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?
Yes, I did receive your package ... thanks. I had to set it aside until I have the time to figure out how to use it. I was going to let you know the results at that time. So far ... its just been sitting under my computer table. When it comes to the tech stuff, I am such a dunce. Duh! *lol*
When I figure it out, I'll let you know. I would only use it for my little computer system .... which sounds quite nice with the Audio Engine A2+ speakers, by the way.
Papa I've just let it in there. Things sound great as they usually do. I can't say it's better or not than prior. When I have the time for hifi I'm using it to listen to and enjoy music rather than dabbling.
I recently started following this thread and decided to try a SR Black fuse in my preamp. It previously had an older Hifi-tuning Gold fuse in it. I was initially impressed with the difference the Black made, but once it opened up after about 75 hours, I was amazed at the improvement in sound. I was so thrilled that I ordered two more for my monoblock tube amps. They have only been in the amps for about twenty hours, but I can already hear an improvement. The amps also previously had the Hifi-tuning Gold fuses in them. I am anxious to hear further improvements. Has anyone noticed that after the SR Black fuse opens up, you can listen to music at a slightly lower volume and still get great satisfaction with the sound? I am very impressed so far with this SR Black fuse.
Congratulations on the sonic improvemrnts using the Synergistic Research Black fuses. What preamp and mono block amps are you using? I agree that the SR Black fuse allows for more emotional satisfaction at a lower listening volume than when using a HiFi Gold, Isoclean, or original fuse. I am enjoying a system with more sonic information being sent to the listener. Over the next one to two weeks I believe you will continue to hear improvements.
My preamp is a tweaked-up AH TP 2.0 and amps are older VAC Auricle Musicblocs with Penta KT88SC for power and Psvane 12au7 drivers. I have several speakers: AZ Adagio, Reference 3a MMC and Dulcet monitors. Cables are a mix of high end companies. This is the first SR product I've had in my system since experimenting with an early model of their speaker cables back in 2002.
For those of you still playing vinyl, here's one that my friend Robert brought over last night ... Its demo quality and thanks to the grain-less nature of the system brought about by the SR Black fuses, the musicians and vocalists are in the room.
This is one that you'd want to throw on the turntable to impress your "all digital" audiophile friends. Be sure to get a really clean stereo copy.
Art Van Damme plays jazz accordion. Don't laugh, he's great. Both he and Jo Stafford are in the room.
These SR Black fuses are bringing out the very best in the vinyl collection. Honestly, we just sit there in amazement. Even on vocal records, the instruments played by the backup musicians are dead nutz on tonally.
I’m happy to report that I received several of the SR Black fuses on Friday. I didn’t have time to install any of them until this morning. In my main system I replaced the SR Red fuse in my Yamamoto Dac with an SR Black fuse and due to my impatience I replaced the stock fuse in my Allnic L-3000 preamp with the SR Black fuse. I immediately heard deeper bass, a more articulate and natural sound of music along with improved imaging and a wider, deeper sound stage. In my main system I use a loom of High Fidelity products (interconnects, digital cable, speaker cables and power cords).
I look forward to the replacement of standard fuses with the SR Black in my second system, in the following: (Yamamoto Dac and Allnic T-1500 Integrated 300B amp). I’ll get to that in a day or so. I'm anxiously waiting to hear what the break in period will do for improvement.
oregonpapa; I'm looking forward to it! I already hear great improvement this morning in my main system. I added the SR Black Fuses last night to my Yamamoto Dac and Allnic T-1500 Integrated 300B amp in my secondary system and could not believe the improvement as soon as I powered the system up. And it sounded darn good before I ever added the SR Black Fuses! This is one of those tweeks one has to hear for themselves to believe!
guys- My amps take a 3.2 amp 250 volt slow blow- But they are the larger size fuse- Seems all the 250V are the smaller size- Can I use the 500 Volt fuse even though my current fuse is a 250 volt??- thanks- Do they make a larger size 250 volt-
Fluffers, the 500 volt rating of the large size fuse is not an issue, when used in place of a fuse having a lower voltage rating. See the first paragraph of my post at the bottom of page 19 of this thread, and follow-up posts in the top half of page 20.
