacking your 208
On opening the carton, you should have found the
following parts:
= Meridian 208 Compact Disc Player
= power cord
a network lead, labelled ‘B—Lead’
a this manual
If any of these items are missing, please contact
your dealer. We suggest that you retain the pack-
ing carefully as it provides maximum protection
for the unit whilst in transit. Although all 200-
Series components have been designed to be
robust, they should obviousiy be well protected
when they are being transported.
5 Accessories
The following accessories are available from your
dealer: |
power cord (Europe)
power cord (USA & Canada)
209 Remote Control unit
215 phono preamplifier
по E E
208 Page 7
The 209 Remote Control unit offers some addi-
tional facilities over those available from the front
panel of the 208. Unless you need to access index
points, or require the fast scan facility, a 209 is not
essential. However, you may find the convenience
of remote operation of the Player worthwhile, par-
ticularly if you are using the 208 as part of a
Meridian 200-Series installation. |
6 Installing your 208
6.1 General precautions
Before carrying out any installation, you should
first ensure that the 208 is marked with the correct
voltage for your local AC supply. If it is not, do not
proceed with these instructions, but contact your
dealer instead. |
As a general rule, you should not make any con-
nections to the 208, or to any other component in
your system, whilst the AC power supply is con-
nected and switched on.
62 Transit collar
The 208 Compact Disc Player is fitted with a lock-
ing device to secure and protect the laser me-
chanism whilst the unit is in transit. Before using.
the 208 for the first time you must remove the coi-
lar. To do this: :
s Carefully lift the 208 up. On the underside of
the drawer mechanism, you will see a piastic
coller held in place by & brass screw
e Remove this screw and the collar
= Put the 208 down, then gently open the drawer
by hand and return it to the closed position.
NOTE lt is essential that you perform this opera-
tion before connecting the 208 to the AC power
for the first time. You should store the screw and
collar in a safe place and always refit it, by revers-
‘ing the above procedure, before transporting the
208 Compact Disc Player.
6.3 Connections
The Meridian 208 Compact Disc Player can con-
nect to your audio system using conventional
analogue audio leads. However, if you are using
the Meridian D600 Digital Loudspeakers, you
should use the digital output of the 208. This will
give a considerably improved performance from
the system. |
Assuming that you are using an analogue
audio system, you will need to connect the 208
Compact Disc Player to your amplifier with either a
twin screened-audio cable or a pair of single
screened-audio cables. These interconnects can
have a considerable effect on the final quality of
the sound, and we advise you {0 seek your
dealer's advice on the best type for your system.
The connections you make will depend on
other components in your system.
208 Page 2
6.4 Н уси have a 201 Preamplifier
= Connect the sockets marked ‘Fixed out’ on the
rear of the 208 to the CD input on the rear of
the 201.
s Connect the socket marked 200 COMMS on
the rear of the 208 to the socket marked 200
- COMMS on the rear of the Preamplifier using
the B—Lead supplied with the 208.
6.5 If you have both a 201 anda 204
sa Connect the sockets marked ‘Fixed out’ on the
rear of the 208 to the CD input on the rear of
the 201.
a Connect the socket marked 201 on the rear of
the Tuner to the socket marked 200 COMMS
on the rear of the Preamplifier using the
Q—Lead supplied with the 204
a Connect the socket marked 207 on the rear of
the 204 to the socket marked 200 COMMS on
the rear of the 208 using the B-—Lead supplied
with the 208.
6.6 If you are using D600 Loudspeakers
a Connect the digital output from the rear of the
208 to the M—Lead supplied with the D600s.
Follow the instructions in the D600 manual.
The D600s are fully-programmable and you
should consult vour manual! before deciding
which input to use. If you have any doubts,
your dealer will be able to help you.
If vou are also using the 208 as your analogue
preamplifier, you should connect the sockets
marked ‘Variable out’ to the appropriate sockets
on the D600s.
Wherever possible, we would advise that you
use optical interconnections for the digital signal
as these result in superior audio performance. Ad-
ditionally, optical digital cables do not generate
any radio-frequency interference, nor are they
susceptible to such interference.
Suitable cables for either digital signal are
available from your Meridian dealer.
6.7 Using the 208 as a preamplifier
a Connect the sockets marked ‘Variable out’ to
the input sockets on your power amplifier(s) or
active loudspeakers, using suitable audio
cables. Your dealer will be able to advise you
on the best type of cabie for your system.
a Connect the sockets marked “Line in' to the
audio output of your tuner.
a Connect the sockets marked ‘Tape in’ to the
output sockets of your tape machine.
s Connect ihe sockets marked ‘Tape out’ to the
input sockets of your tape machine.
a If you want to use a conventional turntable with
your system, you must purchase an optional
215 module.
