The new Synergistic Research BLUE fuses ....

Uh oh. Randy's record is stuck again. Could someone give him a nudge?

"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?

Fair enough. I’ll meet you under the bridge. 

...with his friends.

with respect, if you can hear a difference in fuses, you have not conducted a valid listening test

do one and then we can talk

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.

wolf must have been vacationing under a different bridge 😉

Don’t feed the...oh, forget it!

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

For those of you who may be interested in grounding solutions, the GutWire Ultimate Ground Cable has really elevated my system. I've got a thread about it in the Cables forum.

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?

It’s likely common knowledge here, but Mouser has an enormous selection of inexpensive fuses from which to choose if one wants to experiment without spending more on "tweak" fuses.

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

Wolf, your comments are becoming a pastime for you. 😜

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!

Ouch..my preamp will need 4 fuses. It will really hurt..the Amp will need another 6 fuses. Dac 1 fuse, CD Transport 2 fuses.

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.

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!

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

What changes do you listen for when deciding fuse directionality?

The Total Contact thread has been moved to "Member Reviews."  For those who make the plunge and order the product when available, please post your results there.  

Steve ... I moved your comments to the "Member Reviews" forum. 

Frank 

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

@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.

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. :)

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.  

oregonpapa OP
^^^ In the case of the "Total Contact," you definitely get what you pay for .... and then some.

One assumes you’re using the word “you” editorially. 😬

Merry Xmas everybody! ⛄️

^^^ In the case of the "Total Contact," you definitely get what you pay for .... and then some. 

^^^ No, nothing like it. "Total Contact" uses a patented binder and is not oily. This stuff really works.

Merry Christmas guyz. :-)


Frank

Mad Scientist, from down under, has had their version of a Graphene Contact Enhancer for awhile now and even offered the smallest version for free some time ago. I wonder if it's anything like the one here.

All the best,
Nonoise

The secret tweak is a secret sauce? Sounds to ocd for me. I tried the silver contact sauce years ago and regretted that messy endeavor... ymmv

Just for clarification you did not pay for the SECRET TWEAK, right? This was a quid pro quo one assumes.

Merry Xmas everyone! 

^^^ Yes. It comes with an applicator brush. 

Frank, thanks for your description. I can see this treatment working well.  Does it come with an applicator? 

THE SECRET TWEAK

Over the good part of this past year I’ve been beta testing a new tweak, the name of which is "Total Contact." Its a hi-bred graphene contact enhancer that is different from all other contact enhancers that have come and gone for one reason or another. I’m not new to these contact enhancers, having had quite a bit of experience with a product developed by the late Brian Kyle and his "Quick Silver" contact enhancer. The "Total Contact" is different ... a LOT different.

"Total Contact" is graphene based and is not a vibration control. It eliminates micro-arching between two contacts. Micro-arching, much like Micro-vibration smears the sound in our stereo systems. Its the type of distortion that we don’t know is there .... until we eliminate it. There is no break-in as we know it. The sound is improved right off the bat, but what you hear is only a smidgen of what’s to come.

I tested three generations of "TC," each of which was an improvement over the previous incarnation. The final mix was cryogenitically treated and made for a more effective, much smoother application. It comes in a large hypodermic needle type plunger containing 1.5 ml of product and includes a instructional DVD and an application brush.

The application should be applied with a very thin coat to all of your electrical connections .... from your cartridge pins to your power cords. I did my entire system, including the ends of my fuses.

Upon initial application, you will notice an improvement in clarity, correctness of tonal balance and a more overall organic sound. But ... that is just scratching the surface of what this magic paste does. As it cures, the improvements become more apparent. Much more!

There are two real break-through events that happen almost to the day with "Total Contact," one at four weeks and another at eight weeks . At four weeks, you’ll get a real jump in clarity and overall improvement. That’s only a taste though of what’s to come at eight weeks. At eight weeks your system’s focus will make a jump in SQ that is so real - its surreal.

After 40 years in the hobby, and a total tweak nut, I have never heard anything that does what this graphene paste does. The see-through clarity at eight weeks becomes simply amazing. The "paste" eventually cures into a kind of polymer plastic and it seems that the sound improves with each listening session. So, its important that you leave your contacts alone for the duration. If you’re the type of person that continually switches wires in and out, you’ll have to re paste until enough time has elapsed to get "the cure."

The only problem I had was with the first batch and that had to do with shorting out a tube pin in the line stage. Use the "TC" very sparingly on tube pins, if at all. I only had problems with the line stage tube pins. The Amp, CD Player and Phono Stage has had no tube pin problems at all.  

