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?
A few posters here actually tried these products and found that they could perceive no sonic changes, or no changes for the better. I totally respect them and their views and I appreciate their contributions to this thread.
And this backs what the technical experienced here have been saying all along.
So, to put it bluntly, if you have no personal experience with these products, feel free to lurk, or to sincerely ask questions, but otherwise, please save yourself the agita and the wasted keystrokes, and let the rest of us get on with our little hobby....
No wasted keystrokes when trying to protect/educate the gullible and their hard earned cash on the voodoo speak that AC fuses have directional sound differences. And unless your a forum cop, I wouldn’t tell the technical here what they can/can’t post when trying to protect the gullible from voodoo.
On a happier note, I am chilling to Olu Dara's album "Neighborhoods." Very highly recommended for performance and sonics, along with his late-nineties debut "In the World: From Natchez to New York."
As I understand things around here, this is a thread devoted to sharing our PERSONAL experiences,initially with the Synergistic Research Red fuses and subsequently expanded to include other fuses as well as other AC power products.
It follows then, if you have no PERSONAL experience with any of these products or product categories then you are just wasting time--yours (which you seem not to value), and that of the many folks who have participated in this thread sharing their PERSONAL experiences in good faith. A few posters here actually tried these products and found that they could perceive no sonic changes, or no changes for the better. I totally respect them and their views and I appreciate their contributions to this thread.
But seriously, if your scientific understanding of AC power and its interaction with audio power supplies and other devices on a circuit is not post-doc PhD with extensive personal applied experience in these areas, I am really not interested in your theories about why nothing in the power supply chain could possibly influence my perception of a re-created musical performance in my home.
I use and enjoy these products, and my non-audiophile friends (who have no idea what I’ve been messing with) are generally capable--unprompted--of hearing and noting differences in the sound of my system over time.
So, to put it bluntly, if you have no personal experience with these products, feel free to lurk, or to sincerely ask questions, but otherwise, please save yourself the agita and the wasted keystrokes, and let the rest of us get on with our little hobby....
geoffkait, does a bear sh*t in the woods, sorry no I can’t ask you that, because you can’t see the forest through the trees.
Read up on AC theory and then you’ll understand just how much voodoo bull**** you and others are speaking about fuses being directional when mains AC is involved.
Even if they were DC rail fuses, it would be still voodooistic to say they were directional. Now there’s something you can try geoffkait, use a dc fuse of the same amp rating instead of an ac fuse, then you may hear something different, I’d be interested in this outcome.
Cheers George
As much as I would like to take you up on your suggestion to try a DC fuse in lieu of an AC fuse of the same amp rating I am absolutely the wrong person for this task as my current system actually contains no fuses, nor any fuse holders, nor is any such thing necessary as my system is completely independent of house AC, a couple AA size batteries suffice.
Hi Nayme, From both a philosophical and design perspective the WTT is the polar opposite of the massive and extravagant Acoustic Signature Invictus table you mentioned. The WTT was in my opinion a brilliant yet simple turntable that yielded superb sound quality. I truly enjoyed it for years. Conceptually it reminds me of a top quality SETamplifier, pure and natural due to well engineered simplicity. I fully understand why Frank loves his WTT. Charles,
jafreeman 173 posts 08-02-2016 6:02am This directionality/AC argument has been discussed ad nauseam. I suggest anything that goes back and forth 60 times/second ends up standing still.
It can’t all be going back and forth 60 times/second and ending up standing still since something is coming out of the speakers. I'll grant you the elections are virtually standing still, however.
geoffkait, does a bear sh*t in the woods, sorry no I can't ask you that, because you can't see the forest through the trees.
Read up on AC theory and then you'll understand just how much voodoo bull**** you and others are speaking about fuses being directional when mains AC is involved.
Even if they were DC rail fuses, it would be still voodooistic to say they were directional. Now there's something you can try geoffkait, use a dc fuse of the same amp rating instead of an ac fuse, then you may hear something different, I'd be interested in this outcome.
The school chancellor spoke. "It has been a difficult year. Many of you passed your courses with flying colors. You shall be going on to bigger and better things. The rest of you will become Audio Engineers.
I did not believe that Extra Terrestrials routinely visited our planet. UNTIL NOW. Today I saw a photograph of one in the the pages of THE ABSOLUTE SOUND.
It is called the "Acoustic Signature Invictus" turntable. At three feet wide, 2.5 feet deep, it is a monster weighing over 300 lbs. Cost: $130,000 with tonearm. It requires a stand for an additional $17, 500.
