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?
Too bad you couldn't have found a nicer amp to put the fuses in lak ;)
i hope it's obvious that I'm clearly joking......the Plinius SA-Reference is an amazing amp and I'm glad to hear you heard an improvement with the SR Blacks. I had the same experience with an immediate sound improvement upon placing the SR Blacks in my amp and later my DAC. And they get even better with time. Thanks for sharing with us, lak. Btw....with all the amazing equipment you have how do you tear yourself away from the listening room?
If indeed I "have this one wrong," then please explain how a safety device (fuses) using a tiny half inch of wire designed to melt provides any sonic benefit. What does it do? Nobody knows the answer to this around here anyway, because there simply isn't one, except "I paid $120 for it so it must do something, and by god I should hear it or I made an expensive mistake." It can't be compared to active components since it's not one…and to note that fuses have meaningful "direction" because they're marked as such is sort of why this thread is so entertaining.
@mac48025 ;-) of course, I knew you were kidding... Luckily, I usually have time each morning to listen to my system, many times later in the day also.
I had added the SR Black fuse to my preamp, Phono Preamp, Dac’s, Transport’s and Integrated amp a year ago with great success also.
@wolf_garcia sorry if you don’t buy into the SR Black fuses, as others have said in this thread (and I know several of these audiophiles on this thread), I trust their ears and my own ears. We know what we hear and like it.
jmcgrogan2 You did it now Larry (lak), you have awakened the barking chihuahuas. They are barking up a storm and nipping at your heels. Hahaha!
People always underestimate chihuahuas. In their native country they are bred as hunting dogs and have been known to bring down a 200 lb man who had a 20 yard head start.
Unfortunately what we have here is just another situation where some folks just can’t hear the difference. It happens all the time. It happens with many tweaks, especially the more controversial or preposterous tweaks, you know the ones I’m talking about. Things like Mpingo disc, green pen, holographic foil, intelligent chip, tiny bowl resonators, you know, things that either don’t APPEAR to be in the audio path OR actually AREN'T IN THE AUDIO PATH. It's frequently a pretty obvious case of the Backfire Effect, I.e., the more you try to convince someone he’s wrong the more convinced he is that he’s right. Moreover, some folks have invested a lot of energy defending their position, years. Is that a self fulfilling prophecy or what?
Unfortunately what we have here is just another situation where some folks just can’t hear the difference. It happens all the time. It happens with many tweaks, especially the more controversial or preposterous tweaks, you know the ones I’m talking about. Things like Mpingo disc, green pen, holographic foil, intelligent chip, tiny bowl resonators, you know, things that either don’t APPEAR to be in the audio path OR actually AREN'T IN THE AUDIO PATH. It's frequently a pretty obvious case of the Backfire Effect, I.e., the more you try to convince someone he’s wrong the more convinced he is that he’s right. Moreover, some folks have invested a lot of energy defending their position, years. Is that a self fulfilling prophecy or what?
+1, well said geoff !
"Expectation bias" works for the naysayers as well. If you do not expect to hear a difference, you won't.
If I don't spend money on it, it cannot possibly work, for I am a genius!! ;^)
Years ago I was visiting my neighbor, the late Lars Friedel (friend of Stereophile’s Sam Tellig), and the Sun Mook dudes had recently installed a bunch of Mpingo disc things in his sound room (Lars reviewed gear for Euro mags). We both thought the whole thing was pretty strange, and after having them in his system for a while he was certain they were utterly useless. Geoffkait mentions a pile of silly "take it on faith" tweaks that have been deemed useless by many listeners who actually hear as well as anybody, but by simply repeating over and over that something illogical, unproven , and maybe dangerous (improperly rated fuses) that is designed to remove money from the pockets of "naive seekers" provides a path to better sound doesn’t make the tweak actually work. I’ve been delighted to hear differences I didn’t expect from various cables, tubes, active gear of all sorts, and designer recommended setup suggestions, and welcome all of that, but I will continue to question fraudulent imaginary nonsensical products as insulting to the professional designers who do the actual good work , and who don’t need to compromise their integrity with inexplicable pseudo tweaks to make a buck.
