Aftermarket Fuses

elizabeth
I have a theory that the real improvement is the fact that the aftermarket fuses really are just higher rated fuse material.

>>>>>Sorry, but that theory can’t be right since at least some of them like Audio Magic Beeswax and the Gold Bussman fuses are simply modified stock fuses. Furthermore, higher ratings mean the fuse won’t blow when it should blow. In fact, it appears some aftermarket fuses are lower rated based on the number of reports of premature blown fuses. Nice try though! Now, if you had said that aftermarket fuses use purer and or better conductors then we’d be getting somewhere.

My experience of after-market fuses is that they do make a difference, some more than others.

My first experience was with Furutech Rhodium fuses, probably something like ten years ago now. They definitely made the sound more "metallic" which is an odd adjective to use I know, but the only way I can describe it. They stripped out the warmth. I went back to Busmann gold-plated fuses till about 18 months ago.

Then I read all the fuss about Synergistic Research Black fuses, so I gave them a try. I'll be honest, they didn't make much difference. Nothing sounded any worse, so I kept them.

About three months ago I bought a number of Synergistic Research Blue fuses, again purely on hype reviews. These definitely have made an audible difference. In my system at least, there's a lot more bass, and somehow the presentation of the music generally has more depth, better sound-staging I guess you'd call it. I like the effect they have, and over time I'll probably switch some of my Blacks for Blues as funds permit. I'd also encourage others to try them on their televisions as I have done, they also improve the picture quality.

I think it's worth saying that fuses aren't going to miraculously transform your system. They won't. But they do help, or at least have "an" effect. It's like all tweaks - some you'll like/value, others you won't. But they have at least got me in front of my speakers much more in the past few months, and that ultimately is what a good hobby should be, something you actually spend time doing.

To anyone who says all after-market fuses are snake oil, I'll happily prove you wrong if you happen to live in the south of England. Every single sound that comes out of my speakers is generated from electricity that has passed through a fuse at some point. So if you can accept that interconnects make a difference, and I think the vast majority on pages like this can, then open your mind to the fact that fuses are just other interconnects, and that their construction can have an effect on the output of a system. My system is living proof, as are many others on these pages.

I would put Audio Horizons at top of my list in terms of improving sound. Seemed to get rid another layer of imperceptible noise (until that noise is gone) so cleaner and more natural.

So much was written it the three threads that oregonpapa started regarding the SR Red, Blue and Black fuses that I'll bet the big hitters are worn out from posting.

Not to hijack the thread, but there is an obvious difference with CIRCUIT BREAKERS: less internal resistance, better sound. Since internal resistance tends to be a monotonically decreasing function of current rating, it is a simple trade-off: more safety, less sound VS less safety, more sound.

Physics supports this conclusion. Respecting the guidelines of the OP, I will say no more.