What is the science behind audiophile fuses?

@mapman ,

That’s the most plausible answer I can come with, too.

If something is going to fry inside your amp for whatever reason, how is any safety device placed outside your amp going to prevent that?

I’m totally open minded here, I’d just like someone to explain it to me.

@mitch2 ,

Sorry man, rereading how I wrote that sounds like I’m getting onto you about what you’re considering. That’s in no way the case. It's actually a general question to anyone who has a plausible explanation.

@thecarpathian - No worries at all, it is a legitimate question. Aside from code issues, one reason is that a line from the panel is in most cases powering multiple components/devices all of which are probably rated for less than the 20 or 15 amps that trip the breaker, where the magnetic switch/breaker would be rated for the individual piece of equipment.

What I didn’t say is that my amps do not have on/off switches so I actually operate as you suggest, when I want to power down the amps, I walk over two rooms to the panel and throw the breaker or, I can simply unplug them. They probably get powered down about once/month, on average for storms, vacation, etc. They do however have 8 amp (I believe) fuses.

The reasons to consider a magnetic switch/breaker instead of a fuse are reliability, longevity, and supposedly improved sound quality. In the case of my amps, I would need a triple box with spots for two separate magnetic switches, one for each amp, and the duplex that I plug them into. Of course, I would need to split the dedicated 20A line in and then each of the two outlets in the duplex would have to be fed separately from one of the magnetic switches so the amps could individually trip their dedicated switch.

BTW, SMc audio has started using magnetic switches instead of fuses, and they did so on the DAC-2 I received from them last year.

An accountant can calculate the net present value (cost) of replacing your fuse with a slug.

Lets do an example:

Your amp costs $10,000.

the catastrophic failure rate on your amp is 1/100 years (I think it is really much lower than that, although in lightning areas it may be higher).

Lets say the likelihood that the fuse will save your amp is 50/50. I think it is less.

So the cost per year to put in a slug is $10,000 x 1/100 x .5 = $50.

Now that is statistically what the cost is per year. However, if you happen to have a bad roll of the die, then you’ll have to pay the full $10,000. For many of us that would not be a problem. For many of us that would be a hardship. And even for many of those would could spend $10,000 without any hardship, the worry would not let them sleep.

So some people can replace their fuses with a slug, and some can’t even consider it.

Jerry

PS  Notice I assumed the fuse will save your amp 50% of the time.  The other 50% of the time you amp will fry, even though you have a fuse in it.  so it cost $50/yr to operate your amp with  a fuse and $100/yr with a slug.

Jerry’s accounting is sound thinking from an audiophile standpoint, but if you put a slug in your amp and the amp fails massively and somehow starts a fire, you might be out more than the cost of the amp. It is unlikely of course, but it is the reason those fuses are there.