As I have previously mentioned, I have not even looked at a turntable since the mid 1980s. When you mentioned the Well Tempered TT I had no idea what it was like. Now I am scared to even google it. Perhaps in a couple of weeks when I recover from shock I might summon up the courage to take a peek.
For those who cannot afford, or are unwilling to pay, the asking price of the "signature" there is a budget version " The Acoustic Raven Black Knight" for a mere $45,000.
What geoffkait does to his colon is certainly his business, and may be part of why he feels compelled to promote mythological faith-based tweaks like bags of rocks and "directional" fuses. Unnecessarily discomfort during his medical procedures could simply make him mad at the world somehow, and this preference could certainly manifest itself as an oddly manic response to logic. We should have sympathy and compassion for his condition, and be gentle in our responses to his posts so as not to get him too irritated…kindness…simply respond with kindness.
I appreciate those who may be skeptical of the differences people are hearing with these fuses, but still make worthwhile contributions to this thread.
The issue is this: People new to our hobby might read this thread in the future and get hopelessly caught up in your nonsense, spending ludicrous amounts of money on BS, fuses being the thin edge of the wedge. Your stance is unethical.
I should point out to Geoff/Tommy, before he attacks me, that I love his performance art; it's provided many chuckles. (Dark Matter Paint. Ha! That had me giggling for days. Seriously. Very, very funny.)
There are tests on the Harbeth website that suggest once you match any given SS power amp to its speakers within its power limitations, the difference in sound to an equivalent SS brand once you match volume levels to within 0.2 dB is minimal. There are differences, thanks to frequency response anomalies (and input sensitivity), but next to zero compared to the differences you get with cartridges or speakers. So like, fuses, and fuse direction? No offence, but you guys are tripping.
Yeah…or actually…no…fuse directionality can’t be heard because it's not an actual thing…it simply isn't. Ever. You can claim you hear it, but you do not. See? Wasn’t that easy? You’re welcome.
Since directionality can be heard in standard fuses, not just audiophile ones, it doesn't cost anything but time to test it in your own system. Simply flip a fuse. If you can hear a difference, better or worse, then you've proven to yourself that at least that part of what people are saying here is true. Unless, of course, you don't trust your own ears...
stevecham: "In Search of the Multiverse" by John Gribbin is excellent. Very accessible, and mind-bending. One of the best science books I’ve ever read. georgelofi: I agree. I’ve been following this thread on and off and I think these guys would get better results by having a tech bypass the fuses in their amps. The perceived difference would just be placebo, but I can’t help thinking it might bring their systems to a jaw-dropping new level, with better presence, dynamics and micro detail that would, in short, sound more like live music.
I'm not a trained physicist, but instead an "armchair amateur" who has read books by Stephen Hawking and Brian Greene, and while some cosmological concepts are still a bit difficult for me to grasp (even after several readings of Greene's last one on the multiverse and the hidden reality), it seems one possibility is that our minds are shaping realities, such that it is cosmologically plausible that, if anyone here hears a difference, no matter the tweak, then it is indeed real to that person, and in that reality, directionality of fuses is an unequivocal and experienced truth.
Fuse directionality or quality just doesn't work in my reality; and as Al Franken once said, that's, okay.
but it made sense to me that a cheap fuse could be a bottleneck to good sound
Which qualified electronic technician has said this, to make sense to you?? Or was it just some c**p that came from a voodoo’ist mouth, who has not one bit of technical knowledge.
As for a fuse to become a "bottleneck" it needs to become highly resistive to such a point that it would blow with no faults. If it’s not resistive at all, then you may as well have a piece of copper wire soldered in place of the fuse.
Just wanted to chime in and share my experience with the SR Quantum Black fuse. I was inspired by this thread to try one. I am new to the audiophile grade fuse thing, but it made sense to me that a cheap fuse could be a bottleneck to good sound. I decided to try one in my amp first, since it has a fuse holder on the back that is easily accessible. My Antique Sound Lab Tulip is a 2A3 SET amp, but I am running it with Emission Labs mesh plate 45s (I love 45s, and especially these ones).
While I was waiting for the black to arrive, I decide to test the directionality of the stock fuse. I flipped it, and, sure enough, there was a nice improvement. I got the black, popped it in, and let the amp warm up. When I started listening, I could tell right away that something was off. I turned off the amp, flipped the black and turned it back on. Wow! The difference was immediately apparent and jaw dropping. Instruments and voices had more "presence" and sounded more real. I was hearing subtle details I hadn't noticed before. The dynamics were improved, and it was easier to follow the lines of individual instruments. In short, it sounded more like live music.
