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



128x128oregonpapa

Showing 50 responses by wolf_garcia

How does the blue fuse work? I can only assume it's packed with tiny circuits and minuscule power supply enhancers to provide the results describe here…or is it a tiny wire with astonishing properties? In any case it simply seems to provide unbelievable enhancement far beyond what I expect from the well designed Litelfuses I use (and others who's branding I'm unaware of). I'm sure with results like this pretty much everyone in audio will buy these fuses, and why wouldn't they?
Since Mr. Denney reads this thread, I am simply asking him for an explanation as to how and why his fuses can supposedly transform the tone of a component. What do they do? How can a fuse, which seems like a passive safety item, for example have an influence the HF extension of a system? Seems like a simple question, and although many cable designers, outboard tweak makers (shelves, footers, etc.) amp designers, speaker designers, and many others are glad to explain design decisions, I'm still in the dark about these fuses…enlighten me please.
I actually did test of a pile of SR fuses a while back and found that they did nothing special at all except for a melting issue (!) seemingly due to a poor fuse rating. Nothing when compared to the $2 Littelfuse products I generally use. Zero. So, regardless of the SR fans who claim to not wonder at all about how or why the SR fuse magic manifests itself (and my ongoing utter disbelief of the claims of profound audio tonal improvement from use of a "special" fuse), my question remains…Ted Denney…you listening? Maybe provide a simple answer, or a complicated answer, or something, as I’m not the only one who would like to know. Thanks in advance.
Indeed, why? Possibly the most unexplained magical tweak in the history of audio snake oil…and note that geoffkait has alleged he doesn't actually use the things, but is certain they're directional. They are, but only in the sense that they pump money in the direction of SR. 
When I switched my fuse around while cleaning the contacts and didn’t hear a difference (maybe because it’s a fuse?) I simply wasn’t listening close enough? I suppose that's possible...Or maybe a tiny passive AC (alternating current) component designed to melt doesn’t do anything to the tone making bits upstream (or downstream…geoffkait has me all confused). I get the "wire direction" thing (I put wires in backwards sometimes in an attempt to trigger a pathway into another dimension), and will patiently listen if geoffkait or anyone else proffers up even a slightly rational actual design element for tonal properties inherent in any fuse…other than it's designed to melt. And yes, I do enjoy taking to task the purveyors of nonsense…who wouldn't?
I would think anybody spending 130 bucks or whatever it costs to get you into Blue Fusing would also ask, "How do these work?"  And what is a "fleschler?" Another dimension indeed.
I realize how upsetting it is to some that I ask simple questions about these fuses, but that's on the Fusers as I expect to engender ire from the insecure. After all, how dare I ask what the technical design goals were? I tested the black fuses and found them to have no effect on the tone of any component I stuck them into, and determined they're sometimes dangerous (seemingly miss-rated and can blow for mysterious reasons). You can claim I don't hear well, but my hearing has been tested and it's medically normal, and I get paid (possibly overpaid, but I don't mind) for my hearing…I mix and record concert sound for astonishing musicians in live concert venues and get asked back…anybody else do that? Try it…it's a lot of fun if your hearing is up to it. In any case, instead of wasting time tossing silly insults at me, why not answer the question? What does a premium fuse do to the current flowing through it that can impart tonal changes in a component? As long as people keep posting comments regarding how much better things sound after installing a tiny passive "wire in a tube," I'll continue asking why that could be?
I'm still not sure why asking a simple (still unanswered) question is trolling, and it's also interesting that "fleschler" (I think that's also a rare skin condition) feels my "credentials" are meaningless (mine aren't actual credentials, just just a job description in response to the hearing issue attacks) and then notes his alleged credentials and drops a few names as a bonus. Not sure my hearing is perfect, but my reading comprehension skills are almost normal, and I noticed he (fleschler) says his equipment designer/wire salesman friend eschews fuses for breakers, which results in sound like his Blue Fuses. So Blue Fuses don't impart any tonal benefit? HERESY! Are we on the brink of a breaker thread? Circle the wagons! Geoffkait is correct about the curiosity part, and I'm surprised few seem to want to know WHY special fuses allegedly make a difference. 
One of my qualifications is the fact that I placed third in the NY State Surfing Championships Senior Longboard Division in 2002 at Ditch Plains in Montauk. Got the trophy RIGHT HERE. There were only 2 others in my division, but still…a win's a win.

