NEW PROTOTYPE FUSES COMING >>>
I’m with ebm on this one. I am also getting 6 to put in a presentation case as these being "first batch" are destined to become collectors items and appreciate markedly. I will place them right next to my SR "first batch" unused red, black, orange, and blue fuses and my collection of QSA black,blue, yellow, purple,and red fuses. You folks that are actually using them are ruining their collectors value. |
jetter ... I have a collection of investment quality Reds, Blacks, and Blues I would sell you at a good price if you're interested. Let me know if you want the PPT "Total Contact" left on or not. I'll be keeping the Orange ones to use as spares. Frank |
I put the final new prototype fuse in the amp this morning. So now the amp, preamp, and phono stage all have the new prototype fuses in them. I'll report back on the results later. I have Mister Golden Ears coming over tomorrow to take a listen. Besides myself, he's the person most familiar with the system. He's a very critical listener. So, what I have planned is a listening session where we start out with all prototype fuses in place, then changing out the fuses in the preamp and amp for the QSA Yellow fuses. That should be a fair comparison. Stay tuned ... Frank |
The primary effects of psychedelics like mushrooms and LSD are visual and breaking down the illusion of the ego. They do not for the most part affect the perception of sound. Not directly, anyway. You still hear everything as usual. It is more like you don't care as much, realizing you are the universe and all. Gotta call BS on that. LSD affects all the senses. Perceptions are the same for all senses (in that they work as usual) but differ in the mind's interpretation. Depending on that interpretation, any sense can be profoundly effected and distorted. Every trip is different. All the best, Nonoise |
Ho yeah! it's time cerberus79 To those non technical thinking of purchasing these $$$ fuses. Just save your $150+ and do this instead. A fuse: 1: two end caps 2: short piece of fuse wire connecting the two end caps through a glass tube (that’s all she wrote). To those "non technical" members that are interested in "maybe" wasting their money, do not listen to the non-technical, listen to the technicians of this industry that design the audio products you have and listen to. AND YOU WON"T SEE THEM ON THREADS LIKE THIS AGREEING WITH WHAT SAID HERE ABOUT THE SOUND IMPROVMENT DETAILS AND AC FUSE PLACEMENT DIRECTION, EVER!!! Just clean and tighten your fuse holder and re-new your fuse (if old) with a good quality 50cent Bussman, Littlefuse or similar.As with "many switch-on surges" they do deteriorate, bend, stretch and get crusty with electrolysis formations on their fusible wire elements before they give out, as these pics show of a fuse wire element ageing over time show. https://ibb.co/9NbTwqK (even the $$$ boutique ones will age just as much also) Cheers George |
With a full complement of the prototype fuses in use now, the system is sounding better than ever. It is hard to believe that a home stereo in an average-sized living room could perform like this. It is truly mind-boggling. Mister Golden Ears is scheduled to arrive at nine in the morning for a listening session. He knows the system almost as well as I do. We'll see what he has to say. Plus, at some point, we will be replacing two of the prototype fuses with the QSA Yellow fuses to compare. By the way, I haven't told Mister Golden Ears anything about the prototype fuses. As far as he knows, the system is still outfitted with a full complement of SR Orange fuses. The last time he was over, I was just breaking in the first QSA Yellow fuse in the line stage. He heard the abnormalities in the midrange too, so we swapped out the fuse with the SR Orange fuse that was previously in the line stage ... and the music came back into focus like before. And yes, I did try the QSA Yellow fuse in both directions, so that wasn't the problem. Stay tuned ... Frank |
Every page needs the opposite side shown to counter any . And here it is. cerberus79 To those non technical thinking of purchasing these $$$ fuses. Just save your $150+ and do this instead. A fuse: 1: two end caps 2: short piece of fuse wire connecting the two end caps through a glass tube (that’s all she wrote). To those "non technical" members that are interested in "maybe" wasting their money, do not listen to the non-technical, listen to the technicians of this industry that design the audio products you have and listen to. AND YOU WON"T SEE THEM ON THREADS LIKE THIS AGREEING WITH WHAT SAID HERE ABOUT THE SOUND IMPROVMENT DETAILS AND AC FUSE PLACEMENT DIRECTION, EVER!!! Just clean and tighten your fuse holder and re-new your fuse (if old) with a good quality 50cent Bussman, Littlefuse or similar.As with "many switch-on surges" they do deteriorate, bend, stretch and get crusty with electrolysis formations on their fusible wire elements before they give out, as these pics show of a fuse wire element ageing over time show. https://ibb.co/9NbTwqK (even the $$$ boutique ones will age just as much also) Cheers George |
