Charles1dad,
got a pdf copy of the manual, but that info ain't in there!
got a pdf copy of the manual, but that info ain't in there!
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?
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m beginning to believe that although these fuses prove advantageous in all locations, Further up front in the signal path is where to start. DAC/CD player and preamp are very impactful locations. I began with one Red fuse in my tubed Line Stage and was utterly impressed with what I heard. It was more significant than I had anticipated. I'll receive my Black fuses in 1 or 2 days. They'll go DAC, Line Stage and then my two mono blocks. Fortunately(cost wise) each component requires only one 3 amp fuse. Charles, My Lamm mono block have two fuses on circuit boards,0,125 mA large (T), but SR black aren't in list. I think to change them with Audio Magic fuses.But i have no notice about their sound. |
giannicasciaro6 posts01-31-2016 4:06amHi, i'm waiting for SR black fuses to put in wadia wt 3200 transport and lamm L2 ref preamp.In my dac wadia x 64.4 i have an isoclean fuse. From my experience, it's component dependent. My tube amp is the most sensitive, then pre ... |
Hello Gianni, I'm beginning to believe that although these fuses prove advantageous in all locations, Further up front in the signal path is where to start. DAC/CD player and preamp are very impactful locations. I began with one Red fuse in my tubed Line Stage and was utterly impressed with what I heard. It was more significant than I had anticipated. I'll receive my Black fuses in 1 or 2 days. They'll go DAC, Line Stage and then my two mono blocks. Fortunately(cost wise) each component requires only one 3 amp fuse. Charles, |
Today I put a Synergistic Research Black fuse at the main fuse location of the SACD player ( previousyl a RED was in this place). This player is in my dedicated headphone system. An immediated and striking improvement in the soundstage and the music was more detailed. If you have a headphone system with Sennheiser 800, Enigmacoustic Dharma, or Audeze headphones, the Synergistic Research headphone cable really interacts fantastically with this BLACK fuse. So far I have tried the BLACK fuse in the following: Antelope DAC with its Voltikus power supply Art Audio PX-25 Tube amp Emotion Type 45 tube amp Marantz SA11-S2 SACD player All have had a major improvement in sound. David Pritchard |
Received two more black fuses today to put in a pair of Odyssey Kismet mono blocks at the iec inlet and I'm already getting excited for what's to come. I may do one more black fuse for my Herron preamp before I have a long talk with myself on whether to replace the fuses on the monoblock amp circuit boards. There's four in each amp so you can do the math...I did bite the bullet before and went all red fuses and it was really impressive what they did to the performance. But im already getting a taste or insight to what oregonpapa has been experiencing so I'm just going to enjoy it as is for a while....if I can resist temptation. |
Good to hear your positive experiences with the new SR-B fuses. I have 4 coming in next week to replace the AH fuses I have in my amp, CD player and tube power supply. From what I've read, it's going to be a real treat in terms of transparency, sound-staging and realism which I have in spades already... Will not do too much listening until 70+ hours of continuous burn-in. |
^^^ Well, I did hear the things you're hearing when I first replaced the reds with the blacks p59teitel. But ... I found the presentation somehow just not right. I finally boiled it down to lack of emotional impact. The system sounded HiFi instead of "performers in the room." It was like that for about 70 hours before it was truly great. I predict that you are in for a real treat. |
My 2 SR Blacks arrived today, one each for the separate pre and CDP power supplies. Initial impressions aren’t as dire as oregonpapa’s first impressions were. Definitely a blacker background and I can hear quite a bit more detail and better spacing of players. I just heard a cough I never noticed before in Traffic's "Rock and Roll Stew" and individual instruments are easier to follow. Sound is more forward and there is some glare/congestion in the upper mids, but not quite as weird as I’ve experienced with fresh tubes or in particular the CDP when it was brand-new and had a very aggressive sound. I should find it quite listenable during break-in. What is pleasantly surprising so far is the bass, which has better texture, tonality and density - in most break-in cases for me, the bass is just about the last thing to straighten out. |
I have a small SR T4A RED fuse I would sell very reasonable. Also I have fell in love with the Beeswax fuse in the VAC still under break-in. The SR RED fuse did not work in my VAC preamp. Since this thread is essentially visiting the SR fuses you could reach me for any of the two topics above at gwalters@charterwest.com. |
Don’t get your panties in a twist, Mopman. Let’s see, we already covered wire directionality. So what’s left? Well, without straining my noggin too much there’s uh vibration control, RFI/EMI absorption, better metals and or higher purity metals for the wire itself as well as the end caps. It’s not rocket science. We also know that the Red Fuse undergoes quantum tunneling as it were. What else? I’ll leave that to the student. |
