Cymbop,
I look forward to your follow up listening impressions as you acquire the necessary burn in time.
Charles,
I look forward to your follow up listening impressions as you acquire the necessary burn in time.
Charles,
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?
4,839 responses Add your response
^^^ Charles... There is such a sense of realism in my system these days ... the B-3 was in the room last night. I can hardly wait for my next listening session with my friend Robert. He loves the B-3 like you and I do. On vibes ... my favorite player is Cal Tjader. Saw him live when I was in high school at Zardi's jazz club in Hollywood back in '56. It was a great night of jazz. My girlfriend was gorgeous, the atmosphere was romantic ... and Tjader was the bomb. Its nice that we can relive these moments in our very own listening rooms ... at least in our minds with our eyes closed. :-) These SR fuses, and the vast improvements they have brought to the system, have really peaked my interest in the hobby again. I've decided to look for more ways to drastically improve the system. I've been thinking hard on the issue, and took a good look around the system to see what could be the next step. I have a mishmash of power cords, good ones to be sure, but I think that's the next step. In the meantime, I still have two SR Red fuses to swap out for the Blacks. Stay tuned ... :-) |
Cymbop- don't forget to play with direction. I've noticed, at least on the red fuses, that there is a distinct change in sound depending on direction.. I've found that the right way actually sounds SMALLER in scale, but with a proper image size and relationship. When the fuse is wrong. The soundstage sounds oval with a huge hump in the center, making the center image mushroomed out, creating just a huge center image with a tiny band on each side. Youll know its right when you hear the correct perspective. |
I've found that the right way actually sounds SMALLER in scale, but with a proper image size and relationship. When the fuse is wrong. The soundstage sounds oval with a huge hump in the center, making the center image mushroomed out, creating just a huge center image with a tiny band on each side. Bingo! Exactly what I hear in wrong direction ... sounds out of phase. |
Frank, Our audio systems have different components. Your amplifier is moderate power KT 150 tube based push pull. Mine is low power 300b tube SET. Despite the obvious contrast we have near identical results with the SR Black fuses. They have as you've noted increased further the sense of realism and presence factor. Power cables? So many choices. Regarding the Hammond B3, are you familiar with organist Shirley Scott? If not check her out, I think you'll like her quite a lot. She has some really good recordings with her ex husband Stanley Turrentine (tenor saxophonist ), good stuff. Shirley has superb swing. Charles, |
Oregonpapa: I am sure you have a good blend of power cords and interconnects. Might I suggest four system upgrades that work for me in three different rooms with different speakers, amps, front end players, and acoustics. 1. If you have not already done so optimize your a/c wall outlets. I have evaluated the Synergistic Research Teslaplex SE, Oyaide R-1, and Furutech GTX-R. The Oyaide is rich and dark. The Teslaplex allows the most music thru to the system. The Furutech is the most detailed with a more etheral sounding soundstage- similar to Type 45 mesh EML tube. The Teslaplex is nice as it can be tried for 30 days and returned. 2. Add a Synergistic Research Grounding Block to your system. 3. Experiment with the placement of Synergistic Research Electronic Circuit Transducers (ECT's) inside or outside your amp and CD player. I have about 15 of the ECT in each system. These ECT units really allow you to fine tune your system. I think you in particular would enjoy the fact that you need to experiment with their exact placement. It is a very satisfying journey leading to audio excellence. 3. Try a Synergistic Research Atmosphere unit. Their latest mini model is $1499.00. I have the standard model and yes it does everything they claim it does. I suggest this upgrade path because it is universal. These four devices work with any room and any system. They are adjustable. If you change components or listening rooms they still work. Each one can be returned if you do not like the change in sound. I hope everyone takes time to enjoy music this weekend. David Pritchard |
