Swiss Digital FUSE BOX Question Thread

I have tested the SDFB and while I didn’t find it quit as good as my preferred plan of running with no protection (jump the fuse), it sounded almost as good in my system.

I have found that most don’t have an interest in running without protection like I do; they gaslight me and call me an idiot (realize that these are accountants and lawyers talking down to a physicist about technical issues so you can imagine how much stock I put in their comments). But it is real that people don’t want to do what I do, and I respect that. For them I recommend the SDFB. It is much superior to just upgrading your fuse. Not only does it sound better, but it provides better protection than a fuse. I’ve seen fuses NOT BLOW and equipment fail on many occasions. My 40+ years of experience in the electrical industry tells me that the magnetic protection system used in SDFB is much more reliable than a fuse.

Jerry

magnetic protection system used in SDFB is much more reliable than a fuse.

Agreed! I admit, I was very suspicious and outright scared to try this, but at the end, I am glad I did.

For people wondering: if their fuses are user replaceable, meaning don’t need to send back to the manufacturer to replace a blown fuse, this is as easy as replacing a blown fuse. You need three things to order the proper one:

1) Size: Small or Large

2) Amperage 

3) Slow Blow or Fast Blow 

Thanks Jerry, and you are hereby rewarded for bucking the accepted wisdom (gaslighting) on electricity with this:

Take the slug they give you, stick it in a drill and go through a series of fine sanding and polishing until an almost mirror shine is reached. Flip it over and do the other end, until the whole thing is shiny smooth. Remove all polishing residue with alcohol, and then replace. 

@edisoncarter The slugs they gave me are still in the bag.  Im afraid I chuckle at people who polish in a drill as I have a lathe and have polished 3" stainless steel shafts to mirror finish (lots of work even at 1500 rpm).  

but I don't find that a mirror finish is necessarily good.  I make my own slugs from 5 9's occ copper.  I put a new matte finish with scotchbrite.  I think that makes the best electrical connection...that said the other half of the connection is a mass produced fuse holder.

Jerry

You could list the more common or generally applicable questions you are getting and your answers to them here.

I want to thank everyone for their input here

Much more to follow

Thanks to all - Mark

Hi Mark,

  I had read on the other thread some users polished the slugs themselves as they seemed not to have a very smooth appearance.  Do you plan on making the surface of the slugs smoother ?

I am looking forward to your more to follow comment. I am a very happy Puron user.

Thanks

Hi there mark, I contacted you earlier regarding the possibility of a 240V version of the fuse box - are you any closer to this? Thanks much!

In friendship - kevin.

@simguy Do you polish your wires?

Anybody got a physics based reason why smoother slugs would be better?  

like I said, I putt a matte finish on mine.

Jerry

@simguy

Yes, I know of several users that are polishing their Sluggos and reporting great results. I don’t feel it’s right to name them – so if they want to speak out they can.

The new Super Sluggos – Gold Immersion… by their nature are in fact yield a smoother surface. In my system, these with High Purity Copper Base seem to be the best of all worlds.

Super Sluggos are available in both Brass and Copper – both with Gold Immersion


I need to apologize a bit here as I need to get these on the web site, but we’ve two issues that have slowed us --- One, some illness in the house and Two, the largest volume of orders we’ve had since the beginning. Thanks to all of you.


@kevn

Thanks for your note here -

We have 220/240 coming VERY SHORTLY – as well, 12v too. These will go to Indonesia for the Auto – Marine etc markets -

There is a new Snubber coming as well. This product will be called Snub Station Zero

Fabulous product with a really unique take on solving the biggest problems er all face around the world with worsening Power Grids – this will also be a 110/220~240 product

And lastly, an Economical Power Distributor with multiple duplex and mono-plex inputs for cords used around the world.

Thanks for asking…

Best to all – Mark

@carlsbad2 

Please keep pushing the envelope. 

Appreciate your viewpoint and more

Thanks - Mark 

Mark,

Always remember that copper is a better conductor than gold.

Jerry

@rsf507 

You're absolutely right 

Post removed 

Thanks - Mark

This is just a question, not a criticism.  I’ve been wondering why everyone is working so hard on finding the right metal, polishing, etc. and not just bypassing the entire junk fuse holder and slug and just wiring passed the whole thing with good high end wire?   Sometimes the AC wire comes in to a fuse holder which the wire could easily be unsoldered and moved over to the other end to bypass the holder.  If the fuse holder is PC board mounted then just solder some good wire underneath from one solder joint to the other to bypass it.  Then either no protection (I don’t  recommend but whatever) or use the Swiss Digital Fuse Box.  I would imagine this would sound a lot a lot better than a slug.  Has anybody been experimenting with this?

@harpo75 

No question that your idea is a good one - but no protection sounds not so good to me in the long run.

Thanks

I’m just saying, for people that are going to take out the protection why don’t you get rid of the actual connection too.  Every connection you can get rid of will improve the sound quality.  I really like the idea of removing the connection all together and using something like the Swiss Digital Fuse Box.  Just wish there was something more affordable to provide protection.  No way I could afford one for each device on my retired budget.  

