Well, I now have about 208 hours of continuous current on the SR Black fuses that went into my Aesthetix preamp and phonostage and I could not be happier with the poltry investment of these fine upgrade fuses. At this point I'm just playing music, and enjoying it immensely. The depth and contrast these babies reveal is simply shocking. They seem to make my sound much more relaxed and effortless, and yet at the same time more textural and dynamic, if that could possibly be. I have also thrown in a Coincident extreme cable upgrade in between my monitor units and the amps with added success. Combined, they have really made vocals improve their convincingly "humanness" flesh out in a performance. I just so impressed and satisfied by the results. Having tried the stock fuses back in the gear to contrast just how much the SR Blacks have made a difference and it was embarrassing, and no contest.
How these things make the difference they do is a mystery to me. But I have to say that it does seem likely that a .75 to 1.25 inch hair thickness wire in the mains could well become a choke point to any highly resolving system. Well, more fuses on the way... What can I say?!
So i take my hat off to Synergistic Research for their obvious engineering accomplishments in this fuzzy area of our hobby. And thank you oregonpappa for bringing this remarkable, cheap tweak to all of our attention. A thank you also goes out to Charles and David and the rest of the posters who's long time experience and reliable opinions (and ears!) helped lead the way for the rest of us. Thank you gentlemen. This is a heck of a lot of fun and with great sonic rewards.
Happy Listening!
|
David ... ^^^
Nice! I wish I could have been there with you. I have a similar experience from time to time.
A local church has a quarterly event featuring our town's symphony orchestra playing concertos with our very best youth musicians. These kids range in age from 12 to 17. They are amazing. My friend and fellow audiophile/record collector, Robert and I, attend these events together. We always sit in the front row right between the piano and string section. Oh, those massed strings!! And the weight of the piano!!
In several postings in this thread I've alluded to how "relaxed" the system has become due to the SR Black fuses ... much like live music. Well ... its this live orchestra experience that I'm talking about. While everything is more detailed, it is so in a very palatable, organic way. There is no longer a "cringe factor," so to speak.
On the youth musicians ... Can you imagine a 12-year-old kid who cannot reach the petals on the piano playing Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" so well that your friend leans over to you as says: "I'm going to throw every recording I have of this work away. I've just heard the ultimate version!" Twelve years old ... and a total knock out performance.
Life is good, David. :-) |
Geoff:
Glad to read the headphones and cable have been Cryo treated. James at Stephan Arts Audio makes a nice Sennheiser 600 - 650 headphone cable.
If you at sometime change to the Sennheiser 800 or Audeze headphones, Synergistic Research (SR) now makes a headphone cable utilizing the technology found in their fuse- such as Quantum Tunneling and the use of Graphene. I really like what this SR cable does for the headphone experience. And they come with a 30 day trial.
justtubes2:
My systems do have all Synergistic Research Black fuses and they also have the Synergistic Research Electronic Circuit Transducers (ECT's) in place.
I do like one ECT at the end of the main power fuse location. At the other fuse locations in the SACD player (a total of six fuses), I did not find adding an ECT improved the sound. Placing the ECT's in a component (like my SACD player) is by trial and error. The Synergistic Research "how to install instructions " give good suggestions on possible places to try. But not every location will give a benefit. You can certainly overdue it. What I hear with the ECT effect is not the same as Graphene but is helpful.
I think the combined effect on a system that has been optimized with the Black fuses and then fine tuned with the ECT's does sound extremely satisfying.
Oregon papa:
I attended a performance of the Julliard String Quartet last night. By design it was held in a small performance room that held 125 people. Not by design 160 showed up for the event. People were allowed to sit on the floor along the side walls and even on the floor behind the players! The barrier between the performer and the players was shattered.
It very much reminded me of the effect of the Black fuses.
It was a very special listening experience!
David Pritchard
|
Not to detract off topic, but ect where shown on the fuses as an intended improvement.
Has anyone tried witj the reds or blacks and what sort of improvement they have.
I find the hft pretty useful but thats for use in
I may need to take the wa chips off to see if it makes an improvement.
Wonder the ects have graphene of similar effect when used on the sr20 or red fuse. |
My turntable has no fuse. Could that be why its sounding so good these days??? |
Davidpritchard wrote,
"The Synergistic Research Black fuse is definitely directional. This is coming directly from Synergistic Research in a call I placed. They suggest the flow of current to go From the "S" end to the "R" end."
