I think the assumption that I don't hear things as well as others is interesting, and true. Neither does anybody else…but my home system is well sorted and things that DO impact the sound of it, like speaker placement, cables, tubes, etc., are chosen because they suit my tastes, exactly like everyone else. When I mix one of the many hundreds of shows I've done I cater to the artist first, and then subject the audience to my taste which generally requires a minimum of EQ or processing of any sort, including reverb unless somebody requests it. Simple, and people seem to like the results. I remain firm in my knowing that fuses, when doing their job, cannot, and thus do not, have any effect on the tone of electronic components…if somebody can explain why they would I'll listen, but nobody can or even really tries to do that, and my tests of SR black fuses indicated I'm correct in my thinking. People can claim benefits from special fuses using all the hyperbole they can muster and I still will stick with what I know: Fuses are fuses…tiny wire in a tiny tube designed to melt if needed. |
Nobody knows the ratio of Audiophiles who like $150 fuses to those who don’t care, and unless Geoffkait has access to data from the "Special Fuse Manufacturers Society" sales results, nobody has any idea how popular or otherwise they are in the audio geek community as a whole. I’m already aware of how successful SR fuses are because the owner pointed out that they’re making millions from them. On this particular thread, which the OP starts with a hyperbole filled promotional message, you’re very likely to get responses tilted toward the fan base. I get that. I can safely assume that 100% or so of the Blue Fuse fans spent 150 bucks on those fuses thinking they might improve the sound of their gear pile, and If I had done that I might also want some support and a forum to report on what a good idea that was. That's only natural. The fuses I tested were lent to me, so I had no money in the game. So the idea that "smart people with discerning ears, money, etc." like them has a lot to do with the fact they bought them in the first place…If "special" fuse makers sent samples to audiophiles who hadn’t thought much about fuses, and then said "if you like it please send me 150 bucks," I think the results may differ from the opinions here. I’m speculating of course. I certainly am aware of what fuses technically are there for, and admire them for selflessly performing the task of protecting my gear…thank you fuses. But how or why they possibly make the gear sound better, perhaps by massaging the protons or straightening out the current flow or vibrating less than otherwise due to being internally coated with graphene or Quantum Dark Matter or making better contact with contacts or being in the proper direction, still remains as an unexplained mystery. One thing I doubt anybody is going to do is open a Blue fuse and see what’s in there…too expensive for that. I know many otherwise rational people bristle at the fact that I seriously doubt they actually hear any sonic benefits from their fuses, but they shouldn't care much about that because, hey, they paid to hear those benefits and by gum they should hear whatever they darn well please! |
I seriously doubt that HiFI tuning and SR would be conferencing together, but if they were, why? Planning a sales territory treaty? Trading fuse coating recipes? Deciding on the table settings for a masked ball? One thing claimed "insiders" can't know is the ratio of audiophile fuse "naysayers" to "the faithful." A point successfully ignored by Kaitty. I get continued flack for repeatedly asking why fuses work, and although it's not "rocket science," this this forum thread is about expensive fuses, not rockets. Nobody has yet to make clear in any post anywhere what these special tiny wires do to "gain about an octave in low bass response," or help a system become "transformed into a magical music machine." Without the pesky directional issue. How? Why? Remember, regardless of the quantum coating of vibration damping directional nano juice, it's a teeny, tiny, little wire that is designed to melt. |
Tel555 is welcome to go back to the black fuse page (or was it part of the red fuse pages?) and review my test process which includes comments on the source of the fuses and what happened to them. They were all returned, even the blown ones. Also, although Kaitty claims he doesn't care what I say, he graciously re-posts everything I say as a service to others who can miss things the first time around. Thanks Kaitty.
