I'm evaluating some prototype fuses that I received in the mail three days ago.
Over the past few years, I've used fuses from five different manufacturers. The last three were the Red, Black and Blue fuses from Synergistic Research. Each one incrementally improved the sound of my system. My favorite so far was the SR Blue.
The prototype fuses being evaluated presently raises the SQ beyond all of the others mentioned above. The major improvement to my ears is better tonal accuracy. Instruments and voices are more life-like. The noise is reduced allowing for a more solid 3-D presentation with the musicians more solidly presented on the sound stage. Overall, more information is fleshed out of CDs and LPs.
The manufacturer, the price and the name of the prototype fuses will come later. I don't have the information thus far. My understanding is, if all works out, the release date is to be mid-October.
If you don’t want to blow $150 Change your old crusty fuses that may have seen too many turn on cycles (pics attached), then do it with the same $1 fuse, not the BS $150 SR boutique ones, as they will sound the same and age just as fast.
Pics of fast and slow blo fuses that have seen too many turn on cycles over a couple of years. https://ibb.co/PzWvzwr (left to right over time aging) https://ibb.co/17Tvy6t (right to left over time aging)
Ever notice how arguments against fuses are all over the map? On one hand, fuses cannot impart a sound characteristic so aftermarket fuses can’t as well. But microscopic traces of dirt or it’s position in fuse holder (that can only hold it one way, consistently) can affect the sound.
There’s the argument that if a fuse can make a difference, then there’s something really wrong with the design of the amp. Then they go as far as to say that what’s upstream, after the fuse, is drawing too much current and it’s not something wrong with the amp but something normally occurring and the design calls for the hastened demise of the fuse. Who would design a piece of gear to do that?
Any modern, properly designed piece of gear should never do that. There are amps out there that are going on decades in age that have the same fuse in them. The bad and poorly designed ones blow through fuses and should be avoided.
For those who have those badly designed amps, have you noticed a change in sound as the fuses wear down, and right before they blow? As often as you change those fuses, you should be familiar with the timing.
Just curious.
It’s starting to sound like I’ll use whatever argument I can conjure, backed with my expertise in other, related matters, to shade my argument and, like one particular person, I’ll add in my boring slide show that comes with everything I post about fuses, leading one to surmise that some form of O.C.D. is at work.
It’s what always happens with these pseudo skeptics, there are only so many logical arguments one can make against fuses making a difference and why aftermarket fuses are better sonically than stock Littelfuse or Busmann fuses. After that they turn to ridiculous claims that are mostly bloviation and illogical arguments. Plus they tend to feel frustrated and trapped, hence all the silly behavior. It’s always the same. “You’re delusional, you’re crazy, you can’t pass a controlled double blind test, yadda yadda yadda.” The leopard always comes to the table with the same spots. 🐆
So, is it only fuses that I should worry and doubt myself about when it comes to hearing what I hear?
Refined by over a quarter million years of evolution, the ears I inherited work just fine and have yet to deceive me. I've never been confronted by anyone about anything else I've heard, save, for cables.
Funny how it's only audio related things that gets peoples hackles up.
Actually, I’m not very surprised you could not hear any difference between fuses. Kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy, wouldn’t you say? Or were you more open-minded back then? 😛
👍 The guy is just a blatant shiller for Synergistic Research, and not just their fuses, but all their voodoo products, some said he said he’s a "beta tester" for Synergistic, but that’s just BS also
All that can be done, is to keep strongly refuting his and his lackeys claims, until admin see fit to remove this type of dangerous BS thread from Audiogon.
These BS fuse thread keep asking the gullible/non technical on Audiogon to purchase and play Russian Roulette swapping, changing and A/Bing mains fuses until one is seriously hurt or worse, because they forgot to unplug from the mains first.
BTW Rob looks like there's been spring cleaning by admin on his many of his posts
This is a great video. This guy has measured more in Audio than all of us combined. He does briefly address the imagined differences between cables, does not even go into fuses as they don’t even deserve mentioning to anybody that knows anything about audio stuff works.
Not that you had any credibility, but when you even try to suggest Dr. Floyd Toole doesn’t know what he is doing ... you lose any left.
Floyd knew what he was doing. Within a very narrow window. Floyd was a specialist.
Remember what Heinlein said about specialization.... One again, robcan, if you are so knowledgeable, please take a stab at explaining the physics of a liquid metal audio cable. Have at it. Prove or disprove it’s validity in audio. The audio world awaits.
Always gotta try and find that different point of view. EG, just now, looking at my new dog rescue. And wondering what is going on in that mind of hers. To her, we probably all look like something akin to oversized malformed waddling meercats.
As far as BS fuses go
If you don’t want to blow $150 Change your old crusty fuses that may have seen too many turn on cycles (pics attached), then do it with the same $1 fuse, not the BS $150 SR boutique ones, as they will sound the same and age just as fast.
