Here is a site that has some testimonies as to their effectivness: (http://www.canuckaudiomart.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1782) As usual there are those that haven't tried them, and have an opinion(for what that's worth=0). I would add to the previous post: If you have upgraded your power cords, and not heard a difference: Don't bother. Some systems/rooms won't resolve the differences, and some can't hear the differences(or: won't admit there is one, 'cause they can't stand being wrong). I'm glad you posted this. I'd forgotten I wanted to get a pair to try in my Carys(a year ago). |
Just to add a bit more fuel to the fire I'm certain this thread will start: (http://www.stereophile.com/powerlineaccessories/907fuse/) I like to hear what the people that listen to equipment for a living have to say sometimes. |
Hey Joe- Any electronics store will have the correct Buss fuses you need. Sometimes a bad tube(internal, intermittent short perhaps) will blow a fuse. Hopefully it's not a transformer(worst case). DON'T buy Radioshlock fuses. They'll blow of their own accord and make you crazy(I've seen it too many times). AND as stated- DON'T try the high dollar ones until you're certain the amp's straight!! |
Here's another log for the fire: (http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue32/fuses.htm) These fuses are getting a lot of positive reactions for just being a "gimmick" it would seem! I'll be happy to wrap my little (Gold)fingers around some this weekend! |
Hey Joe- If it's still blowing the fuse: Replace it and swap the tubes around after marking the one that blew the fuse(assuming the fuses are designated as to which tube socket they supply). If it blows another fuse: see if it corresponds with the marked tube. |
Add me to the list of those that have recently installed Hi-Fi Tuning fuses, and found them to make a distinct, audible improvement(realism, not coloration). I tried the two AC power fuses in my Cary monoblocks a month ago, and will be replacing their tube voltage fuses and the AC power fuse of my BAT VK-D5 shortly. |
Mr D- And you know this because you have tried a variety of power cords and hi-end fuses, and found that they made no difference what-so-ever in your system, Right? Certainly you wouldn't make those statements without having established some facts, one way or the other. I mean- This can't just be one of those unsubstantiated, uninformed opinions from an everything-sounds-the-same smoke blower can it? |
Mr E- Don't write the main "Shed" off completely. Hopefully whenever the $110M upgrade/renovation is completed, you will have a venue in which you can enjoy both live acoustic and amplified music without reservation. It's scary that the concerts sound better through Bose speakers!! =8^O |
Mt Isanchez- Personally, I've never seem the Hi-Fi Tuning fuses recommended for use in speaker systems. They have always been tried in locations that provide voltage to power supplies(AC) or tubes/transistors(DC) and been shown to provide substantial sonic gains in those locations. Since I never drive my gear into clipping, and trust it's reliability implicitly: I've replaced my Maggies' tweeter fuses with 10A's (if I'd had 20's on hand....)and am experiencing a much better clarity from my high freq. panels. No surprise there! Just much bigger conductors in the heavier rated fuses. That had occured to me before trying the Hi-Fi Tuning fuses in my Cary monoblocks, but the difference the fuses made in my Carys spurred me on to make the change in my Maggies. I'm still wondering why I didn't try it after upgrading my crossovers, or perhaps bi-passing the fuses altogether(In over 40 years of audio, I've never personally experienced a tweeter failure). |
Since the site won't allow me to edit my post: I'll add that the Hi-Fi Tuning fuses, at $39.00 a pop, to me represent a bargain when I consider the increase in sound quality they deliver. |
Mr I- I can certainly appreciate your concern with regards to protecting your equipment, and the investment represented. It's been my experience that the Germans are quite anal about the quality that they engineer into their products, or I wouldn't have tried them myself. On the other hand- There is a Chinese "Hi-End" fuse out there(can't find the link now) that I wouldn't even consider using, regardless of what agency approved them(also as a result of much experience). |
After 30 years of inferior materials and craftsmanship in EVERYTHING purchased from ANY Asian country(Japan being the sole exception), I have avoided purchasing ANYTHING from over there, outside of Ginseng and certain medicinal mushrooms(NO- They don't affect my hearing, or have any psycho-active effects). The percentage of defects found in Mercedes and Lexus can't even be compared with the defects found in the garbage imported to these shores(everything from lead tainted foods to counterfeit helicopter parts) from china and taiwan(I save caps for things I respect). If your tastes and inclinations are otherwise: Isn't it nice that we have the freedom to pick our own poisons in this country? What say we allow this thread to return to it's intention(the merits of the Ultra Systems fuses) and ask anyone out there if they have personally experienced, heard about or observed any kind of failure connected to the use of Hi-Fi Tuning fuses. |
Room treatments are not a "tweak". Your room/system interface is one of the most important things(actually the biggest component) you can possibly address when setting up. This has always been true whether regarding a home listening room or live music venue, and the first thing I've attended to(professionally, or at home) since the 80's. A lousy system has a better chance of sounding good in a properly sent up venue than an excellent system in a poor one. As far as DBT: What knowledge do have that either of the persons involved have any experience with live music, or any experience/training with regards to critical listening? Why would I give any credence to a report from someone that may never listen to actual music, or have any idea of what it sounds like(ala Julian Hirsch)?The fuses we are supposed to be discussing in this thread have never been recommended for replacing those in speakers(as far as I've read). Therefore- I'd have to ignore any remarks as to whether they are efficacious in that capacity. They are designed to provide the greatest benefit when placed in the power supply(AC input or DC rails). In these circuits, I've found the Hi-Fi Tuning fuses to increase the "organics" of my system's reproduction. IE: Vocals sound more human, I can perceive the wood resonance in double bass, piano and drum better. the air column in a closely mic'd sax is audible(the list could go on). To me the realism gained by installing the fuses is well worth the price of admission. |