Does a company like Littelfuse use inferior components? If so, somebody should let them know so they can improve those damn things a get the price up to somewhere that audio geeks can respect. During part of my little experiment with the black SR fuses I was being visited by a Real Famous Recording Engineer (name withheld because, well, you know) who used to be a neighbor and he suggested a little test. I leave the room, he ether does or doesn't swap out a black fuse for a Littlefuse (Or whatever fuse was in the components…some may have been other brands of "non special" fuses) and I was supposed to guess which was which. All the fuses were broken-in (supposedly, although maybe they lose their broken-in status when removed), and maybe or not reversed (no stone unturned around). We did this to each other all afternoon (!) and were flummoxed and bewildered and found no differences. Note that AC protection devises like fuses or breakers are NOT part of the "signal chain" technically, although obviously if they're not there when they're supposed to be the signal chain stops. To state that a good "normal" fuse creates distortion and noise is likely news to most component designers who seem to not be worried about it. 
Tear at the seams and dreams of others? The poor, fragile, audiophile…*sniff*...Hmmm...And the shill thing came from the "hard sell" AND GET YER MONEY BACK IF NOT 100% SATISFIED thing that was mentioned ad nauseum in previous posts…tawdry! I'm, of course, fine with the success of others having great sounding systems that provide enjoyment, and hell, I'm always amazed that more people with a refined esthetic aren't into active listening to great audio. My beef with Denney comes mostly from what I perceive as nonsensical "quantum tunneling" descriptions of faux scientific component treatments, the inaccurate use of actual audio terms like "transducer," and currently his convenient inability to answer even the most basic questions about how he arrived at the design of his "special" fuses, even though it's clear he reads this thread. If I started a thread that claimed astonishing sonic benefits from something others thought was illogical and silly (like "I had my knob polished leading to a wider soundstage"), I wouldn't be surprised if somebody objected in a post. Clearly I can take it. Note that by saying the fuse is "out of the signal path" I mean not part of the signal processing meat of any active component, and somebody should tell the Magnapan people they're design sucks…I'm sure they'd like to know. So worry not fragile Fusers, plenty will offer support to your preposterous claims of the tonal superiority of magic fuses, but steel yourself for some differing opinions…or get a therapist.
"Their" instead of "they're"…oops…I hate it when that happens, but thanks to oregonpapa for helping me out...and here is the point I was somewhat sarcastically (!) responding to which oregonpapa missed: From jafreeman, "The history of Magnepan users who have removed the fuse banks is long and well documented; they sound a lot better, and they sound a lot better even by keeping the fuse banks and just replacing the Buss variety with SR's, and that's a fact, a certainty, formed by myself from my experience that I stand by." See? It's a fact and a certainty formed by himself. And Magnapan should know better…somebody please bring it up at THEIR next tech meeting….also does Pass Labs know their amps are improved by Special Fuses? And exactly how does the teeny fuse do all that? There's that question again…
Over 3,000 $130 fuses sold…I have to wonder what the cost of manufacturing those things actually is, and, although not in the literal sense, there's your boiling vat of snake oil right there! 
Since Mr. Denney has addressed me directly, I'll respond directly to him. I did hear someplace that your fuses are sourced from China, I suppose we can start there with you addressing that, but I've wondered about the "how and why" of these fuses and asked you to address that directly a few times. More specifically, and without your having to give up what may be some proprietary design secret, could you explain how a tiny fuse that's not an active component could influence the tone of an amp? And what does that fuse actually do? Other than patting yourself on the back for developing a successful product, maybe provide some clarity on these questions. Thanks in advance.
Dear Ted…I clearly noted that I "read somewhere" they were made in China, and simply asking you if they were is hardly "fake news." Also, my forum name is simply protecting my privacy as are most of the others here, and you know that. I suppose a "trump-esque" response may seem appropriate these days but as a means of dodging my actual questions regarding your fuses it makes a case regarding your credibility, not mine. 

Lak…My test of a pile of SR Black fuses is described on the SR Black forum thread…enjoy! 

