Have a Audio Research Ref 3 and am considering upgrading the fuses but I am a little skeptical. Would like to hear from people who have try this. Hard to believe that fuses can make a substantial difference like the manufacturers claim. All advice appreciated.
I can only attest to the use of Hifi Tuning Supreme fuses (not lesser iterations) sound in my DAC and transport. I will be installing one in my Classe' Delta 2200 amplifier over the weekend and others will be present to assess. If it fails to impress me, I have a paid return box and it will go back to Berlin.
I have little doubt that some designers of equipment have so dialed in their creations that changing fuses may fail to render an improvement or even harm the sound. Hifi tuning fuses can be found standard in some Lamm equipment and I'm sure they were selected from among many for a particular reason. System synergy could also be at work. Just as a 6922 tube is preferred by one person in one system but not in another system, it doesn't mean the 6922 doesn't work magic in some applications. FWIW.
BTW, spending money on music is always a good idea.
My system is very resolving. I and another freind who has a very resolving system both agreed that if we could have listened first, we would have spent the money on music instead. I'm not saying that they don't work, but in the two systems I heard, it wasn't that big of a tweek.
I agree that system resolution is definitely at play when it comes to system changes of any kind. I own Thiel CS3.7's (highly resolving) and use a ton of Shunyata power conditioning. Sometimes I can hear things I wish I couldn't. ;-0
The more resolving a system , the more likely a difference will be heard . I hope none of the good folks here with lower end gear will take issue with that , as I have always judged audiophile friends and club members by there passion not there parts .
I removed the Hi Fi tuning fuse from my Vac preamp while I had the Manley set up for a couple of weeks. I forgot about changing the fuse out when I inserted the Vac back into the system. After a few days listening something just didn't sound as I had remembered it. Aha, the fuse change! The Hi Fi fuse went back in and the difference was clearly noticeable and for the better.
I just replaced the fuses in my Perfect Wave DAC and PW transport with Hifi Tuning Supremes, which were created in cooperation with the famous Mundorf company, whose parts are used in some of the best audiophile gear in the world. Each of the four fuses cost $55, so the total upgrade set me back $220. I had a 100 percent money back guarantee and my dealer agreed to cover return shipping if I wasn't happy. No risk, nothing at stake.
I have replaced entire components that did not yield the kind of results I'm hearing from these fuses. I've been an audiophile for 20 years and this is the cheapest and most effective equipment upgrade I've ever made. High frequencies are smoother, yet there's no loss of detail. Bass is more melodic and there is a "liveness" to instruments that is truly startling. One warning: they take about 80-100 hours of playback before they are at their best. Take them out and put the old fuses back in. You won't be able to put the Hifi fuses back in quickly enough.
These fuses are a no brainer. I've yet to talk to a professional "tweaker" or "modifier" who disagrees. most audio designers will tell you, anything that affects electricity is part of an audio component's signal path. The folks at Conrad-Johnson are famous for saying that "all parts have a sound." But in the end, forget theory and listen for yourself. That's all that matters. I'm always amazed at people who scoff at something that they've never actually listened to themselves. With something this affordable and given that all dealers have a return policy, there's really no excuse for not learning the truth first hand.
Point taken. But there are companies that did their homework and there are those that simply jumped on the bandwagon, diluting the process. And yes, there will be glowing testimonials from those that want to hear and then there are those that did hear a difference. Mine sounded simply horrible for the first few days. There was no getting used to the sound as it simply sucked. But it changed, dramatically, for the better. I didn't think a fuse could have that much effect. YMMV. In the end, 'if you are inclined to try it and it is cheap then what the heck' does apply.
Nonoise - A quick search for something like "fuse construction" will show you that ceramic mass production fuses are very common, use of silver in fuses is not particularly uncommon, the value of cryo treatment and the validity of testimonials are probably things that we weigh very differently. It is a little off track, but I think that any audio product concept that appeals to audiophiles will eventually result in glowing testimonials of whatever product is developed. If you could develop convincing pseudo science suggesting that dried elephant dung absorbed emi, there would soon be much of it sold to audiophiles and history suggests that it would eventually be cryo treated and encased in silver mesh webbing by some of the more creative vendors. None of the above is relevant to the question at hand though, I'm sticking with 'if you are inclined to try it and it is cheap then what the heck'. Happy listening!
Maybe with some makes but the HiFi Tuning fuses I use are made of ceramic instead of glass, to control resonance, use silver wire, and are cryo'd. It's not snake oil. There are enough reviews out there from 6moons, PFO, Stereophile, and Stereo Times, to name a few, that think very highly of them, not to mention enough testimonials from us average Joes (and Janes) to start a blog. Check out the other threads on this and go with a reputable make and you won't go wrong.
"All advice appreciated." I think they are selling mass production fuses with gold(ish) plating on the ends & some fancy decals and packaging. That said, if you can just buy one fairly cheap & see if you think it makes a difference, what the heck.
They work, but it will depend on the resolution of your system to determine just how big an improvement you'll experience. Expect to be disappointed for the first few days as they, like anything, need some time to break in. I kept my system on for 4 straight days at a very low setting and from time to time would check in on it. It went from 'what the hell is going on here' to 'that's very nice indeed'.
I upgraded the fuses in my MX-Rs to positive effect. How much you notice will, to a large extent, be determined by the resolution of the rest of your system. In my case, there were 10 fuses for a cost of $450, but I felt it was worth it.
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