As the cliche' goes, it's hard to argue with success.
The new Synergistic Research BLUE fuses ....
New SR BLUE fuse thread ...
I’ve replaced all 5 of the SR BLACK fuses in my system with the new SR BLUE fuses. Cold, out of the box, the BLUE fuses stomped the fully broken-in SR BLACKS in a big way. As good as the SR BLACK fuses were/are, especially in comparison with the SR RED fuses, SR has found another break-through in fuses.
1. Musicality ... The system is totally seamless at this point. Its as if there is no system in the room, only a wall to wall, front to back and floor to ceiling music presentation with true to life tonality from the various instruments.
2. Extension ... I’ve seemed to gain about an octave in low bass response. This has the effect of putting more meat on the bones of the instruments. Highs are very extended, breathing new life into my magic percussion recordings. Vibes, chimes, bells, and triangles positioned in the rear of the orchestra all have improved. I’ve experienced no roll-off of the highs what so ever with the new BLUE fuses. Just a more relaxed natural presentation.
3. Dynamics ... This is a huge improvement over the BLACK fuses. Piano and vibes fans ... this is fantastic.
I have a Japanese audiophile CD of Flamenco music ... the foot stomps on the stage, the hand clapping and the castanets are present like never before. Want to hear natural sounding castanets? Get the BLUE fuses.
4. Mid range ... Ha! Put on your favorite Ben Webster album ... and a pair of adult diapers. Play Chris Connor singing "All About Ronnie," its to die for.
Quick .... someone here HAS to buy this double album. Its a bargain at this price. Audiophile sound, excellent performance by the one and only Chris Connor. Yes, its mono ... but so what? Its so good you won’t miss the stereo effects. If you’re the lucky person who scores this album, please post your results here.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ULTRASONIC-CLEAN-The-Finest-Of-CHRIS-CONNOR-Bethlehem-Jazz-1975-NM-UNPLAYED-...
Overall impressions:
Where the RED fuses took about 20 hours to sound their best, and the BLACK fuses took upwards of 200 hours of total break-in, the BLUE fuses sounded really good right out of the box ... and that’s without doing anything about proper directional positioning. Not that the BLUE fuses don’t need breaking in, they do. The improvement continues through week three. Its a gradual break-in thing where each listening session is better than the last.
Everything I described above continues to break new ground in my system as the fuses continue breaking in. Quite honestly, I find it difficult to tear myself away from the system in order to get things done. Its truly been transformed into a magical music machine. With the expenditure of $150.00 and a 30 day return policy there’s really nothing to lose. In my system, its like upgrading to a better pre amp, amp, CD player or phono stage. Highly recommended.
Kudos to Ted Denney and the entire staff at SR. Amazing stuff, guys. :-)
Frank
PS: If you try the SR BLUE fuses, please post your results here. Seems the naysayers, the Debbie Downers and Negative Nellie’s have hijacked the original RED fuse thread. A pox on their houses and their Pioneer receivers.
Frank
I’ve replaced all 5 of the SR BLACK fuses in my system with the new SR BLUE fuses. Cold, out of the box, the BLUE fuses stomped the fully broken-in SR BLACKS in a big way. As good as the SR BLACK fuses were/are, especially in comparison with the SR RED fuses, SR has found another break-through in fuses.
1. Musicality ... The system is totally seamless at this point. Its as if there is no system in the room, only a wall to wall, front to back and floor to ceiling music presentation with true to life tonality from the various instruments.
2. Extension ... I’ve seemed to gain about an octave in low bass response. This has the effect of putting more meat on the bones of the instruments. Highs are very extended, breathing new life into my magic percussion recordings. Vibes, chimes, bells, and triangles positioned in the rear of the orchestra all have improved. I’ve experienced no roll-off of the highs what so ever with the new BLUE fuses. Just a more relaxed natural presentation.
3. Dynamics ... This is a huge improvement over the BLACK fuses. Piano and vibes fans ... this is fantastic.
I have a Japanese audiophile CD of Flamenco music ... the foot stomps on the stage, the hand clapping and the castanets are present like never before. Want to hear natural sounding castanets? Get the BLUE fuses.
4. Mid range ... Ha! Put on your favorite Ben Webster album ... and a pair of adult diapers. Play Chris Connor singing "All About Ronnie," its to die for.
Quick .... someone here HAS to buy this double album. Its a bargain at this price. Audiophile sound, excellent performance by the one and only Chris Connor. Yes, its mono ... but so what? Its so good you won’t miss the stereo effects. If you’re the lucky person who scores this album, please post your results here.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ULTRASONIC-CLEAN-The-Finest-Of-CHRIS-CONNOR-Bethlehem-Jazz-1975-NM-UNPLAYED-...
Overall impressions:
Where the RED fuses took about 20 hours to sound their best, and the BLACK fuses took upwards of 200 hours of total break-in, the BLUE fuses sounded really good right out of the box ... and that’s without doing anything about proper directional positioning. Not that the BLUE fuses don’t need breaking in, they do. The improvement continues through week three. Its a gradual break-in thing where each listening session is better than the last.
