Synergistic Red Fuse ...


I installed a SR RED Quantum fuse in my ARC REF-3 preamp a few days ago, replacing an older high end fuse. Uhh ... for a hundred bucks, this little baby is well worth the cost. There was an immediate improvement upon installation, but now that its broken in (yes, no kidding), its quite remarkable. A tightening of the focus, a more solid image, and most important of all for my tastes, a deeper appreciation for the organic sound of the instruments. Damn! ... cellos sound great! Much improved attack on pianos. More humanistic on vocals. Bowed bass goes down forever. Next move? .... I'm doing the entire system with these fuses. One at a time though just to gauge the improvement in each piece of equipment. The REF-75se comes next. I'll report the results as the progression takes place. Stay tuned ...

Any comments from anyone else who has tried these fuses?
128x128oregonpapa
Here is a music rec for you guys The Stan Getz Quartet  "Live at Montreaux 1972" the quartet is Stan and Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, and Tony Williams. Can't imagine a better band than that and though it's more of a jazz fusion style than I normally like it's really fantastic. The tune La Fiesta in particular is great, check this album out it's a tour de force for sure!
Thanks for all of the well wishes guys. Its very helpful. I have to be at the hospital at 5:30 tomorrow morning with the surgery scheduled to begin at 7:30 am.

On a completely different note: My friend Robert came over two nights ago for a listening session and brought a CD I thought some of you would enjoy. Its a modern take on the old cartoon film music of the 1920’s and 1930’s. Its a tribute to Raymond Scott, the leader of a quintet back in the day that used to do the sound tracks for these films. The modern group playing on the disc is the Beau Hunks sextet. Here is some really nostalgic jazz for us oldsters ... and hopefully a new find for the younger guys. Its really fun music and a good introduction to early American jazz.  Sound quality is really good on this well recorded stereo disc. It’ll have your toes tapping. Highly recommended. Here’s a link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/THE-BEAU-HUNKS-SEXTETTE-CELEBRATION-ON-THE-PLANET-MARS-CD-/332183885875?hash...

Hang in there ...

Frank
Good luck, Frank! Damn, wish I lived close enough to bring you recovery donuts.
Hi everyone,

My 1st post here on Audiogon after several years of silent reading...

I just want to tell you my own experience regarding the SR Black fuse. I bought a 1A 20mm slow blow SR Black fuse yesterday for my DAC (NAD M51). I read and found that the SR Black fuses are directional. I also read that in order to figure out which direction is ideal/correct, you have no other way than listening. One direction will give you much better sound than the other.

So as soon as I received my SR Black fuse, I did a critical listening comparison. I installed and flipped the fuse. Then I'm a bit confused as I actually heard noticeable improvement over the stock fuse but I heard NO differences between both directions. I tried to listen closely but there was nothing that I can notice firmly.

I think there may be a couple of reasons for this:
- My system does not have resolution enough to 'reveal' the differences between the directions of the SR fuse (My system: Laptop (source) -> Schiit Wyrd (USB linear power supply) -> Audiobyte Hydra Z (USB converter) -> NAD M51 (DAC) -> Arcam Alpha 10/10P biamp -> Monitor Audio Silver 2 (speaker))
- My listening skill is not good enough.
- The SR Fuse actually has no direction.

It drove me a bit crazy thinking about that. So I decided to ask Synergistic Research. I left a message to SR and received a useful answer from Andy Wiederspahn from SR, and I quote:
 

"Yes, it is directional. The electricity should flow the way you read the label. From S to R.

Thanks,

Andy"

After I received this mail, I immediately tried to figure out the way the electricity flow in my NAD M51 circuit. In order to figure out the direction of the electricity within the NAD M51, I removed the fuse holder (below the AC inlet), then I plugged the power cable in and used a phase tester to check inside the "hollow hole" where the fuse holder was before. One terminal/side/phase made the light of the phase tester light up and this is a hot one (i.e: the 'beginning' of the electricity) while the other phase didn't. By doing that, I could know the direction of the electricity of the circuit in my NAD M51.

Finally I just installed the fuse with direction along with the flow of electricity and decided to leave it then.

I post this just to share with you guys about some information if you're in the same boat as me - i.e. own SR black fuses but can't hear the difference with the directions of the fuse.

Happy listening,

Khiem