New Synergistic Master Fuse

@ozzy 

do you mean QSA Black/Rec? There is no Red/Black.

Deciphering Audiophile fuses was frustrating, especially since QSA prices got very steep in a hurry.  So I was leaning towards the lower cost  Swiss Digital Fuse Box. But your positive review of the new SR Master fuse vs your QSA makes the SR fuse a viable economical choice.  Thanks for sharing.

Still debating of Furutech GTX outlets vs QSA steep prices.  Also, still trying to grasp if QSA jitter plugs should be on my radar.  

 

The Master fuse resolves the “are fuses directional” debate. They are directional, and it is not subtle.

I installed an SR Master Fuse in my two month old Holo Audio May Level 3 Kitsune dac a couple of days ago. There are SR Purples everywhere else in my system all installed last year.

The Master Fuse made a heck of a difference for the better after about 20 hours of play. All of the usual parameters we pay attention to were improved. Go figure.

There is an issue with SR’s purple fuse in Primaluna power amps - the power is prone to blowing at power startup these fuses at Pl’s stated fuse rating of 3.15 amps. PL advised me to use the SR Purple fuse rated at 4 amps. This has worked fine for the past year.

The EVO preamp will run SR purples at the "book" fuse rating no problem.

 

 

  I have a master fuse coming for my phono stage. Stay tuned

Even so, I would like to hear, who has tried, the effect of SR Purple on the power conditioner.  In my case it's PS Power Plant - 3. I already have Purple in my Auralic Vega G2 network player and I'm very happy with how it improved the sound. 

And what will be the impact on Power Conditioner?

I now have over 200 hours on the Master Fuse in my CD transport, and am extremely happy with where it has arrived. Even though I can clearly hear it with my own ears, it is still a little hard to wrap my brain around the fact that a “mere fuse” can make this much difference. Yes, it is pricey for a “mere fuse”, but well worth it to me, in my system. If I had spent five times its price on a new component, and got these kind of sonic results, I’d be very pleased.

 

There definitely seems to be a synergistic (pun intended) thing going on between the Master fuse and the other purple fuses in my system. I can’t say for sure that this also applies to orange, blue etc., but, if you already have two, or more, SR fuses in your system, and like what they do, I would urge you to, as Rick Becker says in his review, take a leap of faith and give the Master Fuse a try.

I’m sure many of you have experienced times when your system tells you exactly why you have invested so much time, effort and money in it. Listening today is one of those times for me😁

Just got in a master fuse to replace the purple in my CD transport. Love what I am hearing right off the bat! We’ll see how break in goes, but, so far, I think Rick Becker is right on the money in his EnjoytheMusic.com review:

https://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0423/Synergistic_Research_Master_Fuse_Review.htm

Especially if your system is already decked out with SR purples, I think it’s a no brainer to try a master in a front end component.

 

As a long time Synergistic Research customer and user, I finally recently became an authorized Synergistic Research dealer. As part of my opening order, I purchased a Master Fuse and just put it into my Aurender N30SA, replacing a Synergistic Research Blue Fuse. I’m immediately noticing a slight increase in soundstage depth, less edginess than the blue, and a bit more clarity. I can’t wait to hear how this improves through burn in.

FWIW I only have one Purple Fuse, the one that came with my SR Ethernet Switch UEF. Everything else downstream has had orange fuses for the last year or so. 

I found that the Purple fuse in my Auralic streamer emphasized the midrange and bass and to much which made it bloated and masked the details in the background. For my ears to smooth and relaxed. The bass was a bit woolly in my setup and lost tightness and punch.

What can someone say about the SR Master fuse? Does it tighter up the bass with adding more punch and kick to it? 

Has anyone combined an M1 with the Master Fuse? I like the M1 much more than the purple.

Sorry to report to fellow Lyngdorf 3400 owners, a fuse is a no-go.

Online images of the 3400 with cover off shows what looks like a normal fuse but were too grainy to zoom with clarity. I took the lid off my Lyngdorf 3400 and discovered the fuse is TINY and soldered in place.

The main option I see is to replace the purple fuse in my Zenith 3 with a Master and have it be the only hi-fi fuse in my system. I understand I could try it without risk, but I kinda think it will be some good, some bad compared to the purple. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe curiosity will get the best of me and I’ll do it….later.