^^^ Thank you for taking the time in listing those improvements, David. Much appreciated. The SR tweaks and upgrades will become a permanent part of my quest for getting as close to live music in my home as possible. I've really been taken by SR's demos on YouTube. After I'm done with the fuses, the next tweak will be the ECT's. I know folks are getting astounding results from them. I'm using the Oxaide wall outlet now, but its an old one ... older technology. So, I will be changing the Oxaide out for the SR. I've got to say, after being in this hobby for somewhere near 40 years, I've tried most things. NOTHING has been as cost effective, brilliant and such an overwhelming improvement as these SR fuses. I thought I had a musical, resolving system before, but now I realize just how much more there is. Over the years, I've paid particular attention to reducing micro vibrations in the system to the lowest level possible (at least I think so). Perhaps that's one reason why I'm getting such fantastic results from the fuses. They have been absolutely system changing and stunning. When a person such as I, and many others posting here, has an investment in an audio system that would buy a new Mercedes Benz or a Porsche 911, the improvements afforded by the folks at SR is very much appreciated. In the next few days I'll be evaluating and reporting on SR's new Level 3 Atmosphere Series AC Cords. They will be put throughout the entire system. http://www.synergisticresearch.com/new-atmosphere-series-ac-power-cords/ As they break in I'll start a new thread so that this fuse thread can carry on as a fuse thread. Thanks again, David. You, Richard and so many others here have been a real inspiration for me. And ... at my age, I need all of the inspiration I can muster. :-) Stay tuned ... |
Papa... If your looking for an fantastic tweak for your system look into a Akiko Audio - Triple AC Power Enhancer. They make tuning sticks in a few different versions,but the Triple would be a good place to start. Just plug it into your ac wall outlet that feeds your system or into your power conditioner and hold on to your hat... |
My used Reds arrived and have been placed in the Coincident Franks. I was skeptical, but there was an immediate improvement, just as promised. I am glad that the ears I trust in the thread were proven correct. Maybe when they introduce the next round (Golds maybe?), I'll buy up some people's broken in Blacks. Looking forward to the arrival of my last 1A so I can open up my DAC. |
oregonpapa: Looking forward to your Atmosphere power cord thread. Atmosphere cables take longer to break in- equilibrate in a system than many cables. I suggest 150 to 200 hrs. I do think the UEF technology in the fuses and cables do somehow interact positively with each other. When replacing the A/C wall receptacle please remember to turn off the circuit breaker before starting the replacement. Make sure it is the correct circuit breaker! Take the time to clean the house wires going to the new duplex. Give the new a/c duplex 7-10 days to fully open up and enjoy. Not as jaw dropping as installing Black or Red fuses but still helpful is treating the entire audio circuit all the way back to the power company's transformer with a Jim Hagerman FryCorder. This is a "cable conditioner" somewhat like the AudioDharma Cable Cooker but it treats the house circuit. The price is about that of two Black fuses. I have one and like it. I treat my audio circuits about every 4 mouths. I use my system while the FryCorder is plugged in to the system. Hagerman sells direct and he has a web site. The Marantz SA11-S2 SACD player uses 7 fuses! One power fuse and 6 rail fuses. Each new Black fuse has made a sonic improvement. These Black fuses also improve the headphone listening experience to a degree I simply did not think possible. With the Synergistic Research Black fuses in place, the Sennheiser 800 and Enigmacoustic Dharma headphones are producing sound stages that are thrilling to experence. David Pritchard |
David ... Thanks for all of your advise. I'm looking forward to the SR power cord thread as well. With the same technology as the fuses, I can only imagine what a five-foot long power cable will do. And ... I will reporting on four of the cables as they break in, in the system. 150 to 200 hours, eh? Wow. OP |
Jetter, That's true. Components, cables and certain tube replacement/upgrading, it can become expensive in a hurry. What makes these fuse tweaks so attractive is their performance /cost ratio . The power cables could certainly be worth every penny for what they provide in sound quality improvement. However, "Whole different ballgame" is right. Charles, |