One of the most appropriate comments I've read about the SR (Synergistic Research) Red Quantum Fuse and Black Quantum Fuse discussion (or should it be called blatant promotion?)-- "
I will continue to question fraudulent imaginary nonsensical products as insulting to the professional designers who do the actual good work , and who don’t need to compromise their integrity with inexplicable pseudo tweaks to make a buck. " from wolf_garcia. Honesty is so refreshing in this thread.
Hello everyone , i am new bee and need your help !!! I bought 2 SR black fuses for my Mcintosh MC 501 and 1 for my wadia 781 i . The question i need help that which direction of arrow on fuses go into the amp and the CD player ? *** for MC 501 the arrow point down or point up ? *** *** and the wadia 781 i arrow point down or up ? **** Thank you for your help . Cheers .
+1 ptss, and I’d say every tech on this planet would say so too. And they are the ones that design the equipment we all listen to. And here we have a few voodooists that have next to no tech skills at all saying they’re wrong. It’s really sad to think that they have some influence over the gullible to hand over a hundred + dollars for a 10 cent mains fuse, and to also have the hide to say it's directional as well, with no proof from the manufacturer stating so.
^^^ I was going to answer .... but what's the point? There's way too much music to listen to tonight to be the whipping boy for a couple of infantile egos.
By the way ... I installed six of Herbies tube dampeners in the ARC-CD 7-se last night. The result? ... A completely new level of resolution and musicality. Zowie.
Are you using the Rx or the SS dampers for your CD7? BTW, I read through some of your previous posts and bought the Linda Ronstadt Round Midnight Album. Got it from Amazon and love it. Anything that you can recommend similar to that? Thx and greatly appreciated:)
I'm using Herbie's Ultra Sonic RX's. So far, I've put these into the REF-3 preamp and the CD player. Next will be the phono stage and the amp. I see no reason at this point ... or ever, to buy another CD player. Red Book CD's can boggle the mind. If you haven't sent your CD-7 back to the factory for the "SE" power supply upgrade, I highly recommend it. The CD player is using a full compliment of SR Black fuses, Herbie's tube dampeners, a Synergistic Research Level III power cord and a balanced Von Gaylord Legend IC. Expensive, yes. But I know what the CD-7 is capable of at this point ... and it goes WAY beyond reason.
On Linda Ronstadt ...
Glad you're appreciating it. She was a great singer, and when unleashed with Nelson Riddle on the Great American Songbook, she was a power to be reckoned with.
If you truly like the music on the "Round Midnight" Ronstadt album, you'll like the other two as well ... the same level of artistry and the same quality of sound. Prior to Nelson's Riddle's passing, they had a fourth album planned. Untimely death, indeed.
The music you've been exposed to on these albums are really a trip into musical history. Here's some other artists to expose yourself to:
Jo Stafford ... "Ballad of The Blues." I have the original six eye Columbia stereo. The sound is excellent and the sound stage goes on forever.
Here's another Jo Stafford album where she appears with the Art Van Damme Quintet. Excellent sound. Van Damme plays the accordion with his group. Don't laugh, he really swings and along with Myron Florin, was on of the world's premier jazz accordion players.
June Christy ... A teriffic jazz ballad singer. She was married to the great tenor sax player Bob Cooper. She's been one of my favorites since high school in the 50's. In fact, I bought this album when it first came out. Its a must have. Here's a sealed copy of Cisco's reissue of "Something Cool." I have it as well as the original. The Cisco reissue is better. Buy it, you won't be sorry:
All of the above recommendations have been in my collection for years. All are demo quality that will bring out the best from your system. Most are mono ... but the kind of mono that will have you asking: "Who needs stereo?"
I truly hope you try these albums. Compared to what passes for pop music these days, they are a breath of fresh air.
