Don't feed the troll.
Synergistic Red Fuse ...
I installed a SR RED Quantum fuse in my ARC REF-3 preamp a few days ago, replacing an older high end fuse. Uhh ... for a hundred bucks, this little baby is well worth the cost. There was an immediate improvement upon installation, but now that its broken in (yes, no kidding), its quite remarkable. A tightening of the focus, a more solid image, and most important of all for my tastes, a deeper appreciation for the organic sound of the instruments. Damn! ... cellos sound great! Much improved attack on pianos. More humanistic on vocals. Bowed bass goes down forever. Next move? .... I'm doing the entire system with these fuses. One at a time though just to gauge the improvement in each piece of equipment. The REF-75se comes next. I'll report the results as the progression takes place. Stay tuned ...
Any comments from anyone else who has tried these fuses?
Any comments from anyone else who has tried these fuses?
Showing 19 responses by tommylion
Just got the iQSI in the mail today. I was going to put it in my DAC, but after reading about others getting good results using it around power inlets, I placed it on top of the Tara Labs Powerscreen that my transport, DAC, and amp are plugged into (pre is passive). Heard the results right away, no break in needed (Hooray!). I am stunned! Rather than try to describe what it does myself, I will just say that Larry Cox nailed it in the Positive Feedback review linked above. |
I really can understand skepticism about the Bybee iQSE. I'm still trying to wrap my head around what it does in my system, and how it does it. There's no denying what I hear (and others have heard and described), though. You can say it's all in my head, expectation bias, mass delusion, insanity, whatever you want to call it, I really don't care. I'm loving it. If you dare, take a step outside your comfort zone, risk being called a fool, and give it a try. I'm betting you'll be glad you did. |
Don’t get me wrong, I really like to know how things work. I just don’t NEED to, in order to try and, hopefully, benefit from them. Although much of it is beyond me, the concept of using the spin of particles for information storage & retrieval, and other beneficial things, is a fascinating one. The internal Quantum Signal Enhancer that I have is said to work by aligning the spin of electrons and protons. The Quantum Purifier (the one with the resistor) apparently works on a different principle. |
I continue to be amazed at what the Bybee iQSE has brought to my system. There is such a "rightness" to voices and instruments, that pulls me into the music. Subtle vocal inflections and other musical details are easily heard, without strain. Micro and macro dynamics are also nicely improved. Like the black fuses, it does it's thing without altering tonal balance; which I really appreciate. I hope to get a couple more soon. Has anyone else had the opportunity to try one (or more) in their system? |
perfectpathtech, I gather you are talking about the original Quantum Signal Enhancer, which is intended for external use in one’s system? The iQSE came out pretty recently, and is intended for use inside components. It has double-sided tape on one side to fix it to an internal service. I was planning on putting it inside my DAC, but found it worked great placed on top of my Tara Labs Powerscreen power strip. Apparently, the iQSE has a greater effect than the the QSE: http://tweekgeek.blogspot.com/2017/03/new-tweak-alert-bybee-internal-quantum.html I don’t know for sure, as I haven’t compared them. All I know is that I love what the iQSE does. |
Just wanted to thank oregonpapa for starting this this thread, and many others for participating and contributing. It has pointed me to many ways to improve my system, and increased my enjoyment of it greatly. I am truly amazed at how far it has come in a relatively short time, and this thread has played a significant part in that. Really looking forward to hearing about the "mystery tweak" that oregonpapa is currently testing. |
Found an inexpensive digital tweak that made a nice difference in my system: https://highend-electronics.com/products/highend-electronics-digital-terminator-75-ohm If you have an unused S/PDIF output on your CD Player, Transport, or other digital device, it may be mucking up the sound. I use the AES/EBU output on my CEC TL-5 Transport. Plugging the digital terminator into the S/PDIF resulted in smoother, more relaxed and transparent sound. I'm sure it would be easy for someone more DIY oriented to make one for themselves. For me, it was well worth the modest price, especially with free shipping. |
a25105, Good question. The description says they work for inputs as well as outputs. The unused input on my DAC is BNC, so I’m unable to try it there. They also have RCA shorting plugs for unused analog inputs on a preamp or integrated. I have had similar "caps" on my passive pre for some time. Maybe I will take them off to hear again what difference they make. |
Got the BNC terminator for my unused DAC input (Thanks Al 🙂). The improvements are very similar to what I heard putting the first one on the S/PDIF output of my transport. There is a physical switch to choose between the the BNC and AES/EBU inputs. You'd think that would mean the BNC is terminated when the switch is in the latter position, but apparently not. The difference is not at all subtle, and I've got to say this is one of the most cost effective tweaks I've ever tried. |
Just wanted to let folks here know about the latest addition to my system. It is a Core Power Technologies Equi=Core 300 balanced power cord between the wall and the Tara power strip my system is plugged into. I know some of you have, or have heard, one of the CPT units. If not, I highly recommend looking into them. Of course, I couldn’t leave things there. I had to try and up the ante by putting a Bybee iQSE inside it. Wow! A very synergistic combo! I am hearing a dramatically lowered noise floor. This brings out a wealth of unheard detail, naturally integrated into a wonderful musical whole. It is much easier to follow the various lines in complex music. The sense of life and "realness" of all types of music has jumped to another level. |