Yes, I no longer have fuse protection in my Maggies--I have been more interested in better sound, so went with the better fuses, then the bigger fuses, thinking bigger is better sounding yet. I will be moving from SR Reds to blacks in my Maggies--will probably push the values as I have done before--unless someone can talk me out of this.
Synergistic Red Fuse ...
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?
Any comments from anyone else who has tried these fuses?
4,839 responses Add your response
jafreeman, a slo-blo fuse is designed to blow if drawing too much current for x amount of time. If you use a larger fuse, your component will blow before the fuse. I've been thinking, my Hegel H30 uses a 15 amp slo-blo so theoretically if on a 15 amp outlet, the breaker will trip and don't need a fuse ... just hard wired it. But since it's on a 20 amp line, MAYBE not a good idea. I'm just speculating and not bypassing the fuse. |
I challenge anyone to determine the real break in time for fuses or capacitors or any electronic component for one reason: How can you keep track of the sound closely enough to know when the sound is no longer improving? Do folks stand by and wait patiently for the fuse to break in, monitoring the performance a little bit every day and do nothing else? Then repeat the process for the next fuse? The Duelund capacitors are rumored to take 500 hours or longer to break in and I'm even not sure if that means completely broken in or not. The system and environment cannot be controlled well enough to conduct such an experiment. This is especially true for most audiophiles who are continually moving thing around, changing out one component or another, changing cables, trying various tweaks, changing fuses, changing the direction of fuses, adding room treatment, removing room treatment, etc. There are too many variables. Has anyone used the XLO Test CD burn in track to break in fuses? That would be a little more effective than simply playing music and it can be played non-stop. And if you’re looking to squeeze some more juice out of the tangerine why not cryo the fuse? |
I've been using the sr reds in my arc preamp and power amp since they were introduced over a year ago. I was gaga over them, and could not believe the improvement. Since my amp was replaced recently by another arc amp, the fuse rating did not match up to the new one, so now, I will replace the fuse in the new amp with a BLACK one... Given, my new amp is still burning in. It only has 175 hours of 600 needed, but I can already tell, after the fact, that my red fuse that was in my old amp was indispensable and was part responsible for how transparent the old amp sounded. Now even though my new amp is still burning in, the stock fuse in there, I'm sure, is mucking up the sound. There is a bit of nasally congestion in the upper mids, that I am attributing to the break in process, and or stock fuse. Either way, I'm very much looking forward to getting the stock fuse and going straight to a Black fuse. If my mind is blown, then I may just upgrade the digital and analogue fuses in my scd5400es. Right now it has the blue furutech fuses in it. The preamp has an SR red. Maggie's fuses are bypassed. (Immense improvement from taking the fuse out of the Maggies) I will never go back to a fused Maggie. I've never had a problem and the transparency and lack of grain is too good to give up. |
I have a VAC SigMKIIa pre and SR RED is NOT thin in my system. My system is very revealing ... It's all system dependent and personal preferences. Not everyone is endorsing one fuse ... at least not in this thread. Here are 2 reviews that mirrors my experience SR RED Audio Horizon Fuse I don't buy the idea one would be satisfied with any aftermarket fuse. I tried an Audio Magic fuse and the mid was elevated so didn't stay long. BTW, I might still have it so shoot me a PM and it's yours. It's 4 amp slo-blo that fits a VAC pre. May I just ask--of all the SR Reds and Blacks being placed, how many of you are exceeding stock ratings by a little or a lot?0 out of 5. This is often needed. Not from my experience Another reason is a higher rating sounds better, IME. I have pushed the ratings in my AC input fuses by an amp or two. The bigger filament adds more to the overall presentation, I believe. That's not my understanding how a fuse works. Bigger fuse doesn't sound better but will take a higher current before it blows. |