Both my ears recently tested as "meh," which according to my peers in audio live sound mixing is perfectly normal, and could explain why my live sound work has been described by some as "stellar." Here's the official data:


Left ear auditory rating: "Meh"


Right ear auditory rating: "Meh"
Since there seems to be some confusion regarding the question I’ve left on the table, I’ll point out that I for one have never asked for "trade secrets" or any proprietary stuff from Uncle Ted…simply some general description of why this fuse does what is claimed. For some this "ruins" the thread since apparently inexplicable faith in mysterious things is somewhat tenuous to the insecure. I get it. Regarding my "if it sounds good, it’s good" post (context…that's an actual thing), there’s "good" and there’s what I see as preposterous faith based claims of sonic transformation to systems far beyond what could be caused by a fuse, and, of course, my test of the black version which determined they don’t do anything but add the risk of random melting. That’s simply not good. My virtual hat’s off to Uncle Ted though, as his marketing genius of raising the price on an "improved" (!) version of his latest Magic Fuse (only a year or so since the last version showed up) immediately starts the stampede of the Fuser Faithful to dump what seems to be $600,000 and counting into his coffers…for fuses. You’re realin’ ’em in Ted…well done!
Holographic realism will not be provided by your fuse. The assumption that it can is simply silly, and, by the way, fear of seismic vibration is also a waste of time (sorry Kaitty, almost nobody cares about that), and the only "performance" a fuse provides is the one where it melts to protect things. There is nothing in any "special" fuse that coats the electricity with magic sauce or vibration resistance benefits or anything else that isn’t rendered useless once the raw electric current starts being processed by the rectifiers, diodes, caps, transformers or any other bits of the active power management of any component…if you think your "soundstage" or "holographic realism" is transformed by your fuse, regardless of the degree you overpay for it, you must have an active and easily influenced imagination. Special fuse designers have stumbled on a market almost unique in the world of technology…take an inexpensive component designed to simply provide the stop-gap safety action of melting to interrupt the rush of current that a component failure has caused, ascribe imagined importance to that half inch of wire, and sell it as an active tone enhancer. It's nonsense. The vast majority of amp and component designers ignore the claims of Magic Fuse salespeople, and so should everybody else. Also, way to go Yale! Boola boola!
Since asked, I'll simply (!) respond that the Shakti wooden things are evidence that people hear what they want to hear after spending, in the case of the Shaktis, 2 thousand bucks for four of them. I haven't heard them personally, but they're too ugly for my listening space and seem ridiculous (I heard a Sun Mook Mpingo disc setup in a dedicated listening room at my late friend Lars Friedel's house, and those were also ridiculous, useless, and an imagined benefit for those willing to buy into the baloney)…saved some bucks there didn't I? Also, there is absolutely no evidence of a "lower noise floor" provided by any fuses (Lower than what? That's actually measurable I'd think), except in the imaginations of users. Obviously I don't believe silly claims of "refocused energy" from $500 wooden hat racks, but maybe I'll move a couple of hat racks into my listening space to check it out…at least they'll hold some hats!
Fuses don't and simply can't actually do anything but act as protection devices for components, and Ted likely knows this which explains his somewhat sophomoric responses to my posts. Hey, at least he reads! To a designer of a questionable product it seems apt that trying to silence a detractor is a better use of his time than maybe answering my oft repeated questions: Why do these fuses have an impact on sound? Was the design goal based on anything besides making money for SR? I don't expect an answer from Ted, but as long as steaming heaps of nonsensical testimonials appear on the path of these forums I'll continue to warn others to try not to step in them.
Jafreeman…nice try, but if 10,000 people fall for what I know are useless audio tweaks, regardless of what they perceive as astonishing benefits, I'll continue questioning thus stuff. I am admittedly into logic and reason, and your claims that proof of the efficacy of Special and Magic Fuses is due to testimonials from people who've spent "600 bucks for 4 fuses," I can counter that there are clearly many multiples of that number in the audiophile community (including most audio gear designers) that think otherwise. They just aren't posting here. It's also clear from your post that you think Atheism informs my view of this stuff, and although I don't care one bit what anybody feels about that, I am less likely to have anything other than perhaps a clearer mind than any follower of magical nonsense.  Also, I'll take criticism of my position all day and never tell anyone to "walk back" anything because hey, that's the Christian way to be. Amen. 