No way I could afford one for each device on my retired budget.  

How many devices you have that you are able to swap the fuses on?

The reason I am asking is I can only do this in two of my devices. And I have more than two devices. And the two devices I can do this on, getting the Swiss Boxes, makes a big difference. For a few hundred dollars. However, I do realize that if your system is already $free ala Mahjister style, paying money for such Swiss stuff does not make any sense

I have two large dual chassis mono-block amps that need 8 amp slow blows, so two there. A Schiit Yggy - 1/2 amp fuse.  Preamp has two 2 amp slow blows (has different transformers which are individually fused, filaments turn on first (lots and lots of cap filtering so high turn on surge) but would only need one fuse box and wire passed both fuses.  Also have an old very, very modded Theta tube preamp that I just use for the phono stage - 1 amp slow blow.  This was the original Theta company with Mike Moffat and John Beatty.  I’ve completely rebuilt it wit teflon tube sockets, completely new upgraded power supply and separate PS chassis, new high end caps like V-Cap Teflon’s and StealthCap’s, OCC wire, etc. Sound fantastic now.  Also rebuilt a friends like this for him.  It’s a wonderful preamp to start with but once updated and modded it’s amazing!
So I’d need five fuse boxes.  That gets expensive. Not like I haven’t spent a lot on parts for my equipment but it’s all slowly custom built and now a retired tech with a very tight budget now.  Mostly I just but records and digital music and upgrade small less costly things that my wife won’t notice. 

@harpo75 : I would start with swapping the fuse in one of the equipment. The easiest one to do. Perhaps the Schiit Yggy. Then, you can scale from there, depending whether it makes a positive difference for you.

Yes good idea.  I was thinking about that. Try one at a time and see how it goes.  Maybe I can pick up a Swiss Fuse Box and try it different places and go from there. I already have some cheaper upgraded fuses in all the equipment and a Gustard Nano fuse in the Yggy.  

Yes good idea.  I was thinking about that. Try one at a time and see how it goes.  Maybe I can pick up a Swiss Fuse Box and try it different places and go from there. I already have some cheaper upgraded fuses in all the equipment and a Gustard Nano fuse in the Yggy.  

Greetings 

Happy Holidays 

Thanks to all of you guys for sending people to us for the BF Deal 

Appreciate it 

We have 8 units left and then no more until mid December as we are waiting chassis from Japan

Thanks again - Mark 

Mark: what is “BF Deal”?

@thyname 

Black Friday 

:)

Best wishes 

Mark 

Can you take the fuse box... out of its box... so you can wire it in directly into an amplifier chassis? Wired directly to the IEC inlet! 

Or is it potted?

I have an amp with 1x fuse on the inlet and 4x fuses on the amp boards. I have in the past run magnetically directional sluggos on the amp board and it made a large difference in sound.

Going back to normal fuses was a noticeable downgrade.

But if I could hardwire in a device like this I would remove not just the fuse but the fuse holder and jump it with good hookup wire (like VH Audio UPOCC).

This will sound better than any sluggo.

Good Morning 

@ agisthos

I am aware today or two guys doing what you have suggested - we understand the reasons - but don't really love this for the obvious reason. Safety First

Here to help 

Many thanks

Mark 

I have looked at these with great interest. However, a bit put off by needing the additional AC cable from the SDFB to the IEC.

It's great to know that it is possible to hard wire it in. I understand the "safety" position as a manufacturer. There are those of us that can and others that can't (or shouldn't). It would be nice to have an option of purchasing SDFB's with hard wire pigtails or terminal pads for direct installation.

One option might be to provide the SDFB's with a hard wired captive pigtail thus eliminating one AC junction.

Another option would be to build the SDFB onto the back of an IEC. (Similar to what CorCom does). I understand that this would require some technical expertise to install, just like a fully hard wired version. But would eliminate multiple contact points of a "conventional" SDFB substitution.

Some suppliers have a "DIY" section with products available for those that can.

@jadedavid 

We set out to make the integration as seamless as possible for the many :)

There are several ways to approach this and we are comfortable offering our SDFB Package the way we do 

Many manufactures have contacted us about building this in - we will go that direction too in 2024.

We have an updated model that will be useable from 10 amps + to 32 amps. The parts we were waiting for are now a reality 

We are also looking at a Hard Wired Option. I like that idea 

Between this product and our new SnubWay we think we have a seriously good path forward - those interested an find Viet's Intro Video here

Thanks 

@jadedavid : this is not an issue. Plenty of IEC adapters (meaning not cables) available for cheap on Amazon on the outlet / wall side that make this point moot IMO

@agisthos I have Monoblocks like yours as well: mine are BAT VK60.

i wii receive a swissdogital fusebox for the main fuse soon. But 4 fuses are protecting the output tubes on each monoblock.  Did you put slogos in there? What kind and why directonal.