Pics of fast and slow blo fuses that have seen too many turn on cycles over a couple of years. https://ibb.co/PzWvzwr (left to right over time aging) https://ibb.co/17Tvy6t (right to left over time aging)
Snake oil is the lubricant that greases the tracks of the train of progress. All aboard! Toot! Toot! 🚂 Remember what the Little Engine that Could said, “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!” 🤗
George, George, George of the Jungle, look out for that tree!! 🤕
Pics of fast and slow blo fuses that have seen too many turn on cycles over a couple of years. https://ibb.co/PzWvzwr (left to right over time aging) https://ibb.co/17Tvy6t (right to left over time aging)
It’s a counter measure, to BS on $150 mains fuses.
I urge those here to use it and pass it on and post it up, every time BS is presented on the sound of AC mains fuses and their installed direction @analogluvrroberttcan pass this on
If you don’t want to blow $150 Change your old crusty fuses that may have seen too many turn on cycles (pics attached), then do it with the same $1 fuse, not the BS $150 SR boutique ones, as they will sound the same and age just as fast.
Pics of fast and slow blo fuses that have seen too many turn on cycles over a couple of years. https://ibb.co/PzWvzwr (left to right over time aging) https://ibb.co/17Tvy6t (right to left over time aging)
I'd like to post this link to a PS Audio experience which surprised them,
https://www.psaudio.com/pauls-posts/fuses/ They had no expectation bias, just the opposite, that a fuse wouldn't affect the sound. But introducing fuses in the output of an amp in the production stage stuffed it's sonics, working backward they identified the newly added fuses as the cause, fuses matter.
Assuming there are good soap operas, much of this thread is one depressingly horrible soap.
There are grown men -perhaps a mistaken assumption- calling each other stupid names over some damn expensive fuses and pseudo-science. Ad hominem, anonymous, childish attacks, based on what?
Full disclosure. I did try some SR fuses in my tube electronics. And, yes, they did make a modest improvement in reducing grain. BUT, due to some sort of electronic gremlins, three of these fuses blew. $450.00 worth. POOF! GONE!
It’s simply not worth it. And, of course, YMMV. But please, "gentlemen" stop the name-calling and hyperbole, aka total BS.
One last thought regarding the OP, who spoke of "wanting to commit rape and murder," I suggest you delete those comments from this public forum.
I don’t doubt your experience with the fuses you tried.
On the other hand, I’ve been using after-market fuses for years now, and have yet (knock on wood) had one blow. Also, each incarnation of fuses improved the sound substantially over the ones they replaced. For the improvement they bring, considering their price, compared to many other tweaks that are marginal in any improvement they bring to the table, are a good value.
Full disclosure ... some on this forum are sorely lacking in a sense of humor.
roberttcan 5) Paul at PS audio while not as bad as many, is not overly technical and is not known for the technical honestly of his communication.
>>>That’s an excellent example of how pseudo skeptics, when they run out of legitimate arguments, stoop to using such old fake arguments as calling the opponent dishonest. Ad hominem attacks frequently pop up in these threads. Others are even worse than Paul at PS Audio? OMG! 😩
roberttcan 2) There is no discussion of what fuse they used. Obviously not understanding fuses at the time means they may have picked a poor one with high resistance or more likely running too hard and they got excessive resistance and thermal modulation.
>>>>>But as you yourself already pointed out, and very astutely, there are extremely small differences among the fuses measured for resistance. So you’re obviously grasping at straws. What a load of horse man knew her!
roberttcan 3) It could have had something to do with how they put the fuse into the system, the fuse-holder, etc.
>>>No, sorry, we’ve already shown the fuse holder to be wishful thinking - a RED HERRING - on the part of overly enthusiastic pseudo skeptics. Just grasping at straws. If it was the fuse holder causing the problem, e.g., imperfections, oxidation, etc. it would be repeatable and transferrable, which it’s not. It’s random. Whereas fuses themselves, including their directionality, are repeatable and transferrable.
Testing of fuses is performed without the fuse holder, by the way. Make sense? Having said that some fuse holders are better than others. The Acme Audio silver plated fuse holders, which I’ve used in the past, are excellent and sound better than your stock everyday fuse holder. Are fuse holders directional. Are connectors directional? So many questions. So little time. 🤡
georgehifi It’s a counter measure, to BS on $150 mains fuses.
I urge those here to use it and pass it on and post it up, every time BS is presented on the sound of AC mains fuses and their installed direction @analogluvrroberttcan pass this on
>>>>>If one listens to George’s advice on fuses then the logical next step is to ignore power cords. Ignore their construction, their purity of conductor, quality of their connectors, whether they are solid core or stranded and their directionality. We should also ignore wall outlets and wall outlet covers, if we listen to George. Conclusion: don’t listen to George.
Kudos to analgloober for writing an almost grammatically correct sentence. I’m not worried about him correcting the sentence because he doesn’t know what grammatically means.
Imagine, people accuse me of shooting fish in a barrel. 🐟 🐠 🐠
See ... that deletion really screwed things up. Now we can't see what teo was responding to. Must have been a real dig to elicit this:
"intractable, incurable circular psychopaths."
I hope teo won't be offended if I steal it and use it elsewhere, like in some of the political forums I visit. It's brilliant and suits so many, so well.
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