Of course, there is a conditioner I’m interested in. And, if it has a replaceable fuse….I’m in like Flynn. To use an oldy but goody.
 

I got an SR Purple to complement the Master Fuse in my two fuse HM1 amp, and I was really surprised with the result. I had been using two M1s, then Master Fuse+M1, and now Master Fuse+Purple. Let me say, these two go together like peanut butter and chocolate and I am hearing things I’ve never heard before. Incredible synergy.

 

With just the Master Fuse I was getting this big soundstage, diffuse, U shaped FR, and treble-leaning sound. Now, the images are so distinct and dense it’s crazy, and they have a tube-like glow. Just a little bit of the Purple mid-bass bloat, and a little bit of dynamics lost, but so much more dense and tactile than the Master Fuse alone.

 

At this point I think it’s fair to say you need both to get the full effect. Much bigger effect than I expected adding the Purple. Considering the M1 is excellent in its own right, and perhaps better than the Purple in many ways, but the combination with Purple and the Master Fuse is so much better. So vibrant and dense. 

Brandon hifi,

  That is interesting you put the master fuse in your amp. I am considering one for either my phono stage or possibly my pre amp. I have no streamer or dac.

  I was a little reluctant at putting a master fuse in my pre amp due to reading the preferred equipment to put it into on the sr site. 

  I  can get both a purple and a master and switch each between the pre amp and phono stage to see what gives the best effect. Good on you putting it in your amp. 

 

 

  

After 9 hours of listening to the Master Fuse it can only be described as a transportation into another and much higher dimension of sound. I couldn’t even exaggerate what I’ve experienced tonight. Instrument separation is so separated it’s like it’s own concert for each instrument. I thought I knew holographic imaging, before tonight I did not. This is nothing short of life changing and remarkable. The sound signature of my system has been transported into the 7th heaven. By far the single biggest upgrade in sonic performance of any piece of equipment, but I don’t think it’d be so dramatic if the rest of my system wasn’t perfected. I have 3 purples in my Farad psu for my DAVE, AM M-1 in every other component. This is huge.

 

Forget what they say about not putting in your amps. It transports amps dimensionally to hear sound you could not imagine possible, that is an accurate description.

Got my Master Fuse today. Installed in my new Bryston 14B3 cubed. I am not exaggerating the music is four feet off my Magnepan 1.7i panels in the most holographic experience of sound I’ve ever experienced. There was literally zero of that before installing this Master Fuse.
 

When I first saw the launch of this fuse I was honestly offended by the price. I take it all back, it is worth the $600.

Update on Master Fuse, after 250+ hours of settling I can really tell what it is doing. It is a little more detailed than the M1, much more expansive in terms of sound stage, and slightly more 3D and colorful. That trickiness of this fuse is that it adds a significant amount of treble response (though not harsh at all) and in an amp you end with a sort of "V" or "U" shaped response with emphasized treble and sub bass, but the midrange and mid-bass a bit scooped out. It makes sense that this pairs with the SR Purple which seem the opposite to me, tons of midrange and mid-bass.

It also makes sense that these fuses would be meant for sources given their tonal profile. Most people will want a thicker sound from their amps, and for those who find the Purple to be too thick, a Master Fuse upstream may balance it out.

I’m going to try and see if replacing the other fuse in my HM1 with a Purple will result in more tonal balance. That will determine if the combo will be a replacement for the M1 pair, or just an interesting alternate.

There is one area that the SR fuses are really ahead of the Audio Magic ones, adding an SR fuse is like adding a subwoofer, the amount of punchy and raw sub bass. Despite the treble focus the Master still has amazing sub bass.

Every single Purple and Master fuse is different and the only way to determine the direction is by listening.

The Purple fuses sound "thin" if they're the wrong way around.

The Master sounds "F*ckin' A" if you've got it right.

Not sure of which, I put it in the same direction as my previous fuse, SR purple.

ozzy

@ozzy 

I received my SR Master fuse today

About the Lumin X1 fuse drawer  ; is the ´´ S ´´  side of the fuse  , inside or outside ?  SR fuses are directionals   S ——> R

I put the ´´S ´´ side of the Master Fuse  outside the drawer .   But I am not sure if it is the wright way .