Are $150 fuses or 3K power cords too much of an extravagance? http://hifisenses.com/sg-en/house-visit/journey-to-audiophile-haven-at-manila-philippines-part-9.htm... By the way, the last Black fuse is completely broken in now. During last night's listening session I put on Jessica Williams' "Live at Yoshi's" Vol. I. It was just like being there. Highly recommended ... a great recording. http://www.ebay.com/itm/JESSICA-WILLIAMS-Live-at-Yoshis-Vol-1-CD-Digipak-Jazz-Piano-Music-2004-MaxJa... Onward and upward ... |
Oregonpapa: That is a great CD. When a system is dialed in and the SR Black fuses are broken in, her piano sounds out of this world. Especially when she strums the piano strings with her hand. Boy o Boy! The music coming out of the Teresonic Speakers that are powered by the Black fused Emotion Type 45 tube amp is great today. I hope all have a good weekend. David Pritchard |
I have notice changes in my SRB fuses after 300 hours, especially on my CD Player and Tube Power supply and it's possibly due to the small amount of power that these components draw. But I noticed on the CDs that I've been listening to for weeks that images has shifted toward the inside of the left speaker with more depth. Maybe my next upgrade will be the SR ECTs inside my CD Player... |
The Synergistic Research Electronic Circuit Transducers (ECT) definitely have an effect on my Marantz SA11-S2 SACD player. I have about 7 in the SACD player and 8 on the tube amp. You can over do it and you can also put them in places where the sound gets worse. But after trial and error (following Synergistic Research Guidelines) you can be rewarded with a much improved sound from the CD player or DAC. I used a stick of Blue Stick from Home Depot to afix the ECT's temporarily while deciding where the best locations were. A good spot seemed to trigger a sense of more music or better focus. A bad location would trigger a sense of loss of music or emotional impact. I like the ECT's a lot . They can be removed and used on the next piece of equipment when you get upgradeitis. Although since I have been using ECT's , upgradeitis does not seem to ocurr as often. The potential downside is they are not a plug and play but rather an install and evaluate. Personally, I enjoyed the installation journey to sonic improvement. David Pritchard |
After two weeks my first SR black arrived. I installed it in my Coincident line stage, where it replaced a stock fuse. I did not detect any of the brightness or hard edge reported by others. I noticed a modest increase in resolution as judged by the clarity of the German in Schutz's Die Sieben Worte. A more significant increase in tonal beauty was noted. It was one of those deals where you start running through music you hadn't heard in a while, because you just didn't want to stop listening. I suspected their might be a hint of increased air, but it wasn't more than a hint. Soundstage and imaging were inconclusive. I did not attempt to reverse the direction yet. I plan on leaving the preamp powered up today and letting it idle. Wig, I plan on replacing the fuses in my PS 9.0 and HAPZ1 next. I hope the results parallel your experience with your MW Sony. If all goes as expected with the preamp fuse, I will probably place an order for the source fuses in a couple weeks. |
I installed a BLACK fuse in my Modwright Oppo 9.0 power supply three weeks ago. Sadly, nothing. Maybe a bit more blackness (pun) but I'm not sure. Brownsfan, Please don't let my experience stop you from trying the fuse in your unit. You have a 100% return option so what to loose, frankly I am very curious what you think. The RED in my VAC was stunning. |
Synergistic Research HFT (High Frequency Transducer) Anyone else? If too far off topic please let me know and I'll withdraw this. I just now installed 13 of my 15 sale pack of HFT's. Five years ago I installed five acoustic resonators Franck Tchang brought to the market. The idea and results from transducers or resonators or whatever you call them is something I am aware of and enjoy the soundstage they bring to my room. I'm not 100% on placement now but find the forward soundstage much better in that there is a solid wall enveloping the area in a natural way. I can hear extension and depth over what was there before. There is more going on but I need time to listen. It is not easy for me to articulate in written form not exactly the most educated guy here. Very promising! |