Tim Mrock, one of our fellow A’goners, is the developer of the product. Its taken Tim 15 years and several patents to get it right. Tim has "pasted" every electrical contact he can find in his audio system, all of the switches in his circuit breaker box, every contact in his car ... and has used it in commercial applications such as hospital circuit breakers, surgical lights ... and other places where efficiency and long life of electrical components are deemed important.

This product is highly recommended to anyone who truly wants to get the most out of his/her audio systems. There’s enough product in each tube to do at least two audio systems as it just takes a very thin coat on each application to be effective. The last tube was enough to do my system twice and then a friend’s system this past weekend.

The release date will be between Christmas and the New Year. A 1.5mil tube with applicator brush and DVD will retail for $299.99. Buy it ... like the SR Blue fuses, its a real winner.

Frank

PS: There were a couple of other A’goner beta testers of this product as well. Hopefully, they will chime in here with their experiences for comparison. I "pasted" both of Steve Fleschler’s systems a few days ago, perhaps he will comment on his results too. We forgot to paste Steve’s power cords though, so there’s a lot more to be had from Steve’s two fantastic systems.

Frank

Hi all,

today changed my first black fuse in the Unison Absolute against the blue one. The Unison has 6 Fuses....UUGH.
But i could hear right away the change which the main fuse made.

First i was disappointed, course the sound was like under a cushion. I changed direction of the Fuse and the room open and presentation became much bigger and realistic as soon that was done. Still Handclaping and voices and some part of music presentation seamed veiled yet. I have the feeling the middles are not really balanced yet. I know these Problems from Equipment which is not burned in. So one day it sounds somehow ok, 2 hours later it changed again. The size of the presentation seams not stable. Control either is not 100%.
Dynamics are better with the blue, Soundstage is also bigger.

I will put another blue in the Powerconditioner which has unfortunately 3 Fuses. I do have a active bass system.
with 2amp each side 5 fuses.  Anyone keen to make me a X-mas present:-)).
Does any of you guys has made the same experience changing from black to blue?

@fleschler 
That is very good to hear!
Good customer service can be hard to find nowadays.
Just bought a Hegel H300 for a second system, think I will order a SR Blue for it and see what I think, manual states 10a.

Uberwaltz-SR was very accommodating and gave me 100% replacements at no additional costs in just days.  They couldn't have been nicer to me.  So when I upgraded to blue SR from black SR fuses of the same values, I knew the blue SR fuses wouldn't blow.  

@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.

@ps I wish I was in Seattle to take you up on your offer and to buy the next round myself. I loved it in Portland back in '89-'90 but I'm down here in L.A., all the time thinking of moving north.

All the best,
Nonoise

I started a topic about the Syngerstic Research scam after coming back from AXPONA where I was subjected to it:

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/synergestic-research-scam

I also posted a video of the demo to prove it was a scam. The short version:

1. The SR spokesman refused to do a live A/B switch, coming up with a nonsense excuse that we won’t be able to hear the difference if they switched in the middle of music.

2. Spokesman constantly sought affirmative responses from the audience at hearing differences in between playbacks.

3. Never played the whole song through, frequently cutting off and resuming at major tempo / volume changes in the track.

4. Try as hard as I could, I simply could hear no difference.

I hope you guys can see how these activities can reduce the trust level in a manufacturer. Even if the fuses are legit, trying to push frauds or using fraudulent sales tactics openly abusing audio memory limitations and group psychology puts everything they do into question.

@hifiman5 

Madavido is a distraction.  Just someone who seems to enjoy trolling, someone who has nothing.  I'll not go there.  Perhaps the first syllable in it's handle says it all.  "Mad."

@ps   My question for madavido was not an attempt on my part to derail the fuse discussion.  I too have heard positive improvements in my system from fuses, footers, hell...I demagnetize my CDs and SACDs!

I have no relationship with SR but don't like ad hominem attacks on manufacturers like that.  As uberwaltz said; madavido should  "put up or shut up."

Yo, Nonoise, if you’re in the Seattle area and a craft beer drinker, the first round is on me. :) . Maybe even the second round.

I've tried three different brands (none of them SR) and never had a fuse blow. I even went up from a 1.6A to a 2A and nothing bad happened.
Trust your ears.

All the best,
Nonoise

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.

@fleschler 

May I ask?
Did SR reimburse or replace those blown fuses for you?
Or were you hundreds out of pocket on a steep learning curve?

@madavid0

Put up or shut up....

@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.

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.