50 year audio veteran: We have set up a professional "blind test" asking this same question about fuses and it made no difference! A hundred audio professionals could not hear any differences. Many were embarrassed to admit the old snake oil sales pitch....... Most walked away with their tale between their legs.... If you want gold fuses, buy a can of Gold spray paint.
Audio Research and Acme Audio Labs fuse
I’m toying with the idea of going down the rabbit hole of upgraded fuses. Looking over the usual contenders I stumbled across Acme Audio Labs. Their philosophy of best bang for the buck certainly appeals to my wallet (@$20 a fuse). One caveat, however, is they warn that their fuses aren’t for all components. Specifically gear with “no inrush protection“ will cause their fuse to blow prematurely. So my question to those reading this: 1) Any experience with Acme Audio Lab fuses, 2) do they “play well” with ARC, and 3) does ARC gear typically have inrush protection? I’ll be experimenting with the fuses of a LS 27, PH 7, and a pair of VT 150 mono amps.