Jafreeman…you're claiming to hear improvement from Magic Fuses and since I don't believe (!) that's at all possible, I remain unconvinced. I believe in some things, including that SR fuses are a money making scam (150 bucks for a fuse…man…), and NO fuse can have anything like the profound effects claimed by many here who clearly are trying to get their money's worth. Or something. I can't test for deities, but I can, and did, test the black fuses (before the SR wheels turned to rendering them obsolete…no room for skepticism there!) and well…you know. And terryakhan, note that this thread is an SR hype fest so very little mention is given to other fuse companies, except Littelfuse stuff that I mention often as a well made thing…inexpensive and makes all my gear sound great, because without a fuse…well…you know.
I haven't noticed any other thread that is so relentlessly brand specific, and seemingly utilized to promote that specific product with pricing and return reminders along with noting the supposed superiority of the improved and considerably more costly version. Add the boasting of the company founder declaring the sales figures, and you have an utterly unique shill fest. I imagine when the "purple" fuse with alleged superior performance comes out in a year or so we'll get another over the top screed about it's performance…the performance of a fuse. I use plenty of tweaks like good cables, power supply upgrades, and component vibration remedies, and all of these are gladly explained by the designers using logical justification of the design goals…not so here…the fuse hasn't generally been an area in audio design that begged for improvement, and the assumption that already adequate "non magic" fuses seem, to most engineers anyway, to be doing a fine job of not melting or melting is, for that part of a design anyway, a done deal. Claim that something is better regardless of how or why, get a fan base going, and the money just piles up even when actual gear designers mostly ignore what seems irrelevant to them. It's a fuse…that's all.
OK…Ted got me. I've been receiving $500,000 a month from Littelfuse as their fuse market share has gone down by .00003% due to the relentless free  marketing service provided by this thread, and they noticed the lovely welcoming vibe I get with my well thought out responses to fabulously inane claims of Blue Fuse efficacy. Once any fuse head reads my well reasoned posts, he or she generally thinks,"Man, that Wolf dude gets it right…where's my Littelfuse…I hope my return policy still stands with Uncle Ted." I suggest Ted try to answer my questions regarding his designs and waste less time on his angry little rants…although why should he explain anything? KA-CHING…"take the bags to the bank Shirly, and get those workers on that Purple Fuse…we've only got 11 months before delivery!"
Yeah man…the cost of Littelfuses for your gear is gonna get up to maybe 20 bucks or so, not something everybody can afford but totally worth it to have something that works perfectly and won't blow. Take the plunge!
So now we're possibly looking for "fuse neutrality" which puts the whole debacle back to square one. Welcome back "boring cellos!" Also, who's Mouser?
+1 regarding the shilling…it's never, for me, been about the product per se (although having tested some fuses I concluded them to be a useless non-tweak), simply the hyperbole around the product. If it works for you, great, and clearly these forums have helped SR sell piles of fuses so I can safely assume Tim Mrock will benefit mightily from these Athletic Supporters. But if anyone simply stands back from these posts with an objective point of view, they clearly add up to a hard sell with a few dissenters who are threatened and mocked regularly. The simple reason I return to these threads is that the promoters continually keep up the extreme oversold hype with analogies, opinions, and reviews I simply find not believable, and I feel an obligation to exercise my right to protest what is clearly a misplaced commercial enterprise.
I appreciate the fact that my post was reinstated, as it contains no personal attacks on anybody, and exists as a simple statement of why I continue to criticize the hyperbole extant in these specific product driven threads. Besides, it was well written for the enjoyment of all! So please, ENJOY!

Note that my give and take with Oregonpapa is just that and he can handle it and respond with the all the gusto he deems appropriate, as does geoffkait who also exhibits spunk and humor over years of bantering back and forth. I'd like to meet either of these guys in person as they're both interesting characters…the Rocky Mountain show this year? My kid lives in Denver, so…
In the "real world" of live music that I work in as a musician and concert producer/sound mixer, contact cleaner is a necessary thing. My guitar pedal board, any sticky pots, tight shoes, my home audio connectors, etc. "Deoxit 100," which dispenses a measured shot of a fast drying formula of cleaner and "contact enhancer" (their words) is an inexpensive and trusted item that my wife approves of (she actually has no idea about this stuff, but if she did she might approve and as we all know, that's important). They make a lot of different formulas of this stuff at varying prices (although a large jar is pricey, over 40 bucks!). I just looked at my can of "100" and somehow it doesn’t mention "micro arching," but I might shoot ’em a note to recommend they include that term, along with adding the word "quantum" in there somewhere. Also, they should raise the price by 10 fold or so and send me a percentage of the windfall…it’s only fair.