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Your dealer will fit the module inside the 208
and adjust it for your pick-up cartridge. Con-
nect the sockets marked ‘LP in’ to the audio
output cable from your turntable. A ground-
screw is provided to connect the tone-arm
ground wire.
a If you do not want to use a turntabie (phono
cartridge) the ‘LP in’ sockets can be used to
connect an additional piece of equipment,
such as a second CD player, or a video re-
corder. if you do use the LP input in this way,
you should note that it is less sensitive than
the Tape and Line inputs. Anything connected
to this socket will, therefore, sound slightly
quieter than normal.
6.8 If you have no other Meridian
either |
a Connect the sockets marked ‘Fixed out’ on the
rear of the 208 to an appropriate input on your
ampiifier. You should consult the manufac-
turer's manual to determine which input to use,
but generally it will be labelled ‘CD’ or ‘AUX’.
or
s Follow the instructions in the previous section
if you intend to use the preamplifier faciiities.
DO NOT, under any circumstances, connect any-
thing to the socket marked ‘200 COMMS’ on the
rear of the 208.
6.9 Headphones
A standard 1/4" stereo jack headphone socket is
provided on the rear panel of the 208.
Piug in your headphones and adjust the
volume, using the yellow Volume Up or Volume
Down keys on the front panel of the 208. You can
also adjust the volume using the red Volume Up
and Volume Down keys on the 209. Please note
that, if you are using the 208 as a preamplifier, this
will also alter the volume on your loudspeakers.
7 Siting
The 208 should not be placed on top of a power
amplifier, but it can be stacked on the 201
Preamplifier and the 204 Tuner, if you have these
items in your system.
You should avoid sites where it would be in
direct sunlight, particularly on the front panel;
where it is near a heat source, for example a cen-
tral heating radiator; where the equipment could
be subjected to strong magnetic radiation, for ex-
ample very close to a television.
In common with all CD players, the 208 emits
some radio-frequency signals. For this reason, try
to keep all mains cables and Network-leads away
from signal cables, which includes audio, aerial
and loudspeaker cables. A little time spent laying
out the cables carefully will repay you with the
best possible performance later.
8 Setting up the 208
8.1 Checking
Before turning on the power, check once again
that you have made all the connections correctly
and that you have not disturbed any existing con-
nections in the process.
8.2 If all is well
e turn on the power switch at the rear of the unit
The Standby key and a small point on the display
should now be illuminated, [ . }.
8.3 If you have a problem
Check the integrity of your power connections, in-
cluding any fuses in your supply. If the Standby
key is still not illuminated and the rest of your sys-
tem is functioning, contact your dealer for help.
8.4 Standby
The entire 200-Series is designed to be left con- |
nected to AC power at all times.
The standby state ensures that the com-
ponents operate at maximum efficiency from the
moment you start listening. It Is perfectly safe and
consumes a negligible amount of power. How-
ever, when you are not going to use your system
for an extended period of time, for example when
you are going on holiday, we would advise you to
disconnect it from the AC power supply.
9 Basic operation of the CD Player
Before discussing the operation of playing a Com-
pact Disc, there are three lights and three keys on
the front panel of the 208 which need to be ex-
plained. |
9.1 Error
The top light is marked ‘Error’ it is intended to in-
dicate the degree of error correction in use, and
serves as a monitor of the condition of a CD. It
may illuminate briefly as the 208 scans any part of
the disc. However, if you notice it is flashing whilst
playing a disc, it indicates that the disc you are
playing is either dirty or has some defect. in gen-
eral, if you do not hear clicks, skipping or see the
display flickering, you may assume that the pow-
erful error correction system in the 208 has re-
established the data. In severe cases of disc error,
you may hear crackles from your loudspeakers, or
the disc may stop. In these cases you should first
try cieaning the disc and if that fails retum it to the
supplier. |
208 Раде 3
0.2 Equalisation |
The second light is marked ‘Eq’, which stands fo
equalisation. The CD specification allows for discs
“to be recorded with or without pre-equalisation for
which correction is made during playback. This
light will illuminate whenever a disc has been re-
corded with pre-equalisation. The light will ex-
tinguish when a disc or track has no equalisation,
or when the Player is moving between tracks.
9.3 Phase 3
The third light is marked ‘a’. It indicates positive
phase for the CD analogue output. This is the
normal, or default, state of the 208 and so the light
will normally illuminate when you turn on the
Player.
NOTE that you can only alter this setting if you
have a 209 Remote Control unit. |
Whether you can hear the effect of this inver
sion depends on several factors, inciuding your
audio equipment and environment, but especialiy
on the way in which the disc has been recorded.
Please experiment with the phase control, there is
no right or wrong setting, it can be different for
each recording. In good installations absolute
phase affects the realism of percussive and am-
bient sounds. |
9.4 Display
Pressing this key will cycle the display on the 208
through its four states: a
a Track (index) number
в Elapsed time for the current track (note that
when 'counting in' to the start of a track, the
display is preceded by a minus sign)
a Elapsed time for the entire disc
a Remaining time for entire disc
The track number display will consist of one or
two digits, for example, [ 11].
