McIntosh fuse changeout to make better sound


Have anyone change out the fuse in the back of a McIntosh integrate amp to make it sound better? Does this work or is this a myth? And if it does what kind of fuse? Thx
ucdmac122005
Sadly this works in every component except McIntosh integrated amps. The only one that will work in a Mac integrated is the Synergistic Orange Fuse. Kidding. Its just funny people think the component matters. Like asking if Pirelli will work on my Honda Civic. No, works on every car except the Civic.
Post removed 
All a fuse does is protect against excess current draw. It is NOT part of the music signal. NO affect upon sound quality! Millercarbon - stop shilling for Synergistic Research and their questionable products!
1. Sadly this works in every component except McIntosh integrated amps.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

2. It is NOT part of the music signal. NO affect upon sound quality!

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

3. Funny as in you make me laff.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Shirley, you jest? Answer. No, and don’t call me Shirley..
One of the great "One liners" I'm hoping # 2 was kidding too, if not, hopefully things will change. :-)

Here is the bottom line for me. I tried all three from, SR, all three changed the sound. I liked the orange and the blue in my hot rodded C20. MX110z, C11, MC240s and 1961 MC275, ALL sounded different, all sounded better, with the orange and blue fuse. My old Acmes were as good as or better than the SR black.

Don’t wipe off the goo!, handle with GREAT care.
REALLY GREAT CARE... I found tweezers are better for the install, plane and simple..

The Blue worked best in a C2500.

NO KIDDING a busman worked the same on the inside of a MX120, they have 2 or three. BUT the main, again the Blue was the better of the bunch.

All were left in for a week at least.

Regards



ucdmac122005
Does this work or is this a myth?


It's a myth, a 50c fuse sold for $150 is a con aimed at the gullible.

Just change the fuse if old for a quality brand EE industry standard 50c fuse, as fuses (even the snake oil ones) do age after many turn on cycle surges.

Quick blow fuses and slow blow fuses aging left to right.
https://ibb.co/0ZtRv4J       https://ibb.co/mbzs3RK

Cheers George

Georgehifi,  I concur a million percent. A fuse is a fuse is a fuse. If you guys want to blow money needlessly, send it to me. I will spend the money wisely😂🤣.  I will not get into  a flame war over this, it is ONLY my opinion. 
They do make a nice difference. Paid only 39,95$ canadian for mine. Gold plated copper, ceramic body. No need for more.

Low cost , easy swap , much better build and contact quality. The upgrade was obvious for me. And yes, sound is improved.

I paid 1.3k for a Shunyata powercord. The fuse upgrade was just obvious at this low price considering the cost of the pc...
The ONLY thing important about which fuse you use is the amp rating specified by the operator's manual, and always use a fast blow fuse unless the manual states otherwise.
Hey UCDMAC 122005. I have thought the same question but haven't been forced to do anything yet as my MA2275 has been great. Rolled the tubes once so far and was happy with the outcome. Anyways, was considering changing out the fuse just to see. Appreciate your post. Got me thinking!
Synergistic has a 30-day return policy so you can always just try it w/o risk.  I tried the Blue fuse a couple of years ago and it made zero difference in my system but I'm open-minded so I tried.  I can often hear differences in speaker cables, IC's, power cables, and isolation/vibration control but I could not discern any difference in a fuse. 
I found no difference in high end fuses. Any fuse will compromise sound. What worked for me, was taking all of the fuses out and hard wiring the 2 ends of the fuse link with good copper or silver wire.
As all the power that goes into the unit flows through the fuse, why wouldn't it matter to go from a thin piece of tin/lead to something better? 
Anyway my experience has been that every time I've gone from stock to SR or Audio Magic or Hi-fi Tuning fuses the sound has gotten better. And that's whether its tube or solid state equipment.
As far as your question on which one, I've used SR red and blues with good results on my sources and haven't bothered to upgrade. On my tube monoblocks I'm using Audio Magic ultimate premier's and love 'em.
As other's have noted in this threat, just be careful to match the values on the tubes you're replacing. 
Good luck and enjoy!!
And don't forget, wash your hands for 5.5 minutes with Dial soap and wear 70/30 cotton/poly gloves when installing, or all your work will go to waste!
Trust the people who have tried an aftermarket fuse.
They work.

