New Synergistic Master Fuse

I have tried copper, silver & tellurium/rhodium. The massive change the SDFB brings to the table, makes evaluating the metallurgy difficult for my ears to discern. Truthfully, there wasn't one sluggo that ran away with it. I have not tried the Graphene Sluggo so I can't comment. 

Great response @jmfinney 

 

I have a couple of Master fuses here.  I think I will try the Swiss box. Did you spend more for the graphine sluggo? I am leaning towards the copper high purity. 

Regarding direct comparison between SR Master Fuse & SDFB, I posted this last year.

 

I’ve tried Orange, Purple & Master Fuses from a well known company. I’ve been a fan of this company’s products because it has been my experience that most of them do deliver on their promise.
 

For me, to my ears, in my system & despite my unwavering optimism, exotic fuses like these have not been decent perfomance vs price upgrades. Only the Master fuse provided a discernible change to the SQ, but not nearly enough to justify the expense.

Yes, I could’ve returned these fuses before the generous return policy expired, but I was hopeful, that with time, each one would have a positive impact. The Purples will remain in several power supplies, but sadly, I will be reselling the gently used Master Fuse for significantly less than what I paid for it.

Meantime, I discovered several products being offered by Verafiaudio including the highly regarded plug-in mains filter Puron, of which, I have a total of 4. One pair is plugged into a quad wall receptacle & the other 2 reside in the first pair of receptacles of a Powercell 8SE made by the same well known company behind the exotic fuses I tried. The addition of the Purons made further improvements to the the overall noise floor while adding body, resolution, separation & depth to the soundstage.

Enter the Swiss Digital Fuse Box! This is a simple, easy to install, professionally calibrated breaker that allows each component to operate at its full potential. Simply put, you have to try this affordable device that punches well above its cost. My ability to describe the game changing improvements does not begin to capture the newfound enjoyment I have listening to my favorite tracks for hours on end. 
 

Recently, I read in a forum someone’s description of depth as the ability to see & feel the other side of each note of music. That resonated with me as I struggle to describe the incredible dynamics the Swiss Digital Fuse Box unlocked & revealed. 
 

All I can say is don’t knock it until you’ve tried it, but by all means, try it & experience the difference it will make in your system. 
 

Oh, by the way, Mark & Lynn provide superb customer service!

PS- You have a choice of several different sluggos depending on your preference. Also, if you don't have an available power cord to go between wall socket or distributor, the upgraded piggy tail is high quality. 

MacF

@jmfinney please share your direct experience between the Swiss Box and Master fuse. Love to know how they compare? 

Swiss Digital Fuse Box outperforms them all.

If interested, I have a fuse brand called "Quantum Deepalicious".

Fuses start at 20k a piece and goes up to 120k per fuse.

You get what you paid for with my fuses.

P.S. I will accept Accuphase, Esoteric, Gryphon, Aavik and Von Schweikert products if you want to trade it in....to help fund your fuse purchase..I am charitable like that.

@grannyring 

I’ve been thinking about switching to Master or Pink Fuse for my

Aragon 8008BB Amplifier which has Orange Fuse, 12.5 amp 1.25 inch.

I have a Pink Fuse in Bifrost 2 DAC .500ma .75 inch 

I placed a SR Master fuse in my integrated amp with no dac.  All I can say is wow! I know SR says dac or streamer are the best places, but my experience is very positive in my Int amp. I have a purple fuse in my streamer.  Really love the combo as placed.  

I checked VH Audio has Purple 2. Amp fuse

They have a website VH Audio.com.

Anyone have a 2 amp purple that you want to sell on your journey to meet the master?

I am done with fuses, stopped at the Orange ones.

Now thinking new Synergistic Research 

Pink Fuse for Schiit Biifrost 2 slow blown

1.25 inch .05 amp

I have a Aries Cerat Kassandra 2 DAC and Lucas Audio LDMS music server with OEM fuses,  The Kassandra requires two fuses and the LDMS requires one.  Has anyone placed a Master fuse in their DAC and Server at the same time?  If you were to place in one component or the other, is it the DAC or Server?  

There are so many high end and very often super expensive fuses out now and it's so difficult to actually compare them unless you want to spend a boatload of money and then hope to sell the ones that don't synergize with one's system

You have the:

-Synergistic Research Master and Pink fuses.

-Telos Audio Design Quantum X2.

-Acme Audio CFC Silver Cryo fuses (cheap and effective).

-Audio Magic Masterpiece M2.

-Alan Maher Designs Fourier.

-The various QSA fuses up to their ultra expensive Gold fuse.

-The HiFi Tuning Supreme Diamond Silver fuse.

-Wilmer Red, Black, and Blue Knight fuses (cheaper than all but the Acmes).

-Verictum X and X2 fuses.

 

I'm probably forgetting some. All but the Acme and Wilmer Knight fuses cost over $100 each, the Alan Maher and Synergistic Pink $250, the Audio Magic M2 $300, The Synergistic Maser $600, and the QSA's up to several thousand dollars (there's no material beneficial to a fuse that should cost thousands even if you fill it with holey graphene, borophene, and 99.9% pure lab grade quartz). Imagine wanting to compare the lot of these then waiting to sell off the ones that didn't work as well.

At least Synergistic has a money back trial period, but I really wish they didn't have the "new more expensive fuse every year" model. I liked the Alan Maher $100 fuse from 4-5 years ago enough to upgrade to his Fourier fuse in a some items that could use it (two power conditioners) and aren't sensitive to creating blown fuses. I had an amp in my entertainment center setup that blew a fuse even connected to an Uninterruptable Power Supply, just because the power went out for a long enough time while it was on, so it's getting the Acme CFC silver cryo fuse and only that, can't afford anything more expensive.

 

@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).