I thought my system was pretty much grain free before I got into the SR fuses. They have transformed my system from top to bottom. The clarity and textures of instruments are way beyond what I thought possible. On good recordings, the performers are in the room in 3D relief. Massed strings, solo instruments and vocals have such a natural presentation ... it matches the best I've heard except for a few multi-hundred thousand dollar systems.
Over the 40+ years I've been in the hobby, I've tried a lot of tweaks. Some were effective. Some not so much. Some not at all. The SR Black fuses are the best tweak yet and well worth the money for sure.
The SR Black fuses were more effective than swapping out the KT-120's for KT-150's in the ARC REF-75 amp, or changing out the turntable belt for one from www.originlive.com.
And by the way, for those reading this who are still into vinyl, I highly recommend upgrading to an originlive turntable belt. Like the SR fuses, Its another amazing upgrade and very cost effective.
Lak ... Not sure if you're into classical music .. but if you are, wait until you hear bowed strings like cellos and acoustic bass when the fuses finally break in. A beautiful, organic presentation awaits. :-)
Here's another LP recommendation: Its a Chris Connor reissue two-LP set. Its in mono, but so good that you'll be saying: "who needs stereo!" Here's a near mint copy available now on Ebay:
Hi Lak, Clarity and naturalness summarized the Black fuse effect. I am glad to read that the fuses worked out well in your system although I am not surprised 😊. Frank I agree regarding bowed string bass(and Cello). Con arco bass is simply beautiful on my jazz recordings. It was already very good but improved further with insertion of the Black fuses.. Charles,
Initial project - upgrade stock to SR Black in Ayre AX-5 amp - was a two-parter...
First, replaced half the fuses (mis-informed on quantity so originally ordered only half what was needed and had to place a 2nd order after getting the amp opened up and realizing).
Long story short, before having all SR in the system I was concerned, things just seemed off in a lot of ways. Not worth getting into since it didn't last, but a somewhat interesting lesson in that, it seems important to go "all SR" (or at least, "all the same" whatever that may be).
Once I got all SR fuses (8 total so no trivial investment), and after one change in direction of installation (yes, this seemed to make a difference) things started to turn around. And with around 70+ hours burn-in, things started improving dramatically.
Now, with substantial hours in and all-SR Black fuses in the amp, here's what my ears hear (forgive my lack of audiophile vocabulary, I'll just describe it as best I can):
- Improved instrument separation, placement, and 3-dimensionality
- Perception of more immediacy and "smack/oomph"
- Lower, tighter, punchier bass
- Overall just a better sense of musicality
- I feel there was a very, very subtle loss of realism in instrument/vocal texture.
The improvements, with possible exception of bass improvements, I would not say are profound, but I would say more than subtle. They are a matter of improving on the already excellent sonic quality of the amp, in nice, noticeable - but not earth-shattering - ways. The change in bass seems the most dramatic.
I'm not an electronics engineer (although I am an engineer by training/trade) so I have little concept why the above would be the case, but I do have pretty good ears and have been a musician for 40 years, pro at times, so I trust that I'm hearing a difference, and that the difference is an improvement overall.
Whether an investment in upgraded fuses is worth it is a pretty individual thing, dependent I imagine on how much your particular system benefits from a specific brand/model of fuse and your budget. I had a very positive experience with Hifi Tuning Supreme in my last Ayre amp so tried this, and I'm happy with the (in this case rather large) investment.
I've ordered SR Black fuses for my DAC and transport now, and looking forward to hearing what differences they may make.
At some point, I will buy a set of the Hifi Supremes to compare, since I liked what they did in the past. But for now, I'm quite happy with the difference the SR Black fuses make in my amp.