Tell555…I've noted previously that I have no particular beef with the product itself other than its cost, the use of the word "quantum" on the packaging, and the exposure of an issue, micro arching, that I can't imagine (perhaps I need to be more imaginative) is a thing I need to worry about, and consequently don't. My mostly gold plated connectors, hospital grade wall plugs, and high quality AC and signal cables work very well, and I do clean them, although not often. If I was supplied with the goo stuff to review I wouldn't use it because it seems like a messy and unnecessary solution to a problem that I don't feel I have, and simply do not believe the hyperbole associated with this stuff. I wasted a LOT of time testing fuses and came away feeling silly for not simply trusting my logical mind, as the previous version of the Blue Fuse (black) did zero to enhance anything, and in fact a couple of them blew as they're apparently not rated properly. Other than that, it's ALL GOOD.
Come on now George…magic is magic…for 150 bucks you can make everything better….you just have to believe.

Fuses, as long as they are working, don't have an influence of the items upstream…they just don't…they're part of a protection circuit, and that's it. I'm sorry if this fact ends this discussion , but hey…we'll all be fine.
Most "experts" in audio engineering I know don't give a hoot about silly magical tweaks with no basis in reality, and if you can find one who does, well, so what. All are welcome in Wonderland…I remain a believer in Littelfuse stuff because since I'm a wealthy man (!), I can afford the 2 bucks. I can say there's a lot of evidence that breakers "sound" better than fuses, but there isn't, so I won't.
Fuses are functioning bi-directional things when they (generally) deal with an alternating current…I suppose they could pass current more aptly in one direction, but it's still a half inch teeny wire so it seems like (because it is) an irrelevant thing…2 bucks or 150 bucks…teeny…both directions…AC…so to respond to Kaity's wonderment, it really doesn't matter much if at all. 
Is anybody making a graphene hat yet? Also, following the Magical tweak path is far more like religion than otherwise… some just don't care… "If people say it's fabulous but nobody can explain it with any logic that's FINE with me""…or "I don't know how it works but it makes me "feel" better"...sound familiar? George is only wrong in the sense that there are a lot of "magical" tweaks that people pay for and use that are designed with zero science…just ask the question, "How and why do Special fuses supposedly make things sound so great?" No answer has ever been coughed up by anybody. You just have to believe...
Fake question? I expect a more reasoned response even from pseudo experts like Kaitty…head injury indeed. What I don't expect at this point after repeatedly asking about it is one of the manufacturers of "special" fuses mentioning anywhere what they were after even at the early stages of design…before implementing whatever they were planning to do with a half inch of tiny wire, they must have been thinking about how and why this might help the resolution of a system…although marketing (A fuse for 150 bucks! 30 day return policy…YEAH THAT'S IT) is likely to have come first…so my "fake" question remains unanswered regardless of Kaitty's silly unhinged and unsophisticated responses.
Nope. The question has NEVER been answered…the fact is that fuses don't make anything better (and if you think they do, how and why can they?), they are designed to melt, the characteristics of anything with a fuse aren't transformed by the fuse actually NOT blowing, and to believe hyperbole claiming otherwise is naive. Kaitty keeps saying my question has been answered a "great many times" but actually can't actually say what those answers might be…the nurse should at least wheel him nearer a window…loosen the restraints…something...
There's a tendency among some (or simply somebody) to "report" to the moderators any post that may disagree with a point of view. I understand that obscene language or unnecessary personal attacks might be seen as inappropriate, I understand the rules, but when an otherwise humorous or perhaps too pointed and possibly satiric post is eliminated because a reader prefers to misuse the moderator's time as a vendetta against a member's posts, that's when things become sort of cowardly. If anyone doesn't like what I post, feel free to respond to me…I can take it…otherwise this forum could be ruined by personally insecure fear based censorship, and I don't think that's what the  moderators actually want.