Thanks

For me it comes down to bang for the buck.

If my situation changed, which would I rather have?

 

Have put the SR Master on hold. Bought the (impossible to get here) Sound Anchors stands, paid for mods to my DDC, looking at Stack Audio Auva, and a grounding box first. Maybe then a Puritan 156, if finances allow.

The Master fuse will come after those, and hopefully bring them all together nicely.

I just popped one of these into my Zähl HM1 headphone amp next to an Audio Magic M1. Definitely a different sound, very wide and big soundstage, lots of bass punch. So far a little more resolution than the M1 and a surprising amount of color. I'm sure it will sound very different in a week, and also maybe having it in with the M1 might be a little weird. I might need another Purple. The M1 holds its own very well, but not as expansive and colorful. Maybe the M1 is more full and grounded/centered.

gladmo,

Your post is right on! I too have purple fuses in everything except one Master in my Lumin X1. I also have a "Fuse Box" powering the main rails in my amps, but still have purples in the amps input stage.

Awesome combo, really enjoying the sound.

ozzy

@gladmo 

As always, which upgrade at which time.

Decision between an SR Master fuse, Sound Anchor stands, or Black Ravioli pads.

@jerrybj Go for it. Your DAC is the place to do it. 30 days money back if you don’t think it’s worth it.

I'm considering getting an SR Master fuse for my Dac.

 

Have 2 SR Purple in my amp. Would then have an SR Purple in one of my Plixir Dual Elite LPS (router/switch). An SR Orange in the other Plixir Elite LPS (second switch). And an old SR Red in the Teradak LPS for the modem.

Streamer and DDC don't have replaceable fuses.

@lordmelton I found out that you can over-do it with the Master Fuses.

As Ted says, you get the best result with the use of Master Fuses in your source equipment and Purple fuses in the rest of the chain. The Master Fuses primarily emphasize the high frequencies in an amazing way that produces certain details in spades. The Purple fuses are about full mids, mid-bass, and top end freqs up to a certain point. The Master Fuses can bring out details which the Purple fuses cannot, but they can be over-used. I’ve now tried replacing three small Purple fuses in various locations in my digital front end with Master Fuses, along with two large Purple fuses in my amp with Master fuses. My system sounds much better with two Purple fuses left in the amp (along with Purple in my preamp). The large fuses with more crystals inside and more UEF goop on the exterior have a bigger effect.

For anyone wondering, I hope this helps. IMO, the Purple fuses represent great value. The $600 Master Fuses are excellent at the highest frequencies, but they need Purple fuses in the downstream analog equipment to be in overall balance.

Anyone considering trying the SR Master Fuse in their Holo May DAC?

It's a little over three weeks now since I installed my SR Master Fuse in my Plixir 3000 balanced power conditioner.

The effects have been nothing short of unbelievable, and I'm still hearing improvements on a daily basis.

The most notable improvement has been to DSD files which now leap out of the speakers. The Who's SACDs, Tommy, Singles and Quadrophenia exude realism like never before.

I have a few adjustments to make to my system and then will probably get another Master Fuse for my Aurender N20.

Since I have only one source component installing it in the source makes most sense. Multiple digital sources will probably benefit most from a DAC installed fuse.

Purple fuses are on special now until EOM, buy 2 get 3.

@lordmelton that is an interesting proposal.  I appreciate it.

There is yet another wrinkle, however.  A dealer tells me Isol-8 has a conditioner that he prefers to the Puritan for sound quality.  I’ll probably try it in the next 30-60 days.  If I do prefer it, it would be a bonus if it had a fuse.  While I would consider buying a master fuse for the Puritan and keeping the Puritan if I loved the result, I’m not anxious to incur the add’l costs of the UK cable and outlet in order to buy a fuse.  I think I could sell my Puritan for about what the isol-8 six port will cost or a little under.

I should start a thread to see if anyone has compared Isol-8 Poweline Ultra (4 or 6 port) to Puritan.

@rc22 A solution to your Puritan breaker issue maybe to buy a Puritan UK power cord with a UK power plug, in which you can install a SR Master Fuse.

N.B. UK plug fuses are a different size but SR provides them.

Purchase a single outlet Furutech UK wall socket to complete the setup.