All the best,
Nonoise
AMR sells packs of 3..works out to be 15.00 USD apiece.  I use one in my Fisher X-1000 tube integrated amp. Yes it improved sound, but you should note a bigger soundstage as its main advantage.


I'm constantly amazed by the amount of single digit "fuser" posters that come on and cut loose.
BTW admin have also noticed this, and are watching.



Cheers George
I’m constantly amazed by the amount of single digit "fuser" posters that come on and cut loose.
BTW admin have also noticed this, and are watching.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

What are you talking about George? What is a Fuser? AND who cut loose WHAT?

Does admin have the huge dark eyes, about 3-4 ft tall, Gray, no hair, no cloths? That ADMIN?

Just kiddin’, you and your fuse bashing , never stops.. Never tried it, but it never stops..

I wish you a good holiday, in any case... They have a Christmas tree down under?

You guy’s ever get the water to go down the drain the right way yet? Just wondering, I know that was an issue. Come to think of it maybe ours is backwards. I think it is.. :-)

We do agree on NO Yoko Ono, right? Fine person, bad singer right, you don't think she's (GULP) a good singer do you?

Regards
I got a good deal on an upgraded fuse for my C220 preamp.  No difference I could hear, but it was worth the money for me to find out.  No regrets.
What is a Fuser? AND who cut loose WHAT?
Really? then......... "just kidding"

Does admin have the huge dark eyes, about 3-4 ft tall, Gray, no hair, no cloths? That ADMIN?
Countless threads they shut down, because of fuse shilling, and if you haven’t seen that then........... "just kidding"


Just kiddin’, you and your fuse bashing , never stops
It’s a product for the gullible, to fleece them of their money. And if you can’t see that then..... "just kidding"

You guy’s ever get the water to go down the drain the right way yet? Just wondering, I know that was an issue. Come to think of it maybe ours is backwards
You got that right at least........"just kidding
Once again; No one can possibly know whether fuses will make a difference, in their system and room, with their media and to their ears, without trying them for themselves.     Some companies offer a 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee, so- those that are actually interested, have absolutely nothing to lose.     Anyone that knows anything about the sciences, realizes that something like 96% of what makes up this universe, remains a mystery.     For centuries; humanity’s seen, heard, felt and otherwise witnessed phenomena, that none of the best minds could explain, UNTIL they developed a science or measurement, that could explain it.     The Naysayer Church wants you to trust their antiquated science (1800’s electrical theory) and faith-based, religious doctrine, BLINDLY ("Trust ME!", is their credo).     Theories have never proven or disproven anything.     It’s testing and experimentation that proves or disproves theories.     IF you’re interested in improving your system’s presentation, have a shred of confidence in your capacity for perceiving reality and trust your own senses: try a better fuse, FOR YOURSELF.                                                                                                            The Naysayer Church HATES it, when THAT happens!
Post removed 
Yoko Ono sounds fantastic, but ONLY with perfectly selected fuses.
And when reversed sounds like Julian Lennon, go figure
"Yoko Ono sounds fantastic, but ONLY with perfectly selected fuses."                                                The burned out variety?
I have detected this incredible sound improvement with fuses but when installed VERTICALLY.

I think the gravity plays a trick on the electrons & drags them down to one end :-)
As the mains sine wave fluctuates 50 cycles a second, I flipped the fuse in sync with the sine wave which flips the electrons also up & down 50 times a second and omg, the sound improvement was incredible.

I will patent this discovery and charge all the fuse manufacturers very soon.
IMO, "upgrading" a fuse is like upgrading a 1" section of the hot wire contained in the romex, somewhere between your breaker panel and the outlet.  
paradisecom,

Dont waste your breath, they will not believe you.  They hear what they want to hear, the rest is just reality :-)
These guys are dying on stage.
Deservedly.