Congratulations Jon. Your descriptive writing ability is just fine IMO. My improvements weren't "earth shattering " either, very noticeable ? Definitely yes! Charles,
So to sum up, the clarity, texture, sound staging, coherence, scent, otherworldliness, mojo, mass appeal, appeal to those in MA (where I live), bass profundity, basso gonzo delecto, air around instruments, air around your socks, heir apparent, apparent hair loss, and ear wax viscosity can be improved with SRs "fabulous half inch" of zapped wire irrespective of where the electrons came from or where they go after the fuse holder lets go of 'em. And if none of this happens, the fuse could be backwards or not burned in. If any of this is true, I am absolutely not worthy of such wonderfulness and shall remain unrefused until my sense of self worth deems me ready to deal with this avalanche of sonic boost as, currently, I just don't think I could take it.
Hi Frank, I know you're a huge fan of West Coast jazz so I have a good recommendation (unless you already own it ) for you. John Lewis, "2 Degrees East-3 Degrees West". The CD version has additional tracks that are very good. Ýou get Bill Perkins on tenor saxophone and Jim Hall on guitar, Percy Health-bass and Chico Hamilton -drums. I think that you'll enjoy it. Charles,
wolf_garcia2,475 posts04-19-2016 1:02pmSo to sum up, the clarity, texture, sound staging, coherence, scent, otherworldliness, mojo, mass appeal, appeal to those in MA (where I live), bass profundity, basso gonzo delecto, air around instruments, air around your socks, heir apparent, apparent hair loss, and ear wax viscosity can be improved with SRs "fabulous half inch" of zapped wire irrespective of where the electrons came from or where they go after the fuse holder lets go of 'em. And if none of this happens, the fuse could be backwards or not burned in. If any of this is true, I am absolutely not worthy of such wonderfulness and shall remain unrefused until my sense of self worth deems me ready to deal with this avalanche of sonic boost as, currently, I just don't think I could take it.
With your Adcom 515 line conditioner, you got nothing to worry about brother, everything sounds the same. Bose, Soulution ... just sit back and enjoy the noise.
So where do you guys hear the biggest difference? Speakers? Preamp? Amp? Source? When I tried the Reds in my Magnepan 1.7i's, I couldn't hear a difference.
Hi Jond, I hope you like it. Here are two that I just got today, both by pianist Eric Reed "Manhatten Melodies" and "Pure Imagination ". They're very good pure straight ahead jazz recordings. Knowing the system you have this music will just flow 😊. Charles,
Jond, While I'm at it, here's a very fine early stereo recording (1956 -57 ) that's just plain good music. You Get More Bounce With Curtis Counce " Counce is the leader on bass. This recording features two very talented but underappreciated players. Harold Land on tenor saxophone and Jack Sheldon on trumpet. I believe you'll really enjoy it. Charles,
charles1dad thanks I added those Eric Reeds to the queue also and loved the John Lewis thanks for that rec. And I love that Curtis Counce album, I've had that CD for years, that cymbal hit that opens it always makes me jump. Great looking cover on that album too!
Thank you for the John Lewis recommendation. I have that album on vinyl.
On Bill Perkins ... Prior to his passing, he and I lived in the same town. In his "retirement," he formed a group with some local young jazz musicians and they would play at our local Border's book store every so often. A friend and I never missed these sessions. I have lots of his recordings, or recordings by other artists where he was part of the group.
Bill Perkins was on top of his game right to the end.
Also, the Curtis Counce recommendation is spot on. I have his albums on vinyl as well. Great jazz and great sound as well. Harold Land isn't everyone's cup of tea, but he's one of my favorites. A very distinctive voice that's readily recognized as Harold Land's tenor. Also, the original jacket cover on "You get more bounce with Curtis Counce" wasn't too shabby either. :-)
Welcome back to the SR Fuse seminar ... your humor has been missed.
