Synergistic Red Fuse ...

^^^ Love it, David.  :-)
 
I can imagine the naysayers being in the middle of a conniption fit right about now. :-)

With the resolution level being attained by many of those posting here, its becoming mind boggling how the slightest changes can affect the sound for the better or for the worse.  One little HFT falling off the ceiling location can be heard immediately. Same for the location of the tube dampening rings. And then there's the switch of one SR Red fuse being replaced by an SR Black fuse. 

In the meantime ... we are getting closer to the music as we follow the tweak and upgrade path. 

I don't get it. Either try the fuses yourself or be quiet. One needn't spend a fortune on them to find out. Right now you can get your butts over to ebay and get some PADIS fuses (German made, silver or rhodium end caps, silver wire, ceramic fuses) for about $25 apiece. They're OEM for Furutech at about half the cost, if not more. 

It would be an easy and cheap way to find out if there is anything to these fuses and if convinced, you can splurge on the more expensive SR fuses and see if the improvement justifies the extra costs.

The PADIS have received very positive reviews as well and considering no one here probably works and shills for them, one can trust the feedback, be it good or bad.

No biggie. 

All the best,
Nonoise

^^^ Even less cost would be to try the SR Black fuses on the money back guarantee. If anyone doesn't like the results, or think they do nothing for their system, the return postage is what ... 6 bucks?  Oops! There I go a-shilling again. :-)

Oregonpapa,

      You are going to love the Von Gaylord interconnects. I have a mix of Chinchilla and 7000s throughout my system, even in my bedroom system and they are the best I've ever had and I've tried a slew of them from many manufacturers. Please make sure you get at least 200 hours or so on them before you fully evaluate.

A friend of mine from San Maguel Mexico came over last night. He brought an ECM record over that was simply outstanding. It was recorded in 1961 with Steve Swallow on bass, Paul Bley on piano, and Jimmy Giuffre on Clarinet. This record is so musical what a treat. Its called Jimmy Giuffre 1961. This is a must buy and can be purchased on Amazon. I just bought it. I don't know if its available on cd.

sherod ...

So far, the Von Gaylord 7000 is really impressing me. Like you, I've tried a slew of IC's over the years, finally ending up with FMS Nexus IC's.  I have maybe 30 hours on the VG 7000 at this point, and it completely blows away the FMS it replaced.  I'm waiting for a pair of bi-wired VG speaker cables to arrive, and once here, I will start an entirely new thread on the results ... from cold out of the box, to fully broken in. From what I heard from Von Gaylord's room at Newport, it should be quite a treat. 

jwm ...

Thanks for the heads up on the Jimmy Giuffre recording.  Such a great artist. I'm lucky to have a few of his LP's.  

OP

The intense promotion of a specific product here seems unprecedented, and my previous post was deleted as I suggested Audiogon, who has accepted advertising money from SR, is simply looking the other way regarding the shilling "buy it and get yer money back if reversing after 100 hours doesn’t work" approach. Very interesting...

^^^ 

Incidentally, over the past two listening sessions I've been enjoying some of Bach's orchestral music. Here's the Japanese import available on Ebay. Its a wonderful 2-CD set of beautiful music. If you like Bach, this is a must have:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stokowski-Leopold-Stokowski-SO-Bach-Stokowski-HQCD-Japan-Import-/26245752393...

In the meantime, the new SR HFT room treatments are doing astonishing things for the system.  The strings on that Bach CD have never washed over the entire room like they are doing now. So beautiful, so focused ... and so realistic. 

wolf-garcia ...

Too bad your post was deleted. Perhaps if you weren't so dismissive of your fellow A'goners, that wouldn't happen.

When you accuse your fellow hobbyists of "shilling," when in fact, we are just trying to share good experiences with others so that they may experience the same improvements to their systems, its downright insulting. Surely, you are not such a social incompetent not to realize this. Based upon so many of your previous posts, and the humor demonstrated therein, you seem way too intelligent not to realize it.  Do you have an ulterior motive with your negative posts? Suppressed anger issues? Envy issues? What gives?

And no .. I am not responsible for having your posts removed. 