Reminds me of the time I challenged others, like them, to go and start their own thread about fuses. It was quite some time ago. They did, and it lasted about a page and a half before it died of neglect. There was only so much back slapping, yukking it up, and reach arounds to go around before they grew tired of each other, having no one to argue with. Turns out it was a very small group and not at all representative of those who post here.

All the best,
Nonoise
A few years ago put 2 x SR Black in my Perreaux amp.
After lots of reading, decided to upgrade my Dac fuse to SR.
Last year switched the amp and Dac fuses for SR Orange.

Every time, worthwhile. 
If you are reading this, and are new here, those posting negative comments usually don't believe tweaks improve sound reproduction.

95% of the time, they have no experience of any of the products.
And then, to top it all off, they seem to think those of us who are trying to improve their sound (and subjectively and honestly explaining these effects for others to consider) that we are somehow on the payroll of these products.

My ears are my evidence, and Heaven Up Here sounded sublime tonight
If you are reading this, and you are new here, 95% of the time those that believe in "tweaks", which invariably are used somewhere in the electronics, don't have any depth of knowledge of how electronics actually work.   Does having a deeper understanding of electronics and electricity magically change your ears?  It may actually change your brain, as you will be less susceptible to suggestion.

w.r.t. "trying it", I have lots of audiophile friends who tell me about these crazy upgrades. Invariably, when I visit, they will demonstrate it, and I won't hear a difference.  Then I sit them down and make the change without them knowing what I did  ... and they don't either, though I have found loose contacts and corrosion that perhaps contributed to the change.

The so called "tweaks" rarely stand up to scrutiny.  There is no valid explanation for what the tweak does, and even when the explanation is in the realm of possibility, you will never find enough details to validate the claim (except fuses in the speaker path).
I'm convinced that the naysayers have never experienced what is possible with their systems.

SR Orange fuses are a substantial upgrade. 30-day return policy, so what have you to lose?

Frank

If you are reading this thread and new here make sure you also visit other forums just to realize how crazy some of this stuff is here and the zealotry which surrounds it by the proponents of psuedo science. Of course real tweaks do real things and snake oil tweaks merely transfer wealth.

  I have been looking for a cable cooker that would work on my fuses. The problem is the "Blackout" super coating has messed up cooking since the stuff just starts dripping off when heated. The bag of "Precious Pebbles" was a problem too since the plastic bag melted all over the fuse. On a serious note now I preferred the beeswax impregnated fuses the most until I ran into FMI fuses which are much better. The Fecal Matter Impregnated fuses are simply the best and have measured to be so though I wont provide any data to prove this. You either understand the subtle nuances of superb audio, or you are just another dirt behind your phony golden ears poor attitude full of envy non entity. Those of us who know just know and we who know feel sorry for those of you who don't know what you don't know.
As the 'Flat Earth Church of Pushing Electrons Through Metals' continues it's fevered program, to deliver the music lover from the demonic influences of their own mental faculties and senses (HOLLOW-HEADED-LUJAH, AMEN): the intrepid listen on and enjoy the rewards of their own experimentation.     
oregonpapa
I’m convinced that the naysayers have never experienced what is possible with their systems.
That may be partially true, but I suspect many of the naysayer measurementalists don’t even own systems. They’re just here to argue and disrupt and by that measure they are doing a great job.
Hey OP, @ucdmac122005,
As yourself, does this sound like the opinion of someone you can trust to be unbiased, take some care in their listening tests?  Pretty much a given whoever wrote this does not have a firm grasp of the physics of electricity, how electronics work, etc.  They have to make a call to some hereto unknown facet of theoretical physics, of which they have no evidence or proof. Take that for what it is.

As the 'Flat Earth Church of Pushing Electrons Through Metals' continues it's fevered program, to deliver the music lover from the demonic influences of their own mental faculties and senses (HOLLOW-HEADED-LUJAH, AMEN): the intrepid listen on and enjoy the rewards of their own experimentation.    

the intrepid listen on and enjoy the rewards of their own experimentation.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

And then there are those that DO, I’m in your camp. I tried it, on my equipment with someone else’s fuses they gave to me.

