FUSES, Finally!?


     I have been adamant about avoiding special fuses, because of the lack of empirical studies.  Here is my question:  What would be something not too expensive that would be a good start.  I use three dual mono Audire amps (for Woofs, Mids and Tweets, and Subs, each of the six channel having four fuses.  I would not not want to spend thousands, even if I could, just to experiment.  My heat sinks do unplug, along with the outputs, and I could try just one channel or one amp.  Paul of PS mentioned what they use, and that might eventually be a possibility, but what do you guys (and gals?) think I should do, to just to convince this ageing skeptic?  Also, each channel of my amps has one single, dedicated computer chip that regulates the filling of the 4 26,000 mf caps (per channel), which might make any difference less than a design that allows a flood of electrons into the tank, presuming that might matter.  DanV
128x128danvignau
Hi allears4u: Now that's what I call "real science". Nice post. Good listening.
I know SR fuses were on sale a month or so ago. Buy 2, get 1 free.

You get 30 days to try them out and if you don't hear a difference, you can return them (as long as you don't blown them).

All I can say is......I tried a couple of SR Orange fuses in my system (1 in the amp, 1 in the preamp), and was blown away by the difference in sound.

In my instance, the preamp fuse change made the most difference.
The amp fuse change DID make a difference, but it was much more subtle.



     Wow! no wonder some of you need better fuses, with one per piece of electronics.  How is that even possible?  One per channel would seem to be a minimum, which I hope you actually mean.  My amps have 4 each, two per isolated channel, for a mere 125 wpc each.  (250 wpc @ 4 ohms; 400 wpc  @ 2 ohms). 
     With a fuse on each side of each low side circuit (i.e. 2 per channel), and each channel designed with 4 x 26,000 mf of filter capacitance, it seems there should be much less stress per fuse.  Also, there is one computer chip per channel, which regulates each channel's power supply (500 watt transformer and 4 x 26,000 filter caps per channel).  This must stress the 110 volt circuit much less than cheap systems that allow all the current to rush in at once, and especially those that are designed to have the outputs work hard to suck the power from a small power supply, rather than just throttle the signal from a big one. I know this regulation system works, because when I had a 15 amp circuit breaker (Now 30), we tested it by using a power strip to turn on three amps at once (potential 4500 watts at turn on without regulation).  The breaker did not trip.   er. Two (unregulated) Audire Model 2's, or two Phase Linear 400's did. 
     FYI, house breakers trip at a continuous 75% of their rating, so a 15 amp one blows around 11 amps.  My pair of old  (Unregulated) Audire Model 2's drew up to 1500 watts each at turn on, or 3000/110 volts equals 27 instantaneous amps.  This must be hard on cheap fuses.  Since each amp had one fuse, I could see how a really good one could help?      
     My main amps run much cooler than my Bryston, or Phase Linear, or my ancient Audire Model 2's.  In fact, in a test, the upper amp Bryston heated up the amp below it, even with a 2 inch riser between them.   
     This large and regulated power supply system showed no discernible improvement when we tested it with shorted fuse blocks, rather than the standard fuses.  The Bryston; maybe. Model 2 and Phase Linear: YES!  They improved somewhat... maybe?
     Does that sound reasonable to you engineers?  Can your super fuses actually pass current better than a straight wire? 
     If so, please explain;  otherwise, please google "Vleblen Effect" or "HYDROX (vs OREO) Effect".  or "Veblen Diamonds Ferrari". 
house breakers trip at a continuous 75% of their rating, so a 15 amp one blows around 11 amps.  


Isn't it actually 80% and 12 amps continuous?
Thank You for the correction.  I had meant to look that up before posting, and forgot.