The New Synergistic Research Purple Fuses

Today I ordered a third SR Purple fuse. It will be deployed in my Teddy Pardo XPS power supply. The XPS is powering the digital section of my Naim nDAC. Once I guage the performance of the third fuse I'll consider upgrading the nDAC. 

Monday july 4th I installed a Furutech GTX-D Gold receptical.  For your guidance, the GTX-D outlets require approximately 200 hours burn in for maximum performance. 

N

Thank you very much

@rmpribeiro Just leave your equipment switched on. No need to play anything.

One doubt - to burnin a fuse like the SR Purple is it enough to let it on a dac for exemple with roon feeding it, but with the pre, amp and speakers muted, off, this is to say, with signal just going in the dac where the fuse is, but without signal going out of the dac?

I didn't use an ohm meter. Sounds like you've deployed them properly. Burn them in for 150-60 hours and reverse their direction. You should hear a sonic difference. 

I've moved over to the SR Purple fuses. 

Best of luck

I have all orange fuses in both systems. i took my ohm meter and found which side of the horizontal fuse holder went to the incoming power from the cord. I placed the "S" side of the fuse there. Is this what others have done for directional correctness? 

willgolf - No problem with directionality. My fuses are actually vertical in my components not horizontal. The OEM fuses have small arrows on the top. I followed the same orientation. If your fuses are horizontal I would think that your orientation would be to insert the fuse with the SR writing facing inward >>> I know the the Anthem STR Integrated amplifier has a horizontal fuse. Arcam88 deployed his Orange fuse horizontally >>> with the SR facing inward.

I did reverse mine after 150 hours and in my opinion the fuses are directional. The sonic presentation was muted and the soundstage collapsed. A quick reversal and the the magic was back.

In any case I’ve had many conversations with Chris VenHaus of VH Audio and he states there is really no wrong orientation. It’s up to the listener to determine what sounds best. In any system it was important to get a good burn in before changing the orientation.

Leaving the components on continuously helps the burn in process. The AC is continuously cycling. However good long listening sessions are the best way to discover your systems sonic signature changes.

All the best

N

@nutty. ---did you have any problems with fuse direction?  Which way did you put them in?  Did you have to change the direction?  

I’ve only used the Synergistic Research Orange and Purple fuses, no other manufacturers. I used two Orange fuses for 30 days and returned them for two Purples. In my system I felt the Orange fuses high frequency extension was limited. Not as crisp, clean - almost smeared at times. However they were unmatched at 3D imaging and providing good low frequencies that were fully controlled. I compared the SR fuse against the OEM Naim Supernait 3’s fuse. The Naim fuse had more robust bass overall in my system. However using the two SR fuses in my preamp and amplifier in tandem provided a much larger impact. The total package.

I deployed the new Purple fuses in the TeddyCap SE linear power supply and the Supernait 3 on June 3rd and have been burning them in 24/7. I’m running an extra outboard hard drive on random/repeat on low volume at night and higher during the day for the burn in process.

This morning I’m doing some critical listening and the Purples sound fantastic. So far in my system they have much richer midrange more natural high frequency extension and control than the Oranges. However at this stage I believe the Orange fuses presented a larger soundstage and holographic imaging. Perhaps I need to reverse the fuse after some more cooking and reevaluate but the Purples are consistent throughout the frequency range and have pulled the soundstage into the forefront. However no one aspect calls attention to itself. There’s no bass bloat or dryness - it’s all very natural sounding, very musical, non mechanical. The cymbals through the Purples are much cleaner, clearer and extended better than the Oranges, they shimmer into infinity. Vocals are clearer and well defined.

I’ve tested the Purple fuse against the Naim OEM and in my opinion the Naim fuse sounds more dynamic. The Naim fuse digs deeper and presents better kick drums. Though with the Purple fuses the snare drum snaps! and the other drum skins and percussion sound more lifelike with better overall Tone, Texture and Timbre. In my system the Purple Synergistic Research fuses are working very well in tandem - Preamp > Amplifier for maximum performance.

N

I‘m using SR orange in my power amp, server‘s psu and reclocker; AM Ultimate Premier in dac and pre amp.

Did anyone compare AM Ultimate Premier with SR purple?

