Meridian
Meridian DSP5200SE HC/VC Active Centre Channel Speaker
Meridian DSP5200SE HC/VC Active Centre Channel Speaker
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Meridian DSP5200SE HC/VC Active Centre Channel Speaker
The DSP5200SE HC is the centre channel partner for the DSP5200SE floorstanding loudspeaker — sharing its 2½-way driver architecture, its beryllium dome tweeter, its three-amplifier active system, and its Special Edition DSP electronics. In a home cinema system built around DSP5200SE mains, the HC/VC completes the front soundstage with the same acoustic character and the same engineering standard, rather than introducing a weaker link where the majority of the sound is concentrated.
Available in HC (Horizontal Centre) for placement beneath a screen, and VC (Vertical Centre) for installations where room geometry requires vertical orientation. Both variants share identical electronics and driver specifications. Built by hand in the UK. See the full Meridian range.
The 2½-Way Architecture
The DSP5200SE HC uses the same three-driver, 2½-way design as the DSP5200SE floorstander. A 25mm beryllium dome tweeter with silver voice-coil handles treble. One 160mm polypropylene long-throw mid/bass driver covers the rest of the frequency range. The second 160mm driver is dedicated entirely to low-frequency bass. This arrangement delivers the imaging purity of a single treble-to-mid crossover while doubling the bass-handling capability — the same logic that makes the floorstander perform so far above its cabinet size, now in a horizontal or vertical centre cabinet.
Three Class-AB amplifiers — each rated at 75 watts, 225 watts total — are matched to their respective drivers. There is no passive crossover and no shared power supply between driver channels.
Frequency response runs from 35Hz to over 32kHz in room. Peak SPL is 116dB at one metre. Distortion is typically below 0.02%.
Image Elevation
Positioning a centre channel below a large screen creates the same geometry problem in every installation: the sound origin and the image do not align. Meridian's Image Elevation technology raises the perceived sound image psychoacoustically to the centre of the screen, anchoring dialogue and on-screen effects to the right position. The practical result is an installation that feels acoustically correct — which, for extended film watching, matters considerably.
DSP Technologies
The DSP5200SE HC implements nine Meridian signal processing technologies: Image Elevation, Full Frequency Alignment, Bespoke Signal Mapping, E3 Bass, Q-Sync, True Time, True Link, Pro-Active Bass, and Pro-Active Thermal. Each is designed to contribute to a specific aspect of the loudspeaker's performance — from timing coherence and bass extension to driver protection and low-level clarity.
Technical Specifications
| Tweeter | 25mm beryllium dome, silver voice-coil, short-horn |
| Mid/bass drivers | 2 × 160mm polypropylene long-throw (1 mid/bass, 1 dedicated bass) |
| Design | 2½-way active |
| Amplification | 3 × 75W (225W total) |
| Peak SPL | 116dB @ 1m |
| Frequency response | 35Hz – over 32kHz (±3dB in room) |
| Distortion | Typically <0.02% |
| Noise floor | <15dB SPL |
| Audio input/output | SpeakerLink RJ45; Co-axial RCA (up to 96kHz/24-bit) |
| Display | 8-character display; can be blanked |
| Dimensions (H × W × D) | 201 × 735 × 267mm |
| Weight | 35 kg |
| Power | 20W standby; 300W maximum |
| Finishes | Piano lacquer black; Gloss White; Select (custom colour) |
| Variants | HC (horizontal) and VC (vertical) |
| Build | Hand-built in the UK |
Who Is It For?
The DSP5200SE HC/VC is the correct centre channel for any home cinema system using DSP5200SE main loudspeakers. It completes the front soundstage with matching architecture, matching electronics, and matching acoustic character. It is also a strong choice for installations where a smaller centre channel is required and the DSP7200SE HC/VC would be physically too large.
Buying from Martin's Hi-Fi
Martins Hi-Fi has a long-standing relationship with Meridian and extensive experience specifying multichannel systems built around the Special Edition range. We can advise on pairing, Image Elevation settings, placement, and finish options — including Select custom colours at £8,250.
Contact Dave or Chris at info@martinshifi.co.uk, call 01603 627010, or WhatsApp on 07554 687137. You can read more about how we work on our Why Martin's page. We are at 85–91 Ber Street, Norwich, NR1 3EY.
Contact: info@martinshifi.co.uk | 01603 627010 | WhatsApp: 07554 687137 | 85–91 Ber Street, Norwich, NR1 3EY
