New Fuse Thread . . .


So the talk about the sonic effects of fuses got way out of hand, and I would like to know some details from those who have actually tried the boutique audio fuses. So if you have, please let us know any of the following:

1. What value (ampere rating) were you using, and was it fast or slow-blow (time delay)? Time-delay fuses usually have a letter 'T' in their rating, like "T2.5A" is a 2.5 ampere, slow-blow fuse.

2. Does anybody have a reasonably decent ohmmeter, and could you measure the difference in resistance between the boutique fuse and the standard one? If you measure, be sure to subtract the resistance of your test leads. Of course, if somebody has an impedance analyzer, I'd love to see that data . . .

3. What position is this used in? That is, on the AC line, or after the transformer, after the rectifier, etc.?

4. Has anybody had occasional fuse-blowing with the stock fuse, and replaced it with a boutique fuse, and had the boutique fuse blow? Did the failure patterns seem similar to both types?

5. Has anybody made any performance measurements on their equipment with various types of fuses?

So I'm hypothesizing about some ways in which fuses could affect circuit performance, and there are two things I can think of. First, if silver wire is used, then since silver has a lower melting point than copper, the fuse resistance *could* possibly be lower for a given rating. Also, many slow-blow fuses seem to have a resistive element wound around a central core, so it's possible that these could be inductive as well. So what could that mean in a circuit?

First, for a slow-blow line-fuse application, where there is an AC input filter, adding/changing resistance/reactance in the AC line could affect the Q of the input filter, and if this unit was RF suceptible or had a switch-mode power supply, the fuse could therefore affect RF emisions or suceptibility.

Second, many power amplifiers have no snubber capacitors on their rectifiers, and also use fuses for the power-transformer secondary. It's possible here that changing the reactive/resistive characteristics of the fuse could slightly change the switching speed of the rectifier diodes, and affect the diodes' RF emissions.

Third, some power amplifiers use fuses on the DC rails, after the filter capacitors. In this case, it's easy to see how fuse resistance could influence the amplifier performance.

Fourth, if a fuse was placed between a low-voltage linear regulator (like the ubiquitous 78XX or LM317) and its local input filter capacitor, the characteristics of the fuse could affect the regulator's stability, and cause it to oscillate.

And finally, there's the UL rating issue . . . it's important to have confidence that a fuse will blow when its supposed to, and without any certifications, who's to say? At $40 a pop [sic], testing their tolerance and production consistency is a very expensive proposition indeed.

Now I'm not claiming that fuses make a difference, or don't make a difference, I honestly haven't tried, and I'm too cheap to conduct an exhaustive study into the matter. But if anybody has some good data (even if incomplete) on their experiments, please share it.
kirkus
To copy and paste what I posted on the other fuse thread: They are designed to provide the greatest benefit when placed in the power supply(AC input or DC rails). In these circuits, I've found the Hi-Fi Tuning fuses to increase the "organics" of my system's reproduction. IE: Vocals sound more human, I can perceive the wood resonance in double bass, piano and drum better. the air column in a closely mic'd sax is more audible(the list could go on). To me the realism gained by installing the fuses is well worth the price of admission.
I'm positive moving your head 1" will create more of a difference than changing fuses. Our power amps have had fuses in them for decades. Even the 10k power amps don't use anything but 85 cent fuses. I'm betting these engineers know what they're doing.
Dave, let me put it this way. The best way to get repeatable results is to understand what you're doing and what you're changing. And it's obvious to me that if I wanted to duplicate the results of those who have heard audible improvements . . . then a great place to start would be by gathering information on what has been observed by others, no?

As far as the price thing goes, I don't think $39 for a big improvement is outrageous. But should your technical skills ever progress beyond mere fuse-swapping, you will see that there are literally thousands of tiny details in your equipment where you can apply a "cash infusion" . . . and if you like to dork around swapping parts inside your electronic equipment, guided only by your whimsey and credo, without any real knowledge of what you're doing . . . my friend, it is YOU who is the "techno weenie".

But I'm still interested in knowing details from those who have heard improvements, and that aren't too dogmatic to coherently describe their experiences.
Dave- I completely agree! If one does not try something themselves, and actually experience the effect(or not): How can they have anything outside of a totally empty opinion? Kirkus- If you are afraid of the Hi-Fi Tuning fuses(an ISO 9001 company), based on their lack of American(UL)approval: Try the Isoclean or Furutech fuses(http://www.thecableco.com/prodListing.php?cat=53), which ARE UL approved, and also DO make an audible difference. Just don't fall into the category of those whose minds, like concrete, are thoroughly mixed up and permanently set. Happy listening!!
Just what the world needs -- another fuse thread. Dave_b has the right idea. I have a whole bunch of the things. They work for me. That's the bottom line. Good luck, Dave (another one)
Remove old fuse and put boutique fuse in, then listen. Take fuse out, put old fuse back in and listen again. Remember to reverse direction of fuses every other time as well. Repeat as many times as necessary until you decide which is better. If you won't try a $39 tweak, but you are obsessed with their performance, then you are not an audiophile...you are a techno weenie! Ears are the first best test instrument available for evaluation.
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