I have long stayed out away from this discussion, having myself done no comparing of fuses. But the Johnny Walker Black (the favorite blended Scotch of both myself and Chrisopher Hitchens) has kicked in, and I’m thinking what the Hell. I suppose it’s possible that the electrical characteristics of any given fuse could be great enough to effect the electricity reaching the power transformer of, say, a power amp. Roger Modjeski measured a variety of fuses, and posted his findings in his Music Reference section in the AudioCircle Forum. He DID measure differences, but at levels far below, he claimed, the threshold of audibility. And he had real good ears, and listened through ESL loudspeakers, both QUAD and those of his own design and manufacture. His own great electronics as well, obviously. He was also a musician, and "advanced" music lover. But a fuse impacting the sound characteristics of the amp? Transparency, frequency extension, tonal balance, instrumental and vocal timbre, depth/soundstage/imaging, etc. etc. etc.? I’m very skeptical that is even possible. A fuse doesn’t "see" those kinds of information, only electricity. That the electricity passing through a fuse could be effected in ways that create effects in the ways mentioned above seems most unlikely to me. But then I believe in science, not mysticism (George Harrison discovering the sitar and The Beatles taking LSD ruined the Beatles). Western vs. Eastern? Somewhat related, I like what Dylan (Bob, not Thomas) said: "It’s not left or right, it’s up or down". |
Roger was a wonderful designer and that is a fact. He did not believe, in general, in many things that improve sound quality like cabling and boutique caps. This based on several conversations we had as a owner of his gear. That is not uncommon with talented designers. They simply have other interests and passions. Understandable. In addition, seems he had a bad experience with one particular brand and value of fuses in one particular amp. Should we then extrapolate all high end fuses are a bad idea and snake oil? Probably not reasonable. Right? I can certainly understand how this bad experience could invite general skepticism and near distain for high end fuses. |
Agree on the warranty claims and how that would cause one they have a certain view on boutique fuses. I am actually making the same point. I have no idea what you are referring to in terms of the actual fuse value in the amplifier in question. Don’t know if it was a lower rated fuse, fuse rated in spec, fuse rated over spec? In the end, it really doesn’t matter because the fuse did not act as the designer wanted and caused some major issues. I would stay away from those particular fuses from that manufacturer in that amp 😁 |
JW Blue, Jim? Now yer talkin’! I bypassed the fuse (in fact the entire fuse block, as well as the horrid speaker connectors, installing Cardas binding posts in their place) in my Magneplanar Tympani T-IVa. Roger’s views on audiophile parts is often over-simplified. He DID consider electrolytic caps unsuitable for some applications, fine for others. It’s all in his AudioCircle writings. And he was making speaker cables at the end, and not just to make money. It was the use use of fuses that were not of "high breaking capacity" design that he warned against in his amps, and in fact as part of any amp to which such a fuse was connected to output tubes. He received back at his shop an RM-9 that was destroyed by a full compliment of Hi-Fi Tuning fuses which did not preform their primary task: protecting the circuitry they were connected to. 12 non-performing fuses which cost as much as the amp itself? Ridiculous! |
Latest update >>> Well, Mister Golden Ears and I had an interesting two-hour listening session this morning. We started out with the full complement of the prototype fuses. I thought the sound was spectacular. Then we changed out the prototypes for two QSA Yellow fuses, one in the line stage and one in the amp. We did an a/b/a/b/a comparison. The sound was also spectacular, however different. We both heard the same things. We played both CDs and LPs. The prototypes, in my opinion, are overall a better musical experience, in that the tonal balance is more accurate, and instruments actually sound more real. There is a more realistic sound space as well. Mister Golden Ears thought the prototypes sounded a bit "dryer" than the QSA Yellow fuse. I didn’t hear that at all. I heard more separation of instruments, more individual voices fleshed out in choir music and a little more tube-like lushness throughout. I like that. This is not meant to take anything away from the QSA Yellow fuses at all. They have their strong points. My final analysis from today is this ... If you like the sound of neutral tube electronics like modern ARC gear, I believe you are going to like the prototype fuses better than the QSA Yellow fuses. If you are a Krell kind of a guy who likes modern solid-state gear, then maybe the QSA fuses would be more your cup of tea. That’s not my preference, so I will be sticking with the prototype fuses. Either way, the SR Orange fuses that were in the system before all of this started, will be relegated to the spare fuse box. The prototype fuses walk all over the SR Orange fuses. I have another friend coming up next Sunday, I believe. He’s using a QSA Yellow fuse in his system. He tells me that he is experiencing the same midrange anomaly that I am. I will be doing a/b/a/b/a experiments with him as I did with Mister Golden Ears this morning. Also, as a side note, I received a PM from another A’gon member who is using the QSA Yellow fuse, and he is having the same midrange experience as the two of us. Yer money, yer choice. Frank |