However, when a disc contains index points in ad-
dition to the tracks, the display will change to
show the curtent index number, for example a dis-
play which read [ 11.3] would indicate that track
11, index 3 was currently being played, or had
been selected. You should note that the 208 will
not display the first index point, that is you will not
normally see the display [ 11.1] but when the
second index point is reached, the display will
change, for example [ 11.2]. |
When a'disc has ended, the display will show
the total number of tracks if the track display is se-
lected, or the total playing time if any of the time
displays is selected.
9.5 Ореп/ Close | |
This key opens the disc drawer if it is closed, or
closes it if it is open.
208 Page 4
9.6 Standby
When you press this key, you will shut down the
208 and the display will change momentarily to
[Stb. ]. if a disc is playing at the time, it will stop
‚and, if the 208 is connected to other components
of a Meridian 200-Series installation, it will also
cause the other components to revert to standby.
This method of shutting the 208 down is per-
fectly safe, and the disc will not be damaged by
leaving it in the Player. However, you normally
would only want to leave a disc in the Player if you
wish to continue playing it the next time you use
the 208. |
On most occasions, therefore, you will remove
the disc before shutting down the system. To do
this:
a press Stop, then, to open the drawer,
press Open/Close
remove the disc
press Open/Close again to close the drawer
press Standby to shut the 208 or 200-Series
system down.
in fact, there is a much quicker way to perform this
operation: -
a press Open/Close. This will stop the disc and
open the drawer
a remove the disc
e press Standby, this will close the drawer and
shut the system down.
The 208 is controlled by a microprocessor, so
using this ‘shorthand’ approach is perfectly safe.
The Player will interpret the ‘open’ command as
'stop the disc then open the drawer’, and it will in-
terpret the ‘standby’ command as ‘close the
drawer then go into standby’.
9.7 To load and play a disc
s press Open/Close
This will turn on the 208 and open the drawer. If
the 208 is part of a Meridian 200-Series installa-
. tion, it will also bring the entire system out of
standby. If you are not using other Meridian equip-
ment, you will need to switch on the rest of your
system manually. Consult the manufacturer's
manual for instructions on how to do this.
a insert the disc in the drawer, label side up,
ensuring that the disc is properly seated on the
Players hub. | | |
a press Play |
The drawer will close, the 208 will read the
catalogue information stored on the disc, display-
ing the message [dis. ], and it will then play the
disc.
9.8 To load and play a particular track
a press Open/Close
insert the disc as above
to select the track number you require, press
Previous or Next until the correct number is
displayed. During this operation, the display
changes to show 'S.', for select, followed by
the track number, for example [S. 21]
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m press Play
The disc will commence playing at the track num-
ber you have selected and will continue to play
until the end.
9.9 To move to a different track
E press Previous or Next until the required track
number is displayed
a press Play -
9.10 To jump to the next track
= press Play —
8.11. To restart the current track
a press Previous — Next — Play
9.12 To pause the disc
E press Pause
_ The Pause key will illuminate and, if a time display
is selected, it will freeze.
When you want to continue playing the disc again:
a press Pause a second time.
2.13 To stop the disc
E press Stop
The display will change momentarily to [STOP].
9.14 To play a disc from standby
5 press Play
9.15 To repeat a disc continuously
a press Repeat
The Repeat key will illuminate and the disc will re-
start after each playing until you press Standby,
Stop or Open/Close. You can also cancel this op-
eration by pressing Repeat a second time.
10 Using a 209 Remote Control
If you have a Meridian 209 Remote Control unit as |
-— part of your 200-Series installation, this can con-
trol the 208.
in general, operation of the 208 is identical to
the descriptions given above, but the Track but-
ton should be pressed before selecting a track
number for the first time. After this first operation,
it 1s not necessary to press Track repeatedly, but
doing so ensures correct operation of the 208,
and the instructions in this manual will, therefore,
usually advise you to press Track. Obviously, you
must first load a disc!
10.1 To play a disc
a press Play
The 208 will read the catalogue information stored
on the disc and then begin to play the disc. Dur-
ing this operation, the display will read [dir. ].
10.2 To play a particular track
either
‚| в press Prev or Next until the correct track num-
ber is displayed
x press Play
or
8 press Track, followed by one or more of the
Number Keys until the correct track number is
displayed
press Play
The disc will commence playing at the track num-
ber you have selected and will continue to play
until the end.
10.3 To move to a different track
either
» press Prev or Next until the required track
number is displayed
& press Play
or
a press one or more of the Number Keys until
the required track number is displayed
a press Play
10.4 To move to the next track
a press Play |
10.5 To restart the current track
either
a press Track — Play
or |
s press the required Number Key(s) — Play
or | |
» press Prev — Next — Play
10.6 To pause the disc
» press Pause -
The Pause key on the 208 wit iliuminate.
When you want to continue playing the disc again
a press Pause a second time.