If you like, I can recommend some really great male ballad singers from the past as well. Have you ever heard Tony Martin? :-)
Please keep me posted. One the things I enjoy most about this hobby is that it gives an opportunity to expose those two or three generations up the line from me to great music like we've been discussing here. Like they say ... "Eminem and Justin, eat your friggin' hearts out. :-)
Helen Merrill with Clifford Brown is a classic! So is Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown, timeless music. Agree with your opinion of Doris Day’s vocal talent. Two excellent male vocalist from that era are Billy Eckstine and Johnny Hartman. There’s an enormous amount of wonderful music available as this thread often confirms. I will checkout Jo Stafford "Ballad Of The Blues" this sounds like something I’d really enjoy.
Here's one from that era I believe you and others would enjoy. Peggy Lee "Blues Cross Country" features her with a big band with arrangements by a young Quincy Jones, very good music/recording.
Billy Eckstine has always been one of my favorites. As a junior high kid, I was obsessed with trying to sound like him. I was always trying to sing "I Apologize" in that deep, wonderful crooner's voice. Never could pull it off of course, but I tried. I saw him in concert back in the 70's as a side act with Sammy Davis Jr. He sang and played the trumpet ... and while an older voice at that time, he still had the juice.
Joe Williams and the Brit, Al Hibbler, were two more favorites of mine back in the day. Oh, and I have the Johnny Hartman albums he did with John Coltrane. Man, those are a couple of demo vocal records if there ever were any. Soul, man ... soul.
The Peggy Lee album you recommended is available on Ebay right now in both vinyl and CD format.
How anyone could prefer the 1965 recording by the Righteous Brothers, who it seems had the best known and most popular of the many hundreds of recordings of the song that have been released, is absolutely beyond me.
A minor correction, though: Al Hibbler was an American.
You are welcome. I like making others aware of good music and I enjoy the recommendations from those posting here. No matter how large one's music library is there are always new discoveries introduced.
Allan I've used the PS Audio PWT (memory transport) for the past 7 years and it is truly excellent with Redbook CD.
For those of you who love soulful music from south of the border, Linda
Ronstadt made one album with great Mexico City musicians. I heard her perform the songs on this album live at the Universal Amphitheater in L.A. An amazing evening.
Personally, I love really good Mexican music, being exposed to it through living in Southern California all of my life and a 35 year marriage to a woman whose Mom was born in Mexico and a Dad who was born in Central America. There were marimbas, guitars and castanets at family get-togethers. The Dad was a fine marimba player ... even playing professionally at one time.
Al ...
Where I got the idea that Al Hibble was a Brit is a mystery to me. I've believed that since I was a kid. Now I find out that he was born in Mississippi. Thanks for the correction. This is a little treat for you, Al:
By the way Al, you mentioned the Righteous Brothers ... A friend of mine (Bill Perry) played guitar on all of their albums. To this day, I cannot find his credits on the liner notes on any of the RB albums.
Just installed a pair of Blacks today in Quad 12L actives, replacing Furutech fuses. Noticed some pleasant differences straight out of the box in a few senses. Look forward to what shows after burn in. Of course, the thing about checking direction with two powered speakers is that there are four possibilities. although I have a sense that one speaker is performing better than the other.
Hi Frank, I ordered 2 Jo Stafford CDs from Amazon.com "Ballad Of The Blues " and "Jo +Jazz" which features an 8 piece band (members of Duke Ellington’s band). I also ordered Al Hibbler "Unchained Melody " (thanks Al). Can’t wait to listen to them. Charles
I have the Jo+Jazz on both LP and CD. I have "Ballad of The Blues" on LP but not on CD. If the CD is anything like the LP, you're in for a real treat. I'd be interested in what you think of the sound quality of the CD. If they made a good quality transfer from the tape, I'll buy it. Thanks ...
After digging though the CD vault this evening, I discovered that I do have Jo Stafford's "Ballad of The Blues." Its recorded in mono. The LP is in stereo. The CD sound is more "up front," but over all I prefer the LP. The "Jo+Jazz" CD is recorded in stereo. Sound is good but not spectacular. Really good musicians on the recording though ... Ben Webster for one.