Mid40s, which MW Oppo do you have? The 105 is usually powered by the 9.9 power supply, not the 9.0. Those two power supplies are very different animals. At any rate, I have found the 9.0 to be very sensitive to power cords, so I would have thought the same might apply to fuses. Wig claimed an OMG experience with his ModWright Sony 5400 when replacing the fuses with SR black. I think both the PS 9.0 and my HAPZ1 use the same fuse. If so, I'm going to buy just one and try it in both to see which gives the greater improvement. |
mid40sguy, Have you tried reversing the direction of the fuse? I noticed an improvement immediately after installing to include lower floor noise, incredible depth, air and extension after 75+ hours. Brownsfan, The SRB fuses improved each component I put them in, I feel as if I've been transported to the recording venue. The AH fuses are good but the SRB just take it to the next level especially with a high resolving system... I also experimented with fuse direction on the first day to discern the best sound before sealing the unit back-up. David, Thanks for the info on the ECTs, may have to contact the MW to see where the most sensitive parts are inside of my MW Sony 5400. |
It does need to be repeated that these fuses are directional. Not bad vs good sound but a clear preference will be noted with direction reversal. For some reason the reversal of fuse direction was more profound with the Red than the Black in my components. There are differences with the Black, they just were not dramatic, noticeable? Yes. Charles, |
After about 2 1/2 weeks with the SR Black I added Stillpoints 5's under my speakers, replacing Ultra SS's. I was unhappy with the change in balance, imaging, and loss of involvement. I made slight adjustments to speaker placement, but just couldn't recapture the magic. Not to waste the 5's I inserted four under the turntable. Nice improvement, but still a little bright. So...I decided to swap out the SR Black for an Audio Horizon, which I used prior to the Black. The system regained density, imaging, and most important, musical involvement. Not a criticism, but merely observational of how the fuses differed in my system. |
Charles1dad, My black fuse should FINALLY be here tomorrow and I will experiment, however, I assume that if you are a previous red owner like myself and already know the direction you prefer with the red, that one could save the time by simply using the same direction with the black. Would I be correct in deducing this? I mean, I would imagine they are produced in the same way. |
Brownsfan, Thanks! The front panel of my Oppo 105 power supply is 9.0. I thought it was a 9.0, after reading your message I looked once more 9.0 on the front panel 9.9 on the back! So its a 9.9. Later this week I will put the stock fuse in and listen. Then put the BLACK in as I had it then rotate it 180 and listen. I'll get back here and let you know. Dan told me the power cord to the power supply is much more important than the Oppo spinner. My VAC with the RED fuse is a major upgrade. Amazing sound Oppo, VAC and Harbeth. |
I saw Dave Pritchard’s comments about wall outlets. I have most of the same as he does; Oyaide R-1, Teslaplex, Teslaplex SE, Furutech GTD-X (rhodium), FIM 880s, (blue and white: I like the blue better, but the FIMs sound a bit soft) PS Audio Classic and Premier outlets and the Maestro. Unlike David, I do like the Teslaplex SE (although it IS a little forward in the upper midrange). And the Oyaide is rich, but it has a definite sound: it moves the soundstage forward on EVERYTHING, so it’s a permanent in-your-face soundstage, but with the consequence of foreshortened depth. I liked the forwardness of the soundstage when I got it years ago (it was like moving from Row K to Row F), until I realized EVERYthing sounded up front, even RCA Living Stereos, which are certainly not recorded to be forward-sounding. RCA placed their microphones much further back than Mercury, so you get more of the hall ambience than direct sound on RCAs. An equally nice sound, just not quite as "immediate." But just as grainless as some Mercurys. I found the Quantum Black as Dave describes it, although I’d say the noise floor, my Arcam FMJ CD player, is light years ahead of the SR20 model that was previously in it. In fact, the difference between an SR20 and a Red, to me, is good, but not the proverbial "order of magnitude" (the late HP's favorite phrase) better. And I can see how Siddh’s would see what he observed. One thing about the Stillpoints, I found: as you move up from the Ultra Minis to the SS (I never got 5s: against my religion to pay that much, not to mention, against my wallet!), the midbass becomes "leaner." Tight and harmonically great, with terrific