I left the amp on for several days, and these qualities increased as the black broke in. They were all there right from the beginning, though.
I just ordered another black for my Audio Note DAC Kit 1.1, and am eagerly awaiting its arrival.
oregonpapa,
I read in one of your earlier posts how much you like Thelonious Monk. You inspired me to pull out a CD of his music I had in my collection, but hadn't listened to for a long time. Good stuff!
"Do I still need a fire extinguisher when doing this? j/k :)"
In the past, some audiophiles used to put a solid copper plug into the fuse holder instead of a fuse. Whether it was an improvement or not ... who knows. There's always those who will take chances.
Did anyone besides me see the guy on the news this past weekend who jumped out of a plane at 25,000 feet without a chute and landed in a net?
Thanks for everyone's help..well maybe one person I will leave out lol Do I still need a fire extinguisher when doing this? j/k :) I have to admit, wolf garcia turned me off. I am slowly pushing the anxiety out of my brain. It seems pretty straight forward operation though. I have rolled tubes many times. Seems similar. The reason I asked the question in the first place was because parts connection website recommends you test the fuse.
" until one time they forget to disconnect the plug from the mains, BANG!!! say goodbye to your short and curlies?"
This is a very important point. When providing instructions on how to install a fuse the first thing to say is "TURN OFF THE POWER" for a few minutes minutes prior to installation.
Thanks georgelofi for mentioning this. My post dated 7.31.16 in response to aniwolfe should definitely have mentioned this. Most people know this should be done, but often forget.
Just to point out there's a difference between turning the power off and disconnecting the AC power plug.
"
until one time they forget to disconnect the plug from the mains, BANG!!! say goodbye to your short and curlies?"
This is a very important point. When providing instructions on how to install a fuse the first thing to say is "TURN OFF THE POWER" for a few minutes minutes prior to installation.
Thanks georgelofi for mentioning this. My post dated 7.31.16 in response to aniwolfe should definitely have mentioned this. Most people know this should be done, but often forget. .
If this happened in Outter Mongolia between a man and a mule, the chances are it had nothing to do with a fuse.
Fourwnds ...
So far, no one has reported trying an SR fuse in their power conditioner. Why not be the first, then report the results here? I'd certainly be interested in the results.
mapman 13,557 posts 08-01-2016 11:17am Once fuses are all in alignment, next there is a Machina Dynamica teleportation tweak up for bids now to be had for a mere $2. Geoff can explain the benefits.
The end game is near! Or is it? :^)
Grasshopper, If you're going to be my shill would it be asking too much for a little more enthusiasm?
I hope no one has asked this question already so all apologies, but has anyone tried using an sr fuse in their power conditioner? I have a black in my preamp that was a worthy investment. Id try some in my mono's but that is a pricier layout and since everything runs from the conditioner it makes sense that this could effect the sound as well. Have a great day.
There are now reports that an elderly man in Outer Mongolia was electrocuted while changing a synergistic research fuse in his donkey. The Governor of the province has declared a state of emergency.
Once fuses are all in alignment, next there is a Machina Dynamica teleportation tweak up for bids now to be had for a mere $2. Geoff can explain the benefits.
And in the meantime, among all of the controversy, with all of my fuses facing in the proper direction, my magic music machine just keeps playing music.
georgelofi 1,640 posts 07-31-2016 11:55pm So is claiming a mains fuse is directional, and also dangerous to tell non techs to keep reversing them, until one time they forget to disconnect the plug from the mains, BANG!!! say goodbye to your short and curlies?"
Someone has died when switching fuse direction?! OMG!!
DEFAMATION : "The act of making untrue statements about another which damages his/her reputation. If the defamatory statement is printed or broadcast over the media it is libel and, if only oral, it is slander"
It was probably unwise of me to categorize Wolfe's statement as actionable. It is certainly not against the law to express one's opinions, no matter how unfounded and irrational they may be.
Perhaps I should said that he was merely a nuisance and left it at that.
"Simply buy several and remain near your gear with a fire extinguisher for a day or two just to be safe"
This is actionable behavior in a court of law. It is DEFAMATION.
So is claiming a mains fuse is directional, and also dangerous to tell non techs to keep reversing them, until one time they forget to disconnect the plug from the mains, BANG!!! say goodbye to your short and curlies.
You must have a verified phone number and physical address in order to post in the Audiogon Forums. Please return to Audiogon.com and complete this step. If you have any questions please contact Support.