I'd suggest that everyone using fuses (stock or premium) adhere to the values recommended by the manufacturer. I do this and suspect that the vast majority of thread contributors do this as well. I've had no problems thus far with the premium fuses by following these guidelines. This encompasses all of my components over a several years period. Equipment protection plus improved sound is fine with me. . Oregonpapa, Thanks for your sharing of listening impressions. I can't wait to receive my Black fuses even though I am thoroughly enjoying the Red fuses currently. If thirty dollars more per fuse leads to the improvement you describe, count me in. What could possibly be more cost effective? 😀😀 Charles, |
Now, now ... easy guys. This is about fun, remember?? Just finished listening to Etta Jones. In the room. In the dang room. At this point, I can't think of anything else to say about the fuses. The clarity of the system at this point is astounding. Next fuse goes into the line stage. Can an audio system become frighteningly real? Just asking ... |
Update ... Robert (Mr. Golden Ears) came over for the listening session last night. The last time he came over the black fuses in the CD player had at the most 20 hours on them. At that time, he thought the black fuses were a big step back from the red fuses. He found the system bright and unemotional. Last night the system was sounding exceptional. Here's Robert's comments with the black fuses broken in: 1. "You haven't had sound this BIG since you had your big Acoustat IV electrostatic panels." 2. "The system has the speed of the best solid state gear and the three dimensional sound of the best tube gear." 3. "The black fuses have improved the system further than the red fuses did over the stock fuses." 4. "It sounds like a new system." 5. "Amazing!" 6. "This is the best I've ever heard a trumpet sound in any system." 7. "When thinking of all the HiFi shows we've been to together over the years, we haven't heard anything this good." Its been fun being the Guinea Pig for the SR black fuse experiment and upgrades. Now then ... there are three more red fuses to be replaced with the black fuses. Once done ... will I ever be able to leave home? Von's market delivers groceries, right? Happy listening fuse freaks ... :-) |
macdad, every device is designed to use a particular value fuse in terms of how much current will pass before blowing out. The risk with audiophiles is forgetting what the primary purpose of a fuse is: to protect the equipment from accidental damage. Its a safety device first, an audiophile tweak second. I’m not sure how much attention teh companies selling fuses based on how they sound pay attention to making sure they work properly to-spec, which is the first most important thing. If a device requires a certain rating fuse and it blows consistently, then either there is a problem with the device or the fuse. You want to change to a different fuse of the correct rating. Going to a higher rated fuse that passes more current is the wrong thing to do. It could result in damage to your expensive gear. All for a freaking hifi fuse!!!!! |
A fuse is perhaps the least complicated part in electronics. Except for wires maybe, at least the normal kind. Fuses conduct electricity normally and blow out at certain designed current levels . Thats pretty much it. No two things ever perform exactly alike. If two fuses perform differently under normal operation, most likely there is a measurable difference in conductivity based on the design and construction. Or just a better seating and contact with its holder can make a big difference here as mentioned. Regarding what makes a fuse directional, I have no clue. So I would not worry about it at all in the grand scale of things until there is a reason. Especially with AC current. There could be differences that can only be determined by trial and error case by case. If it matters to someone, then by all means have at it. |
Jarafreeman, I know what you My front end has a total of 14 fuses! Fortunately, Unfortunately they are chip fuses so there is no way 14 Black fuses will ever need to be considered. On a whim, i have tried connection the transformer output bypassing the fuse and nasty steel pin connectors! Ah yes, smoother, deeper music flowed from my speakers, a gain in purity, clarity more extended bass and more relaxed highs. What i observed was that the shift for the better also lacked a tiny bit of midbass attack, a focus to the instruments but with less smear in the staging. This lead to a very relaxed session, staging seems less deep due to the lessen smearing which give an illusion of sightly more ambiance and staging width and depth on certain recordings. I have since reverted to original going through the nasty steel connections and fuses. Was the player voiced with these parts? I know i have loss some purity, but felt it the way it was somehow connected with me. I have come to a stage were i would reject more improvements in the incessant desire to improve . I have used like 20 furutech fuses early (even before Hifi tuning, Synergistic fuses came around) and change maybe half to Synergistic SR 20 and now with a number of Reds. With the many others, Hifi-tuning (never liked any of their sonic characteristics. Including another platinum plated fuse with pure silver fuse