10.7 To stop the disc
= press Stop |
The display will change momentarily to [StOP].
10.8 To scan through a disc
= press << ot >> until you reach the point you are
seeking.
Remember to select one of the time displays first,
in order to be able to assess the position in the
track.
10.9 To repeat a disc continuously
a press Repeat
The Repeat key on the 208 will illuminate and the
disc will re-start after each playing until! you press
. Stop, or Repeat a second time.
208 Page 5
11 More advanced operation
11.1 Programming
The 208 allows you to select you own program of
music from any disc. You can play the tracks in
any order you like, and can repeat one or more
tracks several times in your personal program.
Please note that the maximum number of se-
lections which the 208 can ‘memorise’ is 31. If you
try to enter additional tracks, the display shows
[Err. ] momentarily. 4
During programming, the display will prefix the
track number with the letter ‘C’. [C. #]
The ‘C’ stands for cancel, once you have pro-
grammed a track, the display will change to 'Р'.
Any tracks marked ‘C’ will not play.
- To enter a program:
= select the first track required by pressing Pre-
vious or Next until the correct number is dis-
played
w press Store
Repeat this operation for all the tracks you wish to
include in your program, then:
a press Play
If you press Stop twice, or Open/Close, you will
cancel any program you have entered, and the
display will momentarily change to [C.P. ].
You can review your program while the disc is
playing by pressing Previous or Next. Tracks that
will not play will display a 'C' prefix to the track
number.
11.2 Pause play
The Pause key can be used to ‘action’ a selection
from stop. To start a disc up paused at the begin-
ning of a track:
a press Previous or Next until the required track
number is displayed
5 press Pause
Then, to hear the music with instant access:
a press Pause
12 Advanced remote operation
index points cannot be accessed from the front
panel of the 208. However, if you have a 209
Remote Control unit you can access index points
where these are provided on a disc.
12.1 To move to an index point
either
s press Prev or Next until the required track
number is displayed
a press * then Prev or Next until the required
index number is displayed
a press Play
208 Page 6
or
s press Track — Number Key(s) to select the
track |
a .press * —
point
m press Play -
Number Key(s) to select the index
+
12.2 To enter 2 program
either
a select the first track required by pressing Prev
or Next until the correct number is displayed
a press Store |
-— Repeat this operation for ali the tracks you wish to
include in your program, then:
press Play
or |
a select the first track required by pressing a
Number Key (or keys) until the correct num-
ber is displayed. Remember that you may
need to press Track first.
= press Store
Repeat this operation for all the tracks you wish to
include in your program, then:
a press Play
if you press Stop twice, or Open/Close on the
front panel of the 208, you will cancel any program
- vou have entered. Please note that it is not pos-
sible to enter both track numbers and index
points, the 208 will only allow you to create a pro-
gram of selected tracks. If you do attempt to pro-
gram an index point, your selection will be re-
jected and the display will change momentarily to
[Err. I
12.3 Programming cancelled tracks
Often, you want to play most of a disc, skipping
only one or two tracks. Obviously, you can pro-
gram all the tracks that you do want, but the 208,
used with a 209 Remote Control unit offers an
- easier method.
either
= select the first track not required Dy pressing
Prev or Next until the correct number is dis-
played -
в press Cancel
Repeat this operation for ali the tracks you wish to
exclude in your program, then:
a press Play |
or
s select the first track not required by pressing
Track — Number Kev(s) until the correct num-
ber is displayed
s press Cancel
Repeat this operation for all the tracks you wish to
exclude in your program, then:
press Play
If you exclude tracks in this way, you wiil only be
able to play the disc in normal, numerical, order.
|
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1
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12.4 Phase inversion
You can invert the absolute phase of the CD
analogue outputs. Normally, the 208 will play with
phase positive, and the red light on the front panel
will illuminate to indicate that this is the case. To
change (invert) the phase:
= presse
The light will go out and, after a brief pause, the
phase will invert. Audio output is muted briefly
during this operation. You can repeat the opera-
tion, this time the light will iluminate again. This
kind of control is called a toggle as repeated
presses of the g key will toggle between altema-
tive states.
13 Preamplifier operation
The preamplifier section of the 208 allows you to
select from four inputs: CD, Tape, Line (tuner) and
LP (phono). if you have not installed the optional
phono module you can use the LP input for an ad-
ditional tape player, video recorder etc.
13.1 To listen to a tape recorder
= press Tape on the front panel or Tape 3 onthe
208
The Tape key on the 208 will ¡uminate and the
208 display will change to [£3.77], where t3
shows the tape source is selected, and ## indi-
cates the volume setting, between 1 end 64.
To de-select the tape input, press Tape or Tape 3
again, the Tape key will extinguish.
13.2 To listen to a tuner connected to
the Line input
a press Line on either the front panel or the 209
The Line key on the 208 will illuminate, and the
display will show [Li.##] as described above. if
your tuner is a Meridian 204, you can use the 209
to control both the volume level and the tuning.