OP

Guys, I think Wolf gets lonely and doesn't know how to express himself about it. Why would the crabola come around these parts. Just think. Who would care about somebody else fuses or the companies that make fuses. Who? I say who really? Yes, the people that have enjoyed what a good fuse can do care. But if you haven't, what is going on in tarnation, remember, it   is   just   a   fuse. Whaaaaat!  It   is   just   a   fuse. You got to have a lot of open space in your life to rail about such things as fuses or cups or kitty litter or the color of your tire wrench, or the neighbor who takes his trash to the curb and puts a box of cookies on top for the workman. My goodness me!
I am starting to get the feeling Wolf got beat to the punch. He probably has drawings and blue prints on a super fuse that will only cost 25.00. If so he is just drumming up support for a lower priced fuse.  Yah, shilling. That what it is. Yeh, that is the only rational answer for his feelings about fuses.

Different people have differing levels of cynicism, and different people will arrive at conclusions based on differing degrees of persuasiveness of the available evidence.  Personally, as one who has never been known to be especially cynical, and having carefully followed this and other threads in which many of its participants have posted, I don't doubt the sincerity of all or nearly all of its participants.  However I don't think it to be totally beyond the bounds of reasonableness for Wolfie to have arrived at the conclusions he has reached.

But speaking of reasonableness, I can't help but feel that what seems to me to be the utterly unimaginable and technically inexplicable DEGREE of the positive effects that have been reported for not only these fuses, but for SEVERAL OTHER products that are ALSO made by SR, that have recently been reported on by many of these same posters in other threads, reflects negatively on the credibility of the degree of the reported benefits, if not their existence.  And personally I find that to be a net negative with respect to the encouragement it provides for investment of the **time** that would be required to properly assess these tweaks in my own system.  Return privileges notwithstanding.

Regards,
-- Al
 

^^^

Al,

I've tried several of the SR products as you know, and every one of them so far has brought a major improvement to my system and increased my musical enjoyment dramatically. Not subtle improvements, mind you ... major.  Now, why in the world would I not want to shout that from the rooftops?  Over enthusiastic? Perhaps in someone else's eyes. If so, that's too bad .. and I certainly don't appreciate being insulted by wolf-garcia and his ilk for that enthusiasm. 

Here's the deal ... Over the past few months, after discovering the SR products that I've installed, my system has gone from really, really good ... to one of the best I've ever heard in over 40 years in the hobby. That includes working for a time in an ultra-high end audio store, to attending and working at many CES shows, attending Stereophile shows in San Francisco and Los Angeles and for the past few years, attending the Newport show for entire weekends.

I've heard systems costing 500k plus... and there are some things I like about mine better, especially in the area of tonal correctness and musicality. That's the level where the SR products have gotten me to. 

Art Dudley makes the point very clearly in the latest edition of Stereophile with his opening line ... "Everything makes a difference. Everything. File that away."  Then he continues with:  "There are two kinds of good sound: good sound and good music sound." 

The SR products have brought my system from "good sound." to "good music sound."  If being enthusiastic about that is a crime ... then color me guilty. 

As always, I appreciate your level headed input Al. 

Stay tuned guys, more SR tweaks to come. :-)

Hi Jeff (Jwm),
Jimmy Giuffre transitioned from "West Coast Cool"style  in the 1950s towards  the early "Free Jazz". Which genre is he playing on your recommended recording? 
Charles, 

Charles just slightly, but I know you will like this. I'll burn you a CDR when I get the record.

Thanks Jeff, I look forward to hearing it.
Charles,

I utterly understand the promotion of suspicious tweaks using this forum if only from a purely business point of view. If a forum exists to hard sell a relatively expensive product with no rational explanation of how it works, using made-up technological terms like "quantum tunneling" (this is a thing that exists, but not in any audio fuse related sense) and claim a preposterous "2,000,000 volt" treatment with, again, no explanation of why or how this is accomplished, you may unsurprisingly (!) get some raised eyebrows. Users claims of subjective "major improvements" to a system by using a component that exists out of the signal path and isn't there to do anything but fail if need be (a fuse) with zero…and I mean zero…actual reasoned technical explanations of why this is, is pretty much unprecedented (except with regards to other "left field" unexplainable techno-fringe tweaks) and requires suspension of rational belief which I, obviously, won't suspend. If a former high end audio salesman and CES show worker makes fantastic claims that appear to be exaggerated  (see almarg's 2nd paragraph above) to other equally (or more) experienced audiophiles, the expected response to any critic of the thing should be to vilify the critic…hey…it's business after all. 

Wolf, I agree that a lot of this is hype. Lightning strikes can have as much as 1,000,000 volts so twice that for a fuse is just what it sounds like, hype. Everything would melt no matter how it was applied. But it doesn’t negate the positive results. It’s just marketing. Popularity and demand will extract a price as well. I detest the term "supply and demand" due to misuse but here, it applies.