|
OK…back to the topic then…how do Synergistic Research Blue fuses work? What do they do? I have read the descriptions of how they're made, clad in graphene and blueness, bombarded with tesla coil lightening, not made in China, applied quantum something…but by putting claims of personal wealth, unimpeachable credentials, unquantifiable personal opinions, and user approval statistics aside for a moment, could anybody explain what happens to the current running through these fuses that makes it so helpful to the other parts of the circuit? El redundo amundo desperado…mui bueno. |
At this point I do expect the usual smokescreen of nonsensical responses like those of the esteemed (primarily by himself) geoffkait, or simply more "I think these fuses work and that's that!" comments from those who sincerely believe that Blue Fuses are fabulous, and who tend to bristle when their opinion of a seemingly mystical (unexplained, magical, imagined) technical remedy is being questioned. Since this thread remains, my questions still remain unanswered. Still. |
In response to clearthink…Obviously I know wires, tubes, et al have easily explainable benefits, and I hear those...it's the utter lack of any sort of explaining how or why designers decided that $2 fuses are inadequate, although the cheap fuses might be working well and your rig sounds fine. Does replacing an inexpensive half inch passive wire (meaning it's just wire that melts if needed) in a glass tube with a somehow improved half inch tiny wire in a glass or ceramic tube with graphene coating or special end caps or tesla coil jolting providing 75 times the benefit of the standard fuse? Did the thousands of special fuse purchasers hear a difference or just assume there would be one because they're reading hyperbolic posts? Can't say, anymore than anyone can say the thousands of people not buying them are against improving their rig. Many supporters of Blue Fuses already are using tweaks that are questionable as to their efficacy, and seem to be bound to support any imaginary tweak that comes along…and in the case of Blue Fuses there remains no explanation as to how or why they might improve sound. |
The function of my questions aren't to derail the train of Fuser Fandom, it simply seems, and is, logical to ask about how and why a relatively expensive and excitedly oversold fuse works. To take offense at this question seems the lazy way out, as answering it could provide useful information for anybody interested. So, how does the fuse work its supposed magic? |
Again, nobody has answered the question of why and how these things do whatever fuse fans claim they do. I read the claims of sonic improvement, and those are merely opinions of whatever the listeners think they hear…and that's fine. I don't need to have a manufacturer divulge their proprietary formulas for these things beyond what they've already said (graphene coatings, tesla coil bombing, quantum baloney), just a simple explanation of how they accomplish the "current polishing" or speed enhancement or proton greasing or something. Anything. |
Well, I know what I heard using my ears, a level meter, digital recording for waveform and level comparison, and blown SR fuse replacement due to a seeming lack of proper fuse rating, resulting in a conclusion that those fuses don’t enhance anything and are perhaps dangerous. …but all that was with SR Black fuses…maybe the Blue fuses are way better at letting current flow through the component or whatever they do, but I’m certainly not spending 150 bucks each to test these things as once was enough for me, even with a 30 day return window. Regarding cost, my Schiit Loki was 150 bucks and has circuits and knobs and things and actually is an understandable and useful "made in U.S.A." item (and I don't care if anybody else buys one…I really don't)…what makes a fuse cost 150 bucks? Actually, we all know the answer to that one. |
So…these fuses make things "better" due to "better metals." Better metals doing what? |
It recently occured to me that where there's snake oil, there's bound to be traces of venom. |
As some may hove noted in my previous comments, I tested the Black fuses extensively and found them to be an overpriced waste of time, a couple of them blew (a VERY rare thing otherwise) although rated to work properly, and I concluded that the Littelfuse or other stock fuses were at least equal to the performance of the SR samples in my gear. My experiment, my conclusions. Note I didn’t pay for the test fuses so there’s that, and I’m also aware of the positive comments festooned with hyperbole regarding various obscure and not so obscure tweaks. Many of the things Geoffkait promotes are so silly no reasonable audiophile (or designer/manufacturer) would bother with them, and the market has spoken regarding green pens, Tice clocks, etc. which may or may not make the case that they’re bogus. Depending on one’s desperation to improve their system perhaps needlessly, and the ability to imagine what one wants to hear, you can always hope for that self satisfied nirvana provided by the feeling that YOU know what’s what because you’re special, and it’s important to you that others know that. |
Another thing to consider is the fact that no reasonable explanation has ever been proffered up as to exactly why the fuses were designed to deal with an issue which likely never existed. Fuses are limited in their design by the fact that they must contain a small wire that will melt on cue to be effective…special end caps might help the basic connection in the fuse holder, the wire could have some proprietary component, something, anything, but are they designed to be tone altering devices? Why or how they work remains a mystery, and I'm pretty sure they're simply designed and promoted to generate money garnered from gullible fans hoping that they too can enjoy the magic tone improvements available from something so small, albeit with Quantum Tunneling involved. The overwhelming support from sincere believers, "Marge, come quick, the cellos are cleaner!", illustrates the fact that people simply need validation from others so they don't feel like knuckleheads from spending 150 bucks on a 2 dollar fuse. Enter hyperbole, the salesman's best friend. |
You can't "define your audience" on a public forum and/or "disqualify" anybody from commenting simply because you want to. That's (obviously) not how it works. Actual scholarly etiquette (if that's an actual thing) would seem to welcome all comments. I think it's interesting that people think they hear things from inexplicable magic fuses and are willing to pay 150 bucks for them, and I'll comment all I want. |
Uberwaltz (is that an existential dancing pun?)...I noticed a post you made that I may have initially missed, so I'll respond to it now. All components do not "fall into the same category" as you claim as, for example, fuses are not intended to "do" anything but allow current to run through them and then, if necessary, melt...or not melt. Any tonal impact on components upstream is severly compromised by the tiny wire used to make these things work, and you simply can't hyperbole your way around that. Try as people may....Cables, caps, resistors, transformers, internal wiring, component feet, etc., all generally have clearly stated design goals (Magic Fuses, regardless of how many times you might ask why they work, apparantly do not have design goals, other than as business income generators), and attention is paid by designers and engineers to their individual or cumulative properties of resistance, capacitance, mojo, appearance, smell, and tonal impact on any piece of gear they're stuck in. Fuses, not so much. In fact, not at all. They're fuses...and if people pay 75 times the cost of something for which a 2 dollar version performs exactly as it should in countless well designed products, I say a successful, albeit ethically questionable, feat of salesmanship has utterly succeeded. Congratulations to all who continue to passionately participate in celebrating the Oil of the Snake, and to those who haven't bought into this nonsense, congratulations to you too.