impact, but leaner. I remember clearly that Robert Harley pointed this out in his review of the 5s in TAS when he reviewed them. I would conclude - although I’d have to find that damn Audio Horizon fuse first - that the Audio Horizon is a richer-sounding fuse than the Synergistic. I have observed, as I mentioned earlier, that the Teslaplex SE has a slight brightness to it, which, in Enjoy The Music, the reviewer also noticed. But in my system, the Quantum Black fuse ANNOUNCED itself, as I noted in another thread. It was as though it was saying, just wait 'til you pull your system out of mute. I felt like the Boogeyman had jumped out and scared the daylights out of me (it was pretty astounding, seriously. I'm not joking.) I'd sauntered into the music room, sat down and casually thought, "I'll listen to a few minutes of music" given it is now half past midnight. I’d last listened to it last night and it sounded very good - but not astounding. Somewhere between last night and tonight, it transformed. Tonight it sounded more like the live mike feed I'm used to hearing when I listen to the Metropolitan Opera live on Saturday afternoons, which, even on a mediocre tuner - but a decent system, you can tell it’s live and not a recording. I’ve never heard - using an integrated (I had the NAD C325BEE in there) such a vivid representation of a live orchestra sitting there quietly between numbers - and with the harmonic information intact enough that the Rochester orchestra hall sounds more like the hall than it has in past listening, using mostly the Mercury Living Presence Boxed Set CDs. To say it is vivid is not an exaggeration. Normally, I hear a sound or two from one or two members of the orchestra moving in their chairs in between numbers (Mercury did not always stop the tape: in some cuts, they clearly let it go from one cut to the next and continued running the tape). Tonight, my head was swiveling around like a cabbage on a stick, hearing sounds coming from every part of the orchestra. This bespeaks a highly significant reduction in grain, which then manifests as a more continuous presentation due to the lack of grain and, as a necessary adjunct, much, MUCH lower noise floor. The presentation is simply more "see into" than it was. Even though the NAD integrated is a bit on the dark side of the Force, with the Synergistic, it's as though you went from listening to an orchestra light by 60 watt bulbs to 80 watt bulbs (yes, I do know it's 60w and then 75w, but I'm making a point here). It's obviously more lit up from the front to the back of the sound state. Not more resolution - well, not with the NAD - but more transparent. I’ll have to listen further to see if it resembles Siddh’s description, but so far it does not. But, I agree with him: fuses are like power cords or interconnects: some components they mesh with seamlessly, and in other components, they are less favorable. That’s been my experience, too. For example, I would never again put Hi Fi Tuning fuses, Supreme or otherwise, in my Hurricanes. The sound becomes wimpy, and the Hurricanes are, if nothing else, extremely powerful-sounding amps. And their realism, although the resolution doesn’t match my Goldmund Mimesis 9 amp, when I had it, possess a realism the Goldmund could only dream of having, despite that spectacular high frequency extension it had. I’m sure putting the Blacks into the Hurricanes eventually. This is one hell of a fuse, and I’ve had HiFi Tunings, AMRs, Furutech fuses (which I dislike intensely, and I don’t like saying that about anyone’s product, but they do something unpleasant to the midbass as well as the upper midrange and treble ranges), Audio Horizon and, of course, the 3 generation of Synergistic fuses. My room in CT is tube trapped, same as it was when I lived in San Francisco. I’ve had Tube Traps for the past 30 years: takes the room out of the equation and makes it easier to evaluate. I’d love to try Synergistic’s stuff, but the room’s quite good as it is, so I’ll stick to the fuses. Whether or not it works in one place in your system, try it in different places. It is a truly excellent fuse, and much superior to the previous Synergistic fuses. |
