SPL Phonos Phono Preamp

noromance, I assure you that my understanding of the process of electronic amplification is as complete or incomplete as yours. We just chose different words to describe the process. Nor did I say (or think) that the signal is "ushered" anywhere. Nor does your comment contradict my point that the fuse placed on the power transformer primary does not pass the audio signal. Let’s just leave it be.
I don’t know why I got so lathered up about fuses back in November, 2019. I should know better than to argue over tweaks, and in fact I thought I did know better long before the end of 2019. If you like it, it’s good. I will only add that if fuses are so critical to overall sound quality, then the fuseholder must assume equal importance. Wouldn’t putting a $150-fuse in the typical cheap pot metal fuseholder to be found on the back panel of even expensive components be an exercise in wishful thinking? Yet there is not much literature about fuseholders. Nor are there many boutique fuseholders from which to choose. I settled on Acme silver-plated cryo-treated fuses in an Acme fuseholder, which has silver-plated contact surfaces, where I am concerned that a fuse might make a sonic difference, as in my OTL amplifiers where there is a fuse actually for real in the signal path. Acme fuses and fuseholders are not crazily priced and seem fine. Enough said, unless you or someone else wants to discuss this off-topic further.
Also, I think I made the point back in 2019: I do NOT deny that ICs and power cords can affect the sound. But for power cords, I have found by experience that, for me anyway, the main factors are current-carrying capacity and low characteristic impedance, not quantum effects or any hoo-doo voodoo.

audiofun, It is I who owe you an apology for being a bit snotty in my initial post.  We can agree to disagree on whether or not AC from the wall socket carries the "entire electrical signal", but I do disagree with you.  You use the word "signal"; the AC from the wall has not one iota of audio signal on it.  It's just the raw material, if you will, from which the AC signal is derived.  I said why I disagree, also, in my earlier snotty post.  The AC goes through a power transformer, rectifier diodes, filtering in the form of capacitors, resistors, and/or inductors, just to produce DC, which STILL bears no audio signal.  The DC runs transistors or tubes to amplify or pass the audio signal coming from an upstream source to some downstream source.  Where in this process does the fuse pass the audio signal?  There's no need to respond, because we are just at odds on this. 

A fuse is a piece of wire designed to burn up when a certain amount of current passes through it for too long a time.  That's ALL it does and all it should ever do.  The only way that I see for a fuse to affect sonics would be if its inherent resistance is great enough to retard the current demands of the component in which it is installed. So, I could be made to imagine that a fuse that displays very low resistance when in operation at tolerable current levels would be preferred over one that exhibits higher resistance at that very same current draw.  Yet I have never seen any of the boutique fuse marketeers touting their products on this basis.  Most seem to prefer an allusion to Quantum Mechanics. Further, the conductivity of different metals is not a scientific mystery. I would have thought that the major manufacturers of fuses have known for a long time what metals exhibit properties (low resistance, high temperature coefficient, etc) that are favorable to optimize fuse performance. Likewise, directionality can only come into play if in the process of reversing the fuse in its holder, you do something to lower the resistance at the interfaces between fuse and holder, either deliberately or accidentally.  Finally, what is the rationale for expensive fuses that are only going to be used in the typical crappy fuseholder?  Shouldn't a fuseholder affect sound, as well?

As to why the SPL Phonos sounds so good, I have no dog in that fight.  As noted, I have never heard it.

audiofun, Back in January of this year, you responded to my question about the fuse upgrade by this statement: "If you can’t hear the difference a better circuit conduit makes while carrying the entire electrical signal then by all means keep the stock fuse."  First, while I am always a sceptic of any tweak that has no science behind it, only subjective impressions, I do concede that some such tweaks sometimes do leave me with a favorable opinion.  And I am a believer in power cords, although my thoughts there are that current-carrying capacity (should be in excess of the current demanded) and characteristic impedance (should be as low as possible and depends upon topology of the conductors in the cord) are what's needed, regardless of cost.  So, I am not dead set against or for anything. 


Second, the fuse does not by any means carry the "entire electrical signal".  A fuse must pass the voltage (120V in the US) and the current to the power transformer, so IT can do the job of delivering unrectified AC of a specified AC voltage to the rectifiers/inductors/capacitors that do produce DC from AC.  The DC thus produced provides the "ride" for the AC signal voltage output.  So a fuse is very far away from that vital pathway.  I went to the website and read the specs for the SPL.  It might be wonderful sounding, but there is nothing in its specifications that gives any hint as to why that would be so.  The description of the power supply suggests it's fairly pedestrian.  But by no means do I pass judgement on the quality of the end result; it may be as excellent as you say.

Audiofun, you had me interested until you started talking about fuses. Have beeswax fuses passed UL testing?