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Fuses - Why do same size fuses sound different?

Because of recent reviews on fuses and some manufacturers using some fuses to voice their products, I am embarking on a fact finding mission of why some sound better than others.
Most electronic fuses have nickel plated brass caps with glass or ceramic tubes but vary in sound despite that. I have not been able to find any info on the construction of the elements themselves, is this where the variability in sound stem from?
So far I have compared a set of Cooper-Bussman Ceramic, Radioshack Ceramic, and Littlefuse Glass 10 Amp fuses on my amp. They all sound very different, the Radioshack is by far the worst of the group, its imaging is diffuse, timbres sound off, and it lacked tranparency and extension relative to the others. The Littlefuse have better focus than the Radioshacks, timbres are more accurate and it was more transparent, however, it was extremely bright and etched up top. The Bussmans sounded very good compared to the others, everything fell in place with this fuse, it had very focused images with added weight and detail, timbres were true, and it was the most transparent and relaxed of the group. It had very good dimensionality and musicality, but only when oriented in one direction only.
The moral of this story is that I hope all manufacturers spend the time researching fuses when they use them in their products, otherwise we have to start "fuse rolling" to get the best sound. The good thing about fuses is that they don't cost much.
plelko

Showing 2 responses by krell_man

krell_man
827 posts
 
I use the IsoClean fuses too, except in my pre-amp. It comes with a 1/2 Amp fuse in it, and the smallest IsoClean is 1 Amp. I called the designer of the pre-amp, Keith Herron, and he asked me not to use it, that the posiibility of the additional 1/2 Amp getting through is dangerous.

For some reason, the IsoClean 1 Amp fuse doesn't sound as good either, trying it in both directions. In the other pieces though, they make a huge difference for the better.
krell_man
827 posts
 
Stan, it's interesting that since you started posting in June of this year, most of your 60 posts have been basically negative one liners. What's your problem?

If you're new to the field, why don't you acknowledge to yourself that you're just starting out and listen to what experienced people, usually with substantial systems, are saying about what they've learned along the way?

If this isn't a serious hobby (or addiction) for you, why even meddle where you have no knowledge and your negative remarks aren't needed or wanted?

If you're happy with your system, if you have a system, why don't you go sit down in front of it and enjoy it? If you do have a system, why don't you put it out on Audiogon so that everyone can see where you're at on the ladder? Like the Greyhound commercial, you just sit back and leave the driving to us, the ones who are actually interested in improving their systems.
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