Admittedly I was skeptical about what a little fuse, which I remember buying for a nickel a pop in the old days, could possibly do for sound quality. After following all the fuss here, mostly positive though paying close attention to the persuasive `cannot-make-a-difference' minority, I went ahead and ordered one for my Sony HAP-Z1ES server and another for my almost new integrated amp (Absolare). What’s to lose, I reckoned, we can’t know what can be known if we fail to experience the unknown, and I’ve frequently discovered that technical truisms do not universally tell the tale (after 30 + years in this game, I don’t believe that everything can be measured, our ears need to play a primary role in the final analysis).
The amp already has a Synergistic Red, so I will not bother changing to the Black until it is thoroughly broken in, and further to ensure I limit the system changes to one thing at a time. So, with just the one Black in the Sony, my first reaction was…..no way, this can’t be happening! When I slowly recovered my senses and pulled my jaw off the floor, I reasoned that reality can play tricks sometimes, though my next 6 listening sessions told the same story: Increased texture in the bass, more gravitas to the overall sound, more pop from silent-to-loud dynamics, and a seemingly more relaxed yet just as detailed sound.
This after a week of listening, pretty amazing for a lousy fuse. Do I think it’s worth the price based upon what I’m hearing? Yes, I’ve encountered quite a few equipment/tweek upgrades that disappointed comparatively. Expectation bias? I don’t think so, I had no expectations one way or the other except to have an open mind and to keep the boxes intact in case I needed to return them. We shall see if other improvements (or indeed any negatives), reveal themselves in the coming weeks, but so far I am impressed.
Hi PTSS, there are actually 2 fuses in the Sony, both are Small (5x20mm), 3.15A, Slow-Blow types. I only replaced one of these, after a discussion in this thread back in October with Brownsfan here: https://forum.audiogon.com/posts/1357579
As you continue upgrading to the Black fuses, you'll get a similar improvement as you have already experienced. They'll be a nice improvement when you change out your one RED fuse for a Black one too.
Thanks Frank, it's always a nice surprise when we discover things that we never knew were missing, especially if one loves music.....and of course the music should always be the end priority but with the recognition that even better illusions of real flesh and blood performers in our respective listening rooms can be realized.
Getting the most music out of our systems has been one of the topics of discussion in this thread. As you read through you'll find lots of music recommendations ... and what we've referred to as getting a more "organic" sound. The SR Black fuses really help in this regard. Most of those posting in this thread are music lovers first with the equipment/tweaks just allowing us to get closer to our music. Its what keeps me coming back to this thread actually.
Hi Butler, My introduction to upgrade fuses came via positive comments from fellow audiogon members Grannyring and Agear. I’ve had listening experiences with various components they both were impressed with and my impressions mirrored theirs. Four years ago I had a "what the heck" attitude and bought a SR 20 Quantum fuse from the Cable Company knowing they’d easily accept returns without any hassle.
That fuse stayed and I subsequently bought 3 more. I moved to the Red and eventually the Black fuses and the sound improved each step along the way. I’m glad your willingness to try the better fuses resulted in a sucessful outcome. I think it’s good to have negative posters contribute here for a sense of balance, so to speak. My belief is that sensible adults can simply decide for themselves as you have demonstrated (among many others). Charles
mar14lee 1 posts 02-26-2017 6:39pm Hello everyone , i am new bee and need your help !!! I bought 2 SR black fuses for my Mcintosh MC 501 and 1 for my wadia 781 i . The question i need help that which direction of arrow on fuses go into the amp and the CD player ? *** for MC 501 the arrow point down or point up ? *** *** and the wadia 781 i arrow point down or up ? **** Thank you for your help . Cheers .
With my 501's I got a better results with the arrow point down.