Please consult the 204 manual for full details.
To de-select the Line input, either press Line
again, or press another source key.
13.3 To listen to an LP
y press LP on either the front panel or the 209.
The LP key on the 208 will illuminate, and the dis-
play will show [LP.##]. As mentioned previously,
if you do not use a phono cartridge and have not
installed the optional phono preamplifier, this in-
put can be used for an additional ‘line-level’ input,
for example a second tape machine or CD player.
To de-select the LP input, either press LP again,
or press another source key.
13.4 To go back to CD
press the currentiy illuminated source key(s),
to switch it off. (e.g. Line, Tape, LP).
13.5 To adjust the volume level
You can adjust the volume from the front panel of
the 208 or from the 209 Remate Control unit.
To increase the volume:
either |
e press the Top Yellow key on the 208
or |
a press the Top Red key on the 209
These keys are called “Volume Up’.
To decrease the volume:
either |
= press the Bottom Yeliow key on the 208
or
s press the Bottom Red key on the 209
These keys are called ‘Volume Down’.
Âs you adjust the volume setting, the display
will change to show the current source and
volume level, for example [cd.35] would indicate
that you were listening to a Compact Disc at a
volume setting of 35. The volume level displayed
will count up or down and ranges from [ed. 1] to
{cd.64]. Each step is 1.25dB.
Subijectively one judges a volume increase of
9dB to be equivalent to a doubling of loudness so
each volume number represents about a 15%
change in loudness, seven or eight steps to dou-
ble loudness. |
If a GD is playing, the display will then revert to
your selected information, that is time or track.
13.6 To mute the sound
The mute facility cuts off the sound by setting the
volume level to zero.
To mute the sound:
a press the Mute key on either the 208 or the
209.
The Mute key on the 208 will illuminate, the dis-
play will change to [At.##] and the volume will be
set to zero.
To restore the sound:
a press the Mute key on either the 208 or the
2093 a second time.
The Mute key on the 208 will extinguish and your
previously selected volume leve! and display will
be restored. |
13.7 To make a tape recording
Whenever you select one of the inputs CD, Line or
LP from the front panel of the 208 or from the 209
Remote Control, that source is also fed to the
Tape Out sockets.
The Tape input is a full tape-monitor, so it is
never fed to the Tape Out sockets.
When you select Tape as your input the Tape
Out sockets will continue to receive the signal
from the previously selected source, for example
CD. This allows you to monitor a recording, by
pressing Tape to listen to the output from the tape
machine, and pressing Tape a second time to
listen to the original sound.
208 Расе 7
14 CD operation summary
On the 208 front panel:
Open Open or close the disc drawer.
(Close If the Player is in standby, this key will
also bring the Player, and any con-
nected Meridian 200-Series system, out
of standby.
Play Play a disc, a selected track, or move to
the next track. |
Stop Stop the disc. Iipressed a second time,
ciear any stored program from memory,
the display will change to [C.P. ©.
Temporarily stop the disc, or, if the disc
is already paused, continue playing it.
Store Store the currently displayed track num-
ber in memory as a track to be played.
Next Select the next track number. If this key
Pause
is held down, it will rapidly cycle forward
— through the available tracks.
Standby Place the 208 and any Meridian 200-
- Series system to which it is connected
into standby.
Display Cycle the display through:
track number
track elapsed time
disc elapsed time
— disc remaining time |
Repeat Continuously repeat the currently play-
ing disc until Stop, Open or Standby is
pressed. Pressing Repeat a second time
will also cancel the operation.
Previous Select the previous track number. If this
key is held down it will rapidly cycle
back through the available tracks.
On the 209 Remote Control unit: |
Play Play a disc, a selected track, or move to
the next track. |
Step Stop the disc. If pressed a second time,
clear any stored program from memory.
Pause Temporarily stop the disc, or, if the disc
| is already paused, continue playing it.
Next Select the next track number. If this key
“is held down, it will rapidly cycle forward
through the available tracks and, at the
end of the disc, cycle back to the first
track. |
Store Store the currently displayed track num-
ber in memory as a track to be played.
>> Fast scan the disc forwards.
Repeat Continuously repeat the currently play-
ing disc until Stop/CM is pressed.
Display Cycle the display through:
track number
track elapsed time
disc elapsed time
disc remaining time
6 invert the absolute phase of the CD
analogue output.
208 Page 8
Prev Select the previous track number. If this
key is held down it will rapidly cycle
back through the available tracks and, at
the start of the disc, cycle back to the
last track.
Cancel Store the currently displayed track num-
ber in memory as a track to be skipped.
<< Fast scan the disc backwards.
Number Select track numbers.
keys Please note that if you select a track
number higher than the maximum avail-
able on the current disc, the 208 will ei-
ther ignore your selection if the disc is
already playing, or display an error mes-
sage if you are trying to start playing a
disc at that track number.
