Meridian Audio dealer BlueVision in Atlanta, GA, recently revamped its dealer showroom to showcase the best of its brands. The 20-foot by 30-foot room includes two home theater-style reclining seats and a countertop with bar stools in the back row, all facing a 150-inch screen powered by a Sony 4K projector.
In order to demonstrate a “better-best” scenario, BlueVision owner Jean Laurent and his team deployed a system with floorstanding Meridian speakers that can be switched between two different configurations. For the five-speaker system, a pair of Special Edition DSP7200 sit to the left and right of the screen, DSP5200.2s cover the left and right rear, and a Special Edition DSP5200 handles the center channel. Laurent pointed out that, because of the size of the room and the quality and range capability of the Meridian speakers, no subs were needed.
“With five speakers offering the sound quality that Meridian does, it sounds a lot better than any other, more complicated system,” Laurent said. “The way Meridian reproduces and processes sound is like no one else.”
Although the system isn’t exceptionally large, it conveys BlueVision’s design philosophy. “The entire process is about the end result, and giving customers precisely what they need to meet their goals. It’s not about just selling tons of speakers or lots of cool tech,” Laurent said. “The customer can buy 15 speakers if they really want them, but if they sit here and listen to this setup, it’s really fantastic and, most importantly, it’s designed with quality product.”
Depending on the customer’s needs and budget, the BlueVision team may switch out the Special Edition 7200s for 5200.2s in a left-center-right configuration with no rear speakers for a more minimalist approach. The team also switches between a G65 Surround Controller and an 861 Reference Digital Surround Sound Controller to show how the higher end processing equipment can create a tangible improvement in the system.
“When we switched to the flagship reference processor, it was really amazing the difference it created,” Laurent said. “The Meridian speaker quality is so high it can render the difference. When you keep everything else the same and just switch to a nicer processor, the boost in sound clarity is real and discernible.”
The room was also commissioned by the team at Meridian to ensure the best possible sound quality. “The Meridian calibration service is a lot more powerful than the average,” Laurent said. “With a low-end surround system, you can hear the sound coming from the speaker. With Meridian, speakers disappear, you’re in a bubble of sound and you don’t know where it’s coming from. It’s all around you.”
During demos, Laurent said he likes to show off Meridian’s Room Correction Technology, featured on both processor models, which is designed to enhance the dialogue and smooth out uneven room resonances for clearer sound and better imaging.
BlueVision designed and installed a similar setup in the Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles Magazine 2017 Southeastern Designer Showhouse and Gardens show house to demonstrate digital surround sound cinema capabilities and Meridian’s high-resolution music system featuring MQA (Master Quality Authentication).
“We’ve tried many different products over the years, and we recognize the quality Meridian offers,” Laurent said. “That’s why we were so interested in showcasing the Meridian products in our new showroom and in the show house.”
The show house celebrated its grand opening April 20, 2017, including a special open house for BlueVision customers and VIPs. It has garnered attention from the design community and media, including a walk-through of the home on HGTV’s House Hunters.
“People have to sit and listen to the system to realize the difference,” Laurent said. “They have to experience it. That’s why the new showroom and the opportunity to be featured in the show house is so important to us as a Meridian dealer.”