|
Uberwaltz…the components you describe were improved or tinkered with because they actually do have an impact on the way things work, engineers and designers know that…cable capacitance/resistance, ratings and formulas for caps and things, transformer design…all have a tonal role in the sound of gear. Fuses don't, and really, I doubt designers care about them beyond the ratings and placement…if they're not working properly things just shut off, or of they're poorly made they can blow when they shouldn't (trust me on that one). That's what they do and coating them with stuff, bombarding them with high voltage mojo inducing silliness, putting precious end caps on 'em…still…it's a tiny wire trying not to melt. That's it. All one can do is claim they do things to some utterly exaggerated degree because you paid through the nose for a $2 fuse, and you really need to feel that something's happening. It's a poor little fuse, or a Littelfuse, or it's blue…tiny wire, no tone controls or magic current massage…no nuthin' except hype by hard sell. |
I question the basic marketing idea of naming a fuse "blue." Sort of like calling a car "The Breakdown" or an amp "The Distorto." |
My current is currently quiet...bespoke power supplies for my DAC and Phono pre, old but trusty power conditioner, PS Audio Humbuster III, good cables. My tube pre and power amps are the quietest I've owned. And no goop for me...I shall remain goopless. |
I like the "more decay" part as you can't get enough decay, and I also think napping is essential. Bo knows mann... |
Bo...please continue...this thread needs more Bo... |
When pretentious nonesense and hyperbole set the standard for threads celebrating The Oil of the Snake, Bo, who has returned after what seems like a sabbatical in the wilds of the aptly named (in this case anyway) Netherlands, will hopefully entertain all of us with the comic relief of his mysterious and unhinged posts unencumbered by context or spell-check. Random generalizations about women and young people, claims to have dwelled in the land of audio secrets privy only to those who may have spent 2 years in an audio shop, and a passionate quest to spread the news of whatever Tru-Fi might be. Bo knows...and I bet he's gonna share it with all of us, as, after all, we might be simple, possibly old school, directionless sheep in need of a proper path to an audio awakening. |
I initially supported Bo's return to this forum as I thought the gonzo inanity would be a break from the avalanche of tweak hyperbole, but he gets back into his long winded barrage of condescension with stuff like "In 2013 I realized for the first time that other people in audio are inferior," tinged with his claims of somehow discovering sonic possibilities previously unknown to anybody but him. Somehow he establishes new benchmarks of pretentious narcissism tinged with a commercial angle with stuff like, "But I will not give my knowledge and insight for free." We've been warned.
|
Bo (who has been driving me crazy for years) is sort of unique in his style, with his utter disregard of the of the other audio geeks who populate forums. That with the lack of brevity with copious amounts of unhinged pomposity make his illogical or at least indecipherable posts sort of unique (al least in style), and his only saving grace is the fact that he announces his departure and goes away. |
Smog...he has a point as you really should keep smog out of your listening space. Also, I thought Bo went away? |
SR fuses lack proper ratings so you simply have to hope they don't fail, and they really don't do anything to a signal anyway since they're FUSES...claiming otherwise is silly, and no explanation of how or why they can improve the sound of anything is part of the lame uber hype contained in the shameful infomercial like hard sell of these ridiculous fuses. Otherwise, enjoy! |
I did run extensive tests on the Red and Black fuses, some inexplicably blew, and, although I haven't contacted every sucker who's bought into this "magic fuse" nonsense I assume from my little tests they're likely not rated properly, although it's possible the 150 bucks covers some more careful matching. Great news for the fans! In an alternating current scenario as with a fuse, current flows in both directions so the phase issues are nonexistent, but this entire pile of "magic fuse" stuff, designed to simply take money from those who love to imagine benefits where there can be none, is sort of adorable in the sense that an expensive placebo can be so welcomed by the desperate and insecure among us. |
My post lives on...heh... |
The truth will out, and zombies are hard to kill. |