* When followed by a Number Key, or by
— Next or Prev allow the selection of index
points on a disc. |
Track When followed by Play, replay the cur-
rent track from the beginning. When fol-
lowed by a Number Key(s) — Play,
move to the selected track.
15 Preamplifier summary
On the 208 front panel: |
Line Select or release the Line (tuner) input.
Tape = Select or release the Tape input.
LP Select or release the LP (phono) input.
Mute = Select or release the mute state.
Volume Up increase the volume.
Volume Down Decrease the volume.
On the 209 Remote Control unit:
Line Select or release the Line (tuner) input.
Tape 3 Select or release the Tape input.
LP Select or release the LP (phono) input.
. Mute Select or release the mute state.
Volume Up Increase the volume.
Volume Down Decrease the volume.
46 Maintenance & Service
The Meridian 200-Series of hi-fi components have
been carefully designed to give years of un-
troubled service, and there are no user-
serviceable parts inside the case, nor do the units
require any form of maintenance. |
In the unlikely event that your 208 Compact
Disc Player fails to function correctly, it should be
returned, in its original packing, to your Meridian
dealer.
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In case of difficulty, please write to:
a In the UK, Bocthroyd Stuart Ltd.
13 Clifton Road, Huntingdon,
Cambridgeshire, PE18 7EJ.
a [Inthe USA, Meridian America Inc.
14120-K Sulivfield Circle, Chantilly, VA 22021
Tel (703) 818 3028, Fax (703) 830 7825
a Qutside the UK, contact the importing agent for
the territory. A list of Meridian agents abroad is
available from the:above addresses.
No responsibility can be accepted for the 208
whilst in transit to the factory or an agent and
customers are, therefore, advised to insure the
unit.
17 Guarantee
The Meridian 208 Compact Disc Player is guaran-
teed against defects in material and workmanship
for 12 months from the date of purchase.
The guarantee is void if the 208 has been sub-
jected to misuse, accident or negligence, or has
been in any way modified without the written au-
thorisation of Boothroyd | Stuart Ltd. Note that con-
necting anything other than the correct Network-
Lead to the socket marked 200 COMMS may
cause damage to the 208 which wiil not be cov-
ered by this guarantee. Attempted servicing by
unauthorised people may invalidate this guaran-
tee.
Labour and carriage charges are not covered
uniess by local agreement.
Quiside the UK, local warranty liability is
restricted to equipment purchased within the terri-
tory. Our agents abroad are only under contrac-
tual obligation to service under guarantee equip-
ment sold through them. They are entitled to
make a non-refundable charge for any service
carried out on other equipment.
This guarantee does not limit your statutory
rights within the United Kingdom.
18 Cleaning
The main body of the 208 is epoxy-enamelied
aluminium. To clean the case, use a cloth barely
moistened with a solution of mild detergent and
water. Disconnect the power cord before cleaning
the unit. Ensure that no water is allowed to get in-
side the case and do not re-connect the power
until you are certain that the 208 is completely dry.
The display pane! is glass, the key pad is
plastic. Use a barely damp chamois leather on
these areas. |
Do not use abrasive cleaners on any part of the
CD Player.
The audio sockets on the rear of the 208 are
gold-plated and need no cleaning if gold-plated
phono plugs are used, Otherwise, we recommend
that you remove and replace the plugs at least
once a year. A proprietary contact cleaner can be
used to some advantage.
The electrical digital output should be treated
in a similar way.
19 Help!
19.1 Standby key not lit
. Check the following:
there is AC power connected to the socket on
the rear of the 208
a the power switch on the rear panel of the 208
is tumed on
if the 208 will still not illuminate, check any fuses
in your power supply and the fuse on the.rear
panel of the 208. If these are all intact, contact
your dealer.
19.2 Drawer wilt not open
Check that:
» the Standby key is illuminated
« the transit collar has been removed
With the power switched off, try gently opening
the drawer by hand. DO NOT USE FORCE. If the -
drawer will not open, or if it still does not work cor-
rectly after restoring power to the 208, contact
your dealer.
19.3 Will not play a disc
Check that
a the disc is correctly seated on the hub of the
208 and is label-side up
e your amplifier has been turned on and the
volume raised sufficiently
a the correct audio, or digital in the case of the
Meridian D600s, connections have been made
a the correct input has been selected on your
preamplifier
s the Pause key is not illuminated
if none of the above are at fault, try another disc. If
this will not play either, contact your dealer, other-
wise examine the offending disc carefully for
signs of damage or ditt.
19.4 No sound
Check that:
a the 208 is not set for Tape. If it is, the Tape key
will be illuminated and the display will show
13.4]. Press Tape to restore the sound.
= the 208 is not muted. | it is, the Mute key will
be illuminated and the display will show
[At.##]. Press Mute to restore the sound.
a the tuner or tape player you are trying to listen
to is connected to the correct input on the 208
and is switched on.
a the amplifier you are using is connected to the
correct output on the 208 and is switched on.
a the volume setting on the 208 is sufficiently
high.