Of course it’s directional. That’s kind of my point. All fuses are directional. All wire is directional, at least if it’s metal. It’s just that some fuse manufacturers are late to find out, like HiFi Tuning and SR, and maybe some still haven’t found out. So, the 64 thousand dollar question is...drum roll...are they SR right? Is that the best sounding direction, with current flow from S to R?
davidpritchard also wrote,
The Stereo Times article was about the earlier Synergistic Research SR-20 fuse. I have several of those fuses and the Black fuses are much better. I did not find there to be nearly the direction difference with the SR-20 fuse. To me it was a small difference and not huge.
So, not to beat a dead horse, but SR was wrong then about claiming it wasn’t directional, no?
Davidpritchard also wrote,
"Geoff:
Actually the Synergistic Research fuse may improve the sound better than no fuse or a piece of straight wire."
Really? That’s a pretty bold statement. How so? I have no fuse, by the way, not a straight wire. No fuse, no fuse holder, nothing. Maybe two Black fuses would sound better than one, eh? ;-)
Davidpritchard also wrote,
"It’s time to get your headphones cryo treated! I had my Sennheiser 650 treated and I like what I hear."
Been there done that. I was one of the first to get into cryo big time. That was about twenty years ago. My Sennheisers were also completely naked, no grills no internal foam. Plus the WA Inductor Chips. The Stephan Arts headphone cable was also cryo’d of course.
cheerios
|
The Synergistic Research Black fuse is definitely directional. This is coming directly from Synergistic Research in a call I placed. They suggest the flow of current to go From the "S" end to the "R" end.
The Stereo Times article was about the earlier Synergistic Research SR-20 fuse. I have several of those fuses and the Black fuses are much better. I did not find there to be nearly the direction difference with the SR-20 fuse. To me it was a small difference and not huge.
Geoff:
Actually the Synergistic Research fuse may improve the sound better than no fuse or a piece of straight wire. It's time to get your headphones cryo treated! I had my Sennheiser 650 treated and I like what I hear.
David Pritchard
David Pritchard |
Oregonpapa wrote,
"By the way .... I’m getting sound from records now that I never thought I’d ever hear. If you have a phono stage that takes a fuse, be sure to put a SR Black fuse in there. Here’s the deal ... the AT ART-9, for the price of a $120 fuse has gained at least $1000 in sound quality. No joke."
Now that you mention it, I don’t use any fuses in my current system. That would be a what, $2000 improvement in sound quality? Did I luck out or what?
|
wolf-garcia ...
Pleeeze!!! Don't diminish the size of the fuse I sent mapman. The appendage I sent was 1.25 inches and not the paltry "half-inch" you alluded to. We Italians are sensitive to such things. :-)
Nice to see your humor in the thread, wolf.
geoffkait ...
Nope, no instructions, no arrows. You just put it in and let the equipment tell you what's best.
By the way .... I'm getting sound from records now that I never thought I'd ever hear. If you have a phono stage that takes a fuse, be sure to put a SR Black fuse in there. Here's the deal ... the AT ART-9, for the price of a $120 fuse has gained at least $1000 in sound quality. No joke. |
Addendum to previous post regarding directionality of SR fuses, in particular the Black fuse.
This is an excerpt from the Stereo Times review of an earlier SR fuse that addresses the subject of fuse directionality (of SR fuses) as apparently SR see it. Maybe SR has changed it's mind about directionality, who knows. I do know that HIFi Tuning used to claim that their fuses were not directional but would burn in properly no matter which way they were inserted. Of course, HiFi Tuning has since recanted.
"Finally, the Synergistic Research Quantum fuses are put on the Tesla coil both directions, which they claim makes them not directional. That would be convenient, but I have found that not true. I find the lettering on the fuse runs opposite of the direction of the fuse that sounds best. This is not a major factor, but with their exceptional realism, it is not one you would want to forego."
|
Oregonpapa wrote,
"^^^ ... Hmmm ... I don’t recall anything about SR saying their fuses weren’t directional. I may have missed it though."
at this point in time I suspect SR doesn’t really care one way or the other since it’s common knowledge or at least it should be that you’re supposed to try all fuses both ways, even the ones like Isoclean and HiFi Tuning that come with directional arrows as well as stock fuses. You know, better safe than sorry. Speaking of which, do the SR fuses come with directional arrows or directions for how to insert the fuse into the system, e.g., per direction of writing on the fuse?
|
Wolf,
Once I get all that I will surely be hooked and hired ninja assassins may not be able to make me part with my new friends.
We'll see.... :^)
|
Mapman…If you don't mind, when you're finished enjoying the astonishing transformation produced by the use of the half inch of directional hair thin fuse wire on your system, your wardrobe, the brightening of the sound room wallpaper, and your Mama, please send it to me as I would like to experience the same (maybe not the "your Mama" part)…plus I can assume it will be thoroughly broken in and please note which direction sounds best, as I don't want to waste 170 hours on tawdry electron confusion. |
OP,
These are computer systems engineers like me. Not EEs,. Some of which are interested in hifi, some not.