Tonight my SR black was waiting for me on the table in the foyer. I opened it up like a giddy school boy and installed it into my power amp, observing the same "polarity" I had with the red fuse. I went back to my listening position and thought that I was going to be happy with the sound, but not astounded, especially since the fuse was fresh from the box with zero break-in time. However, this was not the case. I was actually bowled over. Unfortunately, due to getting home late, with my family sleeping I had to listen to the system at a relatively low level. Nevertheless, the attributes of this fuse came gushing through. Gbmcleod makes some very good assessments above. For me, Space, micro detail and overall smoothness have gone off the charts. Refinement like I've never heard before from my system. It truly sounds less like electricity and more like music. Details are less bright, but better defined. If this is what it sounds like from the box, I can't imagine what it will sound like after break in. The 3d realism simply cannot be explained. It's like with the stock fuse, the landscape is the same size, but much less defined. Images are larger as well. My maggies image like a huge set of high end headphones literally enveloping you, swimming in high fidelity. I thought that it was great before. This is a new experience. In comparison to the red, the black has a much more decernerable difference in sound when switching direction, which makes figuring out the best direction in your component a breeze. (I simply reused the Reds previously determined direction, (happened to be the same correct direction) but still I experimented, but it was punch you in the face obvious with the black when I was in the right "polarity". So now I have a red in the preamp, black in the amp and 2 blue furutechs in my source. It sounds so insane right now that im afraid to "mess" with it, but we all know curiosity will get the better of me. I guess the next place would be the source, and pull the furutechs, because I'm sure the blacks would mop the floor with them and would be a better sonic upgrade from going from red to black in the preamp... In 150 hours I can't imagine what this thing will sound like. I feel sorry for those that laugh at us. They have no idea what they are missing. They spend precious time trying to prove their point instead of nearing their gear run at higher echelon. Pitty. Truth is, if you can't hear the improvement, it might be time for a hearing test. |
^^^ If those last two posts don't convince the remaining members to get the SR Black fuses, then I see no hope for them. I keep saying it I know, maybe to the point of being boring, but my system has an eerie quietness to it now. The music just seems to come from nowhere and fills the room. Tonight I was playing Miles Davis' E.S.P. reissue and the sound stage went completely from wall to wall totally outside of the speakers. In fact, the speakers don't even exist anymore. Audiolover ... I'm really looking forward to your assessment as your new fuse breaks in. As the fat lady said after the standing ovation she got with the first song she sang ... "you ain't heard nuttin' yet!" :-) |
While I tend to be skeptical of many of the audio tweaks, these fuses sound too good, too relatively inexpensive and too easy to implement, not to try! Thanks for everyone's input regarding them. I'll order mine soon and pass along the results. Slightly off topic. I've been told that bypassing the fuse all together is even better sounding than using audiophile fuses. I tried it on an old pre I had sitting around by removing the fuse and soldering a piece of wire in its place. I couldn't hear any difference. Should I have used a copper rod instead of wire? I feel more comfortable using the SR black fuses on my everyday equipment as its safer.......and quite possibly there's something "magical" the fuse imparts that bypassing doesn't? Thanks to to all for sharing your findings with the rest of us. |
"Maybe there is something magical these fuses impart." I suspect you were probably right the first time, that bypassing the stock fuse with pure copper is better than any fuse, with the caveate that you take care to protect the exposed copper wire from local magnetic fields and RFI/EMI and vibration. And that the copper wire is inserted in the correct orientation. |
"I guess the next place would be the source, and pull the furutechs, because I'm sure the blacks would mop the floor with them and would be a better sonic upgrade from going from red to black in the preamp... " I replaced Furutechs in my CDP and pre-amp with the Blacks. The Furutechs were indeed an improvement over the stock fuses and served me well for a few years. But the Blacks are in another league. |
Almarg, if you are around? , this question is directed to you, I studied the offering's of values of the sr-black's fuses for my krell 700cx amplifier that takes 1- amp fast blow fuses × four of them, I really do not want to use the 1-amp value for reasons of possible blowing $520.00 up in my face, the next value is 1.6 , of course my fuse requirement is the big fuses, not the smaller one's, what is your assessment of useing the 1.6 value in place of the 1-amp value? |