208 Page 9
19.5 Radio interference
NOTE the 208 is a digital audio and computing
device which has been designed to very high
standards of ElectroMagnetic Compatibility.
FCC WARNING: This equipment generates, uses
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: sand complies with the
limits set out in:
s 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 in-
stallations.
IF this equipment does cause or suffer from in-
terference to/from radio or television reception,
then the foilowing measures should be tried:
Reorient the receiving aerial or route the
antenna cable of the receiver as far as possible
from the 208 and its cabling.
a Ensure that the receiver uses well-screened
antenna cable.
a Relocate the receiver with respect to the 208.
Connect the receiver and the 208 to different
AC outlets. |
a the problem parsists, contact your dealer.
VDE: This product has been designed to comply
with VDE 0871/6.78 as a Class B device.
EEC: This product has been designed to comply
with the limits set out by the CISPR 14 commitiee
of the IEC.
REMEMBER to switch off all units before chang-
ing any connections. |
20 The Compact Disc medium...
The introduction of the Compact Disc was a major
revolution in the reproduction of music. Until then,
all musical reproduction had used analogue meth-
ods.
The problem was, that at each analogue stage
in the process of capturing and reproducing the
sound, distortion was introduced and information
was taken away, so that, by the time the final
sounds reached your ears, they were some way
removed from the original. Not only that, but the
storage media that were available like viny! or
magnetic tape, were prone to physical wear and
so, every time you played a disc or tape, the fidel-
ity of the reproduced sound to the original was fur-
ther lessened.
Compact Disc tackled the problem in a com-
pletely different way. Instead of the older techni-
que, music is recorded using digital technology.
Each second of music is divided into 44,100
slices, and each sound-slice is sampled and
evaluaied to produce a number, which represents
the actual sound occurring in that split-second.
The advantage of this is that the resultant stream
of numbers can be reproduced with absolute fidel-
208 Page 10
ity through any number of copying processes,
which makes each CD manufactured a faithful
reproduction of the original master tape. For the
first time, the fidelity in 'high fi fidelity’ could be
achieved!
The Compact Disc medium coniers several ad-
ditional benefits on users. |
In analogue recordings the dynamic range of
the sound, the difference between the loudest
and the quietest passages, could never approach
that experienced in real life. This was a limitation
of the media used. With a conventional disc, a
loud sound meant that the stylus had to move fur-
ther and faster from side-to-side, and there is a fi-
nite limit on the ability of any mechanical device to
respond in this way. Louder sounds also meant
more rapid wear whenever the disc was played. At
the other end of the scale, very quiet sounds
tended to become ‘lost’ in the noise inherent in
vinyl. Consequently, most recordings were elec-
tronically ‘compressed’ to make their quiet pas-
sages louder and their loud passages quieter,
which is why they could never sound like ‘the real
thing’. Magnetic tape suffered in a similar way.
In addition, both analogue media were heavily
dependent on the mechanical quality of their
transport mechanisms, the turntable or tape deck.
Speed stability was always a problem and often
introduced audible variations in pitch, generaily
referred to as wow and flutter.
By contrast, the Compact Disc medium could
be considered very near to perfection. The
dynamic range achieved on CD clesely ap-
proaches that experienced in real life and only
very occasionally does a recording have to be
compressed in any way. Unlike tape and LP, a CD
is essentially a quiet medium. For the first time,
you will be able to hear the sitences in your
recordings!
In contrast to tape and LP, the CD will sound as
perfect on its 1000th playing as it did on its first.
This is because the playing surface is only ever
- touched by a beam of light — unless of course you
are clumsy when you handle your discs! The laser
which ‘reads’ the digital signal encoded on the
discs surface causes no wear whether the music
is pianissimo or fortissimo.
The Compact Disc also frees music from the
yoke of mechanical imperfections. Frequency
stability is ensured by a high-frequency quartz os-
cillator, the same kind of device that operates
. watches and clocks.
Yet another benefit accrues from the digital na-
ture of the Compact Disc which allows a disc to be
accessed in a random fashion, unlike older media,
and this means you can re-arrange the musical
programs to suit your preferences, rather than
those of the record companies, and can skip any
tracks you don't like on a disc.
There is another benefit of the digital medium.
When a sound is recorded digitally, it becomes
possible to check its accuracy whenever it is
replayed, and even to correct any errors that do
creep in.
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XX O E Ww BOOT LO Y Y
Thus, the familiar 'snap, crackle and pop’ of
analogue recordings becomes a thing of the past
in the digital domain.
You may be thinking by now that with such a
wonderful medium as the Compact Disc, all CD
players must be equally good. it is true that, using
an average audio system, any CD player will
sound better than an equivalent analogue system.