Mr Tvad- Anyone that is not intimately familiar with live music and all it's nuances may have any opinion they choose and that's fine with me. That opinion will be totally and completely lacking in merit to me, however, as that is what my experience and judgements rest on with regards to reproduction. Just like anyone that has not experimented with an item (of any description) to see whether it does, or doesn't do, what's claimed(in my opinion) has no opinion but an abysmally empty one! But- I live in America and have fought for the rights we have to voice our opinions(empty or not). Happy listening! |
Mr E- This past weds. nite I enjoyed an evening of acoustic jazz, performed by a quartet of local musicians, hosted by the University of Indianapolis(http://www.county29.net/cms2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17251&Itemid=99999999). A specially designed room of excellent acoustics, and seating tiered to enable all attending a balanced perspective, without someone's head "shadowing" the sound. Granted- much of what is available out there is amplified and in less than perfect venues, but there is also much available to those that really love music. That music is amplified DOES NOT indicate that it has to be other than natural. There are many of us who maintain the goal of presenting music to the audience(live or recorded) unaltered except for the DB level. Great pains are taken(by those that have the means and desire) to insure this is accomplished by way of proper hall design, careful selection of sound reinforcement equipment, and staffing with people that have taken the time to train their hearing to recognize acoustic anomolies. Of course: Even in a live venue there will be many different perspectives depending on where one is seated. BUT- Exposure to the real thing will always give an individual a fresh window through which to view his/her own system/listening room/music. That there are large numbers of people that don't bother with live music, and only compare audio equipment with audio equipment doesn't bother me in the least. What goes on in their listening environment is their business. For me(again) anything that brings my home experience closer to the recording session is well worth the effort or expense. To avert the next response: Yes I do have recordings, personally done, that I can tap as a reference. If those are faithfully reproduced, I am confident that I'm hearing what is recorded on the media I'm playing accurately. There will be the ubiquitous variables between other performances/recordings and my speakers, but I've sought to remove as many as possible in my own system. That the fuses in question allow for a more "natural" presentation of music has prompted me to invest in more. Anyone that has a similar love for music, discerning ears, and a resolving system in their home would do well to try them. |
OOPS- My bad!! That money is being spent at Sonoma State U., and they are modeling their new hall after the Seiji Osawa Hall. I guess you're going to stay stuck with what is purportedly one of the best halls in the country. I've never heard the Boston Symphony Orchestra, or been to Tanglewood, so- I can't comment. I have heard many Bose systems though, so THAT idea's still scary! LOL |
Mt T: If you'll take the time to actually read my post you'll note that I stated, "That opinion will be totally and completely lacking in merit to ME", and that I was addressing DBT in general. There are a multitude out there that share the everything-sounds-the-same affinity and they can chase whatever Grail they choose. My judgements as to whether a component change affects my system's sonics in a beneficial way are based solely on whether said change brings me closer to the real thing(music), which the fuses under discussion did to another degree. Taken in the context of my other posts in this thread: My points were really quite relevant and self-explanatory. |
Mt T: Further, I'm certain that you must see more "relevance" to Coke and Pepsi in a discussion concerning music reproduction, fuses and audio equipment than that of the sounds/nuances of live music. Perhaps you could enlighten me? Is there a mirror in your house? |
Mt T- To me music is the ONLY thing that matters, anything else is secondary. That's been the case since I was a teenager learning to play guitar and operate sound equipment. In my way of thinking(reasoning or logic)- If my system doesn't provide an accurate representation of what went on at the recording event(music and venue), I need to find out why and correct it. Yes- I do remember you and your son. My system has drastically evolved since your visit, and I think of you(wondering what your reaction would now be) whenever I play the 'Dead Can Dance' cuts that you so enjoyed then. I do believe your jaw would drop now. |
Here we go again! If you don't try it for yourself- How will you EVER know, or be able to offer a valid opinion? VERY simple! These threads can end up so much like a Mobius Strip(or perhaps 8 track tape would be more apropos). |
Newbee- That's what Eve said, and no one bought it then either! |
Newbee- I agree 100% with everything you stated(whether the devil made you do it or not): If you've tried whatever is being promoted for yourself. you've earned the right to your opinion- good, bad or indifferent. In reality the 8 track tape wasn't really completely worthless. It was so bad that it prompted people to search for something better, and that was an intrinsic value. |
8 Track tapes had so much value, to so many people. Heartwarming! (Or- Was that gas?) |
Supply and Demand will get you every time! |
Bgordon- Try the AC line fuse first, and if your system/room/ears resolve a difference(that you like), then try the DC rail fuses. Any improvements that one can make in the power supply of their amplifiers should provide a sonic gain. The power supply is what drives your speakers, whether modulated by transistors or tubes, as directed by the music signal. That's the fuction(power supplies) for which Hi-Fi Tuning, Isoclean and Furutech fuses were designed, and hence- where they will work best. Of course they're not just for power amps, but any audio gear with a power supply. |
Well- my guess would be many don't for the same reason the high-end tube gear manufacturers don't install NOS tubes. Too many consumers can be satisfied with newly manufactured Soviet or chinese tubes, and of course- the price of NOS tubes would be exorbitant. Better(and cheaper) to let the buyer sate his(or her) own tastes. Even these fuses(Hi-Fi Tuning, Isoclean, Furutech) each affect a system's sound in a different manner. Then again- I'm certain there are those that(like many in here) haven't tried them, and don't believe they offer any improvement. |