May I just ask--of all the SR Reds and Blacks being placed, how many of you are exceeding stock ratings by a little or a lot? This is often needed because the SR offerings are high by .5 amp or because the boutique fuses may blow easier at the stock rating. Another reason is a higher rating sounds better, IME. I have pushed the ratings in my AC input fuses by an amp or two. The bigger filament adds more to the overall presentation, I believe. If these AC input fuses are removed, there is no sound--no power. Does this imply all of the AC voltage passes through these tiny filaments? I mean, after all the over-size Romex, the transformers, the dedicated 20 amp lines, the 10 gauge AC cables, etc, are we being choked by these little filaments? Please tell me. If you have Maggies, you have the additional potential to push the stock rating for an unbelievable result--at the midranges and tweeters, I have quadrupled the stock ratings, and I don't worry one bit about it, not with a 4000 watt isolation transformer serving my system--you should have faith in your power supply to do this, I would guess. So, you have found the right fuse, but are you willing to extend that benefit even further? |
I certainly believe in the idea that there are numerous excellent products as opposed to an "one and only best". I bet that I'd likely be very pleased with the Beeswax fuse as I am with the Black fuses. The thing is that I have the Black fuses and they happen to be superb in my system. Either of these fuses would make many listeners very happy is what I believe. The big point for me is that premium level fuses are truly an asset in good quality audio systems. I'm just spreading the word. Gwalt,I have no doubt that the Beeswax fuse sounds superb in your system. Charles, |
^^^ Its no secret on this forum that I'm a huge fan of both the SR Red and Black fuses. Are they the very best out there? How would I know? The only experience I've had with fuses are the stock fuses that came with my equipment and the HiFi Tuning fuses that replaced the stock fuses. Here's what I do know ... I know what they are doing for my system and my system alone. The most transparent mid range and sound stage I've ever gotten from my system was years ago when I owned a pair of Acoustat lV's. When fed enough power, those huge, ugly panels (I had removed the grill cloths) caused the entire back wall to fall away and the depth went on forever. They sounded incredible. That was almost 25 years ago, and my audio buddies are still talking about those damned Acoustats. Over the past number of years, I've been using a pair of Legacy Signature III's http://d2heru13qkbk4q.cloudfront.net/media/906323/scaled/IMG_0212.jpg The Legacy's never approached the mid range or sound stage of the old Acoustats, but they had better highs and bass. With the SR Black fuses, the Legacy's now outperform the Acoustats in every way, including musicality. I know some people put down the Legacy III's, but that's because they bought them (like the guy I bought them from) and used solid state electronics to drive them. Well, they suck with SS electronics. With tubes, they are exceptional. At 93db they are easy to drive too. My ARC REF 75se just coasts driving these speakers. This gets me to this morning's listening session. I warmed the system up while making a fine brew of home roasted Guatamalan coffee (Yum!) The first thing I played was a CD of Bach's orchestral music that consisted of massed strings. Well, those strings filled the entire room, wafting over my head and striking the emotional center of the brain. I sat there shaking my head, dumbfounded at the beauty. It was disbelief suspended. So again, will the SR fuses work in every system? Perhaps, perhaps not. In Gwalt's system, they do not. At this point, I couldn't care less. My fuse search has ended. Mapman ... Have you made a decision on the SR Red fuse I want to send you? Come on man ... I put two daughters through college too. I just want to help a brother out. :-) Hang in guys ... |
Hi Charles: Thanks for that clarification....maybe I am reading some things incorrectly into the overall discussion from some of the others but not you personally so don't take it that way. For just a little more money and doing one upfront fed component I am in hopes that I will find a best for my taste. That is what I have done all along and it has worked well for my needs in the past so why not? This is no different that experimenting with cables except it is way cheaper and their are hundreds of cables vs. a few fuses. As I have also said prior I am glad the Black fuse is working out for those involved and yes agreed their are some top fuses out there as I am discovering. I have a couple more to go and then I will certainly know the differences I prefer. Gwalt |
charles1dad: Absolutely correct. I now have a lot of time with the three types of Synergistic Research fuses and each brings a different sound to the system. In the Horn system the original Synergistic Research SR-20 fuse and the Black fuse work better than the Red in the amp and sub woofer position. I certainly can believe gwalt reaction with the Red in his system. In the headphone system the Red improved the system more than the original SR-20 in the amp and SACD location. Eleven black fuses arriving tomorrow to test the rail fuse locations for the two SACD players. I am very glad that Synergistic Research has and encourages their customers to use the 30 day trial. In the end it is what makes my listening the most fullfiling that counts. I hope all readers of this thread will try some premium fuses if they are still using only original fuses. There is a tremendous amount of music that is being silenced or distorted by ordinary fuses! David Pritchard |