However, there are still significant differences be-
tween players that will be revealed by top-grade
audio installations,
Meridian were the first company in the field to
work successfully on an enthusiast's CD player,
and achieved world recognition for the classic
MCD player. A professional version of the MCD,
the PRO-MCD followed and is still widely used in
recording studios today. The 207 and 206 fol-
lowed, and are considered to be among the finest
CD players available in the world at any price. The
208 is part of the continuing evolution and in-
corporates all of Meridian's experience coupled
with the very latest technological innovations in-
cluding differential Bitstream conversion and third-
generation decoding and servo techniques. The
208 also features a new single-microprocessor for
control. These changes, pioneered by Meridian
further improve sound quality and offer much
faster operation.
Meridian have also developed the D600, the
worid's first digital audio loudspeakers, which
carry the audio revolution towards its natural con-
clusion. These speakers, used with a Meridian CD
player, deliver the finest possible sound.
2% Specification
COMPACT DISC: |
— Frequency response 20Hz — 20KHz + 0.2dB
Distortion <0.004%
Noise a <90dB
Conversion Bitstream PDM, differen-
tial time-aligned mode. .
256 times over-sampling,
2 bits. Passive filtering.
Precision 16 bits
INPUTS:
Line 500mY, 10kohms
Tape - 500mVY, 10kchms
‘Phono MM, 1.5mV, 47k ohms
MC, 60gV, 220 ohms
Phono = (bypass) 1Y, 2k ohms
OUTPUTS:
Fixed 2V, 12 ohms
Variable 7756mV¥, 2V maximum, 12
ohms
Tape 300mY, 470 ohms
Headphones 2V max, 12 ohms
Display Track/index, Track time
elapsed, Disc time
elapsed, Disc time
remaining
Finish Black textured. enamel
- and glass -
Dimensions 325mm x 100mm x
320mm (12.9% x 3.8" x
12.6")
Weight 6.4 kg (14 Ibs)
Appendix 208 display options
Al Source displays
Source-type selection is indicated, together with
the volume level. (The # character indicates a
single digit in the range 0—9.):
[ed.##] Compact Disc
[Li.##] tuner or other line-leve! input
[LP.##] Turntable (phono)
(13.##] Tape
A2 Compact Disc displays
Track display
[ #] track #
[ ##] track ##
[ 4.7] track 7 index #
[##.##] track ## index ##
[-———] no disc loaded in Player
[——##] a disc with ## tracks is loaded but
the Player is stopped
— Time display
a [2.47] disc or track elapsed time
O [FF]
a [-—.——] a disc is stopped with the time dis-
play selected |
s [—.——] a disc is stopped with the track time
display selected
A3 Selection display
a [S. 77] is a selection display, showing a two-
digit track number
To action your selection, press Play.
AS Miscellaneous displays
s [StOP] end of disc
a [dir. } Player is loading a disc
a [Err.] You have tried to select a track or in- *
dex which does not exist
= [C.P. ] You have cancelled any stored pro-
gram of selected tracks |
[At.##] Mute (volume level 0) selected:
[Stb. ] Going into standby
[. ]instandby
A10 Yersion number
The on-board computer is controlled by a
specially-written program. The version number in
use by your 208 can be revealed by pressing Dis-
play when it is in standby. The display panel will
show [ #.#], where #.# is the version number.
208 Page 11
index
About the 200 series 3
Accessories 5
Advanced operation 11
Basic operation 9
Cancel programming 12.3
Cleaning 18
Compact Disc medium 20
Connections 6.3 |
Continuous repeat 9.15 *
Disc will not play 19.3
Display 9.4
Drawer 6.2, 19.2 - |
D600 Digital Loudspeakers 3, 6.3, 6.6, 20
EEC 19.5
Fauit diagnosis 19
FCC 19.5
Guarantee 17
Help 19
Index points 9.4, 12, 12.1
installation 6 |
Load and play a disc 9.7
Maintenance 16 |
Move to a different track 9.9, 10.3
Move to the next track 9.10, 10.4
Open/Close 9.7
Operation, advanced 11
Operation, basic 9
Operation summary 14
Operation with remote control 10
Pause play 11.2
Pause the disc 9.12,106
Play 9.7, 9.8, 9.14, 10.1, 10.2
Play a particular track 9.8, 10.2
Piay from standby 9.14
Problems 19
Programming 11.1, 12.2
Radio interference 19.5
Remote control 10, 12
Repeat a disc 9.15, 10.9
Repeat, continuous 10.9
Restart a track 9.11, 10.5
Scan a disc 10.8
Selection of index points 12.1
Selection of tracks 9.9, 10.2
Service 18 — |
Setting up 8
Siting 7 —.
Specification 21
Standby 8.4, 9.6, 9.14
Stop 9.13, 10.7
Transit collar 6.2
Transporting the 208 6.2
Unpacking 4
VDE 19.5
Warranty 17
201 6.4, 6.5
204 6.5
20910
208 Page 12
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