Meridian 808v3 In The House

[gshepardbuster]

Tunes, I replaced the stock fuse, located next to the IEC inlet, with a HiFi Supreme I had laying around. I did not a/b before and after but IME these tend to make a slight noise drop and improved image focus, this is the case here as well. It is not a huge improvement but was noticeable within less than a minute of play. FWIW I also have these fuses installed in my C1000 with similar results.

[Crion]

I've seen SR boasting about their Tesla fuses bettering both Furutech and hifi tuning supremes. But in my experience a well made PC (Shunyata Anaconda etc.) gives a bigger effect.

BUT those are sidestep upgrades compared to going to the latest .5/V8 version of the 808/861. So prioritize smart..

[gshepardbuster]

Crion, No doubt the upgrades to the .5/v8 are worthy of completing. I would still tweak the newer version with complimentary cords and fuses as I am doing now to my 808v3. It only seems natural with this hobby to seek to achieve the best performance from my current lineup.

[gshepardbuster]

For those still spinning discs like me, some well placed sorbothane sheets do wonders. If and when my v3 becomes a v5 I will still use the sheets to dampen transport vibrations.

[Still-One]

Originally Posted by gshepardbuster

For those still spinning discs like me, some well placed sorbothane sheets do wonders. If and when my v3 becomes a v5 I will still use the sheets to dampen transport vibrations.

Could you expand upon your comments as to where these might be placed Thanks

[gshepardbuster]

Jim, Yes sirree Bob, if you'll notice from the outside the big M is pretty solid looking with the top and sides if tapped on with a finger is also solid. In reality underneath the nice shell is an inner case with the top made of thin aluminum. In fact the whole inner case is aluminum framework with the sides and bottom being thicker and more solid than the top. If tapped around the unit with a finger the top sheet definitely feels like an empty can of pop. To me where the top sheet of said aluminum meets the rest of the thicker sides, (top of unit at front juncture and rear), seemed to be the first place to address. I placed a 1.5 inch wide strip nearly the width of seem, overlapping the juncture, on both seems. I also put a few 6"x1.5" strips over top where the transport sits with 1.5" of spacing between them in a zebra like fashion until the finger tap test yielded no apparent resonation. Having a full two sheets left, one full 6"x6" sheet was placed on the underside of the outer case directly under the transport but not covering the vents. I would of possibly dampened the whole inner case but to me it does the job without 100% coverage and I didn't want to trap the heat. I have noticed no muffling of the highs but only a smother better presentation, a non coloring improvement. The outer shell removal is'nt too difficult and can be done by unscrewing and sliding the shell towards the rear of unit. The sorbothane sheets used are in 6"x6" by 1/16" from Audioquest but I have since found them a fleabay for less $$ under a different name. Sorry for the block like text as I'm not familiar with how to space differently. Ed

[gshepardbuster]

A few posts back I mentioned using gel footers as a nice touch and is. Since applying the sorbothane and sheeting I have removed the gel footers as it may too much. As with all things audio YMMV.

[Crion]

On my 861v8 I use three Boston Audio Tuneblocks XT/TC somehow they bested everything (more expensive on loan) I could put under it. That's good since they're not particularly expensive.