New Synergistic Master Fuse

I’m a bit curious as it sounds like these fuses are meant to be used in tandem with the less expensive but more "musical" Purple and Orange fuses. I can understand this, in a few components I found Purple to be absolutely tubby and midrange saturated. On the other hand, I have tried QSA fuses that were very high resolution and dynamics, but totally lacking in fullness, texture, and bass. I imagine these might be similar, pushing the envelope technically, but relying on other fuses to make the sound musical/listenable, and easy to overdo with more than one.

 

I’m less inclined to think of these as a cash grab than being stuck at a fork where they aren’t able to put all the attributes they want in a single fuse, but they can make an overpoweringly technical fuse specifically for upstream components.

As much as people complain, I’ve used 3k power cords that have an equivalent or lesser effect than an SR fuse. Unfortunately, I think QSA did realize this and cranked up their prices to closer match other power products.

I just popped one of these into my Zähl HM1 headphone amp next to an Audio Magic M1. Definitely a different sound, very wide and big soundstage, lots of bass punch. So far a little more resolution than the M1 and a surprising amount of color. I'm sure it will sound very different in a week, and also maybe having it in with the M1 might be a little weird. I might need another Purple. The M1 holds its own very well, but not as expansive and colorful. Maybe the M1 is more full and grounded/centered.

Update on Master Fuse, after 250+ hours of settling I can really tell what it is doing. It is a little more detailed than the M1, much more expansive in terms of sound stage, and slightly more 3D and colorful. That trickiness of this fuse is that it adds a significant amount of treble response (though not harsh at all) and in an amp you end with a sort of "V" or "U" shaped response with emphasized treble and sub bass, but the midrange and mid-bass a bit scooped out. It makes sense that this pairs with the SR Purple which seem the opposite to me, tons of midrange and mid-bass.

It also makes sense that these fuses would be meant for sources given their tonal profile. Most people will want a thicker sound from their amps, and for those who find the Purple to be too thick, a Master Fuse upstream may balance it out.

I’m going to try and see if replacing the other fuse in my HM1 with a Purple will result in more tonal balance. That will determine if the combo will be a replacement for the M1 pair, or just an interesting alternate.

There is one area that the SR fuses are really ahead of the Audio Magic ones, adding an SR fuse is like adding a subwoofer, the amount of punchy and raw sub bass. Despite the treble focus the Master still has amazing sub bass.

I got an SR Purple to complement the Master Fuse in my two fuse HM1 amp, and I was really surprised with the result. I had been using two M1s, then Master Fuse+M1, and now Master Fuse+Purple. Let me say, these two go together like peanut butter and chocolate and I am hearing things I’ve never heard before. Incredible synergy.

 

With just the Master Fuse I was getting this big soundstage, diffuse, U shaped FR, and treble-leaning sound. Now, the images are so distinct and dense it’s crazy, and they have a tube-like glow. Just a little bit of the Purple mid-bass bloat, and a little bit of dynamics lost, but so much more dense and tactile than the Master Fuse alone.

 

At this point I think it’s fair to say you need both to get the full effect. Much bigger effect than I expected adding the Purple. Considering the M1 is excellent in its own right, and perhaps better than the Purple in many ways, but the combination with Purple and the Master Fuse is so much better. So vibrant and dense.