Quantum Science Audio light blue fuse; $71, what a bargain!
I wanted to start a new thread about the more affordable versions of these fuses. I don’t doubt that the higher end versions are amazing, but most of us aren’t very likely to be able to hear them for ourselves. Fortunately, pretty much anyone who is serious about building a musically enjoyable and engaging system can get a good taste of what they’re all about.
I’ve had the light blue QSA fuses ($71) in my CD transport and DAC for over two weeks, now. They replaced SR blue fuses, at around twice the price, and easily bettered them. I am expecting one more light blue tomorrow, to replace an SR orange in my amp. I’ll give an update on that, once I get it installed and listen.
Meanwhile, here are a couple quotes from my posts on the other thread:
“What I am hearing is; voices & instruments are more solid and lifelike, with increased natural detail and sense of space, better dynamics, and a more relaxed overall sound.”
“Just got in a second light blue fuse for my DAC. So far, more of the same improvements I got in my CD transport. Very nice!😃 One thing I appreciate is the break in seems to be pretty quick, without any of the nasties you get with some other stuff. Pop it in, and you’ll hear improvements in short order, at least that’s been my experience.”
I am continuing to greatly enjoy what these fuses bring to my system, and am really looking forward to getting the last one in my amp.
Well I must say the one yellow fuse in my Lumin X1 does seem to provide a more detailed soundstage. But, this was not the case at least initially. I dunno, but it has improved quite a bit. I used the 1260 contact enhancer on the fuse ends and perhaps that delayed or changed the fuse performance. Looking forward to getting the yellows for my mono amps. ozzy |
Has anyone experienced a little harshness in the highs? I just put 2 blue QSA fuses in both my Innuos Zenith server/streamer and PrimaLuna EVO 400 integrated. I did notice more openness and greater separation and some dynamics. I listen to a lot of female vocals like Sarah Jarosz and Norah Jones and seem to get a little bit of shrill on the upper most notes. I have had them in about a week so they have maybe 15 hours on them. |
I am still in the auditioning phase. But, I am experiencing break in for sure and for me at least a rather lengthy one. What I don't know is whether the various color fuses all break in the same way? i.e. longer time frame, shorter time frame, different type of break in etc. Also, different equipment may respond differently...I am auditioning a RED fuse, so cannot comment on the blue fuse. But I think it may be a bit early in the break in phase. |
So I just pulled the trigger on a used SR Orange Duplex (220$) and a used SR Orange Fuse (100$). I have another orange fuse already installed in my converter and I loved what it did. They're about to be delivered today and I was all excited... until I came across this post. Seems like a whole lot of y'all are in agreeance that these QSA fuses are better. Does the SR Orange beat it in any aspect? ( detail , bass, soundstage ) Also has anyone tried their duplexes? |
It’s possible the higher up you go the longer the break in. Mike at Tweek Geek said his Red receptacle took quite a while to get to where it finally settled so maybe the idea is that the higher up colors have more of the "treatment" and need more time. Just speculating. Anybody order the new magic stones? I’m going to try the red, figured what the hell it should be fun. https://www.tweekgeek.com/qsa-stones-set-of-two/ |
jmphotography From QSA website translated : Wrong fuse direction it will too sound very harsh and bright with a rough overall quality. Sound is harder, brighter, thinner with much more hash. Who else tried these fuses and what were their impressions? The wrong fuse direction will make the sound sound very harsh and bright, and the overall quality is poor. The sound is harder, brighter, thinner, and more hashed. Who else has tried these fuses and how are the sound effects? |
earlflynn-
Chuck please do tell where the fuse installs on the Blackhawk.? Coulda sworn you had one?! May have jumped the gun but it sure looks to me like it is one of those where the fuse is incorporated into and directly below the IEC connector. There is no mention of a fuse at all in the Owner's Manual (pdf on-line) but the pictures look so exactly like that I didn't even bother to call and ask. |
@jmphotography , I've only had 4 or 5 different brands of fuses to try out and none of them really got any softer or less bright over time. If anything, they all opened up in the end, and that was trying them both ways. It could be that as more balance came to the fore, the brightness was evened out, but not by much. Now, that was some time ago as I've settled on the ones I like but if past is prologue, then I don't see them settling down for you unless these fuses are a different animal entirely. Might be best to contact the seller and get his take on it. All the best, Nonoise |
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The Raven Blackhawk MK3 (and all Avian MK3 series amplifiers) uses a 3 AMP SLOW BLOW 250 VOLT fuse per the last page of the user manual. The fuse is located in a holder located immediately below the IEC inlet. It has an embossed diagram of a fuse on it. https://www.ravenaudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Avian_Series_MK3_Manual_V1.0.15.pdf |
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@glory I never run. Not in my makeup. When I am wrong I own it and will apologize. I honestly did miss that when installing my raven. Only part of the manual a read was on the tube install. My bad and I did a own it. Now let’s move on and look forward to @millercarbon review of his new Blackhawk and we’ll his fuse. |
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You guys are doing it all wrong. What you want is the Texas Chainsaw Mascara https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkMV0TZYwt0 |
You guys are doing it all wrong. What you want is the Texas Chainsaw Mascara Nah! these last few riveting post are starting to resemble members of the magic circle club. https://i.ytimg.com/vi/f16WrEdr9qM/hqdefault.jpg |
Got my red QSA stones in on Monday. I am waiting to see how they settle in a bit, so I can get a good handle on what I’m I’m hearing before I report. Going by their description, they seem to be targeted toward system “tuning”. The effects are predominately in specific frequency bands. This is from the Tweek Geek site: “3 types of stones Red = Warm - These seem to affect the upper bass and lower midrange primarily, affecting the decay of instruments and overall ambiance and lending real woodiness to wooden instruments, and a realness to the human voice. Upright bass, cello, violin, and acoustic guitar sound fantastic. Blue = Open - The Blue Stones reach the upper mids to lower range of high frequencies. This gives an openness to the sound. Things like reverb and hall decay start expanding well beyond the speaker boundaries. Things are less congested. Clear = Transparent - The Clear seem to affect the upper regions, aiding in transparency and clarity of the high frequencies. Cymbals are clearer and decay longer. Hall ambiance is enhanced and overall clarity and transparency are improved.” I tend to prefer tweaks/changes that make improvements across the board, not just part of the spectrum. I will say that I like what I’m hearing with the red enough that I went ahead and ordered the blue and clear ones. They’re on their way. |
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