Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems Meridian Select

Hi there,

I have been compiling a history of high fidelity audio since 2011, likely completed in another year, assuming reference libraries re-open. I'm trying to obtain the year Select was introduced. Email to Meridian last year has never been answered. Google mentions are all after Select is already in place. I thought this forum which I've not visited in a decade (ex-M-user) would be the right place and in light of Alan Boothroyd's recent passing, the right time also. It seems trivial however M was the first firm to offer a wide range of colors and custom color options. Today this is widely copied, and as I saw another firm wrongly receiving the credit, I decided to add just briefly to my AB entry. Thanks for any help you may provide.

Terry McCarthy

Going back through old price lists "Special Colour" was first offered on DSP8000 and DSP7000 in 2003.

Link is here.

Might be an earlier one of course, but post 1998. When were the 8ks introduced?

Edit: Special colours available for 8ks in the datasheet dated 1 Dec 2001.

Thanks to you both. I now sort of remember that it was trickle-down from the DSP 8000 to other products over time, before becoming a standard offering across DSP speakers and 800 series products. It appears the DSP 8000 was introduced in 2001, based on info at the Meridian .info site. Seems like yesterday ;-)

When I ordered my first Meridian speakers in the 80s (M3's with 101pre-amp from Subjective Audio) I was given the option of 'bespoke' wood work cabinets and went for light natural ash over the standard finishes. The ordered light beige cloth front covers didn't materialise - it was said they showed too much of the drivers behind and so a darker brown was supplied. They did take significantly longer to deliver, of course, and I was told they had been remade several times as the finish hadn't been up to scratch initially. So even then Meridian were 'customising' their products - which I always took as a sign of a high end company looking after it's customers.

So that's no help on the date 'Select' became available sorry.

Chris

M always offered options from the original M1 powered speaker on; good ones too. It probably helped having an industrial designer plan this rather than delegating this to the least competent engineer as at most other firms back then. That said M Select was a game changer -- something like 80 standard colors and/or custom match to automobile paint colors (not Pantone, the other system). Coupled with their industrial design, M really raised the bar for hi-fi gear cosmetics.

Subjective Audio...those were the days,

I bought my first Meridian speakers (M2) from Howard at Subjective Audio. Start of a long road...

Neil