Now SR has come out with the purple duplex outlet. I have contacted the cable company about it. They said its new and started to ship now. But they have not been able to review it as of now. But if it's anything like the purple fuses it'll probably be super.

Hello community - I ordered two Synergistic Research Purple fuses. One for my Teddy Pardo TeddyCap SE and one for my Naim Supernait 3. The Oranges were a solid upgrade so I’m looking forward to hearing what the Purples bring to the presentation.

I do have the ability to upgrade my Naim nDAC and the Teddy Pardo XPS power supply as well. I'm confident that the TeddyCap SE would benefit from an aftermarket fuse however does anyone have any experience upgrading the Naim nDAC's fuse? It's a very solid performer even without the external power supply. 

N

I have a fuse holder in all my units connected the same way (current source inside fuse holder) and found that two purple fuses of the same value but purchased from different vendors sound best at different direction.
One fuse market T (Trage for German market) sound better when put according to letters, and the other fuse marked S (Slow for US market) sound better installed in reverse direction against the letter.

is it possible that tunneling direction may vary from fuse to fuse or it should be rather consistent and all fuses should sound better either according to letters or against the letters. Thank you.

I replaced Synergistic blue fuse (which I had used for 3 years) with purple one in Line Magnetic 508 amp.

It seems to make substantial improvement without break in.

It make sound faster with sharper focus but not overdone.

Thomas

I hope this thread never ends.

@harris1204 The Purple fuses are very sensitive so for example if you have a fuse in your equipment with a rating of 3.15 amp move up to the next higher value which is 4.0 amp.

Do not exceed a single step higher because that may endanger your equipment.

This recommendation only applies to the Purple fuses, other fuses change same for same.

Hoping for some clarification on the fuse values; I read a few posts back where Ted recommended going with the manufacturers specified value, but I was wondering if this was an equipment safety recommendation or a "sound improvement" recommendation?

For example; if one were to go with say a 16A slow blow fuse to replace a 3.0A slow blow fuse, would this be a potential "improvement" to the sound benefit if the fuse?  Or, would this be detrimental to the potential  sound benefit of the fuse?

Assuming the equipment is on a regenerator / conditioner, wouldn't the larger fuse offer a greater improvement over the stock rating?  

I guess the simple question is: does a Purple 3A of 10A slow blow little fuse sound the same as a Purple 16A slow blow little fuse in the same equipment?

Finally received my six SR Purple Fuses, put one in my Aurender N20 first and it's just amazing straight out of the box.

Much more realism and naturalness, it's transformed the detail that I had before into naturalness.

Another five to go ..lol

Another quick update regarding the Power House Zero 2, I installed in my power conditioner five days ago.

Still not burned in but the sound is wavering to and fro’ much less. The increase in detail both micro and macro has been amazing but the mid-range has been pushed back while lead vocals and lead instruments have come forward.

A holographic swirling soundstage is present but entertaining none the less.

My Purple fuses seem to have been stuck in Compton for the last six days..lol.

Asked my dealer if he had four F6A 32mm for my power amp and all he had currently available in F, fast blow was four Gold Plated Silver Ceramic HIFI Tuning fuses $50 each, old model.

Put them in the power amp and all the detail from the Power House Zero 2 suddenly snapped into focus and brought the midrange back into play together with the soundstage.

Shows you never can tell.

Mine is finally broken in. Generally sounds great, but bass and low midrange are quite tubby and exaggerated which eats up a lot the soundstage. The bass rides way up into the midrange and is quite heavy handed and very weighty. It doesn't sound muddy, but these frequencies do get in the way and with so much weight things don't breathe so much, aren't as nimble.

Otherwise,  clear improvement over the SR Orange. Your mileage  may vary vis the bass and midrange weight, but in my amp it is over the top. Orange already had plenty of bass.

Just a quick update regarding the Power House Zero 2 I installed in my power conditioner.

It's called Power House for a reason, the sound is just so powerful.

Sounded terrible for the first 20 hours or so then snapped into a beautiful, glorious and powerful yet delicate rendering.

It's still wavering though, going back and forth, finding it's feet.

It's a BIG sound and the improvements are in no way subtle. There's no way you're going to be scratching your head and wondering about differences.

This fuse is going to take at least another few days to break in, if not a week!

Nevertheless enjoying the experience.

