Meridian speakers have recently found a new home at a historic Russian Cottage in Surrey, with smart home integration company Media Max having completed the installation.
The Russian Cottage belonged to an offshoot of the Russian Royal Family, who shipped the entire cottage with them to England when escaping the Communist Revolution of 1917.
“When we first experienced Meridian it was through the speakers in our Range Rover,” says homeowner Steve Peaks.
“We loved the sound they created, so when Media Max suggested them for our home, we were really keen. We visited Meridian HQ where we were shown the full range of their technology, and this really helped us make up our minds.
“When we heard Meridian’s speakers, we fell in love with them. The audio quality was absolutely incredible, it sounded so natural compared to other systems we’d heard. Seeing the facility made us feel really comfortable that we were in expert hands with Meridian, and we’re delighted with the results of the installation.”
Following the trip to Meridian’s HQ in Huntingdon, Media Max supplied a pair of Meridian’s DSP7200SEs for the main lounge, to provide left and right channel audio. Media Max added a Meridian DSP5200SE for the centre channel, and two M6 speakers for the rear channel, with a Meridian DSW sub-woofer.
Media Max paired a 65in Samsung TV with its own media server which gives the homeowner access to a library of movies and TV shows. Media Max also used Meridian’s G55 power amp to drive three sets of outdoor passive speakers which provide music to the patio area.
The Peaks tend to only use their lounge at weekends, spending the majority of their time during the week in the kitchen and dining area, so it was essential that they could enjoy the audio and video entertainment in the kitchen area as well. As the room layout was unusual and floor space was limited, Media Max needed to construct a false wall 190mm deep to house the Samsung 55in TV and in-wall speakers. They required an audio solution that could fit into this space, which Meridian’s DSP520 did.
Media Max used Meridian’s music management system Sooloos to provide high-resolution audio to the kitchen and living room, with each space assigned its own zone. It brings together music from the homeowner’s personal library stored on a media drive and from a TIDAL account, giving the user access to millions of high-fidelity tracks from an iPad or smartphone.
The Sooloos system was integrated with Control4, enabling the homeowners to control lighting, security systems, music and much more, all through the one platform. Media Max will be able to extend the number of zones to cover other areas of the house with Meridian speakers installed, as the homeowner expands their collection of Meridian products.
“Working with Meridian on the Russian Cottage project was a fantastic experience,” says Daniel Lee, director at Media Max.
“The products are obviously of the highest quality but, just as importantly, the support and customer service is second to none. They even helped us to colour match a pair of DSP3200 speakers to the Peaks’ Range Rover, producing a beautiful Balmoral Blue finish for the speakers positioned in the master bedroom. They have helped us to create a fantastic whole home audio solution that the client is delighted with, and we can’t wait to get started on the next project with Meridian.
“Meridian’s wide range of speakers have provided an adaptable, top of the range audio system for the ultimate movie and music experience in the historic Russian Cottage. The Sooloos platform, integrated with the Control4 system, brings flexibility and simplicity, making it the ultimate user-friendly audio setup.”