cerberus79 To those non technical thinking of purchasing these $$$ fuses. Just save your $150+ and do this instead. A fuse: 1: two end caps 2: short piece of fuse wire connecting the two end caps through a glass tube (that’s all she wrote). To those "non technical" members that are interested in "maybe" wasting their money, do not listen to the non-technical, listen to the technicians of this industry that design the audio products you have and listen to. AND YOU WON"T SEE THEM ON THREADS LIKE THIS AGREEING WITH WHAT SAID HERE ABOUT THE SOUND IMPROVMENT DETAILS AND AC FUSE PLACEMENT DIRECTION, EVER!!! Just clean and tighten your fuse holder and re-new your fuse (if old) with a good quality 50cent Bussman, Littlefuse or similar.As with "many switch-on surges" they do deteriorate, bend, stretch and get crusty with electrolysis formations on their fusible wire elements before they give out, as these pics show of a fuse wire element ageing over time show. https://ibb.co/9NbTwqK (even the $$$ boutique ones will age just as much also) Cheers George |
One person advocating fuses here has > 30% of their system budget tied up in cables. I can’t take this persons views on anything seriously knowing that.+1 and some!! cerberus79 To those non technical thinking of purchasing these $$$ fuses. Just save your $150+ and do this instead. A fuse: 1: two end caps 2: short piece of fuse wire connecting the two end caps through a glass tube (that’s all she wrote). To those "non technical" members that are interested in "maybe" wasting their money, do not listen to the non-technical, listen to the technicians of this industry that design the audio products you have and listen to. AND YOU WON"T SEE THEM ON THREADS LIKE THIS AGREEING WITH WHAT SAID HERE ABOUT THE SOUND IMPROVMENT DETAILS AND AC FUSE PLACEMENT DIRECTION, EVER!!! Just clean and tighten your fuse holder and re-new your fuse (if old) with a good quality 50cent Bussman, Littlefuse or similar.As with "many switch-on surges" they do deteriorate, bend, stretch and get crusty with electrolysis formations on their fusible wire elements before they give out, as these pics show of a fuse wire element ageing over time show. https://ibb.co/9NbTwqK (even the $$$ boutique ones will age just as much also) Cheers George |
@ audioman58 +1, I think for the QSA fuses it's 75 hours. It's remarkable the sound quality you get from QSA fuses WITHOUT the full break-in period. |
willgolf ... As I said in my above post ... the prototype is more tube-like in the midrange in a very good way than the QSA Yellow fuse. I’m not knocking the QSA Yellow fuse. It’s just a matter of preference. Midrange ... human voice, cello, violas, tenor sax ... etc. Keep in mind that all of this could be system-dependent. Plus, there is probably more break-in time needed to fully evaluate the fuses. I’ll know more when my third regular audiophile friend comes up next Sunday. As a side note, this evening I was playing the Bud Shank flute & Koto album. I’ve never heard it sound like this before. Amazing. Stay tuned. Frank |
@oregonpapa don't understand "I’ll know more when my third regular audiophile friend comes up next Sunday". You mean you need another person to tell you what to hear? If you don't know then this is all a joke! And if this is how you listen to music how do you enjoy music? Just relax and forget about these small nuances do they really matter? |
rsf507Not just a joke, but a very well organised con on the gullible. rsf507He doesn’t, it’s all about the kick backs in whatever form they come in. Yet he did say, oregonpapaAnd he still needs Mr Golden Ears to tell him!! Common even the gullible weren’t born yesterday, hopefully. I have a collection of investment quality Reds, Blacks, and Blues I would sell you at a good price if you’re interested.Really now your going to sell something you got for . Cheers George |
rsf507 ... I think I described what I have heard pretty well in my above posts. So, you have my input, and that of others as well. Not too much to understand, is there? georgehifi ... Oh, crapola, you got me on those "kickbacks." You wouldn't believe the amount of money I have pouring into my bank account at this point. Hey man, I'm getting plane fare for a trip to Tahiti today. Think of it George ... dancing girls, Mai Tais galore, white sandy beaches, and azure blue waters ... all while contemplating the joy of reporting yet another one of your insulting, personal attacking posts to the Mods. In the meantime, the system is better than ever. Frank |
Please describe the test protocol in detail. Everything described is explainable from first principles, i.e. HiFi sound, as is all sound, is a constantly changing parameter due to component temperature [voice coil deltas affect crossover points, amp temperatures affect bias], room temperature & pressure affect transmission, etc. It is well nigh impossible to absolutely replicate a listening environment. Not sure what power provider you have, but our line voltage in Florence has been a bit flaky for the past week or so, moving from 121 to 124 whereas normally a rock steady 123. @bdp24 : call me when you break out the Islay single malts [always on offer here]. Glenlivet 18 will do. IMO, Blue is a joke. |
