What is the science behind audiophile fuses?


There were many threads on the topic of "audiophile fuses" on this forum, and I sure don't want to open old wounds and trench warfare. The fuse on my preamp blew suddenly two days ago, which prompted me to search for a replacement. That's when I came across the term "audiophile fuse" and the fact that they demand far-out prices. Deeper curiosity brought me to several other fora, where users posted glowing praises about their Zero fuses and other exotica. Now I am a scientist, but not a physicist or electrical engineer: so please enlighten me! How can a fuse have an audible influence on the signal, when the signal does not even pass through it? How can a fuse be "directional" when it deals with alternate current? I mean, if I recall my university physics, a fuse is basically a safety valve and nothing more. Am I completely missing an important point here? My scientific field is drug discovery, and because of this background I am thoroughly familiar with the power and reality of the placebo effect. I that's what I am seeing here, or is it real physics? I need objective facts and not opinions, please. I really appreciate your help!

 
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Showing 5 responses by devinplombier

@carlsbad2 

We are on the same page. Electrically, a closed relay is definitely equivalent to a straight wire.

So are power cords, but folks still heatedly argue about them.

If we accept that power cords - the essence of a straight wire - can have a sound signature, whether based on brand or copper purity or braiding style, it seems fair to assume that a more complex device inline with a power cord might also introduce its own sound signature.

Re magnetic breakers, I was just following along with @mitch2 's comment:

I am going to receive two of them (10A) that I plan to use for a solution external to the amp chassis, but that will not require an extra power cord like the SDFB.

I for one am curious to find out how his experiment turns out smiley

 

I like on many components that I don’t expect to fail, to just raw dog it with no protection and replace the fuse with a slug (some think this is crazy, they are entitled to their opinion).

Reading through this thread leaves me open to the possibility that line fuses, being essentially variable resistors, may have a discernable effect on sound quality. If so, the difference is likely to be confined to fuse vs. no fuse, such that replacing a Bussmann fuse with an "audiophile" fuse is likely to be of no import since the latter is still a variable resistor. So I would have to agree with @carlsbad2 's quote above.

The best way to achieve this, though, is not to install slugs of various metals that can’t possibly make any audible difference, insofar as they are cradled in uber-cheap fuse holders made of common steel. Desoldering and tossing that 10 cent fuse holder and jumpering a length of appropriate gauge wire in its place, thus essentially hardwiring your power cord to your equipment's PCB as @mitch2 suggested, seems the sensible way to go.

As far as the Swiss Digital Fuse Box, it answers the safety question, but it seems highly unlikely that any device sitting inline with your power cord AND needing a 2nd power cord in order to function would not impart its own sound signature onto your system, just like power cords themselves have their own sound signatures.

Can the Swiss Digital Fuse Box be truly neutral sounding, or is swapping it for a fuse a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul, so to speak?

How about magnetic breakers, can they be free of effects on sound quality?

It is of course easy to take the fuse thing to absurd extremes that attract scorn and ridicule, but there is a sound case to be made for eliminating them - in a way that ensures safeguards remain intact of course, or are even improved. Fuses are not that good at doing their jobs anyway, so it is interesting to read about what can be done to improve upon the current situation.

@carlsbad2 

Perhaps @lalitk meant a SDFB dongle that would plug directly into the equipment's receptacle, eliminating the extra power cable the regular SDFB requires.

 

@mitch2 

I think the Grimm has an IR sensor so one could use a programmable remote. Alternatively you could control volume via roon if you use that.