Everything I described above continues to break new ground in my system as the fuses continue breaking in. Quite honestly, I find it difficult to tear myself away from the system in order to get things done. Its truly been transformed into a magical music machine. With the expenditure of $150.00 and a 30 day return policy there’s really nothing to lose. In my system, its like upgrading to a better pre amp, amp, CD player or phono stage. Highly recommended.
Kudos to Ted Denney and the entire staff at SR. Amazing stuff, guys. :-)
Frank
PS: If you try the SR BLUE fuses, please post your results here. Seems the naysayers, the Debbie Downers and Negative Nellie’s have hijacked the original RED fuse thread. A pox on their houses and their Pioneer receivers.
Frank
Showing 30 responses by ps
From a non-technical, non-engineering, non-scientific, BUT, experiential perspective, I posit that a wee dram or two of decent, if not better, single malt, and/or a hit or two (ONLY where it's legal of course) of some high-quality cannabis, will yield far, far greater audiophile satisfaction, and, at considerably lower pocket book shrinkage, than the most awesomest, rave-flavor-of-the day fuses on the planet- no matter what color they might be. But of course, that's only one man's opinion, And as always, YMMV. |
OK- now I've grown interested and am considering purchasing some of these fuses. Can any of you somehow quantify the improvement of the Blue over the Black? IE: If the Black is a 7.5 with 10 being the best, where would the Blue be? Or, put another way, in percentage, how much better is the Blue compared to the Black? Also, in an all-tube system, with mono amps, where in the chain would the fuses be most effective? Thanks in advance. |
I respectfully wish to report the following: This afternoon I replaced the inexpensive ceramic fuse in the signal path of each of my mono tube amps, with SR20 1A’s. After about an hour of play, I changed the directionality of those fuses and listened for about 15 minutes- "hmmm," I thought, "something isn’t quite right." I then changed the direction of the fuses again, and the soundstage immediately was wider and deeper, with better separation between instruments. Source was Spotify premium, music by Fernando Sor (chamber pieces with guitar.) I am now a believer that with the SR20 fuses, at least, in my gear, directionality matters. Eventually I’ll compare them to the original fuses, as well as a pair of Schurter ceramic fuses that came in today’s mail after burning in the Schurters, and determining best direction for the four less expensive fuses More to follow.... |
Ok, I've spent a lot of time over the past couple of days fiddling with fuses in the signal path in my tube amps. The SR20 fuses not only sound a lot better than the inexpensive Schurters, but there is also a dramatic improvement in soundstage when the direction of the fuses are one way and not the other. I am no longer a skeptic thanks to all of you who have gone this way before and have passed on your positive experiences to guys like me. :) . Happy holidays! |
@nonoise "just try it." Thank you. And, indeed, sir, indeed. The ROI on this sort of "tweak" is not only rewarding on an aesthetic and emotional level, but reminds me of how much fun this hobby can be- especially when monetary outlay is minimal. Some may call it "bang for the buck." In good time, I suppose, inevitably I will try the SR black or blue. FWIW, A supremely talented audio engineer I know speaks highly of the beeswax fuses but also cautions that a shorted tube will make quick work of one’s $225.00 investment. :) |
"When audiophile fuses blow" I’m sorry to say that one week after installing them in the signal path of my amps, one of the SR fuses died, making an expensive hobby even more expensive. Fuses not under warranty because they are no longer available, having been replaced by the black and now blue. The amp is otherwise fine, btw. I think there’s a lesson here somewhere. :) DIY beeswax perhaps? |
@uberwaltz Thanks, I was not aware of that. I must say that the SR's sounded better than the basic ceramic Schurters. Maybe the Schurters will break in and improve (he wonders hopefully.) :) For those with technical expertise, how significant would a plus .25A value be? Specifically, there are 1.25A Hi-Fi tuning fuses still available. I can figure percentage but not "real world" difference. Thanks. |
@almarg "Regarding PS’s questions, I suspect from the wording of his posts as well as the rating of the fuse that he is referring to a DC rail fuse, rather than a mains fuse. Which means that inrush current at turn-on probably won’t be much of a concern, if any. However it sounds like he is considering going from a 1 amp stock fuse to a 1.25 amp HiFi Tuning fuse, and I have no idea whether the rationale I cited above for going up a rating or two in the case of SR fuses would be applicable to HFT fuses. On the other hand, though, intuitively it doesn’t sound like much of a difference to me, so IMO it is a reasonable course of action." Thank you sir for your comments. And thanks to everyone else as well. The seller of the SR fuses did suggest going up a value from 1A after I reported the failure of one. My mono amps are sturdy vintage MFA which have been recently highly-upgraded by one of the original designers. Each amp employs a quartet of either 6550’s or KT-88’s. They have a 10A fast-blow mains fuse and the 1A fast blow I mentioned. I follow a careful procedure when powering up my system. First, turn on MFA preamp with mute switches in mute position. I wait a couple of minutes. I then flip the power toggle switch on each amp from off to on. I wait a few more minutes, and then flip the other toggle switch from standby to operate, waiting until power tubes have warmed up for a few minutes, and then flip the preamp mute switches to -O DB. I tested all the tubes in the amp in which the 1A SR20 fuse blew to make sure none had shorted out. Testing included the small tubes as well. All tubes tested fine. As mentioned I do prefer the sound with the audiophile fuses, and will give the matter more thought. If I can safely go up in value from the 1A fuses I will consider it. I have requested an opinion from the amp designer. I’m merely a music lover and not electrically, technically knowledgeable. :) |
