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What's going on with Synergistic Research fuses?

I live in California and a couple of weeks ago we had strange lightning storms that started the many fires burning in the State.  It also fried the fuse in my Pass XA30.5.  I got the amp second hand and it came with a SR Blue fuse.  I called Pass and they recommended a very cheap fuse which I ordered and installed.  Because I was curious, I took the SR sticker off the old burnt out fuse and found that it was a very cheap SIBA brand fuse underneath.  It is clear that SR is either not making the ceramic casing for this fuse or using the SIBA fuse and then doing stuff to it.  At the very worst, it's just slapping a sticker on it and charging a ton more

The thing is, I'm pretty sure I could hear a difference for the worse when I installed the cheap glass fuse post lightning storm.  Could it be that SR is modifying an existing fuse to make it sound better?  Maybe some more technically minded folks here on the forum could help me understand

thanks!
adam8179
hartf36's avatar
hartf36
200 posts
 
It sounds like you went from a ceramic fuse to a glass one. I’m not one for the exotic audiophile fuses, but I did swap out the glass fuses in my B&K EX-442 Sonata for everyday, "standard" ceramic fuses just to see for myself if I could detect a difference.  I did the same with my Hafler DH-220.

In fact I DID hear noticeable differences (in both amps, for the better, in each).  Earth shaking?  No.  But it sounded as if the ceramic cleaned up the sound just a shade.  I also replaced the stock glass fuses in my MMGs to no ill effect, until I replaced those ceramic fuses with sterling silver tubing.  YMMV.
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,313 posts
 
I just googled "Inductive Quantum Coupling" in quotes, and the ONLY people using this exact phrase is SR.
adam8179 OP
68 posts
 
maybe it means that when the fuse blows, another fuse across the universe blows at the exact same moment in time
Ag insider logo xs@2x
longplayer
20 posts
 
FWIW, I found that installing SR Orange Fuses on my source components first provided the most notable improvement. As I worked my way down to the power amps, the sound continued to improve, but the biggest gains came from the source components. A power amp, after all, cannot replace musical information that is not fed to it.
Also, on the Orange, and possibly the Blue I had before them, there is a small drop of material on the outside of the tube that you should be careful not to accidentally scrape off. I expect this material has something to do with their UEF process. In all instances, the addition of the Orange Fuse was way more cost effective than attempting to upgrade the sound quality by buying a newer, more expensive component.
danvignau's avatar
danvignau
935 posts
 
I hope you tweeks are still touting directional fuses to let your alternating current go back and forth through your wires. i would hate to see you cry if you understood how electricity works.
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