I had written last week that despite the many positive posts on this thread regarding the Black fuses, the number would continue to grow. This has happily been the case unsurprisingly. To the point of being redundant these fuses represent one of the great tweak opportunities available. There are very few upgrades that will yield this level of sound quality improvement for so little cost. I'm just very glad that more people are discovering these fantastic products. Keep in mind that the better the quality of an audio system, the more impactful their effect in my opinioon. It is wonderful to realize that you can noticeably improve your system's performance without having to spend thousands of dollars. Charles, |
Here's my data point, which is not at all meant to be a downer or to question the premise of upgraded fuses. It's a silly and delightful hobby that we cherish here, and this thread is a great example of the power of the web to bring us audio nerds together. That said, this is the deepest down a rabbit hole I've ever felt! Definitely feel like I had the best sound in my system's life before the Blacks, and now the magic's gone. (And I didn't note the direction of the stock fuses before I pulled them out, should I want to go back!) At ~100 hours on the Blacks I got home and sat down for a listen last night. What I heard was definitely short of the musical engagement and detail retrieval I enjoyed with stock fuses on my PWDII. I did hear a slightly lower noise floor, but the highs in particular were rolled off. Cymbals, for example, just weren't as there as before. Imaging was flatter. My mind wandered. Great to learn that Audiolover notes big difference with direction. Popping open PWD is trouble enough that I'll probably wait several more days of burn in before I flip them. |
@audiolabyrinth, Keith, although of course I have no specific knowledge of the internal design of your Krell amp, and although you mentioned earlier that Krell's service manager strongly recommended against changing the value of the 1 amp fast blow fuses, IMO changing them to 1.6 amp fast blow SR Blacks is a sensible thing to do. For the following reasons: 1)The failures that were reported earlier, as well as the conversation you mentioned you had with Ted Denney some time ago, suggest that the 1.6 amp SR Black is likely to have a melting point (current squared x time) that is significantly less than the melting point of a 1.6 amp fast blow fuse from one of the major manufacturers of non-audiophile fuses. 2)I agree with your statement of 2-18-16 that: ... most anomalies that could happen will be far greater than these slightly higher fuse values, so, in general, your equipment investment's will be fully protected in my opinion.(although you were referring just to ratings of up to 0.25 amps over stock). 3)I would never expect a component manufacturer to approve changing a fuse value, no matter how reasonable doing so might in fact be. IMO. Regards, -- Al |
Cymbop, what you are describing very much sounds like the fuse is in the wrong direction. I wouldn't wait. I would change direction now, and decide tje right polarity, then reinstall and let it continue to break in and settle back down. The differences in direction are very apparent. I agree with the system being less bright, and it may initially feel less resolving, but ultimately I feel that was artificial brightness from the stock fuses. I am more interested now in listening than before. My imaging has not gone flat. IT WILL NOT SOUND RIGHT IF ITS IN THE WRONG DIRECTION FOR A GIVEN COMPONENT. Even my factory fresh ARC amplifier, which came with a factory ceramic fuse was pencil marked from the factory indicating proper orientation of the fuse. Obviously done during its factory sound check. So, it is obviously a real,variable. let us know when you change direction if your feelings change. I think they will. |
Just to confuse matters a bit, I saw some conflicting specifications for fuse size on a Pass Aleph P preamp, so I asked Pass, who provided the correct value, but added, "If you are using after market or fast blow fuses, you will have to go up in value." Seems the answer is the onerous blurry "depends" since the SR Blacks at manufacturers rated fuse values worked fine in a DAC and tube amp. SR should be generous in trade if you played by the rules and they blew. |