@debjit_g Hi, I find it surprising that you haven't had a good experience with the Purple fuses.

I don't know what to suggest except to contact Ted for some advice. I'm sure he'll get it sorted for you, because it seems to be a system not a fuse issue. YMMV.

@twoleftears yes, I am aware of littlefuse but have never tried one. Interestingly, their Gold and Rodium series, which would have been the preferred one for audio, is not stocked in any reputable electronics store and there is a minimum quality of order to get these. The regular 285 series are cheap enough to warrant an audition though. I plan to order some. Thanks for the pointer.

@debjit_g You should try the Littelfuse 285 ceramic fuse, from a reputable electronics manufacturer at a fraction of the price.

https://www.littelfuse.com/products/fuses/cartridge-fuses/5x20mm-fuses/285.aspx

As you'll see, these are intended for medical and specialist audio applications.

After living with the Purple fuses for quiet some time, I took all of them out from my system. Not sure if it’s my system but for some reason the Purple sounds a bit artificial for my taste - sometimes the soundstage is forward and brash with some recordings. Thought it was the direction and on reversing it, it immediately sounded better than the previous direction. This time I thought I had it right with the direction and it sounded good until I hear the same sound signature after couple of days. I did the direction business back and forth couple of times and finally gave up. Right now I have all stock fuse and though it doesn’t have the “bigger sound staging and details” effect of the purple, it at least sounds natural.

No offense to @willgolf . Ted has my several thousand HFT dollars, they work, not sure the value is anywhere equal to the cost. Same with the fuses, QSA was an absolute ripoff at 713.00, Ted’s purple is better, but at the price not any better than the PHT. Just my ears, of course.

@highstream ---it almost sounds like you still may not have them in the right directions.  That is my big complaint about SR.  If you have multiple fuses it is hard to discern which one in right and notright.  Trial by error....one fuse at a time.

Ordered six Purple fuses online the day before yesterday. Everywhere seems to be sold out of Purple except online, due to the offer I expect.

Went up to the next highest amperage on each fuse to be on the safe side.

One dealer recommended the Power House Zero 2 so I bought one for my power supply, at $500 it's at my limit but it came highly recommended.

The original Zero sells for $250 and by all accounts is good too. There's also a middle Zero called the Extreme and plenty of cheaper offerings from Power House.

No info in English online but they only make Fast Blow fuses because they say it gives better SQ. They also recommend to go up to 30% higher or one more amperage because of the Fast Blow status.

I'll share my thoughts after the recommended 20 hours break in.

https://www.review33.com/avforum/index.php?topic=86220113223806&item=&page=1

@lordmelton All these type of fuses are up to 250V, 115V included, whether properly labeled or not.

Interesting experience last night. At 105 hours and wondering about continued "matter-of-fact" dryness, so turned it around in P15. Well, everything else turned to crap, but all of a sudden there was discernable warmth/sweetness! After maybe 20 minutes switched it back and the midrange was rough, but a fair element of warmth remained. Maybe the reversal shook up some molecules. To be continued...

230/240 volt mains here.

I have ordered SR Black/Red/Orange/Purple from the UK and USA, at the required amperage for my equipment.

Voltage differences have not been an issue for me.

I just took out the 5x20mm, T2A, 250V fuse out of my Aurender and it says on the holder only use a 250V fuse, but SR doesn't seem to provide voltage info or are they market specific, ie US 120V, Europe 250V?

At 100 hours I’d still say the Purple has significantly more weight and bass than the Orange, and perhaps less air up top. Overall audio quality is better, though.

And yeah, as with some other audio products it does give me the effect of being able to "see" the singer's face illuminated.

On vocals, not only do I hear the voice, but I can also discern the personality of the vocalist, even make out their facial expressions

LMAO!!! You can't make this stuff up!!!

@highstream Yes that's what I'll do, change the main fuse first. The four other fuses I believe are to protect the transformers.

Ted Denny III wrote about burn in: “And you don’t need music running through the system, just leave equipment on where they’re applied.”

Ted, What does “on” mean? Wouldn’t a trickle current suffice for gear that has that, as opposed to necessarily turning on the component into operating mode?

@melton Have you asked the developer what those internal fuses do? I would think that the greatest benefit would come from changing the AC fuse, usually in back. That’ one feeds the power supply, which determines the quality of what’s supplied to everything else.

