Synergistic Red Fuse ...

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...

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

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. 

^^^

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. 

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.  

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?

^^^^

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

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!

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.

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, 

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
 

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, 

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.

^^^ Nice.

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

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.

^^^ 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 ...

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

^^^ 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

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.

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

 

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

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

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

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. 

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

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

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, 

^^^

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. :-)

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
 

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.

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

^^^ 

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. 

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...

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

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.

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.

^^^ 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. :-)

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

^^^ 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. 

Thanks Charles ...

And for wolf-garcia and the other naysayers ...

I am currently auditioning a pair of Von Gaylord's "Return of The Legend 7000" interconnects ($1,995 per meter pair) between my TT and phono stage. It has replaced a very fine Nexus FMS cable that was a total knock-out in my system.

www.vongaylordaudio.com

 If I said that the Von Gaylord IC has transformed my vinyl collection, when in truth, it undoubtedly has, would you then, in return, say that I'm in the tank for Von Gaylord?

Is that Pioneer receiver warmed up yet, wolf?  :-)

As an added bonus there's been much sharing of music titles and recordings for others to obtain. It's been a win,win situation for the vast majority of participants here. 
Charles 

Well if there is a underlying scheme to promote the SR fuses someone forgot to tell me. There are certain products I’ve come across that genuinely impressed me based on pure high quality sound performance.
Coincident components, Duelund capacitors,  Elrog,Takatsuki and EMLwhich are superb 300b tubes and Ocellia cables. I’ve participated in forum discussions concerning these products to share my opinion on very exceptional audio products

It’s no different this time with the SR fuses. I feel compelled to spread the word on such an excellent tweak that provides so much sound improvement for so little money. As I’ve said before it’s quite rewarding to read the many posts on this huge thread placed by very happy users. It’s a good thing when multiple music lovers are made aware of worthwhile products through a public forum such as Audiogon. I’m happy to be a contributor to others on this site. . Frank, thanks again for originating this informative and very friendly thread.
Charles,

Wolf, I agree that the potential benefit of a fuse on our gear is dubious, but I disagree with assigning any responsibility to Audiogon to "protect" us from our interpretation of a manufacturer's advertising or from our interpretation of posts made by other members here.  The approaches used are out of the marketing 101 playbook and pervade just about every product we consume.  None of it is that surprising or unique.

wolf-garcia & kclone ...

I'm beginning to get suspicious that there is a faction of naysayers that are attempting to denigrate a manufacturer that is providing extraordinary products and getting extraordinary results because these very same naysayers are actually sellers or manufacturers of competing products that just cannot make the grade, cannot compete, and in general, just don't measure up.  

Those of us who have taken the time in posting positive things about SR are posting because we are experiencing great results, not because we "work for SR" or involved in some nefarious scheme to "promote extremely profitable audio voodoo. "

Do you guys have any idea how insulting your negative posts are to those of us who are sincerely trying to help our fellow audiophiles attain better results from their systems? Of course you don't. Why would you? Social cretins seldom do. 

Now go turn on your Pioneer receivers, listen to your Bose speakers and enjoy your eight-track tape machine and have a nice day. 

Sheesh!

That's right, Wolf---this whole thing is a collective scheme of SR promotion hidden by a carefully-maintained act of mass delusion, and it's all been done to fool YOU.  Damn---you got us. I sure am enjoying my SR Blacks in my Maggies--next up, AC mains.     

it makes you wonder how many people are working for these companies on the forums.  Yep, I'm suspicious.  

Regarding the SR Black fuse morphing with break-in, even installed in my REL sub the higher frequencies became harsh for a time and then we went to the "bass all over the place" phase as well. 

As a result,  I was also moved to put micro fiber towels into the rear ports of my speakers which are, of necessity, rather close to the front wall. Oddly, I was also moved to simultaneously turn my REL down a notch in volume. 

Patience during break-in is rewarded by the sound I'm currently experiencing--smooth, liquid, detailed and extended. Might be time to bump the REL up a notch. We'll see. Sounds fantastic right now...