element, which, again didn't care for the sonic traits of that material. What has come out of this exercise is that is that each fuse has a different sonic character. Just like cables, adding a particular brand in imparts its own sonic attributes (a "straight" wire? It just does'nt exist in the Hifi world, there is always a better mousetrap! Everyone seems oto want to build the best Trap nowadays. These tuned fuses impart more than a direct connection and we "buy" into a particular sonic characteristic, whether it is the best is questionable and hope to best synergise what may be the "best". There are just too many permutations and different brands of fuses that May lead to a higher level of enlightenment in the way we listen to our systems. It may be just the flavour that one may prefer from a particular band, including fuses. |
I don’t know how it works but works it does! What almost every reviewer says about whatever tweak or device he’s reviewing. I find it a little bit hard to believe that none of the aftermarket fuse manufacturers provide any explanation for how their product works. We already know for example that wire directionality is part of it. Anyone wish to take a stab at other things aftermarket fuses do better than stock fuses? Thimk, thimk! |
I can understand the reluctant position that some people have towards fuse upgrading There hasn't been a clear and acceptable technical explanation provided. This will conflict with the logic and use of reason for technically oriented people, I get that. In audio I've come to recognize that there are outcomes and results confirmed via direct listening that lack satisfying explanation. This disconnect doesn't bother me as it would some other listeners. I just accept that you can not always explain the why or the how of certain phenomenon. I don't even attempt to explain why the Red fuses have the effects that they clearly do. I just don't know to be blunt, all I can do is tell others what I hear,that's as far as I can go. Something is happening on a technical level for these fuses to contribute in the way they do. I trust what I hear and acknowledge I can't tell someone why they work so well. I'm simply very happy these products exist and I'm able to buy and enjoy them. To be able to tweak and improve your current system without spending multiples more money in changing components is a legitimate cause for celebration and appreciation. Charles, |
Huh? Are there really ANY cases where aftermarket fuses failed to protect the equipment? I haven’t heard of any, maybe you have an inside track. As for stock fuses degrading the sound they will, like aftermarket fuses, degrade the sound less when they are inserted in the correct direction. There are in fact a number of things one can do with stock fuses to improve their performance including addressing RFI/EMI, vibration and magnetic fields as well as employing a better fuse holder and employing contact enhancer on the fuse caps. |
It seems we should arrive at some conclusions based on our experiences with fuses: Stock fuses provide overload protection but degrade the signal path. They are necessary to meet safety standards and prevent costly damage, but they are detrimental to sound quality. This degradation has been discovered and can be improved by inserting a better conductor. Maggie owners who modify have gone even further, saying, "No fuse is the best fuse." They remove the fuse bank that protects their midrange and tweeters and wire directly. Maggies provide perhaps the best opportunity to show how these boutique fuses are far superior to stock fuses. The differences are unmistakable and leave no room for alternative explanations. With due respect to you, Al, those of us who are more "plug and play" audiophiles have sought out the easy tweaks of fuses, cords, cables, etc, and have been rewarded. In a funny way, knowledge has not been an obstruction for us. The drawback to these fuses is how well do they protect? It's buyer beware on that question. A lot of us are getting such good sound, we don't seem to care. I know I will not go back to stock fuses or power cords, not with the superior conduction materials on the DIY market. |
Oregonpapa: I am glad your fuse settled in and the music is really flowing. I think your description is quite good between the BLACK and RED fuse. In some rooms + systems the "added" noise of the RED maybe psychoacoustically more pleasing than the more accurate BLACK fuse. No different then a live music performance with a dead crowd, a noisy crowd, and an energized crowd. almarg: In my system that has had the pronounced improvement, the fuses are in an Antelope DAC that is never turned off and has a music source running 24/7. I certainly hope you will try the RED or BLACK fuses. I have found the changing of fuses to be a facinating and worthwhile project. IT is certainly cheaper than comparing Psvane to Elrog tubes ! David Pritchard |
Thx, Gwalt. I had them in right. My previous concern over the Red's deep bass has disappeared. They sound great. In fact, I begin channeling Gollum, wanting to hold onto my precious Reds. Do I really want to send them back for the Blacks? I have ten days to decide. If there's not consensus that the Blacks are obviously better, I'm leaning towards holding at Red and getting two more for the DAC, but even that seems greedy based on how good things sound now. |
