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?
128x128oregonpapa
"It's possible that SR fuse is affected by the turn-on sequence.  My Pass XP-15 phono stage has no on/off switch.  It's powered on once the AC cable is connected.  I blew two Red fuses before I successfully used a Red with higher amperage rating."

Exactly the same as my Ayre K-1xe phonolinepreamp/power supply where I lost two 1A Black fuses before going to a 2A.

Best to you mtseymour,
Dave

mtseymour,

Have you replaced all the fuses in your BHK amp with the black fuses?  How much better is your BHK after replacing the 4 rail fuses compare to the 2 main ones?  thx.

Allan
Thank you for your inputs about the value and margin in black fuses.  I am now experimenting with the direction of these fuses. 

I have been told that SR fuses should be oriented such that the writing on the fuse is in the direction of signal flow (ie looking at the SR label on the fuse, arrow going from S side to R side of the fuse). 

For fuses on AC power line, I am assuming that AC "signal" flows into the equipment thru Live/Line/Hot terminal and out thru the Neutral terminal.

Thus, for fuses on the Live terminal of the input IEC power connector, the S side of the SR marking on the fuse should be towards the Line terminal of the IEC connector.  

For fuses on the Neutral terminal, the R side of the SR marking is towards the Neutral terminal of the IEC Neutral connector. 

Please let me know your comments and if this theory is a proper way to orient fuses.

Alex
For fuses on AC power line, I am assuming that AC "signal" flows into the equipment thru Live/Line/Hot terminal and out thru the Neutral terminal....

... Please let me know your comments and if this theory is a proper way to orient fuses.
Hi Alex,

While energy is of course transferred in the direction from the outlet to the component, the AC hot and AC neutral conductors are involved in that process equally. And the AC current alternates direction in both of those conductors (and also in the fuse), every 8.333 milliseconds for 60 Hz AC, and every 10 milliseconds for 50 Hz AC.

Beyond that, all I can say in response to your question is to suggest that you read my post in this thread dated 10-28-2016, which appears near the middle of the previous page. And note that if the comment by Atmasphere that I quoted in the thread is correct (and he has indicated that he has verified his contention experimentally) it would follow that the existence of sonic differences resulting from changing the direction of a fuse does not establish that fuses are inherently directional.

IMO. (And also, as you’ll see in the comments quoted in the post I referred to, in the opinions of four different experienced designers of well regarded audio electronics). Opinions of other audiophiles, most of whom are not electronics designers, will certainly differ in many cases.

Good luck. Regards,
-- Al

Al wrote,

"IMO. (And also, as you’ll see in the comments quoted in the post I referred to, in the opinions of four different experienced designers of well regarded audio electronics). Opinions of other audiophiles, most of whom are not electronics designers, will certainly differ in many cases."

Thanks for a classic example of the warhorse logical fallacy, the Appeal to Authority.