From my own experience, the now superseded HiFi Tuning fuses that I use really work. I’m on the fence about getting some PADIS fuses but for $25 a pop, I could live with it since when compared to the current run of HiFi fuses and others, they came out as more neutral and extended.

Heck, I spend more on wine tasting so all I have to do is stay home one night and get the five fuses needed to do the deed. I’d also raise some eyebrows here for buying a Todd Begg Mini Bodega but I like it enough to justify the cost. Now, there is something that can be debated as any good knife will do, but in the end, it’s what "I" like.

All the best,
Nonoise

No noise wrote,

"Wolf, I agree that a lot of this is hype. Lightning strikes can have as much as 1,000,000 volts so twice that for a fuse is just what it sounds like, hype. Everything would melt no matter how it was applied. But it doesn’t negate the positive results. It’s just marketing. Popularity and demand will extract a price as well. I detest the term "supply and demand" due to misuse but here, it applies."

Uh, not sure I agree with your detective work. Maybe you’ve never seen somebody place his hand on a Van de Graaff generator that produces up to 5 million volts with very low current. The person's hair goes straight up, but nothing else happens. There is no melting. Volts are quite harmless. It’s the amps that’ll get ya. 

Geoff Kait
machina dynamica
no goats no glory

Geoff, you're right. My bad. If anyone, I should know this as I used to work in a capacitor factory (my first job) and was knocked out by a 1,000 volt discharge. Upon awakening, I was told, "It's the amps that'll kill ya."

I guess I suppressed  that memory because everyone was laughing when I awoke. But there is some spin going on. :-)

All the best,
Nonoise

wolf ...

1.  There is nothing "suspicious" about these SR tweaks. Either they work for you, or they don't. If they don't work for you, send them back for a refund.  What is suspicious, is your constant negative clamor about products you haven't tried and won't try.

2.  As I've stated before, I don't care how these things work, only that they do. 

3.  I never vilified you for your criticism, only your penchant for claiming that there are nefarious agendas going on by myself and others posting here. As I've stated before, its insulting. 

4.  How would you know if any of my claims are "exaggerated" if you haven't used, or even tried the products being discussed? 

5.  I challenge you to order a ten-pack of SR's HFT's, and place them around your room as directed, and then report back here with your findings. 

wolf ... until you've tried the tweaks being discussed in this thread, you have no real basis for your specious arguments. You can either step up and try the tweaks, or remain like Cleopatra ... in denial. 

With the above said, what this thread has turned into is much akin to a bunch of really cool guys with common interests having a beer or two at the local pub. Its all good fun, until one person has a little too much to drink and starts becoming obnoxious. The obnoxious guy is pushed out the door by his now exasperated friends, perhaps with a slightly bruised ego ... only to return time and again to piss in everyone else's beer.

OP

 

I'm retired and am no shill for SR. I worked in the AV industry for a couple of years in the early aughts as a break from management consulting, but we didn't carry SR (and, at the time I paid retail for the SR AC Master Couplers). I'm long retired and have no financial or other interest in SR or any other audio brand. I pay retail for every thing I buy, unless I find a sale or closeout on something I want to check out. My components are relatively modest, but they are of sufficient quality that I can easily recommend the improvements wrought by accessories from SR and others (I'm a big fan of Herbie's products as well). At this point I only have one SR cable in my system (on my REL), so I can attest that you don't need to have an all SR ecosystem to benefit from the fuses, HFTs, FEQs, and such.

Having said all that, I AM a shill for teen car control clinics, the real deal where we get the kids out on the skid-pad, learning emergency stopping and lane change skills, practicing what to do when you put two wheels (or more) off the pavement, even backing and parallel-parking drills. We give the kids and their parents a couple of race track laps at speed and then let the kids safely drive their cars on the track with a skilled instructor riding shotgun. These are skills that simply aren't taught in the typical "Driver's Ed" course, at least in California.

^^^ well, there ya go. Another happy SR customer. 

Nice work there on the teen driving. Teen training has come a long way since I was a kid. I've seen the results of drive ed courses in my own grand kids. 

Gonna have a long listening session tonight with my friend Robert. He's been digging through the thrift store record racks today, so I'm looking forward to what he brings over. 

OP

OP or everything is fun and games until someone loses an eye 

^^^ Well, hopefully cooler heads will prevail. Either that, or we'll have to call the cops. :-)

In the meantime, the system is warming up with the listening session starting in twenty minutes.

What to play ... what to play ...