@highstream Thanks for the heads up on the 3 for 1 offer. It's a big deal considering my power amp requires 5 fuses, going to be a major pain checking the direction of all those fuses unless I try them individually in a single fuse component first. Unless you have advice?

Going to try and check all my fuses tomorrow  and if I have a few of the same size/current I'll also try to get an AM Masterpiece to compare.

Thanks Again

The Orange is warm, with the top end less well controlled than the Purple. The Ultimate Premier a little less warm, but otherwise a clear improvement over the Orange. Just got an email that SR is running a 3-for-2 sale on the Purple through April. I’m going to wait another week before deciding. Timing is unfortunate, as I’d like to hear the Reds and upgraded preamp first, but don't know when either are going to arrive.

@highstream Thanks for the reply. Only want to spend $200-300 per fuse so the most attractive to me would be SR Purple, AM Premier or Masterpiece and the Quantum Yellow or at a huge push the Lilac.

It would be nice to hear back from you after the Purple has broken in and your report on the Reds.

Thanks again.

While I await a couple of QSA Reds, my system has been using a combo of SR Oranges and mostly AM Ultimate Premiers. The SR Carbon Discs didn’t work so well here, so I exchanged them for a Purple fuse. It went into a PSA P15 regenerator, thus affecting everything else down the line. It’s got 60 hours now, so just an initial read pending another 8-10 days. What I’m hearing of its effects is a satisfying major improvement over the Orange in every way but one: on the tonally dry to lifelike continuum, it’s on the dry end. A great sense of presence but little emotional connection, sweetness. More like an observer of another’s emotions (but oh so lovely potrayed). Connection is something the Orange help do well. Hope that reverses…

I would highly appreciate an objective appreciation of available tuning fuses.

SR - Purple is warm? Orange?

Audio Magic - Masterpiece Series M1

Quantum Science Audio - Everything above yellow is expensive.

Furutech TF - Discontinued but are still available.

Any other fuses I haven't mentioned?

I plan to gradually change all my fuses or at least, if I can, experiment with each piece of equipment.

Anyone realised an improvement with power amps?

Thanks in advance.

MSerieMMMM1Series M1

I think I do need to give it a couple hundred hours before I comment again as they seem to start from a different tonal place than the Orange did.

This one is actual my second Purple fuse, but the other one was in an unfamiliar and less detailed amp that I sold, and I didn't have a matching Orange to compare it with. My sense is that it did have a slightly dark, colorful, and rounded sound compared to stock, but it wasn't dramatic like the first hours of this one.

Mine took about a week to finally settle down. Phenomenal stuff, though.

I'm interested as well. After a day it is opening up a little bit but compared to the Orange, a hulking wall of mid-bass that seems to dominate. Definitely a very different burn-in process as well.

@ianb52 

Interested if the burn-in changes the presentation of the SR Purples...

No

I’m back with the SR Orange while the Purple sits in another piece of gear to burn in. I think way too much space is consumed on whether fuses change the sound, which they obviously do, and not enough on what kind of changes. My assumption has been that with each of these level ups the sound just gets "better" in a linear way, but with the Purple it seems also a lateral move as the tonal balance is changed so much. Right now the Purple is too mid and bottom heavy in my amp and dark on top. Somewhat like using Transparent Audio cables, but moreso. The vocals are incredible with their dynamic range, but also seem saturated with very tube-like harmonics and texture.

If you want a cheap fix to turn a thin SS amp into a tube sound, or tube amp even more gooey, this is it. As for me, I need my amp to sound nimble and open on top, so probably sticking with Orange unless a burn in miracle occurs.

Anybody notice the SR Purples have a "tube"-like effect in SS gear? I’m using a Ferrum Oor+Hypsos headphone rig, which is extremely clean and transparent. When I put an older orange into the Hypsos power supply I heard more clarity, depth, and air. But when I popped in a brand new purple this afternoon I am hearing rich mids, holographic sound, and "glow". It is also noticeably darker, with a bigger, and more rounded bass.

So far I’m really liking it, but missing the sparkle of the orange a little bit. It honestly sounds like I added a tube input stage with NOS tubes to my SS amp.

@joelberger1 

I would but you may want to ask Lampi NA.