Hi gwalt, I don't believe the SR BLACK fuses are being promoted as the "end all", certainly not my intention. I've written several times that I suspect that the Beeswax, Telos Quantum X2 or the Audio Horizon are also top tier fuses. I won't buy every single one to test,what would it prove anyway? The results are still listener and system dependent and anyone of them would be considered the best in a given situation. I enthusiastically recommend the Black fuses but I have never declared them the"best" and without peer. That can't be proclaimed for any audio products. Charles, |
Not to interrupt the SR Black fuse discussion but I sold my RED with 125 hours on it and am enjoying the beeswax immensely. The RED was not a good fit in the VAC preamp. in my situation....it was thin in comparison as I have a very revealing system. Maybe with 300 hours on it that would have magically changed but to late to know. I just ordered an Audio Horizon fuse to try also and will use whatever works best with the back up after I am done with contenders. For everyone to endorse one fuse as the end all is simply wrong unless you have tried them all in your system. As in everything audio YMMV. |
Charles, that’s an exceedingly thoughtful offer, and much appreciated!! 3 amps won’t work for me though, at least in the components I use for critical listening. My VAC amp has a 4 amp fuse in each channel, my Stax headphone amp takes a 1.5 amp fuse, and the fuses in the other components are all a fraction of an amp. Also, my CD player, which (consistent with some of the comments that have been made in the thread) would probably be a logical choice to try first, I’ve just sent back to Bryston for repair of a problem with its display. Thanks so much, though, for the kindly offer, and for the nice words. Best regards, -- Al |
Hey ... There's no dust on mapman's brain. Read his last post on what constitutes a successful salesman. Honesty all the way. Mapman . Check first. Charles reminded me that the 3 amp fuse I want to send you is a slo-blo. Oh, and its a large one, not the small one. See .. like I said, I'm not technically literate. *lol* |
Hi Frank,that's a nice gesture and demonstrates the friendly community environment I'd mentioned in an earlier post,. That's what I did with my friend Jeff, a borrowed SR Red and then a borrowed Black fuse. He listened and that was all it took. Why get too caught up in the marketing and questioning the materials. Interesting to know what things are made of but you'd still have to listen to determine the true worth and competence of an audio product. Frank you're right, you can analyze and speculate for ever, just simply listen. We're talking about 100 dollars not thousands (thank goodness)😊 Again, a very nice and sincere offer Frank. Charles, |
That’s a very nice offer OP and much appreciated. I’ll have to see what’s in what I have. Were I to do this I’d likely start with the DAC, an mhdt Constantine. It has see through plexi glass like casing that is easy to remove as well. I was an electronics and electronics part salesman for a bit when younger. I let products speak for themselves. Exaggerated claims were not necessary for success. Just know how to help a person find the right solution to their problem. Technical knowledge and expertise helped greatly. The best salesmen were generally the most honest and knowledgeable. Many fuses were sold to happy customers. Usually about 50 cents for a pack of three. Strange nobody ever asked me how they sounded. I would not have known what to say. Simpler times.... |
^^^ Personally, what I care about is what the products are doing for my audio system. I could care less about any drama and/or the technology. Hey, I'm a salesman not an engineer. Engineers analyze everything to death. They suffer from "analysis paralysis." That's a very good thing. We need them. We wouldn't be flying five miles in the sky at 500 miles per hour in a perfectly safe, pressurized, air conditioned environment without them. On the other hand, good sales people can make quick decisions without a second thought, being totally satisfied with a 95% success rate. I took a chance on one little fuse, and look where its lead to. When someone starts taking to me about ohms, slew rates, capacitors, resistors ... and things like that, my eyes glaze over. I'd rather eat Limburger cheese with anchovies. All I want is the music. This is what I know: These fuses, both the SR RED and the SR Black are a revelation. Totally system changing and all for the better. Everything is relative, of course, but in my system, that's the outcome I've experienced. mapman ... As a professional salesman, working in commissioned sales for over 50 years, I thrive, and survive, on convincing doubters to buy from me. So here's an offer you can't refuse: Can you use a 3 amp fuse anywhere in your system? If you want to try an SR RED 3 amp fuse, I can send you the one that I replaced with a SR BLACK fuse. No charge. Already broken in. Its on me. If you like it, keep it. If you don't like it, pass it on to one of your audio buddies. Or ... you can send it back and I'll gift it to someone else. Shoot me your email address and we'll go from there. Hang in ... |