3 different types, all with different results, ALL the same brand. SR

If you haven’t tried it, you got no say in the game.
If you don’t own the equipment you got no say in the game.

Show me the science, has nothing to do with what someone ELSE hears.. It’s a broken record. The same FEW keep sneaking in their, digs about "Show me the science", when the OP wants to know if it might change his system and SOUND better... NOT where is the science.  HOW does it sound.. Keep answering questions that aren't being asked..

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I go back to Mr rodman99999
the intrepid listen on and enjoy the rewards of their own experimentation.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

Don’t get talked out of a GOOD thing by someone who hasn’t tried it, probably can’t hear the difference, or has the equipment or environment conducive to giving the product a fair comparison.

Yea they sound different, I own and have access to a LOT of Mac gear, the fuse change is for the better, never worse 4 out 5 of the times..
Maybe, 45-50 pieces..(Between 5 guys)

I’m going to be going through a pair of MC60, and doing a case change, we’ll see if a new PC, fuse holder, and fuse, make a difference.. I bet they do... 60 + years old...STUFF, literally used lamp cord. :-) Sounded quite good..

Regards

Good to see this fuse thread got moved down the ladder were it belongs 


Just change the fuse if old for a quality brand EE industry standard 50c fuse, as fuses (even the snake oil ones) do age after many turn on cycle surges.

Quick blow fuses and slow blow fuses aging left to right.
https://ibb.co/0ZtRv4J       https://ibb.co/mbzs3RK

Cheers George
Sad to see that a self appointed liar who says Admin is watching those who use and advocates aftermarket fuses brags, again, about getting threads moved around as if that is what he thinks is winning, something.

This site is devoted to audiophiles and the sales of audio equipment and associated gear, with fuses, being a large part of that. Those fuses are made by the same makers of cables, power conditioners, etc. and again, account for a large share of sales here, which Admin is totally behind. 

I wonder if Admin is aware of what he's doing, discrediting one of the geese that lays a lot of golden eggs here, which is part of their revenue stream. Or, have they already figured him out and after doing the math, found out he is really of no consequence and just let him blather on?

All the best,
Nonoise
If the OP is "for real", (low post count and has not bothered to post again}
Suggest he do this instead of wasting $150+ for a 50cent fuse

Just change the fuse if old for a quality brand EE industry standard 50c fuse, as fuses (even the snake oil ones) do age after many turn on cycle surges.

Quick blow fuses and slow blow fuses aging left to right.
https://ibb.co/0ZtRv4J https://ibb.co/mbzs3RK

Cheers George
'That may be partially true, but I suspect many of the naysayer measurementalists don’t even own systems. They’re just here to argue and disrupt and by that measure they are doing a great job.'


What's in an unverified forum claim when you can boast and list stock pictures of the "system" you claim to own and pretend? I have often wondered how many of these 200G + systems claimed to be owned around here really exist and how many are bragging rights fiction from those who want you to be impressed with their fibs. There are some basics in audio and the veracity of some claims are easily measured and repeatable and will withstand double blind tests. Then there are the space ship people with heretofore unheard of technologies and discernment who somehow manage to evade the double blind test thingamajigger.
Interesting fuse pictures. Looks almost like the last one lost it's seal a bit.
That is a new, used and blown fuse. A slow blow like that will sound OK then worse and finally fail, over time.

It was kind of George to show the failure over a period of time, and a visual inspection will confirm when it’s time for a fuse change. The one in the middle. Not the blown one on the right side, if not close.

The SO would be affected by the middle fuse, the question is how long would a philer/customer listen to the sound getting worse and worse, before the fuse finally failed?

This is a good reason to try a different construction NOT using a fuse that fails that way.

SR fuses with the Goo, aren’t made that way, YET they will blow, keep your gear safe, and sounding better/different to many.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

That may be partially true, but I suspect many of the naysayer measurementalists don’t even own systems. They’re just here to argue and disrupt and by that measure they are doing a great job.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Great example actually, of how a stock fuse fails over time. Information is information, this reference has been posted MANY times.

https://ibb.co/0ZtRv4J
https://ibb.co/mbzs3RK This one..

Regards