They like to know what makes things tick in general, but are smart enough to know what they know and what they do not and act accordingly.
It’ll make for interesting conversation around the water cooler. That’s about as far as I will predict.
|
I’ll take salt on my chips at the moment pappa, hold the malt vinegar! :)
So far, the SR Blacks are coming into their own and sounding quite amazing. What a value.
|
^^^ ... Hmmm ... I don't recall anything about SR saying their fuses weren't directional. I may have missed it though.
Mapman ...
I'm looking forward to your assessment on the fuse. If it works for you ... don't tell the "world class engineers." I seem to remember an audio magazine where the "world class engineer" constantly made the claim that "all amplifiers sound the same," and "if it measures the same, it sounds the same." :-) |
Oregonpapa wrote,
"^^^
First hand ... second hand ... from the horse’s mouth. No matter, geoffkait ... the info I have came from SR’ s Facebook page. If you want to try a WA fuse chip on your Black fuses ... go for it. As for me ... I’ll take SR’s word for it.
Take care ...
no problem but wasn’t it SR who stated that their fuses were absolutely positively NOT directional? I have a definite tendency to take everything I read on Facebook or anywhere else for that matter, when it comes to high end audio, with a grain of salt. Nothing personal against you or SR.
Cheerios
Geoff at MD |
Ok, so now I have no clue what in the blue hell these quantum chips do or when to use them or not.
Good thing this is just audio and not prescription drugs. The ramifications of trying things blindly just because would be much higher.
With audio, what’s the worst thing that can happen? Less perfect sound? Or if just a placebo no change at all that perhaps some might still hear for whatever reason. As long as the fuse is reliable to blow when it should.....
I will try my free trial fuse from OP both with and without and report on what I hear when I can.
This better be good!!!! I’d rather spend my time listening to the great sound and music I already have and worked hard to achieve then experimenting with things I have no clue about how they work or why. :^)
In any case when I tell my more normal than I friends including some world class systems engineers that I am experimenting with $100 hifi fuses and quantum chips, that will make for some entertaining discussions. Especially if they truly seem to work and make things sound better. I have absolutely no clue how a quantum chip works. Makes a fancy fuse seem mainstream in comparison.
|
^^^
First hand ... second hand ... from the horse's mouth. No matter, geoffkait ... the info I have came from SR' s Facebook page. If you want to try a WA fuse chip on your Black fuses ... go for it. As for me ... I'll take SR's word for it.
Take care ... |
Ogegonpapa wrote,
"First hand? No .. from the horses mouth. The Black fuses have a coating on the outside of the fuse. The WA chips interfere with that coating and degrade the sound of the fuse."
Right, that’s second hand information. The WA chips sometimes don't work on fuses of any type. The cable chips work on cables yet the cable jacket and shielding doesn't interfere with the chip. It's not cut and dry either what the WA Chip is doing, how it operates, OR why it doesn't work in some cases. Can't the WA Chip be attached to one of the end caps of the Black fuse, avoiding perhaps interfering with the coating, if in fact the coating is really the issue?
|
^^^
ustubes2 ...
I didn't try them on the Black fuses. I had them on three of the Red fuses. I suggest that you ... and anyone else interested in the SR products visit their Facebook page. Also, check out their demos on Youtube. Some very interesting stuff happening there.
|
What specifically did the WA chip sound like or detract from adding it to the Black fuse? I have them on and didnt think to remove and try wothout them.
Comments by Geofkait about the cable chips not working well on cables and losing emotinal impact could well be due to the cable chip cleaning up the sound. In most cases, cleaning up the highs and tightening lows seems to make midrange sound leaner and less tubelike giving the impression of a slightly more mechanical sound. |
Mapman ...
Your SR Red fuse is on its way via USPS. It even has a WA Quantum fuse chip on it. You can peel it off if you want to make a comparison. Be sure to experiment with the fuse direction. If you have it wrong, the sound stage may sound a bit wider ... but the system will sound out of phase. Get it right and everything locks into place. Please post your impressions here in this thread. Thanks ...
PS: Keep in mind that the SR Black fuses KILL the Red fuses. :-)
Enjoy ... |
"So which is it, you think fuses work, you think fuses don’t work?’