"....BLACK featuring a patent pending UEF coating and Graphene with 8 million times the conductive density of copper... " Let's make it 5 billion times... I've read reports , SR20 is manufactured by a german SIBA. Apparently, when you peel off the fuse a sticker, you can see SIBA logo and even the fuse catalog no. And the original fuse, SIBA cost 50 cent or so. Of course, the tunneling process is an added value and makes SR20 a good sounding fuse. |
Unfortunately, I have kids still going to college, still a mortgage, and saving for retirement. I really can’t justify spending hundreds of dollars at present on fuses. I've spent tens of thousands to date already to get where I am and I am currently thrilled to death with the sound of my stuff. I spend many hours a week listening. Maybe someday. Good sound is always a good investment for me. Can't live without it most likely. BTW I grew up in Amish country. No joke. Maybe that’s part of my problem. My wife and kid’s tease me about it all the time. |
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geoffkait, you asked if anyone new about "hookup wire" that had Graphene in it. Well besides the Synergistic ones below is links to another company. http://www.graphene-info.com/cerious-technologies-has-graphene-based-interconnects-market http://www.cerioustechnologies.com/ I have not heard their cables so I can not say how well the perform. But Graphene and its potential in many different uses is very interesting, let alone its potential in Audio. PS I remember reading a respected Audio designer was developing cables made out of Graphene (I believe they were close to pure Graphene). This was a report from one of the shows in Europe about two years ago. |
In my case: all tubes except a SS DAC, and no power conditioning. I'd describe the presentation as "new" rather than some quality being enhanced. The only concern I'd have is with a system that was artificially bright or boomy, because these fuses are definitely not rounded off at the extremes. Perception is a tricky thing, but it's almost as if "flow" has been restricted in the most unlikely of places, and we've been trying to compensate with very expensive components, but these fuses just un-clog the fundamental pipe. |
Mapman Every parameter of the sound improved in my system. I cannot imagine where it would bring even one negative to a system. I could be wrong though. To me upgrading the fuses has a different result than a power cord or a tweak of another kind. That seems to add something more than something else. The fuses though seems to me it would be like the result you may get upgrading all the all the critical circuit components and wire in your pieces. The balance of sound parameters stays the same relative to each other, it is just everything is improved. My system uses a all solid state. All your questions will be answered when you put one in. Except maybe the one that goes like this, How can a fuse do that? |
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The increasing number of audiogon participants reporting positive listening experiences with the SR Black fuses is really good news. I'm happy that more music lovers have discovered this exceptional audio system tweak. Increasing the enjoyment of listening to music at home is what we all desire. Congratulations to all of you who took the chance to try these fantastic fuses. As has been repeated by others here, they do improve sonically with additional hours of use. Mine have over 100 hours but still sound as though they're continuing to improve. Best Regards, Charles, |
I have to agree that the SR Blacks are a significant improvement over the Reds in my Bryston BDP-2. They do require quite a bit of break-in for the sound to fully stabilize, but you will mostly have fun along the way. You seriously need to give them 150 - 200 hours to really get a handle on them sonically. To me, the Black fuses create a stunningly dramatic drop in the noise floor allowing for new levels of transparency and dimensionality. Textural expression of voices and instruments is strikingly apparent and real. Bass is amazing. Decay goes on forever. And on and on. Now I’m thinking of replacing the Reds in my DAC/Pre and my tube monos... |
