![]() ![]() Meridian as a company is not big on the whole DSD thing. This last needs some explaining ‘1x’ relates to 44.1kHz or 48kHz, ‘2x’ denotes 88.2kHz and 96kHz and ‘4x’ means 176.4kHz or 192kHz. The other end of the DAC is neat gloss-black plastic with a single central button for input selection, flanked by LEDs for source (‘SPDIF’ and ‘USB’) and sampling rate. This cannot be used as a booster power supply for the Director if using USB, but is necessary if there is no other source of power. As the Director takes its power from USB, if you plan to use the S/PDIF connection, you need to delve into the box and pull out the international USB power supply. The business end of things has a USB B input, a pair of gold-plated phono terminals and a combination mini-jack/optical S/PDIF input. An elegant curved brushed black body makes it look like a case for very high-end glasses, rather than a bluff piece of audio equipment. ![]() Of course, the packaging is as nothing if what’s in the box doesn’t live up to expectations. Yes, it’s a surface thing and doesn’t add anything to the playing performance and yes, there will always be those who dismiss such things as being unnecessary expenses for the consumer, but we live in different times now, and good packaging makes a difference. If I appear to be banging on about trivia too much, it’s because this kind of thing should be a wake-up call to other audio brands if you are making the Mercedes S-Class of audio, don’t present it in a box that most people wouldn’t use to store cat litter. The instructions for the Director hug the base of the box. The Director itself sits in its own grey foam bed inside this box, with a small container filled with USB power supply and USB cables next to this. And on the inside, it’s all black and red (auspicious colours for many parts of the world, conjuring up images of wealth and sophistication in others… and the inside of a tart’s boudoir for the cynics). In Meridian’s case, a long matt black box with a similarly matt black sleeve with the Meridian name and logo in embossed silver lettering. It’s easy to overlook this unbelievably important aspect of product design, and too many audio products at this level arrive in a Jiffy bag or in a bubble-wrap sleeve in a plain white box. This is every inch the luxury product, and that extends to the box it comes in. And it’s here where Meridian shows its mettle. Making top-notch speakers, CD players, and streaming devices will not save you if your starter products fail to live up to your established performance ideals. The thing about making a high-end brand with the accent on luxury is you can’t let the side down. The Director is the next stage in the portable digital Meridian plan – this time, a small and clever USB-powered DAC. Recently, though, Meridian Audio took what many see as a major sea change in extending the brand to new markets, starting with the Explorer, which is a small, clever USB-powered headphone amp. The firm is at once a high-end audio company, a luxury label, and a champion of new audio technology, so it has feet in many camps.
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