I think it is definitely possible that different fuses could make things sound different at least in some cases. I’ve posted that on many occasions. I've never said they don't work
|
mapman, you are such a gentleman.
|
But seriously, Mopman, how does my vendor status enter into a discussion
of fuses? I don’t sell fuses? You seem to be saying vendors can’t
participate in discussions on ANY topic and should be banned from the
site. You're a smart guy. Figure it out. I didn't say you can't participate in anything. Only that you are a vendor selling other poorly understood tweaks and therefore may be judged to have a conflict of interest. Especially when you bash "skeptics". I'm sure you won't likely judge yourself guilty on that but others easily could, which is all that really matters. |
David ...
I agree wholeheartedly with you on Alfred and Betty at highend-electronics. Suburb service and rocket ship delivery.
geoffkait ...
First hand? No .. from the horses mouth. The Black fuses have a coating on the outside of the fuse. The WA chips interfere with that coating and degrade the sound of the fuse.
The music is sounding wonderful at my house as well, David. :-)
|
"Wa Quantum Chips: I spent a lot of time and effort trying them on fuses, power cords, interconnects, etc. They do produce a sonic change, bit in my system there was always a sense of information loss. Sort of a more detail but less emotion effect. Other users have had a more positive result."
i spent quite a bit of time with WA Chips, too. What I found was a little different. I found the WA power cord chip on the circuit breaker box wrapped around the wire coming into the breaker for the audio system worked great. But not on power cords. When I say great I mean more information, more dynamics. I also thought the inductor chip worked as advertised in close proximity to the transducers on my Sennheiser 600s. And also the capacitor chips worked on small and large capachitos.
|
bondmanp:
Do not know your location but I would suggest buying the fuse via E-mail or telephone call to Alfred and Betty Kainz at High-End Electronics, Apple Valley , Calif. He has multiple ads under power cords, and tweaks here at Audiogon. He is a leading Synergistic Research fuse seller and so has a large inventory ready to ship. Normally sends USPS in small box with no shipping charge.
Also he is very understanding about returns. He makes this a no hassle process.
I am a big believer in getting oneself a Birthday Present and seeing or calling one's Mother on that special day in your life!
Wa Quantum Chips: I spent a lot of time and effort trying them on fuses, power cords, interconnects, etc. They do produce a sonic change, bit in my system there was always a sense of information loss. Sort of a more detail but less emotion effect. Other users have had a more positive result.
Boy the music sounds good at my house these days.
David Pritchard |
"Hello guyz ...
Just as a heads up ... I have learned that the WA chips are NOT compatible with the SR Black fuses. Putting a WA chip on the Black fuses will degrade the sound.
Take care ..."
Well, let’s look on the bright side. It’s not like the WA Chip did nothing. I can’t recall, do WA Chips break in? Anybody? Is it possible that two nanotechnology/quantum audiophile thingies, Graphene and WA Chips, cancel each other out? (Yes, that’s a quantum mechanics joke).
Footnote: to OP, you learned this first hand one assumes.
|
Hello guyz ...
Just as a heads up ... I have learned that the WA chips are NOT compatible with the SR Black fuses. Putting a WA chip on the Black fuses will degrade the sound.
Take care ... |
Bondmanp,
If there's no B&M retailer available, the Cable Company is a good source. Top service and they honor the 30 day return policy.
Charles, |
David Pritchard - Yup, I think I am going to take the plunge. Just need to find a retailer (I would prefer a B&M dealer in my area), and make sure the correct value is available. One month away from my B-day, so that will be my gift to myself. I will report back here with the results. This just sounds too good not to try. The cost/benefit ratio seems off the charts. |
Mapman ...
Send your addy to: oregonpapa@aol.com
Thanks ... |
holydio ...
Haven't tried the WA chip. I have one on the fuse that's going to mapman. I'll peel it off and try it on the Black fuse that's in the phono stage.
Thanks for the reminder ... |
b_limo,
I'm not very familiar with your Peachtree, I do recognize that it is a multipurpose component and may as a result have more than one fuse.
I think it'd be reasonable to begin with the main AC power fuse. Does your owner's manual list any fuse information ?
Charles, |
"Have any of you tried the black fused with Wa quantum chip? I was using them on RED with excellent results. Thanks!"
Outstanding question! Some other things off top of head, contact enhancer, replace fuse holder with a better one such as Acme silver plated one, send the fuse off to your local cryo company such as the one I’ve been using for 20 years (gosh, how time flies) - Cryopro, use a purple ink pen to paint the end caps, protect the fuse from mag fields with mu metal, damp the fuse & fuse holder. |
@oregonpapa
Have any of you tried the black fused with Wa quantum chip? I was using them on RED with excellent results. Thanks!
|
Mapman wrote,
"I have no conflict of interest either. I even cited how the fuses might make a difference. But I am also not an EE. So reduce my skeptic rating accordingly please. :^) "
So which is it, you think fuses work, you think fuses don’t work? Color me confused. It certainly appears you and Al are the main uber skeptics on this thread. Everything is topsy-turvy. "Fuses are too small to make a difference." "Fuses are unreliable." "Fuses can’t possibly work as the manufacturer states." How can a fuse possibly make any difference to the sound when the signal is AC?" "There is no such thing as wire directionality." Sorry, Charlie. Been there, done that. Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder where you are, up above the sky so high....