ieales ... "Not sure what power provider you have ..." The provider is Southern California Edison. The AC power here is extremely dirty and affects sound quality in a very significant negative way. This is why I and many other A’gon members have concentrated on cleaning up that power as it enters our listening environments. This is what the Perfect Path Technologies products were all about. Until you have used these products, you have no idea of what your system is capable of. When using these products, the system becomes a much more reliable source for testing other products such as was done with the fuses that are the topic of this thread. And by the way jeales, I was the person who introduced PPT products to this venue ... and I took a lot of heat from many of the same actors that always try to demean others on this forum. Do some research on past threads that deal with PPT products. It is interesting reading. The final proof is in the listening, jeales, and if you’re ever in the neighborhood, you are welcome to come over for a listening session. The low distortion and quiet background that the music and performers emanate from is really quite something, mainly due to cleaning up the AC power. The price of admission is one bottle of Glenfarclas Single Malt, my favorite. :-) Measuring devices?? Ears. Frank |
"It would nice if oregonpapa had the Red/Black fuses (from QSA) to compare to" I believe that the next one up in the line is the Violet fuse. I'd love to try it, but at $710 it is beyond me. I know of one A'gon member who has one on order, so maybe he will chime in on this thread. I hope so, anyway. Frank |
Yes I have Violet and Yellow coming. Stones this week, fuses hopefully next week. Then if Frank will be kind enough to hook me up I will love to compare with these new ones.....! For anyone with an open mind willing to learn let me just say Frank is the real deal. It was Frank who was early on the scene with PPT, one of the first with The Gate, and probably the best at recognizing and describing the sound. When I started picking up on it Frank was the one to give me the idea of trying the PPT Mats on speaker cables and around speakers. Look at my system. The tubes around cables, the black stuff wrapped around caps, the way my whole crossover is built on a Mat and more, I took it next level but those ideas all came from Frank. The nature of the improvement is to my ears plain as day. It is however different enough that some otherwise decent listeners are oblivious. This in my book is reason to start a discussion about how it is we learn to hear completely new and novel sounds. Which I did. Several times. Seems the haters and doubters and stuck in the past unwilling to learners are more outspoken here than those of us willing to do the hard work of expanding the envelope. Frank is one, for sure he is doing the hard work. I should at this point probably say anyone wants to hear what I'm talking about come to Redmond and bring a bottle of Angel's Envy Finished Rye. But to be honest I will be happy if you will just leave your damn cell phone at the door. ;) Seriously though, Finished Rye. It'll be a fair trade, trust me. |
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@oregonpapa "I’ll know more when my third regular audiophile friend comes up next Sunday". rsf507Not just a joke, rsf but a very well organized way taking advantage of the electronically gullible here. Cheers George |
millercarbon You’ve got to be kidding, more like the new "real deal" geoffkait Members here wondering who geoffkait is, well lets just say his views on audio match. Just look at his avatar and you’ll know one of them is the founding father of audio voodoo https://forum.audiogon.com/users/geoffkait/posts |
The price of admission is one bottle of Glenfarclas Single Malt, my favorite. :-)What age? But to be honest I will be happy if you will just leave your damn cell phone at the door. ;) Seriously though, Finished Rye.Why, because the cell phone RF is rectified? Rye? that 'splains a lot!!! Bleccchh! For 50+years, "By what mechanism?" - "I don't know, it just works." doesn't cut it. The one constant is that HiFi systems are never constant. The probability that endless tweaks are all positive is risible. Ditto for any one in Florence who wants to hear an absolutely quiet background and decay to zero or when the mastering engineer hit the cutoff. |
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@oregonpapa "I’ll know more when my third regular audiophile friend comes up next Sunday". rsf507 Not just a joke rsf, but a very well organized way taking advantage of the electronically gullible here. Cheers George |
millercarbon You’ve got to be kidding, more like the new real deal geoffkiat Members here wondering who geoffkiat is, well lets just say his views on audio match. Just look at his avatar and you’ll know one of them is the founding father of audio voodoo https://forum.audiogon.com/users/geoffkait |
millercarbon You’ve got to be kidding, more like the new real deal geoffkiat Members here wondering who geoffkiat is, well lets just say his views on audio match. Just look at his avatar and you’ll know one of them is the founding father of audio voodoo https://forum.audiogon.com/users/geoffkait |
@oregonpapa "I’ll know more when my third regular audiophile friend comes up next Sunday". rsf507 Not just a joke, rsf but a very well organized way taking advantage of the electronically gullible here. Cheers George |
@oregonpapa "I’ll know more when my third regular audiophile friend comes up next Sunday". rsf507 Not just a joke rsf, but a very well organized way taking advantage of the electronically gullible here. Cheers George |