On the SR Black fuses ..., they have been known to clear muddled thinking when one puts the fuses up one's nose. Also known to clear tinnitus when placed well down into the ear canal. And here's the best part, one that you may want to take advantage of; they are also known to treat acute tweak denial when stuffed up one's .... Oh, never mind. :-)
Limniscsate ...
I think the general consensus is the source. It sure was in my CD player and phono stage.
There were so many great trumpet players in the past, Jack Sheldon among them. But ... Clifford was the bomb. Every time I listen to Clifford Brown I think to myself ... "eat your heart out Winton Marseilles."
Here's one of my desert island recordings. Clifford's rendition of Autumn in New York is breathtaking.
Frank, 100% agree, Clifford is unquestionably an all time great and he gets his due recognition. Sheldon is one of those fine jazz musicians who seem to be relegated to relative obscurity.
When Clifford and Max Roach had their legendary quintet, it is said that Roach preferred Harold Land to Sonny Rollins. I can understand that. Rollins is by far the better known saxophonist but I enjoy Land's playing more. Frank you were fortunate to have those experiences with Bill Perkins. Charles,
That old bebop is good, alright--pull up Rick Braun’s, "Sessions Volume 1" on Youtube for some of the hippest cool jazz in this time, please. Just let it play and tell me if you dig it, Papa, Charles, Jond, et al.
I pulled up a bunch of Rick Braun's recordings on Spotify. Never heard of him before your suggestion. I have a comment: Everyone of Braun's recordings are drenched in artificial digital reverb. I know a lot of audiophiles like this sound, but to my ear, it doesn't allow for a natural presentation of the music or the instruments. Same with most modern recording artists regardless of their style of music. I like to seek out natural sounding recordings, most of which, were recorded in the 50's and 60's. I'm not dissing your preferences here as it is a matter of taste.
oregonpapa 4/20/16 " I like to seek out natural recordings, most of which were recorded in the 50's and 60's " One great example is "Belafonte at Carniegie Hall" recorded live in 1959
Jafreeman, Thanks for the music link. Frank I agree with you regarding the artificial reverb. He's a good trumpet player with a nice tone and I would like to hear him recorded in a more natural manner. I'd be interested in hearing him playing straight ahead as opposed to the smooth complementary genre. I suspect that he'd be very good. Charles,
Frank, The Eric Reed recordings I suggested to Jond yesterday are modern recordings with a natural presentation. Another good one from him is "Cleopatra's Dream". He does a beautiful rendition of Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life". Charles,
Interestingly my Adcom 515 doesn't impart anything to my system other than its sequential power up abilities and has earned its place there until it dies…I've tried directly bypassing it to see if anything sounds better or worse, and it appears to be sonically transparent. I might replace it with something that has more inputs some day, but that's my only criticism of the thing.
Alright, my thanks for listening to Rick Braun and band--not the acoustic ensemble of the golden era--but likable. How about "Fourplay" with Bob James? Just like to know how the cool/smooth jazz of today rates with the purists.
Cool Jazz is totally different than smooth jazz. Cool jazz from California is as good as bebop to me. Smooth jazz like Bob James is boring to me. I really can't see anyone digging smooth jazz once they get into bebop. I started with smooth, but could never listen to it today.
The next time you listen to "cool" jazz, listen for all of the artificial artifacts the recording engineer added to the sound. Its totally unnatural. A perfect example is the music of Kenny G. Personally, I can't stand to listen to the guy because his recordings are so off-putting. However, years ago, I heard him play as a featured guest on the Arsenio Hall Show without all of the electronic enhancements. Well, to my utter surprise, the guy can really play that sax. He was great. If his recordings sounded that good, I'd buy them ... especially if they were of the old school ballads.
If you have a source like Spotify, where entire albums can be downloaded for free, try some of these suggestions to see what we're talking about:
Those are just a few examples. Some are available on CD and some are not. Some are in stereo and some are only available in mono. ALL of them put the musicians in the room in a very natural presentation. And ALL of them are recordings of great jazz and great jazz artists in their prime. And dare I say it ... the SR Black fuses bring out more of the accurate, natural sound of the instruments.