Mapman also wrote,
"Geoff with all due respect you are a vendor and do have a conflict of interest."
Ouch! Very ouch! But seriously, Mopman, how does my vendor status enter into a discussion of fuses? I don’t sell fuses? You seem to be saying vendors can’t participate in discussions on ANY topic and should be banned from the site. Methinks the skeptic doth protest too much. |
Mapman ...
Never mind telling me what value fuse you need. I missed it in your last post. I have the 3.1 SR Red that I'll be sending you ... all broken in too. :-) |
Mapman ....
Hallelujah!
Send your addy to my Email at oregonpapa@aol.com
Do you need a 3 amp fuse?? Actually, it'll be a 3.1 amp. Just let me know the value you need.
Take care ... |
bondmanp:
I do hope you will try a Synergistic Research Black fuse. I have found the improvement to be quite remarkable. Since they come with a 30 day trial, the risk is return postage. Give yourself a present- you are worth it.
David Pritchard |
I have no conflict of interest either. I even cited how the fuses might make a difference. But I am also not an EE. So reduce my skeptic rating accordingly please. :^)
OP, if you really want me to try the 3Amp fuse, go ahead and send it to me. IF you take the time and effort to do it I will give it a shot in my ARC sp16. It's totally up to you.
Geoff with all due respect you are a vendor and do have a conflict of interest. |
Charles 1Dad, thanks for the reply! Thats the quick, to the point, constructive response.
I have a Peachtree 220se right now: where would I install this fuse?
I'll give it a shot if it will work in my application! |
Typo city!!
Sorry guys iPhone autocorrect!!!! |
Knowledgeable EEs in these parts. You mean like Al? But he's a skeptic. Wouldn't it be a conflict of interest for him to explain it? No, consistent with the kind comment Charles posted about me yesterday, I would plead not guilty to any allegations of being a skeptic. However, I would not dispute the characterization you implied in a different thread some time ago, namely that of a "pseudo-skeptic." One attribute of a "pseudo-skeptic" being the absence of conflict of interest. :-) Regards, -- Al |
Hello b_limo,
I invite you to try a Black fuse in one of you components, the cost of entry is very reasonable. I don't believe that you'll find their impact boring once you have listened to it. If you happen to be unimpressed with it you can return the fuse within 30 days for a refund. Regarding capacitors I've used VCap,Duelund CAST and Jupiter copper foil. Depending on the application the SR Black fuses have equal or even greater sonic impact on the sound quality. This no hyperbole by any stretch. It's up to you, give it a try or continue to dismiss this superb tweak. The barrier to experience them is so low, just let your ears decide.
Charles, |
Mapman wrote,
"Audiophile fuses are always a controversial topic.
People hear improvements but nobody can explain why.
That makes it interesting to me at least.
You’d think that some knowledgeable EEs in these parts could explain it. But not the case.
So there are some happy customers here hearing benefits yet why remains a mystery.
That’s pretty interesting stuff compared to a lot of more mundane topics one often finds."
Golleee, Mapman, is your memory completely shot? The reasons, and I’m talking about the technical reasons, why aftermarket fuses sound better than stock fuses have been listed out many times, by lots of folks, not just yours truly. If it makes you happy to pretend that no one has explained fuses, or even that they are controversial, that’s certainly your prerogative. But give me a break. Let’s see, how long have aftermarket fuses been around, fifteen years? Twenty years? Hel-looo! Knowledgeable EEs in these parts. You mean like Al? But he's a skeptic. Wouldn't it be a conflict of interest for him to explain it?
|
Audiophile fuses are always a controversial topic.
People hear improvements but nobody can explain why.
That makes it interesting to me at least.
You'd think that some knowledgeable EEs in these parts could explain it. But not the case.
So there are some happy customers here hearing benefits yet why remains a mystery.
That's pretty interesting stuff compared to a lot of more mundane topics one often finds.
|
Im confused how a thread about a fuse is the main topic here at audiogon lately... and in the pre amp amp section and not tech? I believe in tweaks but I've never seen something so blah and boring get so much coverage. How can someone possibly talk so much about fuses? I'd read about caps but not this... |
