The new Synergistic Research BLUE fuses ....
I'm Frank's friend. Last week, Frank applied Total Contact to only my fuses and interconnects last weekend. There was an immediate improvement in the sound of both my audio systems. It was comparable to the difference in a Littlefuse to the Blue fuse change. The bass and highs were extended and fortified. The soundstage widened somewhat and the height improved more than the width. Transients improved with quicker, more explosive. There is more detail and air around instruments and voices. However, the tonal quality does not change at the expense of the openess or quickness. This is the first time my big system exhibited that jump factor where a bass drum is both felt and heard (well, more than just moderate sound level). My Signature IIIs always had punchier bass with 3-10" woofers than my Focuses which have 3-12" woofers. Not any more. The Focuses have tighter, punchier (and deeper) bass than the Signature IIIs now. I will be purchasing the Total Contact as soon as it's available. I will then apply it to all my A/C and speaker wire contacts which rarely get unplugged. I only hesitate putting on tube pins. Another good thing is that if one doesn't like the sound, it's easily and cleanly removable. There's so much in the tube, I'll be applying it to my video systems A/Cs and ICs and speakers. |
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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. :) |
@ps Replacement of main fuses.... Absolutely yes! I achieved pretty decent sq gains by replacing both mains fuses in my bat VK600SE with sr black fuses. These I kept at stock recommendations for sizing and they have been in there over 9 months now. Largest sq gain was in my DAC but I think you should be able to hear some improvement. |
One stop fuse shopping? You decide. This is the latest list of fuses sold by The Cable Company. Alas, this list does not (rpt not) include many of the fuses I posted the other day such as Brimar and Create. But it does include the Telos and new super Beeswax. https://www.thecableco.com/accessories/fuses.html |
It’s been my experience that if the fuse is oriented in the wrong direction, the highs will be rolled off or recessed and there will be a phasey quality to the music. That out of phase effect will be evident down in the lower mids and bass. The effect can be so slight so as to impart an unnatural fullness or ripening that at first blush may be appealing. Reversing the fuse will restore the highs and tighten up the lower mids and bass. It’s always a little different from set up to set up so try it yourself to hear what sounds best. All the best, Nonoise |
Love the SR products! Replacing all my SR Blacks with Blues....cheap tweak in my opinion...just as a confirmation to what my ears tell me...on my McIntosh MC601 monoblocks, regarding current direction. The blacks sound best to me with the SR logo direction pointed to inside the amp and away from the cap. Can anybody confirm this is the correct direction on MC601's? Would expect the same direction to hold true on C2300 preamp as well.. Thanks in advance! |
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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. |
Wolf, your comments are becoming a pastime for you. 😜 |
As long as we're on a thread about fuses, to those who cringe at the thought of the costs incurred with the better fuses out there, there's Brimar Audio fuses. I've yet to try the SR fuses but have tried HiFi Tuning and PADIS and the Brimar are in another league in terms of neutrality. I can't detect anything amiss, and the cost is very reasonable. All the best, Nonoise |
Nice try there Wolf. Why would someone want to flavor the sound in a detrimental way? Conflating neutral sounding aftermarket fuses with the notion that the original fuse were that should only reinforce the flat earth belief system of the naysayers. What I propose is in quite the opposite direction of your square one. Empirical evidence abounds in the findings of those who've tried various brands until they hit on the right one for their particular system. All the best, Nonoise |
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? |
randy-11 "
with respect, if you can hear a difference in fuses, you have not conducted a valid listening test " Well there are many nay sayers who do not hear differences in the components comprising our Music Reproduction Systems this is usually attributable to confirmation bias they think there is no difference so they can not hear the difference this is not unusual at all. Another probable cause of such broad based inability to hear the difference is the employment of low resolution components in there Music Reproduction Systems which obscure or negate the improvements wrought by such upgrades. While this is understandable I frankly admit that the part of this inability that does slightly puzzle me to a mild extent is the fervor with which these nay sayers repeatedly assert there inisistence on so called "valid" listening tests that are themselves often either profoundly flawed in design or are otherwise corrupted through improper implementation which is a common result of unqualified personnel conducting such tests. There is more than a bit of irony that those who proclaim snake oil the loudest and most often are actually originated from those most unable to distinguish snake oil from genuine innovation but their interest in science does not extend to actually being qualified or able to practice it! |
"alitk said...Back to iFi, I just ordered a pair of AC iPurifier plugin modules. It will be interesting to see how they interact with my Nordost QRT system." Any more info/thoughts on the iFi AC iPurifier? |
@clearthink Of course some listeners experience audible differences with fuses. This is a fact. It is most unfortunate that these listeners have equipment with such poor performance. As everyone knows, excellent equipment is supposed to maximize the audio signal quality and minimize everything else from affecting that signal. Frankly a device that audibly changes with different fuses is a piece of crap. It isn’t hard to design a good power supply but some designers prefer to invest in what sells: a fancy face plate, cool looking industrial design, cable jacket or advertising. |
Shadorne, You have stated repeatedly that listeners who hear differences/improvement with upgrade fuses is due to their audio components having poorly designed or built power supplies. You say your system components wouldn't benefit from these fuses due to the high quality of the power supplies they have. Over the long course of the 2 SR fuse threads many fuse users have reported definite sound quality improvement. Among this group there's a plethora of very high quality and highly regarded brands cited. A brief list includes Audio Research, VAC,Pass, Krell,Coincident, McInTosh etc. There are many others as well. I find it unlikely that your current Dennon,Pioneer or Benchmark although fine components have "superior" power supplies to those listed above. Just my 2 cents. I don't find your idea of inferior power supplies /component design explaining susceptibility to upgrade fuse changes plausible. Charles |
@uberwaltz No insult intended. Let me rephrase. Does anyone disagree with the statement that excellent audio equipment is supposed to maximize the audio signal quality and minimize everything else from affecting that signal? Unless you disagree that excellent audio equipment should perform as above, then we can say that audio equipment that is audibly affected by mere fuses is NOT excellent, actually far far from it. |
Your premise is misleading at best, wrong at worse. One can have an excellently designed car and mess it up with low octane gas. Is the car supposed to work some kind of magic to get around the fact that cheap gas is undermine performance? Think of fuses, power cords, dedicated AC lines and the rest as good old high octane gas, if you can. That excellent piece of gear doesn't work in a vacuum. All the best, Nonoise |
@jetter And have those non vocal members tried aftermarket fuses in their obviously"superior" equipment? Don't get me wrong I used to be one of the largest disbelievers in tweaks and cables....until I ponied up and actually tried them. Of course maybe it is just a fact that my BAT, Primare and Exogal are "pieces of crap" |