I’ve recently plead my case to the moderators (I’ve been too lazy at times to bother with some) about how arbitrary and unnecessary it's been that a post of two of mine has been eliminated, and each time I’ve done this they’ve been reinstated. Although I think oregonpapa’s friend Fleshler is clearly a handsome and real smart guy who is also a Wealthy Man (his words), he’s a member who has said he reports people (like me) to the moderators as a matter of course…this trend coincides with his relatively recent appearance on these forums, and I think it’s likely that’s where this is coming from. So to Fleshler I say please stop. Thanks.
I think the ebb and flow of discussions, where a forum participant feels another member's comments are worthy of response and might be critical of that persons opinions, shouldn't be considered a "personal" comment if that opinion disagrees with his, or anybody else's shared point of view. If a forum participant deems that any disagreement is a personal attack due to their their unimpeachable background and listening skills, that individual might not be suited to participate in a public forum. Many feel that the hyperbole attached to subjectively experienced esoteric tweaks is worthy of discussion, and even though disagreements occur, I imagine most should be able to handle it and not feel personally offended.
Possibly unlike other "naysayers" I actually did an extensive test of a pile of SR fuses and found them to be both slightly dangerous (not rated properly, so a couple of them blew), and ineffective, providing not only none of the astonishing benefits described in the avalanche of hyperbole provided by the sales team, but, when they were in my system, my testing both directions over weeks, the sound wasn't even a micro dot better than my trusty Littelfuse (or whatever fuse was provided in the gear I own.) products. Also, the question remains: Why would a fuse have an effect on the performance of electronic components anywhere else in the circuit? It's a fuse…tiny wire designed to melt if necessary…Note that the advocates of these things have paid the money and are listening real hard to see if they've made a $150 mistake, then claiming astonishment at the sonic improvements, or they're simply big fans of left field pseudo tweaks and think, for example, that all of the SR stuff magically fixes what I can only guess are imagined issues. Obviously those claiming huge improvement from inexplicable tweaks need a support group so they don't regret joining the club, and that's only natural as many of us are insecure in some way, and I don't doubt their sincerity…I do however have some faith in the reasonable world of the more rational audio geek, as questionable tweaks prove their worth through years of being mostly ignored and shrugged off by those without a sales agenda or a propensity to fall for inexplicable hype. Geoffkait will gladly provide a laundry list of those tweaks so anybody can see how they've failed over time, and how clearly the market has responded by letting these things remain on the fringe instead of being universally accepted as something that actually works.
Thanks Al…I do sometimes wonder if I toil in a vacuum…or Georgehifi and I (and thankfully a few others) are floating around in one. Remember, nature abhors a vacuum.  Regarding Tel555s comments, I have never said that fuses don't work…they do! (I have not tested the Blue Fuses as really, I don't wanna!) They melt if properly designed and rated. But the assumption that they can have any effect on the tone of an electrical circuit seems silly to most people who know about such things. I, of course, see the hyperbolic claims of sonic magic for many tweaks I find ridiculous (most if not all of the aforementioned SR products), and my point regarding the sorting of these in the marketplace over time is simply fact. If expensive (and, importantly,  remaining absolutely mysterious and unexplained by anybody) "special" fuses have even 10% of the claimed sonic benefit (OK…maybe 15% would do it), every audio geek, including myself, would put them in every bit of gear they could as the benefits would be as unquestionable as many here want them to be. I also understand the compulsion of many audiophiles to try left-field tweaks just because they can, and that's where marketing comes in. The Business plan: Design something with obscure or silly details using the word "quantum" someplace, misusing terms like "transducer," make sure the appreciation of it is absolutely subjective and personal, and many people will pay through the proverbial nose and happily stand up for it as they NEED the stuff, and hey, they KNOW it works because their egos and insecurities are providing the necessary support of that opinion…others don't need 'em, and time and the marketplace will establish why that is. 
To be clear, there's is absolutely nothing wrong with imagined things, as long as you're having fun. If somebody else doesn't see the bunny that's OK also.
I’m not anti tweak…I’ve put "chicken head" knobs on a guitar amp, I like good cables and tubes…I have rubber feet under things! I’ve tweaked! To put it simply, I do think fuse "sound" is imagined, unless the fuse is maybe barely hanging on due to rust or an extreme dust condition. Then it’s simply not working. If somebody wants to loan me a Blue Fuse, I'll put it in my power amp and report back. It could be life changing.