As Frank said in an earlier post, it's all just a matter of taste. The term "cool jazz" is often synonymous with "West Coast jazz". MIles Davis "Birth Of The Cool" is credited as the orgin of this genre. Smooth jazz is an entirely different genre from Cool jazz. West Coast/Cool is beautiful music IMO. Smooth jazz doesn't stimulate me nearly as much. To each there own. Charles,
I agree on the West Coast jazz.; its very melodic. All of the albums I recommended above are prime examples of it.
I use Spotify to play recommended recordings before I consider buying anything that has been recorded over the past 20 years or so ... including new recordings. For example, those recommended in Stereophile and TAS, or here on this site in the "music" forum. So many of them sound as though the recording occurred in a cave. I think some vocalists are recorded this way to cover a lack of talent. Sarah Vaughn, Billy Holliday, and Dinah Washington weren't recorded like this, right?
What some of these guys are listening to, and recommending, have been totally butchered by the recording engineer and/or the mastering engineer. You hear this stuff at audio shows all the time. To hear it done right, check out almost anything mastered by Kevin Gray. He's done almost all of the reissues for Impex records. The Julie London and the June Christy albums are prime examples of Kevin's excellent mastering.
If anyone reading this attends the audio shows, a visit to Ralph Karsten's room (Atmosphere), or Randy Cooley's room (Optimal Enchantment) should be on the short list. These two guys know great music and great recordings ... and that's what they play at the shows.
Just as a side note ...one of the very best sounding recordings in my entire collection was recorded by Ralph. Its a small chorale group singing upbeat folk songs. Its uncannily real. I love playing it for the digital download guys just to demonstrate how good vinyl can sound.
Jafreeman ...
I hope you'll take advantage of the recommended recordings I listed. They are really something else.
I have ~25 hours on my 7 SR Blacks and it sounds very good. The sound opened up ~5 hours and never analytical. Most noticeable difference between SR Red is more organic, musical and less hifi-ish. Probably due to UEF patch on the fuse?
Yes, thanks for the listings, Papa. I heard them all on Youtube and have ordered two by Cal Tjader and a few by "Modern Jazz Quartet", not on you list, but I'm sure you will approve. I like those vibes. I think that Rick Braun CD would sound just right through your tubed ARC gear--it does through mine. There's a bit of reverb to it for depth and interest that mellows out through a big system. For more of a chamber quartet sound, go to Youtube, keywords "Fourplay live in Tokyo 2013" Watch and hear them. If they are not cool, they sure are hip.
You are both entirely welcome. I get a kick out of recommending great performance and recordings to friends.
I heard Cal Tjader live at a jazz club called Zardies in Hollywood when I was a senior in high school. That was 60 years ago (1956). I've been hooked on Tjader ever since. There are a lot of fine vibes players from that era, and many more from today ... but in my estimation, none can top the great Cal Tjader.
If you guys like Milt Jackson, you may like Lem Winchester even more:
When it comes to the vibraphone, Jackson, Feldman and Bobby Hutcherson are my all time favorites, but there are many good ones to choose among. Lem Winchester is featured on a really good Oliver Nelson recording "Nocturne ". Quite good! Charles,
Just an update on trying out the SR-Reds in my PS Audio PWDACII. They definitely hurt the sound in my system. The sound got more "brittle" and less musical than with the stock fuses. That result can be contrasted with their positive effect in my Coincident Frankenstein Monos. Anyway, if anyone needs some 1a slow blow reds, I've got two I'd be happy to move on to another intrepid explorer. Perhaps in your system you'll see different results, as the thread would suggest.
Well Chris it's good to know that the Red fuses worked out in your Frankenstein. By the way are you using a preamplifier or direct source to amplifier? Charles,
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