ZORRO Thanks for your reply . I also been placed fuses with arrow point down and the wadia as well . sound very good so far . I just bought another SR black for Mcintosh C50 preamp , do you have any idea with arrow point LEFT or Right ? I currently place fuse with arrow to RIGHT ! ( from front view of C50 i flip 180 degree from right to left , bottom of C50 face up then I set fuse into it with arrow to RIGHT , dont know and not sure it is right or wrong ! ) Best regards !
^^^^ ... It takes some experimentation. Rotate one fuse at a time. If its in the wrong direction the system will sound out of phase. The sound stage may even appear larger but it will be diffused and vague. Installed in the proper direction and everything comes into focus.
Hey PTSS, not sure what you need but it is pretty straightforward.......remove the top cover on the Sony, locate the 2 fuses toward the middle of the unit and pull the old fuse out of it's horizontal holder (I used a device, don't know what it's called, but is somewhere between a tweezer and pliers to make it easier to grab hold) then pop the new one in. Of course, disconnect the power first. Is there something specific otherwise that I can answer?
i want to thank oregonpapa for starting this thread. And both the supporters and naysayers, alike, for sharing their experience and doubt within. Honestly, both have been a big help.
I recently installed a black fuse in my Parasound P7. The consensus about the 70ish hour was right on. Upon insertion, the sound was promising, then after a day, everything collapsed, and became sharp and fatiguing. All hifi, no music.
After about 4 days, it sounded better, but still not as good as it did the day I inserted it, so I played with reversing the fuse, and sat for hour long sessions with the same playlist, to determine which way the fuse wanted to go. One way, the music was exciting and visceral, if a little flat. The other way, just sounded like music in my room. Instead of the system's bass or soundstage creating the drama in the music, musicians are as close to being in my room as they ever have been, and THEY are creating the drama in the music.
The space, and utter silence that music now breathes out from is uncanny! And the ambiance that fills the space between solid performers is not only the best I've ever heard, it is beyond anything I thought my system was capable of before.
Best of all, it's made all my non audiophile approved music (basically, the majority of what I listen to) sound better. Tool, Deftones, Boston, Smashing Pumpkins, Shawn Mullins, XTC, Katy Perry, New Order, Depeche Mode; it is all more engaging.
But when i put on my hi res recordings of Billie Holiday, Vladamir Ashkenazy, Stan Getz, Ben Webster, Rush, Van Morrison, I'm left utterly bowled over at how convincingly the performance is taking place in my god damn room.
I just wanted to say thanks to Oregon, and David, and many others in this thread who shared their positive experiences, which got me looking at this product.
And, thanks to Wolf, George, Geoff, and other who expressed their skepticism, which forced me to listen with my own ears, and form my own opinions.
But, after putting the stock fuse in last night, i heard a pleasantly decent system that was fun to listen to, but no where near as engaging and uncannily real as it sounds with the Synergistic Black Fuse in place. Returning the black fuse this morning, and my system went away, and music returned into my room.
I encourage people to continue to share their experiences and sketicism, because these things help guide all of us, to make decisions that are right for us as individuals, and helps us find commonality as people in an ever increasingly isolated world. Even if most of the pro fuse camp doesn't agree with people like Geoff, i assume most of us agree that he has a fantastic sense of humor. Commonality comes from what we connect with, not who we agree with.
Thanks to all of you for all of your help, even if it was given unknowingly, it was taken with the deepest appreciation I can offer.
The SR Black fuses seem to bring out the "humanness" in what is really no more than music reproduction in our homes. How they work is of no consequence to me at all ... only that they do. Do they work in all systems? Obviously not ... see Mapman's comments in this thread. But, for the vast majority who have tried the fuses, their assessment is most assuredly like yours, David's, Charles', mine and many others posting here. Most of the positive results being reported are by very seasoned audiophiles with decades of experience in the hobby. We are people who have been burned by certain tweaks over the years ... and when something works as well as the SR Black fuses do, well ... we want to shout it from the rooftops.
Very nice and sincere post from you and I'm glad you're yet another listener who has found success with these better fuses. For the record Geoff has not been anti upgrade fuse in his commentary on this thread.
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