Hi George, To clarify, I am considering the possibility of increasing the value of the 1amp fuse slightly to perhaps 1.25A. The 10A mains fuses will remain the same The rationale I'm getting is that standard fuses have a wider tolerance, perhaps 10%, but if I understand correctly, the tolerances of most tweak fuses are narrower. As I said, I am not an engineer or tech-head. :) Just trying to make a fine stereo system a bit finer. |
I’ve got my system pretty much dialed-in. I spend countless happy hours listening to all kinds of music. If fuses can further enhance that experience, I am down with ’em :) I am no longer a skeptic. I don’t even mind a bit of out-of-pocket to learn how best to employ the tweak fuses. If it turns out that they keep blowing, I’ll go back to basics. I’ve ordered a few higher value fuses and will check in here once I’ve installed and compared them. I’m not yet at the point where I’d spend $150 or more per fuse. Stating the obvious: we all have our respective priorities and budget limitations. Peace my audio sisters and brothers. |
Hifiman wrote: @lalitk A big +1 for your question. If someone here is going to level such a charge at a manufacturer it’s incumbent upon them to explain the alleged "scam" in detail. Look forward to hearing from you madavido." There is nothing to look forward to with this madavidO person. I hope we can keep the focus on the efficacy of tweak fuses and continuing to trust our ears. Otherwise this thread will disintegrate into yet another Internets ream of bullpucky. What I have learned so far is that fuses do indeed make a difference and can be a change for the better in one’s system. I’ve also learned that the direction of the fuse can make a difference. What I have yet to learn is how reliable tweak fuses are or are not. |
@nonoise Shucks. A good part of my career as an advertising photographer was in L.A. At the time it was great but eventually took its toll. I’ve been in the Seattle area for 22 years although initially the move presented challenges, it’s all worked out. I’ve learned to appreciate seasons again, and have become an unlikely but avid gardener. :) . Finally I am out of the fast lane. |
Back to modest fuse basics. I installed SR20 1.6A fuses in the rail circuit in my mono tube amps this morning, to replace the 1A SR20's, one of which blew in a week, and the improvement over basic ceramic Schurters was again immediately apparent. Now, hours later the improvement is better. I’m hopeful that the higher value SR20 fuses (replacing 1A with 1.6A in the rails circuits) will not blow. I will continue to be extra cautious with the procedure I follow when turning my system on and off. Now I’m wondering if replacing the mains fuses in the amps, as well as in the preamp power supply will yield an improvement. I’m willing to gamble if the price is right for my fixed budget. I’m awaiting a response from a vendor. More later as my personal fuse adventure unfolds. Meanwhile, much happiness to all in the coming year. Goodness knows, it can’t get much worse, politically speaking. But maybe that’s just me. :) |
It’s been about 6 hours since I installed a pair of silver Hi-Fi Tuning fuses in my tube preamp power supply. What I can say is at this point, is that not only have I become even more of a "believer" but I’ve ordered some SR20’s to try in the unit as well. AND, it’s highly likely, nay inevitable, that I will "go Blue" eventually. Before I started experimenting with tweak fuses, I never would have thought.... Another step will be installing SR20’s in my Maggie .7’s. I’ll report back at that time- meanwhile I’m completely stoked with what I’m hearing through my Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor M ’s. (no affiliation with either Magnepan nor Sonus Faber) A side note: Customer service from Synergistic Research is exemplary. And no, I’ve not been compensated to say that. :) What a great hobby this is. Thanks to all of you who have contributed to this thread. Geoff- the lists are very helpful. OP, go dude. And, somehow quite appropriately, at the moment I'm listening to Bill Evans Trio's "Peace Piece." Best wishes for 2018 and beyond. |
https://www.mouser.com/Circuit-Protection/Fuses/Cartridge-Fuses/_/N-ba8h0/ Wolf, with respect, if you can’t hear a difference in fuses, you simply can’t. End of subject. As in so much high-end audio, there are many, many variables. I was skeptical about tweak fuses until I began experimenting. I am no longer a skeptic. It’s been an enjoyable learning experience for me- fun and educational, one which I will happily pursue, especially now that I’ve got so much of the rest of my stereo system dialed-in. Happy listening to all, no matter what fuses one employs. It’s merely a hobby for most of us, nothing more. |
"Valid." Isn’t he the guy that mucked up our elections? Back to topic: -Insert tweak fuse (s) -Let system warm up -Listen -Experiment with fuse direction -Listen some more -Replace tweak fuse (s) with originals -Listen -Experiment with fuse direction -Listen -Insert tweak fuse (s) -Let system warm up -Listen -Experiment with fuse direction -Listen some more -Replace tweak fuse (s) with originals -Listen -Experiment with fuse direction -Listen And? |