The only times I heard any improvement by changing a fuse was when I added higher-rated ones to speakers for protection. But the best sound was NO fuse (living dangerously!).
Aftermarket Fuses
Can I set the ground rules up front?? I hope so. There are two camps. One who can hear different audible reproduction using aftermarket fuses. The second camp can not justify in theory, or can not hear a difference in fuses. Fine. I respect both camps. Can we hold this discussion to those who can hear an audible difference in fuses?? Can we? If so, what is your choice in aftermarket fuses and describe, please, what you hear.
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I've only dealt with three different fuse brands: HiFi Tuning Silver Stars, PADIS and now, Brimar. The Brimar, by a very large margin, bettered the other two. They sound like there's no fuse in the way of the music, just like the claims of the SR Black and Blue fuses. They even have similar treatment (cryo treatment and Quantum treatment) as the SR fuses, but lack any use of graphene, and go for the princely sum of $35 apiece. And, they do not exceed the recommended values of the fuses they replace and I get much better sound. All the best, Nonoise |
elizabeth I have a theory that the real improvement is the fact that the aftermarket fuses really are just higher rated fuse material. >>>>>Sorry, but that theory can’t be right since at least some of them like Audio Magic Beeswax and the Gold Bussman fuses are simply modified stock fuses. Furthermore, higher ratings mean the fuse won’t blow when it should blow. In fact, it appears some aftermarket fuses are lower rated based on the number of reports of premature blown fuses. Nice try though! Now, if you had said that aftermarket fuses use purer and or better conductors then we’d be getting somewhere. |
My experience of after-market fuses is that they do make a difference, some more than others. My first experience was with Furutech Rhodium fuses, probably something like ten years ago now. They definitely made the sound more "metallic" which is an odd adjective to use I know, but the only way I can describe it. They stripped out the warmth. I went back to Busmann gold-plated fuses till about 18 months ago. Then I read all the fuss about Synergistic Research Black fuses, so I gave them a try. I'll be honest, they didn't make much difference. Nothing sounded any worse, so I kept them. About three months ago I bought a number of Synergistic Research Blue fuses, again purely on hype reviews. These definitely have made an audible difference. In my system at least, there's a lot more bass, and somehow the presentation of the music generally has more depth, better sound-staging I guess you'd call it. I like the effect they have, and over time I'll probably switch some of my Blacks for Blues as funds permit. I'd also encourage others to try them on their televisions as I have done, they also improve the picture quality. I think it's worth saying that fuses aren't going to miraculously transform your system. They won't. But they do help, or at least have "an" effect. It's like all tweaks - some you'll like/value, others you won't. But they have at least got me in front of my speakers much more in the past few months, and that ultimately is what a good hobby should be, something you actually spend time doing. To anyone who says all after-market fuses are snake oil, I'll happily prove you wrong if you happen to live in the south of England. Every single sound that comes out of my speakers is generated from electricity that has passed through a fuse at some point. So if you can accept that interconnects make a difference, and I think the vast majority on pages like this can, then open your mind to the fact that fuses are just other interconnects, and that their construction can have an effect on the output of a system. My system is living proof, as are many others on these pages. |
Not to hijack the thread, but there is an obvious difference with CIRCUIT BREAKERS: less internal resistance, better sound. Since internal resistance tends to be a monotonically decreasing function of current rating, it is a simple trade-off: more safety, less sound VS less safety, more sound. Physics supports this conclusion. Respecting the guidelines of the OP, I will say no more. |
The 700+ post thread on Synergistic fuses was taken down for awhile. I now see it's back up with some posts removed. I currently have four aftermarket fuses in house: the Audio Magic Ultimate Beeswax fuse and the HiFi Tuning Supreme fuse, along with a Synergistic Research Blue and Black fuse. I plan to post my impressions of all four after I'm confident in what I'm hearing. Here is a teaser, however. I do not find that the Synergistic Blue fuse totally trumps the Black fuse. I hear some merits both ways. |
Geoff says "In fact, it appears some aftermarket fuses are lower rated based on the number of reports of premature blown fuses. Nice try though! Now, if you had said that aftermarket fuses use purer and or better conductors then we’d be getting somewhere." Purer and better conductors = premature blown fuses? Wouldn't the purer and better conductor result in less resistance and heat and not blow? |
jetter Geoff says "In fact, it appears some aftermarket fuses are lower rated based on the number of reports of premature blown fuses. Nice try though! Now, if you had said that aftermarket fuses use purer and or better conductors then we’d be getting somewhere." to which Jitter replied, Purer and better conductors = premature blown fuses? Wouldn't the purer and better conductor result in less resistance and heat and not blow? >>>>>But didn’t say purer and better conductors = premature blown fuses. You did. There are any number of reasons for prematurely blown fuses, for both aftermarket AND stock fuses. What I actually said was the reason aftermarket fuses sound better is purer and better conductors, among other things obviously. You know, as opposed to higher fuse ratings. Follow? |
The Brimar’s are out of my price bracket, but in the two locations I’ve tried both the SR Blue and the Audio Magic Ultimate Beeswax, a DirectStream dac and P10 regenerator, I’ve liked the latter far more. In fact, I found, and still find, the Ultimate transformative, something I didn’t expect and have not experienced with other fuse changes over the years. I recently posted a relatively full comparison of the Blue and Ultimate on What’s Best forum fuses thread. What I'm trying to figure out now, before spending more, is whether a change is worth it in a pair of subs. I just posted a new topic under Speakers asking about that. |
