Meridian Audio is now certified by the Works with Sonos™ programme, offering a new integration for its premium audio equipment to seamlessly connect with the Sonos sound system.

This new integration makes it even easier for customers to enjoy Meridian’s signature audio quality while streaming from more than 100 music services available in the Sonos app, by providing the ability for Meridian speakers to instantly wake and change inputs by simply pressing play in the Sonos app.

The Works with Sonos programme certifies products that seamlessly connect with the Sonos home sound system. Now with added capabilities to automatically wake and change inputs, it’s even easier for Meridian products to become part of an existing Sonos system or be the start of a new one. The integration is available by simply pairing a Sonos Port or Connect with a Meridian 218 or 251 controller, and any loudspeakers that are connected to the controller.

“I’m delighted that we have added a certified Works with Sonos integration to our award-winning zone controllers,” comments Barry Sheldrick, Director of Sales at Meridian. “This is a key move in enabling integrators to easily connect a high-performance zone from Meridian, whilst offering the client the Sonos user interface that they know and love. Sonos is an incredibly popular platform that supports so many streaming services. Combining this flexibility with our resolution enhancement technologies and incredible loudspeakers is a perfect partnership.”

To set this integration up, integrators must connect Sonos Port or Sonos Connect to the coax digital input on the Meridian controller. By setting the Sonos product to “Pass Through” in the Sonos app, it ensures a fixed digital output that will provide maximum resolution at all times. Integration is made simple via the Meridian control app or web interface. Once set up, the Meridian system can be grouped with other Sonos devices on the network using the Sonos app or it can be enjoyed independently.

With this Works with Sonos integration, Meridian products will seamlessly connect with Sonos, instantly waking, changing inputs, and playing at the desired volume when initiated using the Sonos app. For existing Sonos customers, this integration provides an easy way to enjoy Meridian’s high-performance audio using the simple and familiar interface of their Sonos app.

Any product that is plugged into the Meridian controller and compatible with higher resolution audio benefits from a full suite of resolution enhancements. This means that the audio that is streamed from the Sonos S2 app will benefit from de-jittering, Fifo, upsampling, and apodising, which is designed to take a standard resolution source and increase that resolution.

“We’ve already had fantastic feedback from integrators who have been on our beta test programme,” adds Barry. “They see this as a great opportunity for their clients and their business. A simple, scalable solution, offering the best possible audio quality from Sonos’ great user experience.”

The 218 Zone Controller and 251 Powered Zone Controller are available now, with the other products coming to market in 2021. For further information click here.

"I am fortunate enough to have a pair of Meridian DSP5200.2 speakers and a 218 zone controller at home, and I use Sonos as the music source throughout the whole house. To now be able to control and group the DSP speakers seamlessly from within the Sonos app is brilliant, and it means that they get used much more often, particularly by the rest of the family. The sound quality is fantastic, and it takes the performance potential for Sonos to the next level. The deployment is effortless and takes no more than a few minutes — it really is perfect integration."

Chris Knight, Managing Director of Perfect Integration