Tonight’s feature is McCoy Tyner’s New York Reunion with Joe Henderson, Ron Carter and Al Foster. Magnificent. Spectacular sound-stage with clearly delineated instrumental outlines, yet without any crispies at their outer edges, And Ron Carter's bass is otherworldly--deep, tight and with a goodly amount of slam.

^^^ Nice.

We had a Paul Desmond, Chet Baker and Jim Hall night.  Right there in the room.  

Question:  I purchased 2 SR red fuses for my Primaluna Premium with KT-120. Loved how they sounded but both blew with in a week. They were the correct amperage. Could the the KT-120 be responsible for this. Spoke to the US rep but couldn't give me a definitive answer. Told me to go with the next bigger amp rating. Any thoughts.

Frank,
I can imagine how good your listening session was enjoying those three stellar musicians. Last night I listened to Lester Young accompanied by Oscar Peterson, Barney Kessel, Ray Brown and J.C. Heard. Mono recording from the mid 1950s. Lester had such a beautiful tone and emotional expression. Lester is a genuine icon on the tenor saxophone.

Andy,
I have that McCoy Tyner  recording and I agree with your assessment. 
Charles, 

zimwig:

I have had a Synergistic Research SR-20 fuse blow on start up on my tube headphone amp. I went to the next larger size and no further problems for the last two years. The fuse is at risk to blow on start up and especially if the amp goes through a quick off and then back on for a quick tube change. If turing a tube amp off give it a few minutes for the tubes to cool before a restart. Hot tubes have less resistance to current flow.
David Pritchard
 

Andy,
I'd like to suggest a McCoy Tyner recording that's wonderful both sonically and musical interpretation. "Manhattan Moods" it features McCoy and the fabulous Bobby Hutcherson on vibraphone. It's pure beauty 😊😊
Charles, 

I don't order anything from a company that I feel makes up ethically questionable technobabble ad copy, and I think questioning the technology SR used to design things, including the fuses that blow due to incorrect ratings (using a $6 Littlefuse this doesn't happen in my rig…ever) is reasonable. The basis of my argument is simply logic and sanity, and astonishment at the hubris of the hucksters. Here's almarg's seemingly ignored second paragraph that deserves repeating:                                  

"But speaking of reasonableness, I can't help but feel that what seems to me to be the utterly unimaginable and technically inexplicable DEGREE of the positive effects that have been reported for not only these fuses, but for SEVERAL OTHER products that are ALSO made by SR, that have recently been reported on by many of these same posters in other threads, reflects negatively on the credibility of the degree of the reported benefits, if not their existence. And personally I find that to be a net negative with respect to the encouragement it provides for investment of the **time** that would be required to properly assess these tweaks in my own system. Return privileges notwithstanding."

Again, well said.

Here's a well reasoned thread I found for those interested in some background on this stuff: An Audiogon discussions from 2013 titled "Synergistic Research HFT + FEQ"…check it out if you dare!

^^^^

Okay wolf, according to you and almarg, if a person tries SR fuses and likes the result, then subsequently tries another SR product and likes those results as well, and posts his positive assessments of both, somehow that detracts from the credibility of the person posting about both products?

Damn man, what happens if that same person tries three or four of the SR products and likes the results attained from each one of them? Oh right ... it makes that person a fraud, right? I think I get it now. 

OP

wolf ...

Okay, I "dared" to read the 2013 discussion in its entirety. In three pages of reading, I found about 10% negative input and 90% positive input regarding the SR products.  

What was your point?

It's always squestionable when there is no balance in reporting.  Applies to consumer goods as well as politics.  

Claims that cannot be substantiated on paper do not help.  

Its just the way things are.  Why should it be any other way?  It should not come as any surprise.  

^^^

Well, the "imbalance" in all of the SR threads that I've read stands at about 10% negative and 90% positive as far as the member's results. And, keep in mind that some of the negative posts were written by folks who have never tried the products.  No one is stopping anyone from posting their negative results, so ... where is everybody? 

I don't understand why everything has to be measured and on paper to be deemed worthy.  "Measuring" improvements with one's ears seems to be a valid method to me. 

I’m pretty sure the explanation is whenever there’s a thread on some controversial product or tweak the lurking naysayers and suspicious types and superstitious types get all worked up and emote all over the place. It kind of comes with the territory doesn’t it? You wouldn’t want it any other way, either, I suspect. 

McCoy Tyner New York Sessions.  I got. Think I will give it a listen. Thanks andynotodam. 