Recently replaced my former ModWright SWL 9.0 SE with the LS 36.5. The difference between the two units is night and day. The LS 36.5 is far better. Per Dans suggestion added a WyWyres Silver Juice II PC and a set of Daedalus DiDs. Both remarkable products and even pushes the LS 36.5 into another league. Replaced all stock tubes with a NOS Mullard GZ34 and Cryoset Certified EH 6H30Pi. I did the tube replacement at different times and both upgrades made a noticeable improvement. After the tube change added Herbie Tube Dampers on all tubes. Again, improvements. Lastly I just installed the controversial Synergistic Research Black Fuse. Everyone says give them time to burn in and you need to flip them to make sure they're in the right direction. Well I don't know about how much time is needed before they start sounding their best or if I just got lucky on the direction I put them in but "I'm Sold." Definitely praise to all the tweaks I've done on my LS 36.5. Anyone who has a ModWright LS 36.5 owes it to themselves to try any or all of the tweaks I've done on this pre. It's a great Preamp and hats off to Dan. Job well done. Yes, I'll be ordering more of the fuses for my other equipment and a couple more sets of the Daedalus DID's. |
David ... What a wonderful testament to your mother. God bless her ... and you too for being the son you are. The world is full of people who took their parents for granted and are ruing the day. One thing for sure, David, discipline weighs ounces ... regret weighs tons. Charles ... Yes, you are exactly right. This thread was started with no expectation of where it would lead. I visited the Synergistic Research Facebook site last night. They have a link to this thread. As a result, this thread is being shared with our international audio friends as well. Quite honestly, I hope the SR guys sell a million of these fuses. They deserve it. Hey, three thumbs up for capitalism! Take care ... |
mapman ... I had completely changed all of my HFi tuning fuses for the SR RED fuses. The first ones went into the ARC REF-3 line stage. Big bang there. It seemed to be the most effective place at the time. BUT, when I replaced the RED fuses in the CD player with the Black fuses, I'd say that the source is the biggest improvement. That was a HUGE bang for the buck. After the 70 hour break in time, the Black fuses, much to my amazement, are just stomping all over the RED fuses. Now, keep in mind that I still have the RED fuses in the line stage, the phono stage and the amp. I'll be swapping those out for the BLACK fuses soon ... one at a time. I played records last night instead of CD's ... and I have to say, those RED fuses in the phono stage still sound (or don't sound as the case may be), amazing too. So freakin' musical. Stay tuned. OP |
I look at audiogon as a community of like minded people sharing a comment passion. As a result a level of trust and respect is developed and information and experiences are shared. For example it was Grannyring who 4 years ago enthusiastically recommended to me to try the Duelund CAST capacitors in my speaker's crossover. Due to my high regard for his judgement and taste I heeded his advice. This was one of the best decisions I've made for my audio system. This is one example out of many that I could cite. Over the years on this forum I've given and have received worthwhile advice and impressions on numerous products. When I stop to ponder on it I appreciate exactly how long that list has become. There have been many rewarding experiences for me on Audiogon. Oregonpapa started this thread and it caught my interest. I am ever grateful he took the time to share his very positive outcome with the SR Red fuses. I payed little attention to the marketing advertising, rather I put weight based on the reliable members direct listening impressions and their commentary. I'm sure he had no idea or intention to generate the response that followed, but good news about good sounding and affordable products do have a way of spreading. This benefits many of us music lovers and strengthens bonds of trust. These premium fuses discussed here are superb and inexpensive for what they render. The icing on the cake is you have 30 days to judge their worth in your own system. What could be better than that opportunity? The multitude of testimonials of seasoned and reputable members here is inspiring in my opinion. Charles, |
Mapman: I am glad you mentioned the fact that your Grandmother could hear and appreciate the improved sound using isolating speaker stands. My Mother is 92 and legally blind from macular degeneration. Like your Grandmother she appreciates what she hears, and probably could care less what isolating material a speaker stand uses or what materials or treatments are done to a fuse to improve the music. Many days are difficult for my Mother. When she feels the stress of advanced age she turns on her music system. She has the Synergistic Research Black fuses installed in her DAC, Amp, and Sub Woofers. They were installed one at a time and each time she heard an improvement. She gladly paid the cost of the fuses. She said "Well your spending your inheritance". I answered , " No my inheritance is the joy I hear in your voice and the smile I see on your face when you listen to your music:. Nobody can take that away from me. David Pritchard |