 

That reviewer gave it a 5/5 on 16 of 17 categories, and a 4.5/5 on the other category. I don't know about that virtually perfect rating, but I agree it's a very good sounding fuse.

BTW, the April issue of Enjoy The Music has Rick Becker’s world-premier review of the SR Master Fuse.  If I’m recalling correctly, he acknowledges the open question of what to do if one is torn between dac and streamer (for those that stream).

@jmfinney I am trying to decide between putting one in my integrated vs streamer. Considering SR suggests putting the Master in source gear or a conditioner, I’m only considering my integrated because it has a dac. Or perhaps more technically correct, it is a dac, because it’s a digital amp. Lyngdorf TDAI 3400.
 

And as follow up to from posts earlier in this thread and hopefully interesting to anyone with Puritan conditioners….

@lordmelton I called the US importer and confirmed that the Puritan 156 has no fuse. It uses a circuit-breaker mechanism instead of a fuse.

Anyone try the SR Master Fuse in their integrated amp?

yoby,

Sorry, I am using the SR Master fuse (2A) in my Lumin X1 power supply. The Fuse box (6A units) are being used with my amps.

ozzy

@ozzy : How about a head to head comparison between the Synergistic Master  fuse and the Swiss Digital Fuse box? Or maybe trying both on the same component? This is getting interesting! Good listening. Jeff

Got 24hrs on my SR Master Fuse and I can say it's worth every penny.

Now I have a full loom of SR Purple and the Master Fuse takes them to another level.

3D soundstage has really expanded, deep level details details are brought to the surface, whilst maintaining an airy and musical presentation with accurate timbre and realism.

Highly recommended if you already have some Purple fuses.

@rc22 You're most welcome. I'd be inclined to put the Master Fuse in your Power Conditioner, if you can and put a Purple in the Lyngdorf.

Good Luck

@lordmelton Thank you very much for the help. Really appreciate it.

@rc22 You can see the fuse in your Lyngdorf in the pic. top left. It’s T8A which is 8 amp slow blow, looks to be 5x20mm, but I’d take it out and check to be sure. SR recommends going up one level so you should replace it with a T10A fuse.

Your power conditioner may have an internal fuse too.

Fuses even the cheaper one does change the sound , is it improvement? It's hard for me to tell. I have not decided to part with my $200 for a fuse?

At Synergistic Research we’ve isolated key factors that affect how electricity propagates by changing the behavior of electrons through Inductive Quantum Coupling methods we collectively call UEF Tech.  In fact, UEF Tech is so powerful even an electrical chain several miles long is fundamentally improved with nothing more than a single fuse engineered with our patented UEF Technology.

Quantum coupling is an effect in quantum mechanics in which two or more quantum systems are bound such that a change in one of the quantum states in one of the systems will cause an instantaneous change in all of the bound systems.

 

What a beautiful and successful marketing campaign.  It started with a rather low cost fuse, yellow as I remember?  And has now progressed from color to color, of course each new color being more expensive than the previous, and now to a $600 fuse that is so powerful it can control all the other fuses within your stereo.

What if the master fuse gets power hungry and decides it wants to start controlling more than the fuses in your stereo, and wants to control all the fuses in your house?  Is master fuse unauthorized domination of submissive fuses covered in the SR warranty? 

 

Great question, Lordmelton.  The only viable place for a Master fuse is in my streamer.  My conditioner has no fuse and my Lyngdforf 3400 does the dac-ing and also has no replaceable fuse.  A purple in my streamer has been amazing, but I can sell it if the Master gives me a nice step up.

After much procrastination went ahead and ordered a SR Master Fuse for my Power Conditioner.

SR recommends putting a Master Fuse in either the DAC or Power Conditioner to begin with. Since the Power Conditioner is the only gear that doesn't have a Purple fuse, thought that was the logical way to go.

Waiting for someone to confirm if putting a Master Fuse in their Streamer or DAC is better.

I've bought Blue and Orange Synergistic Research fuses over the years and in each case they positively improved sound quality. 

This new fuse is likely to be good tweak but is much too expensive for my budget. But I would recommend for those who can afford one to try it. 100% 30 day refund is offered. 

this is terrible news ozzy, I was hoping not to try one on my new DAC...