I was thinking of the $400 Brimar black fuse, which is special order and not listed on its website. At least in Hong Kong, the black is considered the top level audiophile fuse, better than the SR Blue (which I found bettered by the beeswax Ultimate). The Brimar is discussed a bit with photos on the audiophile fuse thread of What’s Best forums, starting at post 522 - http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?453-Audiophile-Fuses&p=497752&highlight=brimar#... |
Here is an experts comment on fuses https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=7luqg9gotsd94src6a9dppot71&topic=105425.0 |
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analogluvr Your right Geoff I’m sure the guy that professionally designs and builds amplifiers for a living doesn’t have a clue.... You on the other hand, who sells magic rocks and teleportation devices would definitely be an expert 🙄 >>>>Most amplifier designers don’t believe in fuses or power cords or much of anything, as far as I can tell. They are about three paradigm shifts behind the power curve. Kind of like you. The score is about 50 against aftermarket fuses, 80,000 for. You do the math. |
There has never been a reasonable explanation from any "boutique" fuse manufacturer of exactly why or how their fuse may improve the sound of any component...the reason for this is that fuses simply work or don’t, are reliable or not, and can’t influence the sound of anything because they’re fuses...in the midst of the rabid hyperbole surrounding the predatory marketing of expensive pseudo tweaks, simple facts are conveniently ignored. Most reasonable audio geeks (i.e. those not driven by expectation bias, and who can utilize logical critical thinking without faith based mythology) do NOT use Magic Fuses, although those who have invested their tweak bucks in them will generally make claims of improvement so as not to look foolish. Geoffkait’s point about the 80,000 to 50 score is like asking members of a cult how many feel it’s a GREAT cult...Littelfuse and Buss fuses have established excellent reputations over many years, and are used in an overwhelming majority of excellent sounding audio components, and offer products that cost a tiny fraction of what boutique fuses generally cost while providing outstanding build quality and performance. |
It would be so nice to have that political thread up and running. That way one could compare the logic and arguments used in defending one's position and see a correlation to how they're being used here. One side's view is based on what's right in front of them to see and hear and the other is just saying nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah. All the best, Nonoise |
geoffkaitThat’s you geoff, no one else. How many people would believe you over Rodger Modjeski of Tube amp fame on the "voodoo of AC mains fuses and their directional ability. Read and try to absorb: And stop calling members idiots!!! https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=7luqg9gotsd94src6a9dppot71&topic=105425.0 |
How many would believe Roger Modjeski over your humble scribe? Probably a lot. You did. That’s kind of my whole point, Georgie boy. That’s why there is such a thing as Appeal to Authority. Also known as talking out of your 🍑 Besides, it’s not just Roger Modjeski vs me, it’s Roger Modjeski vs 80,000. Get the picture? Tell us, how does it feel to be in a cult? |
Where are you getting this 80,000 crap? You're basically counting every piece of crap shyster boutique fuse ever having been sold as one that sounds better? So then I guess we can say any piece of equipment that was ever released with the regular fuse counts as fuses is not making a difference. So that would be about 80 million to your 80,000. |
Businesses don't do 2 day conference calls with competing businesses where thy discuss sales, and geoffkait's imagined "industry insider" status is laughable. Consequently his sales figures are merely a product of his fertile (or fertilized) addled brain. Regardless of all that, most sane audiophiles ignore useless and inexplicable tweaks like magic magnetized placemats and fancy overpriced fuses because they're not idiots or sheep. |
@mapman +1 Agreed. He and oregondad could win a Lewis Carol contest for nonsense. They both claim miraculous voodoo vorpal sword products with wonderous properties to slay the frumious bandersnatch that haunts the mimsy borogroves, who gyre and gimble at the mere thought of the terrible afflictions their audio setup supposedly suffers. Like Whac-A-Mole, you can never win against any of these audio system afflications as there is always a greater nirvana just around the corner with yet another “tweak”, more break-in or simply multiple purchases of the same tweak plastered all the way to your fuse box and ideally every single surface of your home and every orifice (and yet it would still not be enough as the blue one is an improvement on the red one which is an improvement on the gold one and silver one.... |
Think about it it's a brilliant racket! I think I have about 20 fuses in my system, at 150 a pop that works out to $3000 plus tax, then you buy them three times when they change the magic colours so you spent almost $10,000! Meanwhile they probably cost five dollars to make. A wire with some end caps and some magic fairy dust in it and boom, Bob's your uncle! |
Not overnight...to profit from "magic tweaks" you really need to engage a cadre of enthusiastic sales people armed with hyperbole to push a product that is immune to objective criticism ("I don't know HOW it works, but it transforms your system and has a 30 day return policy"), and banter about it ad nauseam in a discussion forum to lure otherwise naive, gullible, or insecure audio fans. That's how you do it. |
wolf ... Your criticism has been anything but "objective." With your over the top, hyperbolic negativism, you would be a multi-billionaire not overnight. Nope, you'd be there in mere seconds. Come on big boy ... buy 10,000 fifty cent fuses, paint them blue, put a price tag on them of $150 bucks, then just sit back and watch the big buck roll in. What's holding you back? Frank |
https://www.amazon.com/Witonics-Bussmann-Delay-Ceramic-6x30mm/dp/B007ZTI7NG/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&q... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019QBPDSM?aaxitk=pnwdMNqsXmMoaiIxnTpFjw&pd_rd_i=B019QBPDSM&pf_rd_... Above links to make a wide assortment of colored fuses :-) Good Listening Peter |