Thanks for the tip on McCoy Tyner's Manhattan Moods. I'll check it out. Interesting that on Amazon some CD copies are priced at over $100, but it's available for $16 with Prime shipping and four bucks plus postage used...

Andy,
You are welcome, it's beautiful music. Amazon can have the occasional very high priced CD but for the most part I've found quite reasonable or even bargain prices for the vast majority.

I have 3 jazz cd's to buy by this wonderful piano player I just discovered. Lynne Arriale Trio (When You Listen), (The Eyes Have It), and (With Words Unspoken). All are on the DMP label. The cymbals sound so realistic you think you were in a jazz club. I would start with the first one and go from there. Lynne's style of playing is more to my liking than Dianna Krall.

Jwm ...

Thanks for the heads up on Lynne Arriale. This is the first I've heard of her. I just checked her out on Spotify. Her "Inspiration" album sounds great on my Audioengine PC system.  Two cuts ...  "A House is Not a Home," and "The Nearness of You" are very movingly played. Nice! Tasty!

If you like Lynne Arriale, you'll also like Jessica Williams. Here's two of her very well recorded live albums: 

 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vol-1-Live-At-Yoshis-Jessica-Williams-2004-CD-NEUF-/262409587779?hash=item3d...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Live-at-Yoshis-Vol-2-/331859091137?hash=item4d4457dec1:g:9tsAAOxyeR9TGFZ-

OP

I had the opportunity to hear Lynne Arriale CD at Jeff’s this past weekend and she and her trio sound very good, she’s an engaging pianist for sure.
David, Jessica Williams "Live At Yoshi’s" recording is one I’ve enjoyed for years . Another good one from her is "Jessica’s Blues".

David I believe that you’d really like Kenny Barron "Live At Bradley’s" Vol 1 (Vol 2 is excellent also ) . Top tier piano trio performance with very realistic jazz club atmosphere captured. Some sound engineers are just better than others at preserving the natural and palpable ambience of the jazz venues. 
Charles,

The "Jessica's Blues" I had recommended is very good but I like her "This side Up" even more.  I just listened to it (hadn't played it in a while ) and this is truly some fine piano work. There's so much music available from many talented musicians we're fortunate to have their recordings to listen to when ever we'd like to. 
Charles, 

charles1dad:
Thank you for the suggestions. I will look into Kenny Barron's "Live at Bradley's". The 300B SET amp does like the Synergistic Research Black fuse more than the RED fuse. The music is just more alive with the Black fuse.
Presently comparing the Sophia 300 Carbon tube versus the Psvane 300 WE tube. The Sophia has more punch and the Psvane We more of a softer delicate sound. Both sound very good but different. A set of Sophia 300 Blue glass tubes are awaiting their turn in the amp.

Between good music listening, good equipment upgrades, and good people posting good suggestions for music and upgrades, it just doesn't get any better.
David Pritchard

David,
I agree with you, this has been such an enjoyable thread to participate in.
I suspect that the W.E. Replica 300b from Pavane is trying to stay as faithful as possible to the vintage Western Electric character. David I’m not familiar with the Sophia blue glass 300b so I look forward to your listening impressions.

I’m listening to Sarah Vaughan this evening and what a pure pleasure ☺
1, "How Long Has This Been Going On?" This is an XRCD +1 music and sound quality. Recorded in 1978 and also features Joe Pass and Oscar Peterson.

2, "Sarah +2" Early 1960s stereo recording, just wonderful! Added bonus is Barney Kessel on guitar.

3, " After Hours" another early stereo studio recording, again, wonderful talent and music. The beautiful guitar playing of Mundell Lowe is featured.
Charles,

David,
One aspect of jazz I adore  (amongst many ) is the seamless collaborations between the young upstart  and veteran musicians.  Last night I listened to "Seasoned Wood" . This is esteemed elder pianist Cedar Walton with a very young trumpeter Jeremy Pelt recorded in 2008.
This reminds me of early 1960s pairing of veteran saxophonist icon  Coleman Hawkins with the young and upcoming guitarist Kenny Burrell. Good stuff! 
Charles, 

All,

The SR Red Fuse gave me the best bang for the buck next to 12 gauge speaker cables.  Been running them for about a year. But once you are done with the fuses, the next most notable step up is the SR Power Cell, wow.....talk about a noise floor that dropped about 4 levels and the inner details of music you NEVER HEARD BEFORE!!!!!  I am amazed at what SR products do for the hifi systems we all love.  Next up, outfitting my whole system with SR innerconnects.